Owner-reported complaints naming the steering system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Steering reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
15
Latest Nov 14, 2017
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
13%
of 115 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
1
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
1
What this page shows
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2007 BMW 3 Series submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 15 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Owner reports naming steering
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
Driver assistanceEngineSteering
Filed Nov 14, 2017
Crash reported1 injury reported
POWER STEERING PULLEY COMES INTO CONTACT OF AXLE CARRIER, IT'S A CLEAR DESIGN FLAW AND THIS CAR HASN'T HAD MUCH RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT DONE, THE COMPANY KNOWINGLY PUT AN UNSAFE BETA CAR ON THE MARKET. MY BELT BROKE BECAUSE OF THE PULLEY TO FRAME CONTACT AND STALLED ON THE 405 FREEWAY AND ENDED UP GETTING INJURED WHEN THE CAR WAS REAR ENDED AT 60MPH. THERE IS A SERVICE BULLETIN WITHIN BMW'S SYSTEM DESCRIBING THIS ISSUE AND THEY WANT CONSUMERS TO PAY OUT OF POCKET FOR REPAIRS. I SPOKE TO CORPORATE AND THEY HAVE GIVEN ME THE COLD SHOULDER SO FAR. MY MISSION IS TO GET THIS ESCALATED TO A RECALL BEFORE SOMEONE GETS SERIOUSLY HURT.
NHTSA ID
11046022
Incident
Sep 29, 2017
Mileage
125,000 mi
Steering
Filed Jun 1, 2017
THE ELECTRONIC STEERING WHEEL IS MALFUNCTIONING AND PREVENTING THE CAR FROM STARTING.
NHTSA ID
10992687
Incident
Jun 1, 2017
Mileage
83,000 mi
Other / unspecifiedSteering
Filed Mar 28, 2017
STEERING WHEEL LOCK (RED SYMBOL ON THE NOTIFICATION SCREEN). VEHICLECLE WILL NO LONGER START. NOTHING SEEMS TO WORK.
NHTSA ID
10969116
Incident
Mar 28, 2017
Mileage
108,000 mi
Steering
Filed Apr 19, 2016
THE STEERING LOCK WARNING LIGHT IN RED DISPLAY. I TOOK TO THE DEALER AND THEY RECOMMENDED ME TO REPLACE THE STEERING LOCK "ELV" AND PROGRAM NEW CONTROL MODULE. IT COST $1,975.00 TO REPLACE. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND IT SEEMS THIS MIGHT BE KNOWN PROBLEM TO BMW, BUT YET, I HAVE NEVER HEARD ABOUT IT, UNTIL THE INCIDENT HAPPENED TO ME. WHEN THE WARNING SYMBOL DISPLAYED, IT DISPLAY EVERY TIME EVEN WHEN I OPEN THE DOOR.
NHTSA ID
10860414
Incident
Apr 7, 2016
Mileage
78,568 mi
ElectricalEngineSteering
Filed Jan 31, 2016
RED ELECTRIC STEERING WHEEL LOCK ICON ON SCREEN AND CAR WILL NOT START OR TURN OVER. RADIO WORKS AND EVERYTHING ELSE BUT CAR WILL NOT START. WHEN BATTERY DIED, AND I CHARGED IT FULL, THEN WENT TO START THE CAR AND THIS RED ELECTRIC STEERING WHEEL LOCK CAME ON. HAD TO GET CAR SERVICED
NHTSA ID
10823314
Incident
Jan 30, 2016
ElectricalSteering
Filed Jan 14, 2016
NO STAR NO LIGHT NO POWER ONLY LIGHT FOR STEERING LOCK
NHTSA ID
10820249
Incident
Jan 2, 2016
Mileage
120,000 mi
Steering
Filed Sep 26, 2015
I PARKED MY VEHICLE AND WHEN I WENT TO START IT IT WOULD NOT START. I GOT A RED ELV STEERING COLUMN LOCK ERROR, BMW CC-ID 186. CAR WILL NOT START.
NHTSA ID
10777843
Incident
Sep 21, 2015
Mileage
54,000 mi
ElectricalEngineSteering
Filed Sep 17, 2015
BATTERY DIED. JUMPSTARTED, DROVE FOR A BIT. TURNED OFF, TURNED BACK ON DROVE HOME. PARKED THE CAR. TRIED TO RESTART AND THE RED ELECTRONIC STEERING WHEEL LOCK INDICATOR WAS ON. PLENTY OF JUICE IN THE BATTERY, CAR WILL NOT EVEN ATTEMPT TO TURN OVER. CAN NOT GET INTO NEUTRAL TO TOW OUT. CAR IS DEAD WHERE IT SITS BECAUSE OF THE ELECTRONIC STEERING LOCK. THANK GOODNESS WE WEREN'T IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE.
NHTSA ID
10764851
Incident
Sep 17, 2015
Mileage
75,000 mi
Steering
Filed Mar 10, 2015
YELLOW WARNING LIGHT INDICATED WHEEL IS LOCKED; CAR WILL NOT START. THIS HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES. WHEREAS IT DID NOT AFFECT MY DRIVING, IT AFFECTED DRIVEABILITY. HAVE BEEN FAR FROM HOME LATE IN THE DAY -WORK RELATED. DEALERSHIP SAID THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. WHAT IF WHEEL LOCKS WHILE DRIVING? SHAME ON BMW. *TR
NHTSA ID
10693239
Incident
Dec 29, 2014
Mileage
74,800 mi
Steering
Filed Feb 18, 2015
STEERING WHEEL LOCK MECHANISM. ITS BEEN REPORTED BY THOUSANDS OF OWNERS BUT BMW DOESN'T ISSUE A RECALL BUT WILL REPLACE AND REPAIR FOR 1500.00. *TR
NHTSA ID
10684129
Incident
Feb 13, 2015
Mileage
93,000 mi
ElectricalSteering
Filed Mar 18, 2012
MY 2007 BMW 335I BECAME VERY HARD TO STEER DURING A DRIVE DOWN A STEEP GRADE. A BATTERY NOT CHARGING ERROR WOULD APPEAR ON DASH SHORTLY AFTER... HERE IS WHAT HAPPENED. WHILE DRIVING DOWN A STEEP HILL AND NEEDING TO BREAK HARD ON A TURN TO AVOID HITTING A DEAD ANIMAL ON THE ROAD I SMELLED BURNING RUBBER AND THEN HEARD A NOISE THIS NOISE I DISCOVERED LATER IN THE DAY WAS MY POWER STEERING BELT BREAKING. I LOST ALL POWER STEERING WENT OFF THE ROAD OUT OFF CONTROL DUE TO LOSE OF POWER STEERING AND ALMOST HIT A BIKE RIDER AND CAME VERY CLOSE TO GOING OFF THE SIDE OF ROAD. LATER THAT DAY I DECIDED TO GOOGLE MY PROBLEM AND SEE IF THERE WOULD BE AN EASY FIX TO THIS PROBLEM. I DISCOVERED THERE IS NOT AN EASY FIX FOR A BROKEN BELT ON MY MODAL OF CAR. I DISCOVERED THIS IS COMMON ON MANY BMW MODELS AND BMW IS AWARE OF IT SEE SIB 11-09-08. I QUICKLY DISCOVERED THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY OWNER OUT THERE WITH THIS PROBLEM. THERE ARE MANY OTHERS. BMW KNOWS OF THE PROBLEM AND HAS NOT RECALLED ANY CARS. THERE DOCUMENTATION OF THE PROBLEM IS UNDER SIB 11-09-08. I WILL BE BRINGING MY CAR BACK TO DEALER TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM RESOLVE AND HOPE THEY FOLLOW THE SIB 11-09-08 WHICH NOTES NEW STYLE SUB FRAME REPLACEMENT WILL BE REQUIRED. I BELIEVE AN INVESTIGATION NEEDS TO BE MADE REGARDING POWER STEERING BELTS BREAKING. THESE BELTS SHOULD NOT BE BREAKING UNDER THE CONDITION I WAS DRIVING AND SHOULD BE CONSIDERED A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. I HOPE TO SEE THIS RESOLVED SOON BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED. AT THIS TIME I DON'T FEEL THE CAR WILL BE SAFE TO DRIVE. *TR
NHTSA ID
10452090
Incident
Mar 16, 2012
Mileage
65,000 mi
Steering
Filed Mar 12, 2012
RED STEERING WHEEL LOCK WARNING LIGHT. I'VE SPOKEN TO MANY BMW OWNERS AND HAVE RESEARCHED ONLINE AND THIS APPEARS TO BE HAPPENING QUIET OFTEN. *TR
NHTSA ID
10451202
Incident
Mar 11, 2012
Mileage
55,065 mi
Steering
Filed Feb 22, 2012
A WARNING LIGHT CAME ON IN MY CAR (STEERING WHEEL WITH PAD LOCK). I CONTACTED THE DEALER AND THEY ASKED ME IF I HAD CALLED EARLIER WHICH I HAD NOT. I WAS SOMEWHAT ALARMED THAT THIS SOUND LIKE A COMMON ISSUE ALTHOUGH IN ALL OF THE CARS I HAVE OWNED IN THE PAST, I HAVE NEVER HAD TO REPLACE A STEERING WHEEL COLUMN. I BELIEVE THIS IS A DEFECT AND THIS IS WHY I AM FILING THIS CONCERN. I WAS INFORMED THAT NORMALLY THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKS UP AND YOU ARE UNABLE TO DRIVE. *TR
NHTSA ID
10448878
Incident
Feb 6, 2012
Mileage
84,000 mi
Steering
Filed Feb 15, 2012
I WAS DRIVING AND A RED LIGHT WITH A STEERING WHEEL AND PAD LOCK CAME ON. I CONTACTED SOMEONE REGARDING THIS LIGHT AND THEY INDICATED THAT THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE ON AND THAT IT COULD POTENTIALLY LOCK UP ON ME. I CONTACTED IRVINE BMW TO INQUIRE ON THE COST AND SOMEONE ANSWERED ASKING ME IF I HAD SPOKE TO HIM EARLIER ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, I RESPONDED NO IT WAS MY FIRST TIME CALLING. I BELIEVE THIS IS POTENTIALLY A PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE AND AM REQUESTING THAT SOMEONE LOOK INTO THE MATTER. I'M HAVING TO REPLACE MY STEERING COLUMN WHICH COST $1460 AND MY EXTENDED WARRANTY JUST ENDED AND MY VEHICLE JUST CAME ON ITS 5TH YEAR. *TR
NHTSA ID
10448004
Incident
Feb 6, 2012
Mileage
84,000 mi
Steering
Filed Nov 23, 2011
THE STEERING LOCK SENSOR IS ON. MIGHT HAVE TO CHANGE STEERING WHEEL. GOOGLED THE PROBLEM AT IT SEEMS THAT IT IS A FACTORY DEFECT AS TONS OF PEOPLE ARE AFFECTED. *TR
NHTSA ID
10436827
Incident
Nov 21, 2011
Mileage
13,000 mi
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Other components reported on this vehicle
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own