by BMW recalls over 70 thousand electric vehicles due to software issues
The BMW company has announced a recall of 70,852 electric vehicles due to a potential malfunction in the electric motor software. The problem may lead to a sudden shutdown of the high-voltage system and loss of power while driving, which increases the risk of an accident.
The list of affected models includes the BMW i4 (model years 2022-2025), iX (2022-2024), i7, and i5 (2024 model year). According to the recall report, the software may erroneously detect double insulation, leading to an emergency shutdown of the system for 15-20 seconds.
During the shutdown, steering and brakes continue to operate, but the vehicle essentially goes into a “coasting” mode without traction.
Investigation of the problem
BMW began investigating this issue back in 2021, initially assuming that the cause could be foreign debris in the components. However, the low number of complaints complicated the diagnosis. Later, engineers focused on analyzing the erroneous detection of double insulation.
To date, the company has recorded 43 cases of power loss at speeds over 32 km/h (20 mph), but has not received any reports of accidents or injuries due to this malfunction. The fix will be implemented via an over-the-air (OTA) software update or at dealer centers. Owners will receive recall notifications on August 5th.
This situation highlights the importance of reliable software for modern electric vehicles, where even a minor error in the code can impact safety. BMW is demonstrating a responsible approach, despite the problem being quite unusual and difficult to diagnose. At the same time, the absence of serious incidents indicates the effectiveness of the built-in safety systems.
