BMW: Time to Say Goodbye

To clarify: I’ve never seen myself as a car enthusiast. My driving experience includes a vintage Volvo with a floor hole, along with a series of practical vehicles like a VW Golf and a Mazda SUV that has served me well for 12 years. Ultimately, I decided to lease a BMW i4 electric vehicle.

What drew me to the i4? Unlike many electric vehicles, BMWs do not sport that overly futuristic look; they are simply elegant cars that happen to be electric. I appreciated their rarity compared to other EVs in Northern California. Furthermore, the i4 comes in a variety of colors, including “Brooklyn Gray,” which—although it may seem minor—gave me more joy than Tesla’s limited palette ever could. Despite hearing about early users encountering software problems, I brushed those concerns aside, enchanted by my new BMW. Those early drives were thrilling; the car was gorgeous, the ride was smooth, and the experience was exhilarating.

Fast forward nearly two years, and I find myself in a situation I never anticipated: eagerly anticipating the end of my lease on this luxury vehicle due to software issues that make my old, rusted Volvo seem remarkably dependable.

A romance gone awry

Let’s explore how this relationship has deteriorated, starting with the most straightforward task: entering my car. Time and again, I’ve found myself in parking lots unable to unlock the doors with my phone, despite the BMW Digital Key being designed for that very function. While it might seem trivial, it’s another experience to balance melting groceries while appearing to attempt to steal your own vehicle.

The digital key issues have become so common that BMW owners now share intricate, 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 appear in the Wallet app. 5. Double-click 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 facing demotion in the user hierarchy. Practically speaking, this means if anyone else drives my vehicle even once, it automatically connects to their phone and playlists as soon as they’re within Bluetooth range. BMW has complicated their profile system to the extent that explicit linking steps are necessary, when this should be effortless.

CarPlay integration is either subpar or genuinely hazardous. Software updates often disrupt CarPlay functionality, requiring full reboots of the iDrive system. The reverse camera issue is particularly frustrating; when you shift into reverse using CarPlay navigation and then back into drive, you’re returned to the home screen rather than continuing your directions.

Moreover, the backup camera is nearly useless in low light, and the screen often becomes uncomfortably hot to touch.

And then there’s the lighting problem. If I forget to manually lock the vehicle after exiting, I might come back to find the exterior lights still on. Initially, I blamed it on human error, but after the third occurrence, I discovered it’s a “feature” where the i4 enters a “pseudo-sleep mode,” keeping the lights and other systems active indefinitely. Many owners have reported similar incidents: park the car, walk away, and return to find it glowing like a lighthouse, draining the battery.

In addition to feeling like the car suffers from memory lapses nearly every day, there are significant safety concerns. The 2022 i4 had six recalls in its first year, including a serious one where BMW warned owners that their vehicles could catch fire while parked and advised them to “stop driving immediately.” Subsequently, there were more recalls regarding battery control units that could trigger sudden power failures.

BMW does release software updates for the i4 every few months, but the process is riddled with complications. Updates frequently disrupt connected services, leading to lost traffic information, weather updates, remote parking features, and even connectivity through the MyBMW app.

The over-the-air update system itself is unreliable, with reports of updates freezing at various percentages for days, requiring trips to the dealership for manual installation.

What’s particularly infuriating is that BMW promotes these vehicles as premium products. If you choose to buy rather than lease, the i4 starts at over $50,000, with fully equipped versions topping $70,000. In contrast, owners of more affordable brands like Hyundais and Lexus models report solid connectivity and smooth user experiences.

I’m not implying that the company rushed these cars to market without adequately testing their digital systems and subsequently treated customers as beta testers with no regard for their well-being, but I’m also not dismissing it.

I truly wanted this relationship to thrive. The i4 is stunning, drives beautifully, and embodies everything I thought I wanted in an electric vehicle. However, I can’t maintain a relationship where fundamental functions—like unlocking doors, connecting my phone, and getting directions—require endless patience. (Regrettably, I lack that kind of saintly patience.)

Even my tech-savvy husband, usually quick to blame issues on user error, recently left the car after a particularly vexing software glitch, stating he would “need to meditate for a bit.”

Owning a car shouldn’t be a constant source of frustration. I shouldn’t have to keep a mental checklist of workarounds for features that should function seamlessly. I shouldn’t dread software updates because they might disrupt something that was (mostly) working.

So, BMW, I’ve reached my breaking point. You created a beautiful car but undermined it with software that’s so deficient it’s nearly laughable. I envisioned us cruising off into the sunset together. Instead, I’m returning my i4 to the dealership as my lease concludes, and surprisingly, I can’t wait.