BMW: A Moment of Farewell – Tech Weekly

To clarify, I’ve never seen myself as a genuine car aficionado. My driving background includes an old vintage Volvo with a hole in the floor, as well as practical choices like a VW Golf and a Mazda SUV that has served me faithfully for 12 years. In the end, I chose to lease a BMW i4 electric vehicle.

What drew me to the i4? Unlike many electric cars, BMWs exude a timeless charm instead of an excessively futuristic vibe; they are elegant vehicles that just happen to be electric. Their distinctiveness compared to other EVs in Northern California also caught my eye. Moreover, the i4 boasts a variety of color options, such as “Brooklyn Gray,” which offered me more satisfaction than Tesla’s restricted color choices ever could. Although I heard about early users encountering software issues, I dismissed those concerns, enchanted by my new BMW. Those initial drives were electrifying; the car was breathtaking, the ride was seamless, and the overall experience was exhilarating.

Fast forward nearly two years, and I now find myself in an unexpected predicament: eagerly anticipating the end of my lease on this luxury vehicle due to software problems that make my old, rusted Volvo appear surprisingly dependable.

A romance gone wrong

Let’s explore how this relationship has deteriorated, beginning with the most basic task: getting into my car. Time and again, I’ve been in parking lots unable to unlock the doors with my phone, despite the BMW Digital Key being intended for this purpose. While this may seem trivial, it’s just another inconvenience as I juggle melting groceries while attempting to unlock my own vehicle.

The persistent digital key failures have become so widespread that BMW owners now exchange detailed, multi-step workarounds akin to bomb disposal instructions: “1. Open the BMW app on your phone to unlock the door. 2. Log in with your BMW ID in iDrive. 3. Place your iPhone in the charging tray. 4. Wait for the digital key to pop up in the Wallet app. 5. Double-tap the side button, confirm with Face ID, and—finally—start the car.”

Another major annoyance is the user profile system. I’ve struggled to create guest profiles without losing my user status. Practically speaking, if anyone else drives my car even once, it automatically syncs with their phone and playlists as soon as they’re in Bluetooth range. BMW has made the profile system so complicated that explicit linking steps are necessary when this should be straightforward.

CarPlay integration is either inadequate or genuinely troublesome. Software updates frequently disrupt CarPlay functionality, requiring complete reboots of the iDrive system. The reverse camera issue is especially annoying; when you shift into reverse using CarPlay navigation and then back into drive, you’re returned to the home screen instead of continuing your directions.

Additionally, the backup camera is nearly useless in low-light conditions, and the screen often becomes overly hot to touch.

And let’s highlight the issue with the lighting. If I forget to manually lock the car after exiting, I might come back to find the exterior lights still on. Initially, I attributed this to my own oversight, but after the third instance, I learned it’s a “feature” where the i4 enters a “pseudo-sleep mode,” keeping lights and other systems active indefinitely. Many owners have shared similar experiences: park the car, walk away, and return to find it illuminated like a lighthouse, draining the battery.

Besides the feeling that the car suffers daily memory lapses, there are alarming safety concerns as well. The 2022 i4 had six recalls in its first year, including one concerning a fire hazard while parked, prompting BMW to advise owners to “stop driving immediately.” Subsequently, there were additional recalls related to battery control units that could lead to sudden power failures.

BMW does release software updates for the i4 every few months, but the process is complicated. Updates often disrupt connected services, resulting in lost traffic information, weather updates, remote parking features, and even connectivity via the MyBMW app.

The over-the-air update system itself is unreliable, with reports of updates freezing at varying percentages for days, often necessitating a trip to the dealership for manual installation.

What’s particularly exasperating is that BMW markets these vehicles as premium products. If you opt to buy rather than lease, the i4 begins at over $50,000, with fully equipped models exceeding $70,000. In contrast, owners of more budget-friendly brands like Hyundais and Lexuses report robust connectivity and seamless user experiences.

I’m not implying that the company rushed these cars to market without adequate testing of their digital systems, treating customers as beta testers with little consideration for their well-being, but I’m also not ruling it out.

I genuinely hoped for this relationship to flourish. The i4 is stunning, drives like a dream, and represents everything I thought I wanted in an electric vehicle. Yet, I can’t maintain a relationship where fundamental functions—like unlocking doors, connecting my phone, and obtaining directions—demand constant patience. (Regrettably, I do not possess such saintly patience.)

Even my tech-savvy husband, who usually attributes issues to user error, recently exited the car after an especially frustrating software glitch, commenting that he would “need to meditate for a bit.”

Owning a vehicle shouldn’t be a constant source of frustration. I shouldn’t have to keep a mental checklist of workarounds for features that should operate seamlessly. I shouldn’t dread software updates due to fear they might disrupt something that was (mostly) functioning.

Therefore, BMW, I’ve hit my limit. You crafted a beautiful car but undermined it with software so flawed that it’s nearly laughable. I envisioned us cruising off into the sunset together. Instead, I am returning my i4 to the dealership as my lease concludes, and surprisingly, I can’t wait.