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.
9
Latest Mar 16, 2021
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.
7%
of 129 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 2004 BMW 530I submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 9 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
Steering
Filed Mar 16, 2021
Crash reported1 injury reported
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2004 BMW 530I. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN AND THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AXEL SEPARATED FROM THE BODY WHICH RESULTED IN THE CONTACT CRASHING THE VEHICLE. CONTACT STATED ALL AIR BAGS DEPLOYED AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A LOUD POP BEFORE THE FAILURE OCCURRED. 1 PERSON WAS INJURED WHICH RESULTED IN BACK SORENESS, NO MEDICAL TREATMENT WAS NEEDED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO MOBILE MAINTENANCE & TOWING LLC (2014 W GARDNER LN, TUCSON, AZ 85705 (520) 900-1196) THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. UPON INVESTIGATION, THE CONTACT ASSOCIATED THE FAILURE WITH, NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19E058000 (STEERING) HOWEVER THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT INFORMED OF FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 190,000.
NHTSA ID
11403370
Incident
Mar 16, 2021
Mileage
190,000 mi
Steering
Filed Nov 11, 2017
ACTIVE STEERING MALFUNCTION, STEERING WHEEL NOT CENTERED
NHTSA ID
11045336
Incident
Sep 14, 2017
Mileage
89,000 mi
Steering
Filed Jun 26, 2014
WHILE DRIVING SUDDENLY THE DRIVE CONTROL MALFUNCTION ALERT APPEARED, A FEW SECONDS LATER, ACTIVE STEERING MALFUNCTION ALERT OCCURRED. IT DID NOT AFFECT MY DRIVING AT ALL, SO I CONTINUED UNTIL ABLE TO PULL OVER, AND TURN THE CAR OFF, WHEN I RESTARTED THE CAR, BOTH ALERTS CLEARED. NEXT DAY, AFTER DRIVING FOR 20 MINUTES IT HAPPENED AGAIN, ONCE CAR IS TURNED OFF AND TURNED BACK ON, ALERTS DISAPPEARED AGAIN. SOME DAYS DOES NOT COME ON AT ALL, BUT NOTICED IT OCCURS MORE FREQUENT WHEN WEATHER IS HOT. I LIVE IN PHOENIX, AZ THE TEMPS ARE IN 105-109 RANGE. WHEN COOLER WEATHER THE ALERTS DO NOT COME ON. I AM TOLD IT WILL COST OVER $2000 TO REPLACE BOTH SENSORS. THAT IS NUTS... *TR
NHTSA ID
10606130
Incident
Jun 9, 2014
Mileage
143,800 mi
Steering
Filed Jan 17, 2012
THE ACTIVE STEERING FAULT CODE COMES ON AND STATES YOUR ACTIVE STEERING MAY NOT BE FUNCTIONING. *TR
NHTSA ID
10444008
Incident
Jan 3, 2012
Mileage
70,000 mi
Steering
Filed Jul 23, 2011
ACTIVE STEERING FAILURE: HI, I'VE A 2004 BMW 530I AND MY ACTIVE STEERING KEEPS FAILING AND DEALER IS ASKING FOR $4,000 PLUS. I CHECKED ON INTERNET AND FOUND THIS TO A COMMON ISSUE WITH MOST OF THE BMWS. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS AS IT IS A SERIOUS FLAW IN DESIGN AND CONSUMERS HAVE TO SHED $4K PLUS AND ITS STILL NOT A GUARANTEED FIX. *TR
NHTSA ID
10414866
Incident
Jul 6, 2011
Mileage
66,200 mi
Steering
Filed Mar 14, 2011
2 WEEK AGO MY VEHICLE DISPLAY " ACTIVE STEERING MALFUNCTION " AND STILL DISPLAYS IT I HAVE NOT FIXED THE PROBLEM YET SINCE I HEAR SO MANY DIFERENT THINGS . *TR
NHTSA ID
10390173
Incident
Feb 1, 2011
Mileage
50,200 mi
Steering
Filed Jan 15, 2008
(NOTE: THIS PROCESS DOES NOT LIST THE 2004 BMW 745I) I PURCHASED MY 2004 745I AS A CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED VEHICLE FROM A LOCAL BMW DEALER IN OCTOBER 2007. SINCE THEN ON 3 SEPARATE OCCASIONS THE STEERING HAS TOTALLY LOCKED. THIS HAS HAPPENED WHEN ENTERING OR EXITING A PARKING SPACE AND THE STEERING WHEEL WAS TURNED COMPLETELY TO THE LEFT (COUNTER CLOCKWISE) POSITION. THE DEALER CANNOT DUPLICATE THE CONDITION AND THERE IS NO ERROR CODE RECORDED IN THE OBDI. ON TWO OF THE OCCASIONS I HAD TO TURN THE ENGINE OFF AND THEN RESTART THE CAR TO FREE THE STEERING. ON THE LAST OCCASION THE STEERING WAS RESTORED AFTER ABOUT 30 SECONDS WITH THE ENGINE STILL RUNNING. ON A FOURTH OCCASION THE STEERING WAS DIFFICULT AND SLUGGISH BUT RETURNED TO NORMAL A FEW SECONDS LATER. I HAVE A GREAT FEAR THIS WILL HAPPEN WHEN I'M TRAVELING ON THE ROADWAY AND NOT JUST IN MY DRIVEWAY OR A PARKING LOT. THE DEALER INSISTS THAT THEY CANNOT FIND ANYTHING TO ACCOUNT FOR MY EXPERIENCES. *TR
NHTSA ID
10214960
Incident
Nov 21, 2007
Mileage
50,800 mi
SteeringSuspension
Filed Jul 17, 2006
THE VEHICLE WAS SOLD TO ME WITHOUT REMOVING THE SHIPPING SPACER FORM THE FOUR COIL SPRINGS AND SHOCK ABSORBERS. *JB
NHTSA ID
10162549
Incident
Dec 17, 2004
Steering
Filed Apr 24, 2006
ON APRIL 16, 2006, WHILE DRIVING MY 2004 BMW 645CI ON A HIGHWAY WITH ONLY MY 13-YEAR-OLD SON WITH ME, THE ASSISTED STEERING, WHICH WORKS THE REAR WHEELS, FAILED WITHOUT ANY WARNING OR ANY EVENT HAVING OCCURRED. I WAS ABLE TO BRING IT TO A STOP WITHOUT A COLLISION, FORTUNATELY, ALTHOUGH THE LOSS OF CONTROL WAS TERRIFYING AND WE CAME CLOSE TWICE TO HITTING OTHER CARS. THE VEHICLE WAS ULTIMATELY FLAT-BEDDED TO MY DEALERS (GREENWICH BMW) SERVICE FACILITY IN PORT CHESTER, NY. AFTER TWO DAYS OF TELLING ME THAT THEY HAD FOUND NO DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE, THE DEALER ADVISED THAT IT WOULD NOT HONOR THE WARRANTY BECAUSE THEY FOUND SIGN OF IMPACT TO ANOTHER, UNRELATED PART ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE CAR. *JB
NHTSA ID
10155971
Incident
Apr 16, 2006
Mileage
21,000 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