BMW i5 Door Lock System Failure, Causes & Solutions

Hey there! I've got some experience with EVs (low experience level). I had a similar issue with my 2022 BMW i4 (also have an iX). Those door sensor problems can be super annoying! Mine started acting exactly the same way, unusual alerts and complete failure of the locking system. Took it to my workshop and turned out it was a faulty wiring connection to one of the door sensors. The repair was pretty straightforward, they found a defective cable connection that was causing all the chaos. Cost me 95 Euro to fix, and it's been working perfectly since then. Before I can help more specifically, could you tell me if you're getting any specific error messages on your dashboard? Also, is it happening with all doors or just specific ones? This info would help determine if you're dealing with the same issue I had.

Thanks for sharing your experience! My i5 has done 75364 KM and just had its service last month. I'm getting the error message on all doors, but it seems to be most frequent with the driver's side. The dashboard shows "Door open" warnings out of nowhere, even when all doors are properly shut. The interesting thing is that it started happening gradually, first with occasional alerts, and now it's a constant issue. Really helpful to know about your wiring connection fix, as I was worried it might be something more serious with the central locking system. Did your car also have intermittent issues before it completely failed? And did you notice any pattern with weather conditions or after car washes?

Hey again! Thanks for those extra details about your i5. Yeah, that sounds really familiar, my i4 went through almost the exact same progression. It started with those unusual "Door open" warnings, just like yours, and the driver's side was definitely the main troublemaker. Mine also began with occasional problems that got worse over time. What's interesting is that I did notice it acting up more after car washes and during really humid days. The symptoms would get really bad after heavy rain, that was actually what made my mechanic suspect the wiring connection issue in the first place. The mileage on your i5 is pretty similar to what mine had when the problem started (I was around 70,000 km). Since you mentioned having service last month, did they check the door sensors at all? My issue started right after a service too, which makes me wonder if something got knocked loose during maintenance. Just a heads up, while my fix was pretty straightforward, I'd recommend getting it checked soon. I tried to live with it for a few weeks, but it just got progressively worse until one morning nothing would lock at all. Better to sort it out before you end up completely locked out! Let me know what you end up finding out. I'm curious if it's the same wiring issue I had.

That's exactly what I needed to hear! Thanks for sharing those details about your experience. It's quite reassuring to know I'm not the only one who's dealt with this, and the similarity with your case, especially the humidity and car wash connection, makes a lot of sense. You're right about getting it checked soon. I'll call my dealer tomorrow and mention the wiring connection issue you had. During my last service, they didn't specifically check the door sensors, which might explain why this wasn't caught. Interesting that your issue also started after a service, makes me wonder if there's a connection there. Really appreciate you taking the time to help out. The fact that your repair was relatively simple and affordable is definitely encouraging. I'll update the thread once I get it sorted out, in case anyone else runs into similar problems with their i5. Thanks again for all the detailed information, it's given me a much clearer idea of what I might be dealing with!