Replacing my i3, with ??
Discussion
Morning all,
i3 120Ah owner here. Well. Company car.
My car's just rolled onto 39k miles and its been relatively pleasant to hoon around in. The stereo in it is good. Carplay is good, if a bit hit and miss sometimes. And i've averaged up to 8m/kWh around town, 4m/kwh on the motorway.
Had a few issues with it so far though.. it's on a 3 year lease and it goes back in March next year. Possibly replacing it with a Model 3, but waiting to see what's on the market nearer the time - as I'd like to have a bike rack and maybe a roof rack.
So issues with my i3 so far?
1. It seems the seatbelt position for the driver - how I have the seat set and how I'm built (oddly), means the seatbelt has been rubbing against the leather on the seat - the driver's seat got replaced FoC at 18 months old - after showing BMW with me sat in the car how the design meant it was rubbing against the seat, as first they try to blame it on me wearing jeans - but me pointing out nowhere else on the seat was worn.
2. The front anti-roll bar drop link failed at the front nearside. That got replaced about 10 weeks ago
3. 4 weeks ago the knocking sound returned - it went back in. They agreed it had a knocking sound. Found that the nearside front top spring mount had failed.
"Sir it doesn't impact the performance of the vehicle - so do you really want it replaced?"
Errrr yes, there's an awful knocking sound in the nice quiet cabin of my EV...
"Ok it will be replaced under warranty then sir - book it in for 2 weeks time - sorry no courtesy car for you..."
2 weeks roll around. Drop the car in at 8am
16:45 get a phone call....
"Hello sir. Upon removing what we needed to replace the front spring mount - we found the nearside shock has split and failed entirely in fact. And er, it needs replacing. under warranty. We can't release the car to you until we do this"
Ok do you have a courtesy car for me? As you said this was a simple same day repair.. and you inspected the car when I reported the knocking sound - how did you not spot that? And allow me to drive a car around that you today say is unsafe to drive? And I need a car tonight...
<courtesy car magically becomes available>
Shock gets replaced 2 days later.
4. Get in car 2 weeks ago, pull out of my drive, car is hideously pulling to the left, have to countersteer to the right by about 20 degrees just to go straight ahead. Pull in at a side road.
Tires aren't flat. Tires all look relatively straight. TPMS says pressures are good. Pull away again, hideously pulling to the left. Steering heavy. But as soon as I get above 29mph the problem mysteriously disappears and car drives straight and true.
Test this up to 60mph, car seems fine. whenever I drop to 29mph or lower the car again hideously pulls to the left, steering gets heavy, especially heavy turning to the right.
Proceed to do a 30 mile drive to my destination. Get back in car to go home - problem has disappeared entirely. But it knocks you confidence in the car. Steering system playing up maybe? Faulty steering position sensor? Software bug?
Call BMW dealership who has fixed all the stuff on the nearside (left) front recently - explain issue. Can't be seen for 6 weeks. But if I get the car 'recovered' as it has a horribly dangerous steering issue from the sounds of it - it'll get looked at a lot sooner.
Talk to leasing company. They decide to call out the AA man.
Explain to the AA man that sorry I'm not wanting to waste his time, but seems we have to go through a stupid process. He inspects car. Listens to what I said the car's done. Agrees to 'recover' me to the very same BMW dealership a whole 1 mile from my house. We go in. He explains verbatim what's gone on to the same BMW people. They take the car in.
5 days later get called by BMW - we think your tires are worn and that's what's causing the issue (they didn't say they were worn and causing any issues 2 weeks before..). Takes another 5 days to get tires ordered and replaced at BMW. They also say to me that I haen't left the locking wheel nut in the car - which I had, it was in the glove box, still, where they put it back after replacing the shock a few weeks ago.
They also do a full 4-wheel alignment on it - which they find the front nearside was 13 degrees out. The rear wheels between them were 12 degrees out toe angle wise.
When I go collect the car I explain again the issue only occurred under 30mph, and instantly started as soon as I hit 29mph easing off the throttle. And that it disappeared entirely at any speed later the same day it happened. But they're adamant it was the tracking.
Apart from that.. it's been far more reliable and fun to drive than the 330e was - which I returned in 2019 and it's still SORN by the look of it.
TLDR : i3 is a bit quirky and has some odd issues. Fun to drive. Nice and quiet. People always surprised by how much interior space it has. Boot is a bit small though.
EDIT : https://www.speakev.com/threads/intermittent-steer... - did find that others are getting the same odd intermittant steering fault. As mine is a 2019 model and had the software updated earlier this year... looks like it's still not fixed.
i3 120Ah owner here. Well. Company car.
My car's just rolled onto 39k miles and its been relatively pleasant to hoon around in. The stereo in it is good. Carplay is good, if a bit hit and miss sometimes. And i've averaged up to 8m/kWh around town, 4m/kwh on the motorway.
Had a few issues with it so far though.. it's on a 3 year lease and it goes back in March next year. Possibly replacing it with a Model 3, but waiting to see what's on the market nearer the time - as I'd like to have a bike rack and maybe a roof rack.
So issues with my i3 so far?
1. It seems the seatbelt position for the driver - how I have the seat set and how I'm built (oddly), means the seatbelt has been rubbing against the leather on the seat - the driver's seat got replaced FoC at 18 months old - after showing BMW with me sat in the car how the design meant it was rubbing against the seat, as first they try to blame it on me wearing jeans - but me pointing out nowhere else on the seat was worn.
2. The front anti-roll bar drop link failed at the front nearside. That got replaced about 10 weeks ago
3. 4 weeks ago the knocking sound returned - it went back in. They agreed it had a knocking sound. Found that the nearside front top spring mount had failed.
"Sir it doesn't impact the performance of the vehicle - so do you really want it replaced?"
Errrr yes, there's an awful knocking sound in the nice quiet cabin of my EV...
"Ok it will be replaced under warranty then sir - book it in for 2 weeks time - sorry no courtesy car for you..."
2 weeks roll around. Drop the car in at 8am
16:45 get a phone call....
"Hello sir. Upon removing what we needed to replace the front spring mount - we found the nearside shock has split and failed entirely in fact. And er, it needs replacing. under warranty. We can't release the car to you until we do this"
Ok do you have a courtesy car for me? As you said this was a simple same day repair.. and you inspected the car when I reported the knocking sound - how did you not spot that? And allow me to drive a car around that you today say is unsafe to drive? And I need a car tonight...
<courtesy car magically becomes available>
Shock gets replaced 2 days later.
4. Get in car 2 weeks ago, pull out of my drive, car is hideously pulling to the left, have to countersteer to the right by about 20 degrees just to go straight ahead. Pull in at a side road.
Tires aren't flat. Tires all look relatively straight. TPMS says pressures are good. Pull away again, hideously pulling to the left. Steering heavy. But as soon as I get above 29mph the problem mysteriously disappears and car drives straight and true.
Test this up to 60mph, car seems fine. whenever I drop to 29mph or lower the car again hideously pulls to the left, steering gets heavy, especially heavy turning to the right.
Proceed to do a 30 mile drive to my destination. Get back in car to go home - problem has disappeared entirely. But it knocks you confidence in the car. Steering system playing up maybe? Faulty steering position sensor? Software bug?
Call BMW dealership who has fixed all the stuff on the nearside (left) front recently - explain issue. Can't be seen for 6 weeks. But if I get the car 'recovered' as it has a horribly dangerous steering issue from the sounds of it - it'll get looked at a lot sooner.
Talk to leasing company. They decide to call out the AA man.
Explain to the AA man that sorry I'm not wanting to waste his time, but seems we have to go through a stupid process. He inspects car. Listens to what I said the car's done. Agrees to 'recover' me to the very same BMW dealership a whole 1 mile from my house. We go in. He explains verbatim what's gone on to the same BMW people. They take the car in.
5 days later get called by BMW - we think your tires are worn and that's what's causing the issue (they didn't say they were worn and causing any issues 2 weeks before..). Takes another 5 days to get tires ordered and replaced at BMW. They also say to me that I haen't left the locking wheel nut in the car - which I had, it was in the glove box, still, where they put it back after replacing the shock a few weeks ago.
They also do a full 4-wheel alignment on it - which they find the front nearside was 13 degrees out. The rear wheels between them were 12 degrees out toe angle wise.
When I go collect the car I explain again the issue only occurred under 30mph, and instantly started as soon as I hit 29mph easing off the throttle. And that it disappeared entirely at any speed later the same day it happened. But they're adamant it was the tracking.
Apart from that.. it's been far more reliable and fun to drive than the 330e was - which I returned in 2019 and it's still SORN by the look of it.
TLDR : i3 is a bit quirky and has some odd issues. Fun to drive. Nice and quiet. People always surprised by how much interior space it has. Boot is a bit small though.
EDIT : https://www.speakev.com/threads/intermittent-steer... - did find that others are getting the same odd intermittant steering fault. As mine is a 2019 model and had the software updated earlier this year... looks like it's still not fixed.
Edited by caseys on Friday 18th June 11:56
Edited by caseys on Friday 18th June 11:59
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