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We
bought a BMW i3 not knowing the vehicle had so many faults, and the
company's system could lock up your car, and seize the transmission,
so that you are left stranded in the middle of nowhere, on the side of
the road, or in traffic, with a £15k brick. We wondered if that was
safe? Or, legal? But then found, allegedly, it was company policy, not to tell
people what the problem with their car is. And, with the dealer
approach of replace everything, also appearing not to know what is
wrong with the car, it could soon become a service problem nightmare.
Why
did they lock up the wheels? It makes no sense. If there is (or was) a
genuine safety issue, why not just immobilize the vehicle, without
locking the transmission and braking the rear wheels. So that it could
be safely pushed off the road, or otherwise located safely.
The core argument in one sentence: "An EV that becomes unusable due to inaccessible software is not a sustainable product — it is a form of digital obsolescence that increases waste, undermines climate goals, and violates the principles of the UN Sustainable Development Goals."
FORMAL LETTER - WITHOUT PREJUDICE
To: BMW UK Customer Relations / BMW AG Sustainability Division
Subject: Complaint Regarding BMW i3 Software Lockouts, Repair Barriers, and Conflicts with UN Sustainable Development Goals
Dear Sir or Madam,
I/we am/are writing to raise a formal complaint regarding the ongoing software‑related failures, immobilisation events, and repair barriers affecting my/our BMW
i3, and to ask for your valued assistance.
These issues have not only undermined the usability of the vehicle but also raise serious concerns about BMW’s compliance with the principles of sustainability, circularity, and responsible product stewardship as outlined in the
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
1. Software‑Induced Immobilisation and Barriers to Repair
My/our vehicle has experienced a series of failures that appear to stem from software mis‑calibration, BMS (Battery Management System) instability, and control‑module lockouts. These include:
i) Repeated alarm activation
ii) High‑voltage battery discharge and refusal to charge
iii) Immobilisation of the drivetrain
iv) Lockout of charging functions
v) The vehicle becoming inaccessible and effectively unusable
Despite dealer intervention, including the replacement of the 12V battery, the underlying software‑related issues were not fully resolved. The vehicle was, at one point, reduced to an inoperable state — an “expensive brick” — due entirely to software restrictions rather than hardware failure.
These failures are not consistent with a sustainable product, nor with a vehicle designed for long‑term
service life.
2. Conflict with the UN Sustainable Development Goals
BMW publicly aligns itself with the UN SDGs, yet the design and support model of the i3 conflicts with several of these goals:
SDG 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production
The i3’s carbon‑fibre body, aluminium frame, and high‑voltage battery are engineered for multi‑decade durability. However, the vehicle can be rendered unusable by software lockouts that only BMW can clear. This artificially shortens the product’s lifespan and contradicts the principle of resource efficiency.
SDG 7 – Affordable and Clean Energy
Electric vehicles only deliver environmental benefits when they remain in service for long periods, including through a healthy second‑user market. Software‑based immobilisation and restricted repair access undermine this objective and increase the total lifecycle emissions of the product.
SDG 9 – Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Innovation must be resilient and inclusive. A vehicle that becomes inoperable due to inaccessible software is neither. The i3’s advanced materials and engineering are wasted when the digital infrastructure is not designed for longevity or independent repair.
SDG 13 – Climate Action
Premature scrappage of an EV due to software restrictions directly increases carbon emissions. The embodied carbon in the i3’s carbon‑fibre structure and battery pack is substantial. When software prevents continued use, the environmental impact is magnified, contradicting BMW’s stated climate commitments.
3. Conflict with the Right to Repair
The UK’s Right to Repair principles — and BMW’s obligations under them — require that:
a) Diagnostic information be accessible
b) Repair pathways not be artificially restricted
c) Products be designed for maintainability and longevity
In the case of the i3, essential diagnostic and repair functions remain locked behind BMW’s proprietary systems. Independent repairers and owners cannot re‑authorise the high‑voltage battery, reset immobiliser states, or correct software mismatches without BMW’s intervention. This creates an unnecessary dependency that is inconsistent with both the letter and the spirit of Right to Repair legislation.
4. Requested Actions
In light of the above, I request that BMW:
- Provide a full explanation of the software‑related failures that caused the immobilisation and charging lockout of my/our vehicle.
- Confirm whether the dealer‑installed software updates were correctly applied, and whether any modules remain in a mismatched or partially coded state.
- Provide access to the diagnostic information and repair pathways necessary to ensure the long‑term operability of the vehicle, in line with Right to Repair principles.
- Clarify BMW’s policy on ensuring that EVs remain serviceable throughout their intended lifespan, particularly where software is the limiting factor.
- Explain how BMW reconciles these software restrictions with its public commitments to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
5. Conclusion
The BMW i3 is a technologically advanced vehicle built with materials intended to last for decades. It is therefore deeply concerning that software restrictions — rather than mechanical or structural limitations — can render such a vehicle unusable. This is not compatible with sustainable design,
circular economy principles, or BMW’s stated environmental commitments.
I/we look forward to your response and to a constructive resolution of these issues.
Yours faithfully,
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[Vehicle VIN / Registration]
For a complaint grounded in sustainability, Right to Repair, and UN SDG compliance, you may wish to address your letter to one of the following divisions:
BMW AG – Sustainability and Environmental Protection
BMW Group Sustainability
Petuelring 130
80788 München
Germany
BMW AG – Customer Relations (International)
BMW Group Customer Relations
80788 München
Germany
If you want maximum impact, you can send copies to both.
BMW Headquarters (Germany) — Official Address
BMW AG – Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
Petuelring 130
80788 München (Munich)
Germany
Telephone: +49 89 382‑0
Website: www.bmwgroup.com
SEAVAX
- How can a BMW i3 help the SeaVax
crew to clean plastic waste from our oceans? By reducing their fuel
bills and providing operational data when operating this
practical EV.
But
what of the Right to Repair? Did you know that BMW can lock you out of
your vehicle? We didn't, not until it happened. Is that fair or legal?
And what about consumer rights? What about their dealers charging for
what is essentially a manufactured service charge? And what about
Consumer Protections?
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