The BMW iX And i4 Being Recalled For A Faulty Artificial Sound Generator

Jan. 31, 2023 1:33 PM ET byMichael Butler Recall /8 Comments

This time it's for something more pedestrian.

BMW might have announced someimpressive updatesfor theiXearlier this month, but the German EV SUV is facing yet another recall. The pedestrian warning sound isn't working on certain i4 and iX models, which means folks can't hear these EVs coming.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has posted a recall on its website for a pedestrian warning sound malfunction, codenamed FMVSS 141. The NHTSA claims that "without external warning sounds, pedestrians may be unaware of an approaching vehicle, increasing the risk of injury."

BMW will recall certain 2022-2023 i4 eDrive40 and iX xDrive50 electric vehicles. According to the recall, "the artificial sound generator control unit may experience a fault and fail to generate the external pedestrian warning sound."

This, of course, violates the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 141. According to the NHTSA, all vehicles of the same make, model, model year, body type, and trim level must have the same alert sound.

The industry standard for EVs says that pedestrian warning sounds need only work at speeds below 18.6 mph.

No injuries or deaths have been reported thus far, and BMW says its dealers will update the external artificial sound generator software free of charge. Affected owners can expect a notification letter to be mailed by 17 March 2023, but owners can contact BMW customer service for more timely notification.

The BMW iX has faced an uphill battle since it hit showroom floors in April 2022. BMW issued a recall for this car due to afaulty airbag unit, and more recently, iX owners were warned tostop driving their carsdue to potential fire risk in the Samsung manufacturer battery packs.