Photo: BMW
There are two almost unanimous things about recent BMW moves. People loathe the XM design as much as they love the i4 dynamics. Critics are praising BMW’s first electric sedan. However, the first units may present a severe problem: the lack of crash pads for the battery pack.
According to the alert A12/00124/22 published at the European Union’s Safety Gate portal, the issue was reported by BMW in Germany. It affects i4 units made between September 15, 2021, and November 30, 2021. The precise number of vehicles that may have the defect was not disclosed.
The defect description states that “the crash pads for the high-voltage battery may not have been assembled.” Although this would only reveal its nasty effects in case “of a serious side crash,” the truth is that such a wreck could cause a short circuit to the unprotected battery pack. Events such as these could make the i4 catch fire.
The European recall report does not mention how BMW realized the issue nor if there were crashes. It only states that the vehicles with this issue were also found in Sweden and Poland, where measures to correct that were also taken. We’ll get in touch with BMW to learn more about that.
What is clear is that BMW realized some battery packs were lacking the crash pads and took action to correct that, which is pretty positive. Despite that, it is also surprising that the German company forgot to assemble what seems to be a crucial safety element for the BMW i4. After all, the electric sedan could help BMW convince Tesla owners that it has a worthy competitor to the Model 3.
Being such a new product for BMW may have been the reason for the lapse. This is why all buying guides suggest people wait a bit before purchasing anything new. Early adopters are like voluntary guinea pigs: everything that can go wrong with a product will probably do so in their hands. When it comes to a vehicle, which is expensive safety-critical equipment, that’s even more sensitive.
The defect description states that “the crash pads for the high-voltage battery may not have been assembled.” Although this would only reveal its nasty effects in case “of a serious side crash,” the truth is that such a wreck could cause a short circuit to the unprotected battery pack. Events such as these could make the i4 catch fire.
The European recall report does not mention how BMW realized the issue nor if there were crashes. It only states that the vehicles with this issue were also found in Sweden and Poland, where measures to correct that were also taken. We’ll get in touch with BMW to learn more about that.
What is clear is that BMW realized some battery packs were lacking the crash pads and took action to correct that, which is pretty positive. Despite that, it is also surprising that the German company forgot to assemble what seems to be a crucial safety element for the BMW i4. After all, the electric sedan could help BMW convince Tesla owners that it has a worthy competitor to the Model 3.
Being such a new product for BMW may have been the reason for the lapse. This is why all buying guides suggest people wait a bit before purchasing anything new. Early adopters are like voluntary guinea pigs: everything that can go wrong with a product will probably do so in their hands. When it comes to a vehicle, which is expensive safety-critical equipment, that’s even more sensitive.
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