BMW eDrive de 5.ª generación (iX3, i4, iX) engine: faults and reliability

• iX3 (G08) 80 kWh, 286 hp (2020-2024)

  2020–2024 · 282 hp

  Buy

  Only small campaigns with a remedy are on record (BMU software in 2021, cell monitoring circuit and integrated charger in 2023), and CarWiki documents no battery or motor defects. Check the chassis.^[2][3]

• i4 eDrive35 and eDrive40 rear-wheel drive (2021-)

  since 2021 · 286–340 hp

  With caution

  Several battery campaigns (pads, cells, modules) affect cars built from 2021 to 2023. Check the chassis and that the work has been done.^[2][7]

• i4 xDrive40, M50 and M60 all-wheel drive (2022-)

  since 2022 · 401–601 hp

  With caution

  It shares its battery and campaigns with the eDrive40, and there is no specific data for the second motor. Check the chassis.^[2][4]

• iX xDrive40, xDrive50 and M60 (2021-2025)

  2021–2025 · 322–610 hp

  With caution

  It is covered by the cell campaign (2022) and the module campaign (2025); CarWiki also records a single case of a front motor being replaced, with no further data.^[2][8][9]

• iX xDrive45, xDrive60 and M70 (2025-)

  since 2025 · 402–650 hp

  With caution

  It is very recent and there is no data on its own faults.^[5][10]

Buy: No known serious faults, or they have already been corrected, in this version. With caution: Worth buying if something specific is verified: history, a replaced part or a completed campaign. Avoid: High risk of a serious fault that is hard to check for or prevent.

1. 1Critical severityFrequency: OccasionalTraction batteryCells with a damaged cathode in the high-voltage battery (fire risk)Yes: in September 2022 Safety Gate listed a BMW recall for a manufacturing defect in the high-voltage battery of the iX, i4 and i7 built from 5 July 2021 to 8 July 2022. A supplier may have damaged a cathode plate and a fragment may have entered a cell; the defective modules are replaced, and BMW asked owners not to charge or drive the car until then.
2. 2Critical severityFrequency: RareTraction batteryProtective pads for the high-voltage battery not fitted (2021 i4)In January 2022 Safety Gate listed a recall for BMW i4s built from 15/9/2021 to 30/11/2021 because protective pads for the high-voltage battery could be missing. In a serious side impact the battery could be damaged and cause a short circuit, with a greater risk of fire.
3. 3High severityFrequency: RareTraction batteryBattery cell and module monitoring circuit out of specificationThe DVSA records three very small recalls for the high-voltage battery: a badly installed cable bridge in the cell supervision circuit (CSC) of the i4, iX and iX3 (2023), defective modules in an i4 built in December 2023 (2024), and a module frame made with excessive force in the i4 and iX that could end in a thermal event (2025).
4. 4Medium severityFrequency: RareChargingCombined charging unit (CCU) damaged at the factoryIn August 2023 BMW recalled a batch of i4, iX and iX3 cars built in 2022 in the UK because, due to a supplier’s production error, a damaged combined charging unit could have been fitted. The unit is replaced. The DVSA does not describe how it shows up.
5. 5Medium severityFrequency: RareElectronicsBMU battery management software on the iX3 that delays high-voltage circuit dischargeIn 2021 BMW recalled the iX3 built from 22/7/2019 to 6/5/2021 because, due to an intermittent software fault in the battery management unit (BMU), after a very serious accident the overvoltage could damage the 12 V network and disable the emergency call, the warnings and the lights. It is fixed by reprogramming the unit in about 40 minutes.

Severity colours: low, medium, high, critical. How we rate them

Manufacturer

BMW Group

Family

eDrive Gen5

Type

Electrical

Engine

Síncrono de excitación eléctrica (sin imanes de tierras raras); un motor en el eje trasero, y dos (delantero y trasero) en las versiones xDrive y M

Battery

70.2–113.4 kWh

Power

282–650 hp

Peak torque

1100 Nm

Production

since 2020

Makes

BMW

Technical data^[3][4][5][6]

1. 2020–2024

   iX3 (G08) 80 kWh, 286 hp (2020-2024)

   A rear motor of 210 kW and 400 Nm with an 80 kWh gross battery (73.8 usable) and charging of up to 150 kW. Built in Shenyang (China) since September 2020.^[6]

2. since 2021

   i4 eDrive35 and eDrive40 rear-wheel drive (2021-)

   A rear motor of 210 kW (eDrive35, 70.2 kWh gross) or 250 kW (eDrive40, 83.9 kWh gross), and charging of up to 180 to 200 kW.^[4]

3. 2021–2025

   iX xDrive40, xDrive50 and M60 (2021-2025)

   Two motors with 76.6 kWh gross batteries (xDrive40) and 111.5 kWh (xDrive50), up to 1,100 Nm on the M60 and charging of up to 200 kW on the xDrive50.^[5]

4. since 2022

   i4 xDrive40, M50 and M60 all-wheel drive (2022-)

   Two motors (400, 544 or 601 hp) and 600 to 795 Nm with the 83.9 kWh gross battery.^[4]

5. since 2025

   iX xDrive45, xDrive60 and M70 (2025-)

   2025 update: batteries of 100.1 and 113.4 kWh gross, up to 650 hp and charging of 175 to 195 kW; Auto Express highlights efficiency and cooling improvements.^[5][10]

• Oil filter

  • Buy part at Autodoc (affiliate link, opens in a new tab)

• Air filter

  • Buy part at Autodoc (affiliate link, opens in a new tab)