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BMW IX Recall 23V026: Electric Vehicle May Not Emit Pedestrian Warning Sound

NHTSA campaign 23V026, reported January 25, 2023, 3,431 vehicles potentially affected.

What this recall means for you

Some electric vehicles may experience a fault in the artificial sound generator control unit during start-up. When this happens, the vehicle does not produce the external warning sound meant to alert pedestrians to its approach, so the vehicles do not meet federal minimum sound requirements for hybrid and electric vehicles.

Without that external sound, pedestrians may not realize a vehicle is nearby, which increases the risk of injury. The affected vehicles include certain model year 2022 and 2023 BMW i4 and iX electric vehicles.

The remedy is a free software update to the external artificial sound generator, performed by an authorized BMW dealer. Owners were mailed notification letters on March 9, 2023, and can call BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. You can also check your vehicle identification number (VIN) for open recalls.

Check whether this recall is open on your vehicle

The repair is normally free at an authorized dealer.

Official recall notice

Safety recall 23V026BMW of North America, LLC
Component
BACK OVER PREVENTION:WARNINGS:EXTERNAL/PEDESTRIAN ALERT; FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS:EXTERNAL/PEDESTRIAN ALERT
Problem
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2022-2023 i4 eDrive40 and iX xDrive50 electric vehicles. During vehicle start-up, the artificial sound generator control unit may experience a fault and fail to generate the external pedestrian warning sound. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 141, "Minimum Sound Requirements for Hybrid and Electric Vehicles."
Risk
Without external warning sounds, pedestrians may be unaware of an approaching vehicle, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy
Dealers will update the external artificial sound generator software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 9, 2023. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Notes
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

Affected vehicles

BMW I420222023
BMW IX20222023