2014 BMW I3 REX Transmission and drivetrain Problems

“Test driving this Bmw i3, I noticed the rex range extender engine was dangerously slow. The 34 hp scooter engine is a hazard in traffic. I also noticed the brake lights would not come on when slowing to a stop. Consumer reports outlined it, and I can't say it better. .... Why are there not minimum fmvss performance standards to cover the hazards while in rex-mode (battery dead, running on scooter motor in heavy, fast, traffic)? This is a new area: weird behavior from evs in rex mode. …”

“I test drove a Bmw i3. I got into trouble because they forgot to charge it up completely when I drove it. Almost died. Consumer reports describes it all better than I can: a new lawsuit alleges that Bmw i3 electric cars can suddenly slow down when their battery power is low, potentially putting passengers in dangerous situations. Filed tuesday in u.s. District court in los angeles, the class-action suit alleges that the i3's 'range extender feature ... Doesn't produce enough power to prevent a dramatic decrease in the vehicle's performance. …”

“This car is extremely dangerous. 'the eme malfunction happened the first day that I drove the car after purchasing. Not long after I started driving in the morning the computer said that the rex wasn't working. About 40 minutes later on my trip, the computer said that the car was performing maintenance on the rex. In the evening while driving home, the computer said that the battery was discharging, and then the car lost power on the freeway. I was able to get it to start again after some time. This was particularly scary at the time as I had my 18 month grandson in the back seat. …”

“While in bumper to bumper traffic, on a smooth surface street, we heard a pop or bang and immediately an error message was displayed drivetrain malfunction, pull over and stop . Before I could pull over, the vehicle went into park while I was stopped and could not be put into neutral. I was in rush hour traffic and had to direct traffic around mt car for 1.5 hours before a tow truck arrived, had I been on train tracks or in a higher speed section of road, I could have been in a dangerous situation. This failure mode must be corrected for me to want to keep the car. …”

“Bmw should immediately recall or warn drivers abut the i3 range extender model. Someone could be killed or seriously injured in an accident caused by a deadly flaw in the car that I experienced. Yesterday morning, the battery was low in power and I was in rex mode and driving up the conejo grade returning to la from santa barbara. I was traveling about 65 miles per hour in the fast lane. I am not sure about the precise speed because I was driving into the sun and the cruise control would not operate (see below). Suddenly, and without warning, the car lost power. …”