So, I have been using my BMW i3 to drive deliveries for the past 3 years. Put a quick 115K miles on the car - boom. To me the car drives and sounds still like new, even though I have been side swiped and almost drove off an overpass - LOL. Anyway, while under warranty I kept hearing a clicking / grinding noise coming from the rear of the car. Had it at BMW 2 times and they were unable to identify where it is coming from. So, I kept driving it.
Over Xmas 2022/23 the noise came back. And got stronger. In February 2023 I decided to go back to BMW and have a tech drive with me so I could this time for sure let him hear the noise the car was making. He was intrigued and asked if I had some time so he could put the car up on a lift to see what this is. Said, done. After about 45 mins he came back to me and said that he knew where the noise is coming from, and that he would communicate to my service advisor about the right course of action.
A week or so later i have heard still nothing from BMW. So I decided to call in. Left a message for my service advisor (because 9 out of 10 times he does not pick up the phone). Anyway, I received the repair suggestion and estimate and I fell on my rear - $6000.00 to replace the differential/transmission ! Part cost: $1100. Labor cost: $4900. Why? Because the entire rear end of the car has to come out in order to take off the differential and replace it!
At first I ignored it, and thought oh well, I will just have to live with this noise for a while. But then things started happening, until at last the care would no longer go into Park! That was it then. Had to make the call. I decided to not go to the BMW dealer, but to my trusted local European car repair shop. They ordered the part and did the repair. Total cost including replacing motor mounts right along with it: $4800.
So I thought I was home free. But it was short lived. Whenever I would use my REX I kept getting error messages, ultimately resulting in the REX shutting down and getting the dreaded Electric Drive only message. WTF! One of the messages was some Overspeed error. So my mechanic and I kept thinking and thinking what it could be and he said that it possibly could be the camshaft position sensor. So I decided to swap it out, and got my next shock. According to the manual to swap out this sensor the following procedure is needed: Drop rear end out of car!!!! WTF. My mechanic was not going to have it and luckily he was able to contort himself to reach between the REX and the rear firewall and replace the friggin sensor. WOW. Unbelievably stupid.
I was all exited and hopeful that this would fix this issue with my REX.... but. Nope. No more overspeed error message, but the REX would still arbitrarily shut down while driving and in use. Then while driving deliveries one day I once again ran out of juice, and the REX would not come on. So I rolled into the closest Fast Charger. Hooked up to the DC charger but to my surprise ... nothing. It would not start charging. Ended up having to tow the car to BMW. They actually promptly started working on it. Then I received a phone call from BMW stating that in order for them to continue with the diagnosis I have to authorize $500 for them to a) remove my aftermarket CarPlay box that I had hooked up to the car, and remove NOCO 12 Volt charge leads from my 12-volt battery. That was $500 on top of their $300 diagnostics fee!. BTW, the reason why I had the charge leads on the battery in the first place was because I always had issues with the 12 Volt battery getting low. Had replaced and coded it several times over my 3 years of ownership. The last time was beginning of 2023, and when I replaced it that time I installed these NOCO charge leads for a NOCO trickle charger. Nothing bad. Have it on all my cars and basically eliminates alligator clamps.
The tech wanted it original. I said that I didn't have the $500 and that I am happy to come by and remove both items. Would take me no more than 30 mins. But they said no. I could either tow the care out of their lot, or they have to do it. Finally the rep said that $250 to set it back to original, and I said yes. I was kinda done with the whole thing, and agreed. Diagnosis: The 12-Volt battery was low and they bench charged it overnight and tested it and it was fine, put it back in the car, reset all errors and they said that my car is ready to be picked up the very next day!
I had my kids drive me there and drop me off. They left and I went inside, paid $550 to get my car. I had asked them to please hook the car up to the charger (since it was totally empty), however - they didn't do it. Total range of the car was 12 miles, and remember I still am not trusting the REX. So the stop 1 was the closest DC charger since their DC charger at the dealership was out of service! Go figure. So I pull into the closest DC charger, hook up, and .... nothing. It won't charge! WTF BMW. I had the car towed there because the REX wouldn't come on, and it wouldn't take a DC charge. So I limped the car back to the dealership. Barely made it. Went inside and told them that DC charging still does not work. Left the car there.... and went home.
The following week I get the phone call and they told me that it needs a new high voltage regulator. A part that is apparently a little box that is attached to the battery and handles the current for DC charging as well as REX charging. Repair cost: $3800. What choice did I have? None so I agreed and 2 weeks later I was back at the dealership to pay up and get my car. They said that they tested DC charging which worked and they tested the REX and had it running in service mode several times. No error messages, no issues. They also had a mechanic take the car home and drive it with the REX and they swore that there were no issues they could find. So I was once again hopeful that this issue finally has been fixed.
I drove the care home, but after the recent experiences I didn't have the balls to try out the REX. I just drove it home. The next day I worked up the courage to try out the REX and it actually worked. I was happy and thought that once again I could rely on my car. Boy was I wrong! I was out delivering in my car and had to turn on the REX for my last miles home. All of a sudden, REX shuts down and gave me Electric Drive only message and since I had no more range I coasted to a stop and had to call a tow truck. AAA told me that I had used up all my tows for this year and that I would have to pay this tow out of pocked and that the next tow they would not be able to arrange for me! WTF!!!!!! $300 later towing the car to BMW, they once again had my car. I was fuming. They did their testing and this time came back telling me that the 12-Volt battery must be faulty, and that they would swap it out under warranty since I just had purchased it from them earlier this year. They swapped it out and did some more tests and said that everything is working fine now and I could come and get the car.
Picked up the car and have not used the REX since. I just drive it under electric. Stopped going on delivery runs with the car and only use it for short distance commutes and it has been working since ... knock on wood. Of course, no REX, and I can not rely on my once reliable car. So sad. I reached back out to BMW and they said that there is nothing they can do. According to them Nothing is wrong with the car and everything is working. Until something else happens and they can find out the cause, this is what it is. So my REX is out of commission at least until next year when my AAA membership rolls - LOL.
Does anyone have had the same or similar issues? I really would like to get this fixed but don't have the money to arbitrarily start throwing money at it, like replacing the REX alternator/charger, which I am suspecting it is. Anyway, I would appreciate your feedback and maybe someone knows what causes this issue. I am about $10K+ in repairs for 2023, and the car is finally running and is drivable. I really don't want to sell it to a private party so that it becomes someone else's headache. And a dealer won't pay enough. Maybe a trade in, but still so much upside down in the car. Thanks for reading.
Over Xmas 2022/23 the noise came back. And got stronger. In February 2023 I decided to go back to BMW and have a tech drive with me so I could this time for sure let him hear the noise the car was making. He was intrigued and asked if I had some time so he could put the car up on a lift to see what this is. Said, done. After about 45 mins he came back to me and said that he knew where the noise is coming from, and that he would communicate to my service advisor about the right course of action.
A week or so later i have heard still nothing from BMW. So I decided to call in. Left a message for my service advisor (because 9 out of 10 times he does not pick up the phone). Anyway, I received the repair suggestion and estimate and I fell on my rear - $6000.00 to replace the differential/transmission ! Part cost: $1100. Labor cost: $4900. Why? Because the entire rear end of the car has to come out in order to take off the differential and replace it!
At first I ignored it, and thought oh well, I will just have to live with this noise for a while. But then things started happening, until at last the care would no longer go into Park! That was it then. Had to make the call. I decided to not go to the BMW dealer, but to my trusted local European car repair shop. They ordered the part and did the repair. Total cost including replacing motor mounts right along with it: $4800.
So I thought I was home free. But it was short lived. Whenever I would use my REX I kept getting error messages, ultimately resulting in the REX shutting down and getting the dreaded Electric Drive only message. WTF! One of the messages was some Overspeed error. So my mechanic and I kept thinking and thinking what it could be and he said that it possibly could be the camshaft position sensor. So I decided to swap it out, and got my next shock. According to the manual to swap out this sensor the following procedure is needed: Drop rear end out of car!!!! WTF. My mechanic was not going to have it and luckily he was able to contort himself to reach between the REX and the rear firewall and replace the friggin sensor. WOW. Unbelievably stupid.
I was all exited and hopeful that this would fix this issue with my REX.... but. Nope. No more overspeed error message, but the REX would still arbitrarily shut down while driving and in use. Then while driving deliveries one day I once again ran out of juice, and the REX would not come on. So I rolled into the closest Fast Charger. Hooked up to the DC charger but to my surprise ... nothing. It would not start charging. Ended up having to tow the car to BMW. They actually promptly started working on it. Then I received a phone call from BMW stating that in order for them to continue with the diagnosis I have to authorize $500 for them to a) remove my aftermarket CarPlay box that I had hooked up to the car, and remove NOCO 12 Volt charge leads from my 12-volt battery. That was $500 on top of their $300 diagnostics fee!. BTW, the reason why I had the charge leads on the battery in the first place was because I always had issues with the 12 Volt battery getting low. Had replaced and coded it several times over my 3 years of ownership. The last time was beginning of 2023, and when I replaced it that time I installed these NOCO charge leads for a NOCO trickle charger. Nothing bad. Have it on all my cars and basically eliminates alligator clamps.
The tech wanted it original. I said that I didn't have the $500 and that I am happy to come by and remove both items. Would take me no more than 30 mins. But they said no. I could either tow the care out of their lot, or they have to do it. Finally the rep said that $250 to set it back to original, and I said yes. I was kinda done with the whole thing, and agreed. Diagnosis: The 12-Volt battery was low and they bench charged it overnight and tested it and it was fine, put it back in the car, reset all errors and they said that my car is ready to be picked up the very next day!
I had my kids drive me there and drop me off. They left and I went inside, paid $550 to get my car. I had asked them to please hook the car up to the charger (since it was totally empty), however - they didn't do it. Total range of the car was 12 miles, and remember I still am not trusting the REX. So the stop 1 was the closest DC charger since their DC charger at the dealership was out of service! Go figure. So I pull into the closest DC charger, hook up, and .... nothing. It won't charge! WTF BMW. I had the car towed there because the REX wouldn't come on, and it wouldn't take a DC charge. So I limped the car back to the dealership. Barely made it. Went inside and told them that DC charging still does not work. Left the car there.... and went home.
The following week I get the phone call and they told me that it needs a new high voltage regulator. A part that is apparently a little box that is attached to the battery and handles the current for DC charging as well as REX charging. Repair cost: $3800. What choice did I have? None so I agreed and 2 weeks later I was back at the dealership to pay up and get my car. They said that they tested DC charging which worked and they tested the REX and had it running in service mode several times. No error messages, no issues. They also had a mechanic take the car home and drive it with the REX and they swore that there were no issues they could find. So I was once again hopeful that this issue finally has been fixed.
I drove the care home, but after the recent experiences I didn't have the balls to try out the REX. I just drove it home. The next day I worked up the courage to try out the REX and it actually worked. I was happy and thought that once again I could rely on my car. Boy was I wrong! I was out delivering in my car and had to turn on the REX for my last miles home. All of a sudden, REX shuts down and gave me Electric Drive only message and since I had no more range I coasted to a stop and had to call a tow truck. AAA told me that I had used up all my tows for this year and that I would have to pay this tow out of pocked and that the next tow they would not be able to arrange for me! WTF!!!!!! $300 later towing the car to BMW, they once again had my car. I was fuming. They did their testing and this time came back telling me that the 12-Volt battery must be faulty, and that they would swap it out under warranty since I just had purchased it from them earlier this year. They swapped it out and did some more tests and said that everything is working fine now and I could come and get the car.
Picked up the car and have not used the REX since. I just drive it under electric. Stopped going on delivery runs with the car and only use it for short distance commutes and it has been working since ... knock on wood. Of course, no REX, and I can not rely on my once reliable car. So sad. I reached back out to BMW and they said that there is nothing they can do. According to them Nothing is wrong with the car and everything is working. Until something else happens and they can find out the cause, this is what it is. So my REX is out of commission at least until next year when my AAA membership rolls - LOL.
Does anyone have had the same or similar issues? I really would like to get this fixed but don't have the money to arbitrarily start throwing money at it, like replacing the REX alternator/charger, which I am suspecting it is. Anyway, I would appreciate your feedback and maybe someone knows what causes this issue. I am about $10K+ in repairs for 2023, and the car is finally running and is drivable. I really don't want to sell it to a private party so that it becomes someone else's headache. And a dealer won't pay enough. Maybe a trade in, but still so much upside down in the car. Thanks for reading.
