Bang, Stranded in Intersection, Drivetrain

[DSinSF]

2014 BEV

Was accelerating (gently) away from a stop sign yesterday, loud bang, jolt, stranded in a crosswalk, could not get into neutral, drivetrain warning messages. BMW Roadside Assistance phone was worthless, they couldn't tell me anything. Called AAA. Eventually, the tow truck driver got it into neutral, winched it up on a flatbed. Towed & drop at BMW of San Francisco. Made 3 calls this morning, have been told, no loaners available and no other information available. This is our only car capable of carrying our offspring, had to Uber them to the school bus this morning. Thanks BMW! Was just about to buy a 2017 i3 BEV, seriously reconsidering.

 

[eneka]

sounds like the classic motor mount bolt.

Have you not have it replaced yet?

 

[Sparky]

Same thing happened to me a year ago:
http://www.mybmwi3.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=3083&hilit=Bang

 

[DSinSF]

The diagnosis is broken left motor mount bolt. So far, they need to replace the motor, the "engine module," and the AC compressor. Seems like they're not following the TSB and replacing the axles. So angry.

 

[alohart]

The diagnosis is broken left motor mount bolt. So far, they need to replace the motor, the "engine module," and the AC compressor. Seems like they're not following the TSB and replacing the axles.

Several i3 owners have reported a broken motor mount bolt. However, depending on the circumstances, damage could be minimal or severe. I suspect that there is no set recommendation on what to replace when this happens other than the bolt itself. BMW likely replaces only damaged parts. In your case, maybe the axles were not damaged.

Had your i3 had its motor mount bolt replaced previously?

We have a 2014 BEV that's just about due for its first service at 24 months. We have not received any notification that we need to have the motor mount bolt replaced which is surprising considering how much damage a broken motor mount could cause and how much being stranded would inconvenience and possibly endanger the owner. When we placed our i3 in storage in April, I think BMW was just beginning to replace all motor mounts on U.S. i3's, but apparently only during scheduled service appointments unlike in some other markets where owners were contacted proactively. When we take our i3 out of storage in ~3 weeks, I will contact my dealer to schedule an appointment to have the motor mount bolt replaced, hopefully before it breaks. I'm not impressed by how BMW USA has handled this serious defect