The Interaction Bar was one of the novelties in the new 2023 BMW 7 Series. The Interaction Bar is a seamless glass-look light and function bar, cleverly concealing the air vents to create an almost invisible appearance. Within this integrated design, you’ll find convenient control buttons that allow you to effortlessly manage the ventilation settings, rear window heating, hazard warning lights, and front automatic doors. According to this new recall, some functions of the Interaction Bar might not properly function.
384 Vehicles Affected
The NHTSA website says that BMW of North America is recalling certain 2023 740i, 760i xDrive and i7 xDrive60 vehicles equipped with an Interaction Bar. The bar may not activate the windshield defrosting/defogging system and/or the hazard warning lights. In addition, those control buttons may not illuminate when pressed. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 103, “Windshield Defrosting and Defogging Systems”, and 108, “Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment.” As a consequence, The inability to operate the defrost or hazard warning lights can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
The recall notice says that in January 2023, BMW became aware of a complaint involving a Model Year 2023 BMW 7 Series in South Korea in which the vehicle’s Interaction Bar did not appear to function correctly. In early 2023, additional complaints in the Korean market were identified, and two complaints, on or about March 8th and 9th in the US market, were received. The same notice says “BMW has not received any reports, nor is BMW otherwise aware, of any accidents or injuries that may be related to this issue.”
In June, additional analyses were conducted using vehicle fault memory entries to investigate the potential impact of undervoltage conditions on the Interaction Bar’s performance. Subsequent reviews were carried out on vehicle build configurations and software levels, while also delving deeper into regulatory requirements for thorough examination.
Dealers will replace the Interaction Bar, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 1, 2023. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
