[frenzy757]

Originally Posted by rudyjay

i just experience this issue yesterday at my work my x5 is brand new only have 698 mileage, im 15 miles away from my home so i have to drive my car on a side street running up to 3omi/hr and i got home safe, i have the check engine light on all that time, when i woke up this morning to bring my car to the dealer i started it and the check engine light went away no message about drive train malfunction but i still have to drove it to the dealer and i got a little bit disappointed, the service guy receptionist said they are fully book and i said im not bringing my car for service i drove her coz of the drive train malfunction and ask him if they priorities this type issues of brand new car with 698 mileage, and he told me to come back tuesday which is the 13th, but i couldnt do anything but to wait till tuesday i guess.

This seems different as you were able to drive the car right? OP had 0 power and was literally stranded.

WHen you drove the car again (3mi/hr) was it on full EV mode?

I am considering this car versus the Tesla Model Y so this is a bit concerning for me.

[HouseMD]

I had a similar issue with my 2020 M50i. On 4 occasions there was absolutely no power. The engine just revved but no power to the wheels. One time it wouldn't even go into park.

Luckily 3 times I just coasted to a stop and was going slow. However, one time I was trying to merge into traffic with no shoulder and the power went out. Luckily there was no one coming and I, once again, coasted to a stop.

In all cases, resetting IDrive got me back up and running. I took it to the dealer. The first time they said it was a software error and did some upgrade but it happened again 3 days later. I took it back and the finally diagnosed it as the Mectronic unit that controls the transmission.

All-in-all, it spent 20 days at the dealer but I haven't had a problem in several months (but I'm not driving much because of COVID....).

[jad03060]

Strange things can happen to anything...that does not make it a pattern. Unfortunate, and annoying, but not necessarily strange. BMWs do not tend to have generic, serious issues. As more things get computerized, infant mortality may get more common, but it's more common on a new model that hasn't had as much time to locate those weak points. But, BMW does tend to use the same modules in many lines, so it isn't as frequent that something entirely new shows up...maybe used in a different way with modified software.

[FCX5]

Originally Posted by frenzy757

This seems different as you were able to drive the car right? OP had 0 power and was literally stranded.

WHen you drove the car again (3mi/hr) was it on full EV mode?

I am considering this car versus the Tesla Model Y so this is a bit concerning for me.

Will be interesting to see how you decide. We have an X5 50i and a Tesla Model Y performance. My experience is that the MY is quite a value for not just the acceleration, but even the handling which is probably even better than my X5 with the Dynamic Handling Package and the seats which are very ergonomic - feels like a Herman Miller office chair. Ours is a Nov build and the build quality is very good.

However, it does not have the space, leather and luxury of an X5. But the tech is at another level. Hard to describe unless you try it out.

I really like the styling, space, interior and fun of the X5. I have driven both the G05 M50i and had a 40i loaner for a few days. Really amazing SUV. My wife would take a MY over any X5, I'd take an M50i over a MY, but the M50i is much more expensive as well…my 2 cents worth.

[frenzy757]

Originally Posted by FCX5

Will be interesting to see how you decide. We have an X5 50i and a Tesla Model Y performance. My experience is that the MY is quite a value for not just the acceleration, but even the handling which is probably even better than my X5 with the Dynamic Handling Package and the seats which are very ergonomic - feels like a Herman Miller office chair. Ours is a Nov build and the build quality is very good.

However, it does not have the space, leather and luxury of an X5. But the tech is at another level. Hard to describe unless you try it out.

I really like the styling, space, interior and fun of the X5. I have driven both the G05 M50i and had a 40i loaner for a few days. Really amazing SUV. My wife would take a MY over any X5, I'd take an M50i over a MY, but the M50i is much more expensive as well…my 2 cents worth.

Yea your thoughts are kind of how I am thinking about it.

For Tesla:
1) Fits in our garage a bit better since its smaller
2) Performance/Handling are pretty special. To get this type of straight line acceleration would cost a lot more.
3) Fairly usable with a lot of leg room
4) I think it's drivers assist is a bit better than BMWs with the possibility of it getting better. Not holding my breath for FSD but the Model Y now has a better chance than the current X5 of achieving this.
5) No engine maintenance
6) Can do 95% of our driving needs

For X5:
1) Much more comfortable...seriously. The e with the air suspension rides so smoothly it was shocking.
2) Higher ride. I like the SUV feel.
3) I don't really "NEED" a fun car for this. I always have a weekend/fun car. Currently it is a Supra. When I want to drive for fun, id still choose a low sports car over a model Y even if the model y is faster in a straight line. Engine noise, feel, driving position are key for me for fun and the model Y has none of that.
4) My other 5% driving is to Tahoe. Long road trips the Tesla can handle easily. I am talking going to the mountains in the winter hauling gear. I keep hearing horror stories of teslas lined up at the last Supercharging station to make it up. So then if I get the model y Id have to take my 2008 4 runner, which is getting a bit old and uncomfortable. The tohught of riding to Tahoe in a massage chair with the ride quality kind of excites me more than the electric accelration lol

I want both but we'll see.

[s2kspyder]

So I just decided between Model Y vs. 45e. Ended up with 45e for the following reasons

1) have a 340i so I get .75 loyalty discount on lease/finance
2) can tow either 59xx or 7200 pounds (which one is it?)
3) has B58 motor
4) has ZF 8 speed tranny
5) ended up to be slightly cheaper with discounts
6) mostly daily city driving will be less than 40km, all electric
7) no range anxiety when going on long trips
8) bigger and more space
9) digital dash, air suspension, drove like a truck
10) feels heavy and solid, but still very quick and nimble
11) 4 year service included
12) got to build my own spec with more options than Tesla

Model Y
1) would have had 7 seats ($4k) but overall smaller car
2) would have been a long range edition but Tesla are way more expensive in Canada
3) FSD would have been cool but for over 10k
4) fit and finish/quality issues?
5) full EV is kinda cool
6) less complex and lower maintenance cost
7) no lease in Canada yet
8) higher insurance for EV cars

After 4 years, I hope full EV tech improves and will consider it then.

[jad03060]

Tesla has the best charging network and is one reason why they took off as they did...not because they were the better driving vehicle or built the best.

The VW litigation case in the US (don't know if it helped in Canada) helped expand the EV charging network infrastructure in the US, but it still has a long ways to go. If the US current administration gets its way, driving an EV will become easier, and with the way the price of batteries are going, there may not be a major price difference, which is mostly true now once you take into account the tax/purchase incentives.

Even with Tesla, if you like to travel the less traveled path, charging can become an issue, where you'll likely always be able to find a gas station (at least for the next decade or maybe longer!).

When it comes to towing, there's a maximum total vehicle+trailer weight that you have to take into consideration. The load of the vehicle will include the tongue weight of your trailer plus everything you've stuffed in there, which means if you opted for the third row, where available, and you've filled it your trailer weight will go down to keep the overall assembly below the max (the brakes and cooling can only handle so much!). The user's manual goes over how to calculate all of that. To get that maximum trailer weight, you might need to be the only one in the vehicle! Throw in a family and lots of luggage with a max tongue weight, and the amount you can pull will go down. So, max is sort of a sliding scale. Then, there are limits for the maximum grade you could reliably handle, both up and down.

When BMW went to the G05 PHEV and they increased the battery capacity considerably, they made it viable for me and I think many others, to do their normal, day-to-day travel all in EV mode, with the engine as a reliable backup. Prior versions worked that way for some, but not all that many. An engine works best when it is fully warmed up, so I try to keep it in EV mode unless I'm traveling further.

Everyone's situation is a bit different, so no one vehicle will be right for everyone, but the X5 45e can cover more cases than the vehicles before it.

[FCX5]

Originally Posted by jad03060

Tesla has the best charging network and is one reason why they took off as they did...not because they were the better driving vehicle or built the best.

The VW litigation case in the US (don't know if it helped in Canada) helped expand the EV charging network infrastructure in the US, but it still has a long ways to go. If the US current administration gets its way, driving an EV will become easier, and with the way the price of batteries are going, there may not be a major price difference, which is mostly true now once you take into account the tax/purchase incentives.

Even with Tesla, if you like to travel the less traveled path, charging can become an issue, where you'll likely always be able to find a gas station (at least for the next decade or maybe longer!).

When it comes to towing, there's a maximum total vehicle+trailer weight that you have to take into consideration. The load of the vehicle will include the tongue weight of your trailer plus everything you've stuffed in there, which means if you opted for the third row, where available, and you've filled it your trailer weight will go down to keep the overall assembly below the max (the brakes and cooling can only handle so much!). The user's manual goes over how to calculate all of that. To get that maximum trailer weight, you might need to be the only one in the vehicle! Throw in a family and lots of luggage with a max tongue weight, and the amount you can pull will go down. So, max is sort of a sliding scale. Then, there are limits for the maximum grade you could reliably handle, both up and down.

When BMW went to the G05 PHEV and they increased the battery capacity considerably, they made it viable for me and I think many others, to do their normal, day-to-day travel all in EV mode, with the engine as a reliable backup. Prior versions worked that way for some, but not all that many. An engine works best when it is fully warmed up, so I try to keep it in EV mode unless I'm traveling further.

Everyone's situation is a bit different, so no one vehicle will be right for everyone, but the X5 45e can cover more cases than the vehicles before it.

When we bought our MY the 45e wasn't available so we compared it to the X3 M40i, Q5, Macan etc. I think the 45e with the rebate is an excellent value. But since we already have an X5, and wife works in DC we decided to go with a compact size. So no regrets there.

I've been on an M50i with BMWs traffic jam assist and to be honest, it is quite a ways away from what Tesla has now.

The ride height and luxury interior on the X5 is of course way nicer. You might enjoy it more than the MY just spending time inside on long drives. The MY is great as a DD. The driving is so much fun. Yeah, both are cool but the 45e fully loaded would be more comfortable.

… we took our MY to the ski slopes this year.

I am hoping my next is going to be the iX (year 2-3 of release).

Good luck!

[GoNavy]

Similar situation just occurred with our 45e with 1500 miles. Drivetrain malfunction and it would not allow electric mode, just engine. Jerky shifting. Stopped and turned off car, called dealer, and we were told that we could drive it to dealer. Turned car back on and electric mode was available and drove just fine in electric mode to dealer. BMW has it and said there is a full page of faults. Just guessing here, but it sounds like a communication board shorted or some electrical connection faulted. Just pointing out, the car has never been in rain until this week. Could water be causing a short?? I'm sure it's a simple solution but it sounds like a challenging diagnosis due to the multiple faults. I will post what I learn. Anybody else learn anything about this failure?

[jad03060]

The fault codes do not always point to the actual problem...they sometimes just report what went wrong, not why. It takes a human sometimes to make the connections that the programmer did not create what triggered the fault(s).

[mtbdood]

Sorry to revive an old thread, but I am curious to see what came out of the investigation for the cars that were affected here.

This just happened to me today and had to tow my car to the dealer. I'm anxious about the outcome as I never had a car completely fail on me like this and it's only a few months old with ~1800 miles.

[motherkin]

Subbed

[mtbdood]

Just wanted to provide an update for any future owners who may run into this issue.

I received my car back today and the SA stated all that was required was a software update. Supposedly, there was a software error that was triggering memory faults for the inverter that required re-flashing the EME. I believe I was on the July 2020 software when this happened.

I didn't believe that was all that was wrong but so far, the car is behaving normally. The car was updated to the March 2021 software.

[motherkin]

Originally Posted by mtbdood

Just wanted to provide an update for any future owners who may run into this issue.

I received my car back today and the SA stated all that was required was a software update. Supposedly, there was a software error that was triggering memory faults for the inverter that required re-flashing the EME. I believe I was on the July 2020 software when this happened.

I didn't believe that was all that was wrong but so far, the car is behaving normally. The car was updated to the March 2021 software.

Thanks for the update, hope all is well after this.

[CaboM4]

Originally Posted by rudyjay

i just experience this issue yesterday at my work my x5 is brand new only have 698 mileage, im 15 miles away from my home so i have to drive my car on a side street running up to 3omi/hr and i got home safe, i have the check engine light on all that time, when i woke up this morning to bring my car to the dealer i started it and the check engine light went away no message about drive train malfunction but i still have to drove it to the dealer and i got a little bit disappointed, the service guy receptionist said they are fully book and i said im not bringing my car for service i drove her coz of the drive train malfunction and ask him if they priorities this type issues of brand new car with 698 mileage, and he told me to come back tuesday which is the 13th, but i couldnt do anything but to wait till tuesday i guess.

what a shitty dealer ... i would go somewhere else

[Twags]

I have a 22 45e with 500 miles, and the same problem occurred to me today. Drove home on electric with no problems. Plugged it in, and 2hrs later got a My BMW app message that the car wasn't charging. I got in the car to try turning on the ignition to see if that cleared the fault, and I then got the drivetrain malfunction message, as well as the cannot charge message. When I turned on the ignition there was a loud noise that I'd never heard before. Hard to explain. Tried two more times, heard the noise a second time, but then not the third. Car started in hybrid, though I have it set to start in electric. Haven't tried to drive it. Dealer is 90 minutes away. Seems I should have it towed there. Will call the dealer tomorrow and see…

UPDATE: I checked the car again this morning, and there was no drivetrain malfunction warning. I plugged it in and it charged normally. I drove it this afternoon, and the check engine light was on, but there were no messages. When I turned the car off after driving a short distance and then resumed my drive a few minutes later, the check engine light was off. So whatever the problem, it appears to have cleared, but I am going to have the dealer pick the car up and go over it anyway.

UPDATE #2: I took the car to the dealer to have it checked. They found numerous error codes and took the entire car apart. and after 2 1/2 weeks of constant back-and-forth with BMW in Germany, they discovered that two sensors in the battery cells were bad. It's all back together now and seems to be running just fine.

[apocalypsbe]

Originally Posted by rudyjay

i just experience this issue yesterday at my work my x5 is brand new only have 698 mileage, im 15 miles away from my home so i have to drive my car on a side street running up to 3omi/hr and i got home safe, i have the check engine light on all that time, when i woke up this morning to bring my car to the dealer i started it and the check engine light went away no message about drive train malfunction but i still have to drove it to the dealer and i got a little bit disappointed, the service guy receptionist said they are fully book and i said im not bringing my car for service i drove her coz of the drive train malfunction and ask him if they priorities this type issues of brand new car with 698 mileage, and he told me to come back tuesday which is the 13th, but i couldnt do anything but to wait till tuesday i guess.

I've got the same message some days ago … 50k km's on the car. Not feeling confident at all now with the car.

I noticed it now no longer consumes electricity in sports mode. Going back thursday to check drivetrain oil condition.

[todd92]

The histrionics in the OP are classic. Since when is a stalled vehicle horrifying and life threatening? Sounds like copy for ABC News.

[Paul-in-MA]

Apparently the OP never owned an LR3. Total shut down was common on an LR3 along with the "Christmas Tree of Death" where every dashboard warning light would simultaneously come on. Ours pulled this stunt on the NJ turnpike just after crossing the GW bridge.

The cause...failed $40 brake pedal switch stamped with FoMoCo. LR3 owners learned to always carry along a new spare brake switch and screwdriver to quickly fix this disaster and get back on your way. Thankfully I was prepared and had an extra switch in the glovebox. So not at all horrifying or scary.

[Golfman22]

My 2021 X5 (6,200 miles, purchased in late February) jerked hard (transmission issue?) today while going less than 30mph and 3 blocks from home. The Drivetrain Malfunction message came up on the screen. I returned home to call dealership (BMW of Little Rock). Said the X5 could be driven to the dealership (34 miles) for service. The X5 had very little ability to gain speed from a stop. It gained speed slowly and made it to the dealership without any additional issues. Service took the X5 back upon arrival and after an hour said that they could not find the cause of my issue and they needed to keep it for additional diagnostics. Also, 7 days prior to this event, I put my car in park, with engine still running and then decided to move to a different parking spot. Put the X5 in Drive and nothing happened, X5 would not go, engine still running. Placed in Reverse and it responded. Back to Drive again and it responded this time. Waiting for Service Center to call with information.

[JMD]

Originally Posted by njapilot1

Keep in mind that thousands of X5 45e's have been sold and this is the first any of us have heard of this particular issue. It's easy to read these boards and see the complaints/issues people have and get anxious over your new ride. These are the 1%'ers here. Most of the vehicles work perfectly. It's important to educate yourself, and these boards are invaluable, just don't get overly worried. Chances are your car will be just fine. Also keep in mind that horrifying to one person is just another day to another. It's all relative.

Concur! Although it's not fun when your vehicle goes down in traffic,...the fact that it happened on a busy roadway makes the X5 45e no more dangerous had this happened with an ICE X5,...or and ICE dump truck! Although I will add that it's good to know the OP had no other bad things happen other than the vehicle failing as a result of this incident.

[mlurker]

Originally Posted by farhanbmw2021

Hi Team - this is super scary and horrifying. I suffered a Drivetrain Malfunction on my new X5 45e. I have a 2021 X5 45e with only 6000 miles. Came out from a Target and noticed a Drivetrain Malfunction indicator light on saying its safe to drive but with reduced power. While in the parking lot I called the dealer service department and they said bring the car in and they told me it was safe to drive. As I was driving, the car kept gasping for breadth and continued to have jerks in power as if fuel was bring cut off. The aircon completed shut off (not cooling at all). Now came the nightmare - after about 15 mins of driving, the car stalled completely as it there was no power to the drivetrain. Pressed on the gas pedal - no power as if it was in neutral. The car was gliding. I was on a two lane business road without a shoulder. After a few seconds the car came to a complete standstill with engine on, transmission in D and no power at all. It was like the aircraft has no engines. By this time, I was just 2000 feet away from the dealer. Very scary situation, traffic was dangerously coming fast and breaking when they saw me stranded. Someone could have hit me from behind had I not directing traffic. Anyway it was a horrifying experience. The dealer came and picked me up - managed to restart the car and take it to the dealership. The car is at the dealer and after five days, they have still not be able to able to come up with a diagnosis. They want to do some more tests to determine what might be the issue. I was in a life threatening situation with a car completely stalled on a busy road. Like someone said above - we don't need a repair, we need an answer to this horrifying episode. I did inform BMW NA about this via a call today. Has anyone had the dealer solve this problem for them ? What is the likelihood that the problem might not occur again. I had just completed a long road trip. I could have easily been stranded in the middle of nowhere! Can someone please provide any insights as I am very scared of the car stall. This is my 4th BMW - I believe in the brand but my confidence is going to be severely tested. Thanks - Farhan

Do you have an update?