BMW G26 i4 buyer's guide

Models and engines by year

US-market models. Chassis codes: G26. Not sure which one you have? The VIN check decodes year, model and engine.

Model-year changes

US model years unless noted. "LCI" (Life Cycle Impulse) is BMW's name for a mid-cycle facelift.

Known problems and when they show up

Mileages are what the cited shops, specialists and owner forums report. They are typical ranges, not predictions for any one car.

Electric drive

i4 eDrive35 / eDrive40 / xDrive40 (2022–present), i4 M50 / M60 (2022–present)

12-volt battery, charging and software faults. On BMW EVs, many bulletins cover the 12-volt battery, charging equipment and control-unit software rather than the motor or high-voltage battery.

Warranty extensions and service campaigns 24

Warranty extensions (4)

• SIB 01 01 26 EVAP system warranty extension EVAP system warranty extension on B46/B48/B58 engines (2020–2025); BMW extended the warranty on this part for eligible cars. Warranty extension · May 2026
• SIB 51 12 23 Body fault codes Body fault codes on BMW G05/G06/G07/G20 and other models (2020–2025); BMW extended coverage for eligible cars. Warranty extension · Jul 2025
• SIB 66 07 25 Electrical system warranty extension Electrical system warranty extension on BMW G05/G06/G07/G09 and other models (2024); BMW extended the warranty on this part for eligible cars. Service bulletin · May 2025
• SIB 01 14 23 Crankcase vent valve (PCV) warranty extension Crankcase vent valve (PCV) warranty extension on BMW G01/G02/G11/G12 and other models (2016–2021); BMW extended the warranty on this part for eligible cars. Service bulletin · Nov 2023

Service campaigns (20)

• SIB 34 02 26 Brakes warning message Brakes warning message on BMW G22/G23/G26 models (2026); BMW gives an inspection and repair procedure. Service campaign · Aug 2026
• SIB 64 09 25 Heater fault codes Heater fault codes on BMW G26/G60/G70 models (2022–2025); BMW repairs affected cars free under a service campaign. Service campaign · Aug 2026
• SIB 32 04 26 Hydro Unit DSC Hydro Unit DSC on BMW G22/G23/G26 models (2027); BMW repairs affected cars free under a service campaign. Service campaign · Jul 2026
• SIB 12 14 25 Throttle cracking Throttle cracking on Electric engines (2022–2026); BMW repairs affected cars free under a service campaign. Service campaign · Dec 2025
• SIB 61 33 23 Electrical system service campaign Electrical system service campaign on BMW G26/G70 models (2023–2024); BMW repairs affected cars free under a service campaign. Service campaign · Jul 2025
• SIB 64 06 25 Heater fault codes Heater fault codes on Electric engines (2024); BMW repairs affected cars free under a service campaign. Service campaign · Jun 2025
• SIB 64 07 25 Heater fault codes Heater fault codes on Electric engines (2024); BMW repairs affected cars free under a service campaign. Service campaign · Jun 2025
• SIB 34 02 25 Coolant expansion tank leak Coolant expansion tank leak on BMW G20/G22/G23/G26 and other models (2025); BMW repairs affected cars free under a service campaign. Service campaign · Apr 2025
• SIB 51 16 24 Trunk lid service campaign Trunk lid service campaign on BMW G22/G23/G26 models (2024); BMW repairs affected cars free under a service campaign. Service campaign · Mar 2025
• NHTSA 11016435 Coolant expansion tank new-car delivery hold Coolant expansion tank new-car delivery hold on BMW G20/G22/G23/G26 and other models (2025); unsold cars were held for inspection and repair before delivery. Service campaign · Mar 2025

Showing the 10 newest of 20. All bulletins for the G26 →

Filed by BMW with NHTSA. Extensions usually follow the car to later owners and can reimburse earlier repairs; a BMW dealer can confirm by VIN.

NHTSA safety recalls 12

• Dec 23, 2025
  Recall 25V906: positive battery cable connection I4 EDRIVE40, 2025. BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling one 2025 I4 EDRIVE40 vehicle.
• Jul 23, 2025
  Recall 25V395: electric drive motor software I4, I4 EDRIVE35, I4 EDRIVE40, I5, I7, IX, 2022–2025. The electric drive motor software may shut down the high-voltage system, causing a loss of drive power.
• Jul 16, 2025
  Recall 25V470: high-voltage battery cell module I4, I7, IX, 2022–2025. The high-voltage battery cell modules may not have been assembled properly, resulting in stress on the module frame and possible module failure.
• Aug 15, 2024
  Recall 24V611: left rear side beam I4, I4 M50, 2024. BMW of North America, LLC. (BMW) is recalling certain 2024 i4 eDrive40, xDrive40, and M50 vehicles.
• Feb 23, 2024
  Recall 24V135: high-voltage battery module I4, I4 M50, I5, 2024. The high-voltage battery module may contain insufficient weld seams, which can result in the battery overheating.
• Jun 28, 2023
  Recall 23V449: high voltage battery combined charging unit (ccu) 760I, I4, IX, 2022–2023. The high voltage battery combined charging unit (CCU) may not have been manufactured correctly, resulting in improperly connected and/or assembled components inside the CCU.
• Apr 26, 2023
  Recall 23V295: high-voltage battery cell monitoring circuit I4, IX, 2022–2024. The high voltage battery cell monitoring circuit may have improperly secured electrical connections which can result in an engine stall.
• Feb 23, 2023
  Recall 23V118: body domain controller (bdc) ECU 330E, 330I, 430I, I4, M3, M340I, M440I, 2022–2023. During a service visit, a replacement electronic control unit (ECU) may have been installed with incorrect programming, which can cause the automatic door locking (ADL) function to not lock the doors as intended.
• Jan 25, 2023
  Recall 23V026: external artificial sound generator software I4, IX, 2022–2023. During vehicle start-up, the artificial sound generator control unit may experience a fault and fail to generate the external pedestrian warning sound.
• Dec 20, 2022
  Recall 22V944: high voltage battery software I4, I7, IX, 2022–2023. The high voltage battery electronic control unit (ECU) software may cause an interruption of electrical power.
• Jul 27, 2022
  Recall 22V541: high voltage battery I4, IX, 2022–2023. The high voltage battery may have internal damage, resulting in an electrical short-circuit.
• Jul 7, 2022
  Recall 22V483: head unitsoftware I4, IX, 2022–2023. While in Valet Parking Mode, the Central Information Display (CID) may not display critical safety information, such as warning messages and/or warning lights.

Matched from NHTSA's public recall file by model and model year. A recall may cover only some cars from a year, and it may already have been done on yours. Check by VIN →

Test drive and inspection checklist

1. Run the VIN for open recalls. Open safety recalls are free at any BMW dealer. Check on NHTSA's site or our recall page before you buy.³
2. Scan for stored fault codes with a BMW-capable tool. A generic OBD reader misses most BMW modules. Specialist guides recommend a BMW-level scan (ISTA or similar) to catch faults that have been cleared from the dash but still stored.^4,5
3. Start it from cold. Ask the seller not to warm the car up first. Chain rattle, VANOS rattle, lifter tick and rough idle show most clearly in the first seconds after a cold start.^4,6,7
4. Ask a BMW dealer about warranty extensions and campaigns. Several BMW warranty extensions follow the car, not the owner, and some reimburse earlier repairs. A dealer can check the VIN. The list for this chassis is below.
5. Get a pre-purchase inspection from a BMW specialist. A few hundred dollars for an independent BMW specialist is the usual advice, especially for M cars and high-mileage turbo engines.^8,4

Service-history red flags

• Oil changes only at the long computer interval. Several guides advise changing oil more often than the onboard service indicator (CBS) suggests, especially with lots of city driving.^7,9
• Gaps in the records around known failure mileages. If the engine section below lists a job that usually comes due at the car's mileage, ask for the invoice. A missing record isn't proof it wasn't done, but it is a negotiating point.
• Tuned or "deleted" cars. Tunes, emissions deletes and removed parts complicate warranty claims and inspections and raise wear on turbo cars. Ask, and look for aftermarket intakes, downpipes and charge pipes.

G26 specs

BMW's US figures we have on file run from 335 hp (i4 eDrive40) to 536 hp (i4 M50), with 0-60 mph as quick as 3.7 s.

No manual gearbox appears in the EPA listings for this chassis. Full G26 specs: every US engine, transmission and drive by year →

Factory paint and option codes

Paint colors BMW of North America listed for the G26 in the ordering and pricing guides we read:

83 option codes are listed for the G26 in the same guides. Search them.

Only model years covered by the guides we could obtain are shown.

Coding

The coding apps' own lists show 72 settings that owners can change on the G26 with a phone and an OBD adapter, in areas such as Seat heating/cooling, Tailgate, Doors/windows, Acoustical confirmation, Audio, Display options iDrive system. 72 come from BimmerCode's list.

Full G26 coding list with tool, difficulty and caveats →

Ownership costs

Routine maintenance: oil service prices by engine size, published BMW Value Service prices (brakes, spark plugs) from 16 US dealers, and the G26 maintenance schedule.

By model year

Recalls and warranty extensions are counted when their published model-year range includes that year. Each one may cover only some cars, so check by VIN. Repairs counted are the ones whose engine was offered that year.

Sources

1. Wikipedia: BMW i4
2. EPA/DOE fuel economy data (fueleconomy.gov)
3. NHTSA recall lookup by VIN
4. The Stable: E92 M3 buyer's guide
5. Euro Premium Parts: E60 M5 reliability guide
6. carsales: buying a used F30 3 Series (2015–20)
7. carsales: buying a used E90 3 Series
8. Road & Track: E46 M3 buyer's guide
9. Drive-My: E60 5 Series buying guide (six-cylinder petrol)

Retrieved 2026-10-18. Bulletins and recalls come from NHTSA filings; owner prices come from the public posts linked on each job page.

More for the G26

G26 repair costs and recalls G26 common problems G26 maintenance schedule Used BMW VIN check