2022 BMW iX Problems and Top Issues – Is Your Car A Lemon?

Electrical system & vehicle speed control issues are among the top complaints received by the NHTSA from vehicle owners

Updated on Author: Brian Jones

Updated on Author: Brian Jones

BMW is no stranger to electric vehicles, having produced its i3 hatchback back in 2014. However, there haven’t been a lot of newer innovations from the automaker until the BMW iX came along. In 2022, the manufacturer released its first fully electric SUV and immediately, it was able to stun enthusiasts with its tech-laden interior and stylish good looks.

While there haven’t been a lot sold in the introductory year, BMW continues to promote the xDrive50 hoping to rival Tesla. It features a similar interior space to the X5 model and it contains a spacious rear seat for more comfortable travel.

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NHTSA Complaints for the 2022 BMW iX

Complaint CategoryNumber of Complaints
Electrical System
5
Vehicle Speed Control
4
Unknown Or Other
3
Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking
2
Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control
2
Visibility/wiper
1
Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings
1
Service Brakes
1
Back Over Prevention: Warnings
1
Electrical System:adas:autonomous/self Driving:software
1

Most Common Problems with the 2022 iX BMW

Despite its great style and functionality, there have been numerous complaints, surprisingly mainly occurring with the electrical system. Beyond that, customers have also taken to the internet to discuss the trouble with the vehicle speed control and other vital systems. If that’s not enough, there have already been some recalls issued that customers need to be aware of.

Electrical System Problems

  • Failure of Assisted Driving System: Customers have indicated that the car can indicate a false emergency stop that interferes with the Assisted Driving system. This malfunction causes a light to illuminate on the dash, showing that the driver’s hands are not on the steering wheel when they actually are. Because of this, automated technology cuts out, causing a distraction and unfavorable driving circumstances.
  • Software Malfunction Renders Vehicle Inoperable: Some owners have discovered that when the software needs an update, the car can stop running. Even after the software upgrade is performed, some people find themselves in the same boat, with the car dying while moving. When this occurs, it becomes impossible to restart the engine, requiring the vehicle to be towed.

Vehicle Speed Control Problems

  • Defective “B” Drive Mode: The “B” drive mode is the one-pedal driving feature that provides automatic regenerative braking functions. However, with the iX, it appears that the vehicle continues moving forward at times, even when the pedal is released to slow down. Customers continue to find themselves scrambling to stop the car as it continues accelerating unexpectedly.
  • Malfunctioning Cruise Control: When driving with the cruise control system enabled, owners want to believe that the vehicle speed is maintained appropriately, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Several owners find that the system not only malfunctions but that it can take multiple trips to the dealership before it gets fixed.

Other Problems

  • Uncomfortable Seat Design: Customers have found that the front seats aren’t designed with comfort in mind. In fact, people are hitting their heads on the insert when sitting normally. This occurs with both the driver’s and passenger’s seats, leading people to worry about what could happen during an accident.
  • Defective Body Design: While the iX looks great, it doesn’t seem to hold up as people would have expected. One customer complained that the rear bumper fell off while it was raining. The bumper didn’t separate completely but was dragged along behind the car, thereby damaging sensors, the camera and cables. Because only a sensor cleaning malfunction is all that alerted the customer, they continued driving, causing a potential accident risk.

2022 BMW iX Recalls

Currently, there are three recalls on the BMW iX models. Along with these recalls, the NHTSA is currently informing owners that they should not drive their vehicles nor should they park near the house until these serious recalls are fixed.

Recall DateNHTSA Campaign IDAffected ComponentsRecalled Issue
April 13, 202222V240000Air BagsAirbag Control Unit Software Malfunction
July 7, 202222V483000Electrical SystemCenter Display Missing Information
July 27, 202222V541000Electrical SystemHigh Voltage Battery May Short-Circuit

What if your 2022 BMW iX is a Lemon? Your Lemon Law Rights

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Complaint Data

CategoryForward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking, Visibility/wiper
DateMar 22, 2023
StateMA
Description
1. The rear wiper has a frame made of plastic, with a simple t shaped connector. I have found it laying in my driveway 4 times now, and have only owned this 2022 bmw ix since november. If there is any resistance at all when you turn the wiper on, like some snow or frost, the t shaped connector will un-click, the wiper will tip sideways, and fall off the car. This could happen at speed if you engage the wiper with anything on your back window and could fly into the car behind you (have not experienced this yet...). 2, the adaptive braking can engage in very weird situations. Driving south on rt 3 in new hampshire (the everett turnpike, I think it's called) after dark between exit 5 and exit 4, I was in the middle of rt 3's three lanes with no traffic around me at all. The ix decelerated suddenly by about 15-20 mph, so thank god no vehicles behind me! Realized at that point what had happened - rt 3 curves left at this point as you are heading south. At this spot, the exit 4 ramp goes straight off the road at an angle. The ramp is short and quickly comes to a set of traffic lights. This traffic light is right at the height of rt 3, as the ramp dips somewhat for this exit, so the traffic lights are at the height of car brake lights at this point. The traffic lights were red and there were 6 or 7 cars braked showing red brake lights. I believe the bmw ix adaptive braking incorrectly engaged at this point, thinking this was traffic that was on rt 3 and that the bmw ix needed to stop for it. This traffic was actually 300 - 400 yards down the ramp, but the adaptive braking engaged strongly to 'avoid a collisioin'.
CategoryForward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking, Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings, Service Brakes
DateJan 06, 2023
StateWA
Description
This vehicle was involved in a collision, none of the safety features worked. The front end collision warning did not go off. The automatic emergency braking did not engage. The car jolted forward after the collision and did not stop, potentially risking another collision. The sos or emergency collision bmw assist was not activated, there was no call from anyone from bmw after the accident. No warning lights or collision indicators went off prior to collision as they should have. This vehicle is puts the safety of others at risk if it fails to stop after a collision (regardless of the speed of impact) as well as quick acceleration post collision.
CategoryElectrical System
DateJan 04, 2023
StateAZ
Description
It took them 6 weeks to replace the battery component that was part of the recall. My car was unable to be driven during this timeframe. Under my state lemon laws I am eligible for a car buyback from bmw as it was out of service over 30 days. I registered a request for this through bmw corporate and it was denied by them.
CategoryElectrical System
DateJan 03, 2023
StateNY
Description
The contact owns a 2022 bmw ix. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 22v541000 (electrical system) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated the battery power capacity had decreased. Additionally, the contact noticed a burning odor inside the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was approximately 3,900. Vin tool confirms parts not available.
CategoryBack Over Prevention: Warnings, Unknown Or Other
DateNov 20, 2022
StateCT
Description
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The rear parking assist function malfunctioned. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The car was expected to reverse park itself. Instead it never stopped going backwards an crashed into the wall at the end of the parking area. It was not able to recognize the presence of a wall (approx height 3 feet) and crashed into it. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? The bmw engineers stated that the were not able to reproduce the problem in their tests. I was told the 'black box' in the car was not able to show that there was any malfunction and it might be possible that I had pressed the accelerator manually resulting in the crash. However, I know this is not true. So in the end it became my word against theirs. No engineer ever called me to get more details about the crash - like how high the wall was, how much distance was there between the car and the wall when I engaged the auto-park feature etc. It appears to me that they were not really interested in investigating the incident but simply wanted to put it as a user error. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? The bmw engineers have claimed that they have inspected the car and its park assist systems. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? There were no warnings. The reverse parking system worked perfectly fine when the parking lot had a full wall at the rear. It only malfunctioned when the wall height was partial (3 feet in this case)
CategoryForward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control, Vehicle Speed Control
DateOct 10, 2022
StateSC
Description
I have had 6-8 instances where the car "takes off" and accelerates without my touching the accelerator. It is not full-acceleration but strong enough that if a car was immediately in front of me - I might hit it. Hitting the brakes stops the acceleration and the car then drives normally. In all cases - the cruise control has been "off" and the unintended acceleration has occurred just after first starting up.
CategoryElectrical System
DateSep 26, 2022
StateCA
Description
The contact owns a 2022 bmw ix. The contact stated that three weeks after purchasing the vehicle, he was informed by the dealer that the vehicle was included in nhtsa campaign number: 22v541000 (electrical system) and that parts to do the recall repair was unavailable. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and remained in their possession. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available.
CategoryVehicle Speed Control
DateSep 20, 2022
StateCA
Description
Under "b" drive mode which is the "one pedal driving" with automatic regenerative braking, occasionally when I release the pedal completely expecting the vehicle to slow down/stop, the vehicle instead will lunge forward. This has happened twice, thankfully at low speeds in a parking lot where I was able to slam on the brakes. On bmw forums, there are also others with the same issue so I figure it's not a fluke and I hope bmw addresses it as it is a bit scary and I have an infant in the car most of the time.
CategoryUnknown Or Other
DateSep 15, 2022
StatePR
Description
On september 1st 2022, under heavy rain, the rear bumper fell partially, and the part that was still attached to the car dragged it along with the cables, camera, sensors, etc. The car only notified a sensor cleaning malfunction. I kept driving when saw the sensor warning. There was no noise or indication of anything going on in the car. It was when another driver made gestures for me to stop, and told me that my bumper was dragging, when I learned the situation. The safety of others was at risk because only a small plastic pin was holding it, a tail light went god knows where and it could had hit other drivers in the highway. I don't know if the problem has been or not reproduced by bmw. I do know that tesla cars, that have the same type of engine, had identified this problems in their cars. Bmw usa was notified and they deny it. They allege that it was a "collision" what provoked this. There wasn't any collision, it was just water from the rain. This car has video capability for theft and collision and in its memory there is nothing about a collision or the event of the bumper falling. The theft/collision system is in fact working because when the towing service came to pick it up, it registered theft pictures. I went to the police first to make the report. This is the report number: q2022-5-050-8951, the agent was pablo a morales #29480 at mayaguez police station in puerto rico. Their phone number is (787) 832-9696. From there, the vehicle was sent directly to the bmw service center. They inspected it, in fact, they still have it. The car insurance representative just inspected it as well, yesterday morning. The only message that turned on was the sensor cleaning one, since it was raining, I assumed it was due to that. The message kept appearing. There were no other symptoms or messages.
CategoryElectrical System:adas:autonomous/self Driving:software
DateSep 12, 2022
StateTX
Description
The contact owns a 2022 bmw ix. The contact stated that under certain circumstances, while driving approximately 65 mph, the automatic safety feature indicated a false emergency stop. The contact stated that while at a stop light, the vehicle made a false detection and the interrupted assisted driving warning light illuminated indicating that the contact's hands were not on the steering wheel; however, the contact stated that his hands were positioned at the bottom of the steering wheel. The contact then stated that he had to increase acceleration to override the system when the vehicle then engaged the automatic braking system. The contact stated that he navigated the vehicle off the road to shut off the engine. The contact then stated that he was able to reboot the system and took the vehicle to the dealer where the assisted plus was disengaged, and the contact was advised to call the nhtsa hotline. The contact stated that the dealer was not equipped to diagnose the vehicle. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 1,000.
CategoryUnknown Or Other
DateSep 06, 2022
StatePA
Description
Hello, I bought this vehicle from bridgewater bmw on aug 22 in new jersey and the very next day got a call from roshad petteway of bmw na about the recall for the battery and had it towed back to the dealership. Bmw failed to notify the dealer as they were unaware of the recall and sole me a recalled vehicle which iam paying the loan with no vehicle now .
CategorySeats
DateSep 03, 2022
StateCA
Description
The design of the front drivers and passenger seat includes a hard insert right in the center of the headrest. My wife's head directly hits this hard insert when she is sitting normally in the seat. We are very concerned that in the event of an accident, she would suffer a serious head injury.
CategoryVehicle Speed Control
DateAug 29, 2022
StateWA
Description
When the car is being driven in b mode (one pedal driving for evs) and is going around a turn, the car rapidly randomly accelerated. This has happened 2 times.
CategoryElectrical System, Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control, Vehicle Speed Control
DateJul 29, 2022
StateTN
Description
Cruise control malfunction. Multiple times brining you to dealership.
CategoryElectrical System, Engine, Fuel/propulsion System
DateJul 20, 2022
StateGA
Description
I ordered bmw ix50 in 10/1/21, got delivered on 05/20/22. Only after 39 days on 06/08/22 and about 1000 miles bmw stopped running and I called bmw roadside assistance to take to the dealership. The car was “fixed” and picked-up back from the dealership on 07/06/22. The reason was given from gwinnett dealer that “software upgrade” needed and “was fixed”. Again on 7/15 evening when I was coming after getting battery 80% charged, I was driving and the car suddenly died while in motion. I tried to restart the engine but I couldn't start the engine. Left side hazard light also stopped blinking. (videos available) I could have died by the traffic in this scenario. Many people can be easily at high risk due to this unmanageable bmw problem and can even die. Bmw dealer text me on 07/19/22 that “bmw has let us know that they want us to replace the electronic memory module on your vehicle. That part is coming in from germany. As of today there is not an estimate for when the part should come in.” so, do bmw knows what is actually wrong and how long it will take it fix brand new bmw ix ev? This is the story of the famous german carmaker. (1) why car was released on 07/6/22 when “fix” was not done right? (2) how the brand new car engine die suddenly while in motion? (2) do bmw understand the risk factor of these kind of incidents? (3) why bmw introduced ix-50 ev model in usa market when the car is complete disaster? (4) both the times of breakdown, we do not have a loaner's car, even after spending 0,000! I felt that I became guinea pig for the inefficiency and lake of expertly of bmw in ev. My friends and everyone trust in bmw is shaky. I booked ix last year, because we trusted bmw, we were thrilled, and this supposed to be gift for our someone. Bad performance on ix ev can is not good for already declining sales of regular bmw products and evs.

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Brian Jones

About the Author:

Brian Jones spent more than 20 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.

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