2014 BMW I3 REX Engine Problems

THE REX (RANGE EXTENDER) ON MY I3 DOES NOT TURN ON, AT RANDOM, WHEN THE BATTERY LEVEL OF THE VEHICLE GETS TO A POINT THAT IS LOW ENOUGH FOR IT TO TURN ON. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCES A SUDDEN AND VIOLENT LOSS OF SPEED WITH NO WARNING. THIS HAS, ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION, NEARLY CAUSED AN ACCIDENT WHILE IN TRAFFIC. THE BMW DEALERSHIP HAS CONFIRMED THIS IS AN ISSUE IN MY VEHICLE AND HAS SUCCESSFULLY BEEN ABLE TO REPRODUCE IT ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION. IT HAS BEEN 'FIXED' ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION AS WELL. THE VEHICLE STILL EXPERIENCES THIS ISSUE INTERMITTENTLY WITH NO WARNING. THE DEALERSHIP IS NO LONGER ABLE TO REPRODUCE THIS ISSUE WHEN TAKEN IN FOR SERVICE. THE DEALERSHIP HAS NOW TAKEN A STANCE THAT THE VEHICLE VIOLENTLY LOSING POWER AND SPEED (AS IF THE BRAKES HAVE BEEN APPLIED HEAVILY) IS "OPERATION NORMALLY...

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. AS ALLEGED, IF THE CAR IS UNDER ANY KIND OF SIGNIFICANT LOAD (SUCH AS GOING UP A HILL, OR LOADED WITH PASSENGERS), THE SPEED OF THE CAR WILL DRAMATICALLY DECREASE AS THE BATTERY CHARGE DIMINISHES,' ACCORDING TO A PRESS RELEASE FROM PLAINTIFF ATTORNEY JONATHAN MICHAELS OF NEWPORT BEACH, CALIF." -- CONSUMER REPORTS MAGAZINE REPORTS.

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. HTTP://WWW.CONSUMERREPORTS.ORG/CRO/NEWS/2014/10/BEWARE-TAILGATING-A-BMW-I3/INDEX.HTM HTTP://WWW.CONSUMERREPORTS.ORG/CRO/NEWS/2014/10/BMW-I3-HAS-THE-LITTLE-ENGINE-THAT-COULD/INDEX.HTM

I BOUGHT BMW I-3 IN 9/14. IT RAN FINE UNTIL LAST WEEKEND IN NOV. ON SAT. 11/29/14 WE WERE DRIVING ON I-5 NORTH AT ABOUT GORMAN EXIT CAR WENT ON GAS EXTENDER AND ALL OF SUDDEN SPEED DROPPED FROM 60-65 MILES TO 30 MILES AND BELOW AND WILL NOT GO FASTER THAN THAT ON FREEWAY DESPITE ME FLOORING THE GAS PEDAL. WE TOOK NEXT EXIT OF FRAZIER PARK DRIVING IN RIGHT MOST LANE WITH HAZARD LIGHTS ON AND ALL THE WAY UPTO PINE MOUNTAIN CLUB SAME THING HAPPENED. WE CHARGED THE CAR OVERNIGHT TO FULL CAPACITY AND DROVE BACK TO PORTER RANCH NEXT DAY. I WENT TO MY WORK ON 11/30/14 LATER IN AFTERNOON AND COMING BACK FROM PANORAMA CITY TO PORTER RANCH AGAIN CAR CAME ON GAS THIS TIME AT THE RAMP FROM I-405 NORTH MERGE WITH 118 WEST AND THIS TIME CAR COMPLETELY STOPPED ON THE RAMP IT...

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. DESPITE HAVING MY FOOT PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR DOWN TO THE FLOOR, THE CAR QUICKLY DROPPED SPEED. AS THE CAR DROPPED SPEED ALL THE WAY TO ABOUT 35 MILES PER HOUR, I QUICKLY MOVED OVER LANE BY LANE TO THE RIGHT WHERE I FINALLY HAD TO LIMP...

I WAS DRIVING MY BMW I3 REX FROM THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA TO THE BEACH NEAR SANTA CRUZ VIA HIGHWAY 17 WITH MY WIFE AND TWO CHILDREN. GETTING TO THE BEACH FROM MOST OF THE SF BAY AREA REQUIRES DRIVING OVER SOME COASTAL HILLS. AS I APPROACHED THE HILLS, MY EV BATTERY WAS VERY LOW. THE I3 WITH "REX" (SIMILAR TO THE CHEVY VOLT) HAS A GASOLINE ENGINE THAT ACTIVATES WHEN THE MAIN EV BATTERY IS DEPLETED. IN THESE HILLS, THE REX ENGINE TURNED ON. FOR SEVERAL MINUTES, THE CAR DROVE NORMALLY AND KEPT PACE WITH MODERATE TRAFFIC IN THE SLOW LANE. THE SPEED LIMIT ON HIGHWAY 17 VARIES FROM 50MPH TO 65MPH. ON THE HILLY PARTS, IT IS A TWO LANE HIGHWAY WITH NO SHOULDER ON EITHER SIDE, INFREQUENT EXITS AND OCCASIONAL TURN-OUTS. WITHOUT ANY WARNING FROM THE CAR, I EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN AND DRAMATIC REDUCTION IN POWER,...

DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 5 IN ENCINITAS, THE I3 SHOWED AN ELECTRICAL ERROR. WITHIN A FEW MINUTES, I GET A SLEW OF ERRORS, BATTERY CAN'T CHARGE, DISCHARGE AT HIGH RATE, DRIVE TRAIN MALFUNCTION....UNTIL IT SAID IDRIVE SYSTEM SHUTTING DOWN... *TR I WAS BARELY ABLE TO GET THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY BEFORE ALL SYSTEMS SHUT DOWN COMPLETELY. 5 MINUTES LATER, THE CAR STARTED, AND I WAS ABLE TO TAKE IT THE DEALER. THE CAR HAS BEEN AT THE DEALER BEING DIAGNOSED SINCE (APPROXIMATELY 2 WEEKS). THEY HAVE REPLACED THE 12V BATTERY AND THE EME.