BMW iX3 Electrical Nightmare: Display and Audio Failures

Hey there! I have some experience with EV repairs and had a similar issue with my 2021 BMW i4 (I also considered the iX when shopping). The symptoms you're describing sound exactly like what I dealt with about 6 months ago. My display was acting up, flickering and going dark out of nowhere, plus the infotainment system was a mess. Took it to my workshop and turned out the main display unit was defective, needed a complete replacement. Set me back 725 Euro, but at least it fixed all the glitchy behavior. Before I can give more specific advice, could you share: When did these issues start? Have you noticed any pattern when the problems occur? Are you getting any specific error messages? These details would help compare if it's the same issue I faced.

Thanks for sharing your experience! My issues started about 2 weeks ago, and interestingly, the problems seem to occur more frequently when I first start the car after it's been parked overnight. No specific pattern otherwise that I can pinpoint. I'm getting error code E-4721, which pops up right before the display goes dark. I've got 180078 KM on the clock and had my last service just a month ago where everything checked out fine. Really hoping it's not as expensive as your repair was, but at least it's good to know there might be a clear solution. Going to book it in for next week and will definitely mention your display unit experience to the technician. Have you had any recurring issues since your repair? Just want to make sure it's actually worth the investment if I end up needing the same fix.

Hey again! Glad to help share more about my experience. After getting my display unit replaced, I haven't had any issues at all, it's been running perfectly smooth for the past 6 months. Definitely worth every penny in my case. That error code you mentioned (E-4721) is exactly the same one I got! And the morning startup issue, yep, that's super familiar too. My problems also started showing up first thing in the morning. The techs explained that the cold start was putting extra strain on the faulty display unit, which is why it acted up more then. Your mileage is actually pretty close to what mine was when I had the problem (I was at about 175000 KM). Honestly, while the repair cost wasn't fun, it was way better than dealing with unusual display failures and the constant worry about when it might act up next. Quick tip, when you take it in, make sure they check the wiring harness connections too. In my case, they found some slight corrosion on one of the connectors while doing the replacement. They cleaned it up as part of the job, and I think that helped make sure the fix was properly sorted. Keep me posted on what they find! Always curious to hear if these issues turn out to be as similar as they sound.

Thanks so much for all this detailed info! It's actually a huge relief to hear that your repair has held up well for 6 months now. The fact that you had the exact same error code and morning startup issues really makes me feel better about the whole situation. I've just booked it in for Tuesday and made a note about checking those wiring harness connections you mentioned, definitely don't want to miss anything while they're in there. The price tag isn't ideal, but you're right, it's better than constantly worrying about when the system might fail next. I need my car to be reliable. I'll drop you a message after the service to let you know how it went. Really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience in such detail. It's made me feel much more confident about getting this sorted out properly rather than trying to find cheaper workarounds.