Sep 2, 2025Wheels
Summary of the Problem: While driving my leased BMW i4 M50 on the highway on [XXX], the rear passenger tire suddenly exploded without any prior warning or impact. This caused me to lose control briefly and nearly resulted in a serious accident. I was forced to pull over in unsafe conditions on a busy roadway. Details of the Incident: The tire failed suddenly while traveling at highway speed. No pothole, debris, or curb impact occurred prior to the blowout. I contacted BMW Roadside Assistance immediately, but was told it would take at least two hours before anyone could arrive, leaving me stranded in a dangerous location. The vehicle was towed the next day, [XXX], to BMW of Sacramento. The service department dismissed the issue and told me it was not their problem, refused to cover the tire failure, and even told me to go rent a car from Enterprise instead of providing a loaner. Safety Concern: This is a new EV leased vehicle and the sudden tire failure presented a serious safety hazard. A tire blowout at highway speeds could easily have caused a crash with severe injuries. The lack of immediate roadside support further increased the danger. The dismissive response from the dealership raises concerns about whether BMW is properly addressing potential tire or component defects in this vehicle. Action Requested: I am reporting this incident because I believe this may represent a defect or safety issue that warrants investigation. A sudden tire explosion on a new BMW EV, combined with BMW’s inadequate safety support, puts drivers and the public at significant risk. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA ODI 11684596
Apr 17, 2025SteeringBody & structureWheelsCrash
On March 2, 2025, while driving my BMW i4 with my daughter, the vehicle suddenly spun out twice into oncoming freeway traffic during a routine lane change, violently crashing into an embankment. Thankfully, we weren’t physically hurt, but my daughter was deeply traumatized. We brought the car to Stevens Creek BMW immediately. What followed only made things worse. Rather than investigate the serious safety failure, the service team blamed us—citing the i4’s heavy battery as the cause. They admitted it causes accelerated tire wear but denied any responsibility. They also falsely inflated our mileage to 22,892 miles (actual: 15,109) to justify the wear and shift blame. BMW is now demanding over $10,000 in repairs and has threatened $110/day in storage fees—pressuring us as we seek a fair solution. As longtime BMW customers, we trusted the brand with our safety. That trust is gone. A car under a year old should not spin out from normal driving. This is a clear safety defect. Efforts to escalate through BMW Consumer Services failed: the listed support email bounced, and the Consumer Advocacy page led to a dead link (screenshots available). That page has since been removed—highlighting a broken system. Unprofessional Conduct & Lack of Transparency At the dealership, I was treated dismissively for raising concerns and forced to return the loaner car despite no resolution. We’ve had to rent a car while still paying $776.64/month for an undriveable lease. BMW also refused to share the inspection report allegedly conducted by BMW USA engineers—despite initially promising it. BMW staff admitted the i4’s heavy battery causes premature tire wear—a known risk never disclosed at lease signing. This vehicle should never have been released without warning consumers. We no longer feel safe in this vehicle. We respectfully request: Lease Termination & Buyout — BMW to fully cover the lease as nothing they've offered us reflects the trauma, risk, or poor treatment we’ve endured.
NHTSA ODI 11655270