BMW i5 may not make pedestrian warning sound
medium How serious is it? About this label
Without external warning sounds, pedestrians may be unaware of an approaching vehicle, increasing the risk of injury. The notice does not tell owners to stop driving.
What's wrong, in plain English
Electric cars are so quiet that federal rules require them to make an artificial sound so people nearby can hear them coming. On some 2024 BMW i5 eDrive40 and i5 M60 models, the control unit that creates that sound can fail when the car starts up, and no sound is made. Walkers, cyclists, and people who cannot see well may not notice the car approaching. The fix is a software update for the sound system.
What you should do
2. Call your BMW dealer or BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 to book the visit.
3. Have the external sound generator software updated free of charge.
Affected vehicles (1)
Who to contact
BMW — official BMW recall lookup
Customer service: 1-800-525-7417
Official notice
- Component
- FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS:EXTERNAL/PEDESTRIAN ALERT
- Summary
- BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2024 i5 eDrive40 and i5 M60 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."
- Safety 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 February 16, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Note: This is an expansion of Recall 23V-026.
Verify your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov. Recall repairs are free of charge by law.