2024 BMW iX: What to check before buying

Stalling and sudden shutdowns while driving lead these reports, often with high-voltage and drivetrain warnings, sometimes within hours of purchase. Screens go black, settings reset, and the parking brake can set itself in traffic. Other reports say the car keeps rolling when the brake is pressed, including after a software update that left auto hold off. These reports include crashes with injuries. Two fires are reported, one while charging and one after the brakes seized. Bluetooth, CarPlay, and navigation drop out even after a software update. Several faults show up in the first few hundred miles.

Automatic emergency braking and collision warning fail to react to slowing traffic ahead. Two reports describe rear-end collisions after the system did nothing, one with injuries. Other drivers describe the opposite problem. With driver assistance on, the car slows on its own on the freeway with nothing ahead, dropping from 70 mph to 40 and refusing to accelerate. One report describes the car shifting from D to B mode without input before a crash. Self-parking also steers the wrong way or misses open spaces. A service center could not reproduce the phantom slowdowns.

Unexpected movement when the driver expects the vehicle to stay put is the main pattern. Reports describe it pulling forward out of auto hold at a light, or surging during slow driveway maneuvers. Two of the three complaints end in crashes, one into another car and one into a home's deck. In the traffic-light case, neither the brakes nor collision avoidance stopped the car. A separate complaint says the brake pedal arm is angled across the accelerator, so a foot can get caught behind it. All-weather floor mats make this worse.

Drivetrain and high-voltage battery warnings appear, sometimes leaving the car undrivable and in need of a tow. The faults come back after dealer visits, including after a high-voltage battery cell replacement. Reports describe nearly 90 days out of service, dealers clearing codes without finding a cause, and cars returned with no further repair. One crash report with an injury describes the car lunging forward after being put in Park, hitting a garage wall, and then refusing to shut off with the phone key.

Sudden, rapid acceleration hits at low speed while the driver is turning or coming to a stop. Both reports end in crashes, one into a parked truck that was pushed into another vehicle and one through a garage door. One driver also describes the car surging on another occasion without the accelerator pressed. In that case collision avoidance, automatic braking, and the camera recording did not activate, and no warning lights or chimes came on before or after. The risk is concentrated in driveways and slow turns.

A steering warning appears on the dash, followed by heavy resistance and violent shaking that jerks the car left and right. One report says the fault came on suddenly with no earlier warning. In another, the car could not be safely driven on the highway, and the steering rack failed and had to be replaced. One owner reports a dealer refusing warranty coverage and blaming a torn rack boot, even though the undercarriage showed no sign of impact.