BMW of North America has identified a rather worrying issue affecting 1,150 units of the i4 liftback sedan for the U.S. market. According to the Bavarian automaker, the left longitudinal beam was not manufactured correctly.
Although BMW names a supplier, the component manufacturer listed in the attached report below is none other than BMW AG. The suspect beams may have cracks, thus compromising the structural integrity. In the event of a crash, the poor beam allows for increased deformation in the area of the high-voltage battery and the second-row seats.
7932469-13 is the part number for the left rear quarter beam, while 24V-611 is the recall number. During quality checks, a suspect beam with a production date of February 23, 2024 was found on July 30, 2024. Subsequent investigation determined that the beam was not identified during the original containment action. Further analysis revealed that a number of previously released i4 EVs may have suspect beams.
While BMW is not aware of any complaints, reports or claims related to the condition in question, the automaker is required to inspect no fewer than 1,150 examples of the breed in the United States of America. The suspect vehicles were produced for the 2024 model year exclusively between March 7, 2024 and April 25, 2024. The suspect models include the rear-wheel drive i4 eDrive40, the all-wheel drive i4 xDrive40 and the top-end i4 M50.
Owner notification letters must be submitted no later than October 7, 2024. Owners who are unwilling to drive their vehicles knowing what may be under the skin are advised to run the 17-character VIN on the BMW recall portal. Codename G26 Electric vehicleThe i4 comes from the BMW Group plant in Munich, Germany, which means its chassis numbers start with the letter W.
Photo: BMW
W stood for West Germany before reunification. As expected, any i4 with a compromised longitudinal beam will have the beam replaced at no cost to the owner. The remedy, however, is covered by the automaker's new vehicle limited warranty.
This warranty offers peace of mind for up to 4 years or 50,000 miles (approximately 80,000 kilometers), whichever comes first. BMW of North America also warrants the lithium-ion battery against defects in materials and workmanship for 8 years or 100,000 miles (approximately 160,000 kilometers).
The fifth BMW i series model and the first battery-electric model to receive M know-how, the i4 features the same CLAR vehicle platform as the 4 Series Gran Coupe. For 2024, the i4 is available in four different variants in the U.S., starting with the $52,200 eDrive35. The most affordable dual-motor specification is the $61,600 xDrive40, while the M50, which is an M Performance model rather than a true M, is listed at $69,700 before shipping.
The M50 is also M’s best-selling vehicle, but Munich’s favorite son didn’t say how many were sold in 2023 or 2022. Capable of hitting 60 mph (97 kilometers per hour) in 3.7 seconds, the M50 isn’t as good in terms of driving range as the xDrive40. According to the EPA, the most you can expect from the xDrive40 is 307 miles (494 kilometers) on a full battery charge.