2006 BMW 3 Series Steering

I WOKE UP ONE MORNING TO START MY VEHICLE AND AS I STARTED MY ENGINE I RECEIVED A WARNING SIGN. THE WARNING SIGN INDICATED A CIRCLE WITH AN EXCLAMATION POINT. I THEN NOTICED MY CAR WAS NOT ABLE TO SHIFT GEARS, LEAVING MY CAR IN PARK. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER TO HAVE MY CAR DIAGNOSED AND THEY MENTIONED THAT MY STEERING COLUMN NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. AFTER A WEEK I WENT TO GET MY CAR FROM THE DEALER I WAS NOT ABLE TO AFFORD THE REPAIRS THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE. I THEN TOOK THIS ISSUE UP WITH MY DEALER AND WARRANTY WHERE THEY WAS NOT ABLE TO ASSIST ME WITH THIS ISSUE. I KEPT GETTING A RUN AROUND AND THE GENERAL MANAGER WHERE I GOT MY AT FROM TRIED TO HELP. HIS ASSISTANCE WITH MY CAR FAILED. HE COULDN'T DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM THAT MY CAR WAS GIVEN. HE THEN RETURNED MY CAR AND MY CAR STILL HAS THIS ISSUE. I HAD MY CAR FOR ONLY A MONTH WHEN THIS ISSUE OCCURRED. *TR

PARKED AT AIRPORT 6AM FEB 8 2012, LEFT FOR OVERNIGHT TRIP. GOT BACK NEXT MORNING FEB 9TH 2012 AT 10:30AM. PUT KEY IN CAR PRESSED BRAKE TO START AND WOULD NOT START. GOT 'ELECTRIC STEERING WHEEL LOCK' ERROR ON I DRIVE SYSTEM AND AN YELLOW/AMBER ERROR SYMBOL WITH A STEERING WHEEL AND A LOCK. NUMEROUS AND NUMEROUS REPORTS ABOUT THIS HAPPENING ON BMW E90'S WORLDWIDE. *TR

MALFUNCTION OF INTEGRAL LOCK SENSOR IN STEERING COLUMN NECESSITATES REPLACEMENT OF ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN AT COST OF $1300. THIS IS THE SECOND REPLACEMENT IN THIS VEHICLE, THE FIRST FAILED AT 80,000 MILES. SAME ISSUE WITH 2006 325I MODEL AT 90,000 MILES. UNDERSTAND THAT ELECTRONIC SENSORS WILL ALWAYS WEAR OUT AND FAIL BUT THIS IS DEFECTIVE ENGINEERING. THE SENSOR SHOULD BE A SEPARATE PART ANTICIPATING THE NEED TO REPLACE IT FROM TIME TO TIME. WOULD EXPECT MORE ATTENTION TO DETAIL AND MORE CONSIDERATION FOR THE PAYING CUSTOMER FROM GERMAN ENGINEERING. *TR

WARNING LIGHT APPEARED INDICATING A STEERING WHEEL LOCK FAULT. A FAULT CODE SCAN REVEALED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL LOCK MECHANISM WAS IN FAILURE AND WOULD RESULT IN THE STEERING WHEEL TO COMPLETELY LOCK AND THE VEHICLE WOULD BECOME INOPERABLE. *TR THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS DEFECT YET BMWNA ACCEPTS NO RESPONSIBILITY TO REPAIR IT. THE NATURE AND EXPENSE OF THE REPAIR IS SIGNIFICANT AS THE ENTIRE STEERING WHEEL COLUMN WAS REPLACED TO CORRECT THE DEFECT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 325I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PARK, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME STUCK AS THE STEERING WHEEL LOCK WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE THEN STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 66,000. *TR

I WENT TO ADJUST THE VERTICAL POSITION OF THE STEERING WHEEL, AND THE LEVER GEARS BROKE WITH IN THE STEERING COLUMN . NOW THE STEERING WHEEL MOVES UP AND DOWN FREELY WHILE DRIVING. I CALLED BMW AND THEY SAID IT'S NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AND THERE ARE NO RECALLS. I TOOK THE CAR TO A VERY REPUTABLE FOREIGN CAR REPAIR SHOP AND HE SAID IN HIS 50 YEARS OF FIXING FOREIGN CARS, HE HAS NEVER SEEN THIS HAPPEN. I FEEL THIS IS A VERY BAD SAFETY ISSUE ! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 330I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ELECTRICAL STEERING WHEEL LOCK WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATED, PREVENTING THE VEHICLE FROM BEING STARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL LOCK SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 138,320. *TR

STEERING WHEEL LOCK MALFUNCTIONED AS EVIDENCED BY WARNING LIGHT. VEHICLE WAS IMMOBILE AND REQUIRED TOWING. COST FOR REPAIR = $1100.00. REPAIR SHOP SAID THERE WAS A CORE CHARGE FOR THE REPLACED UPPER STEERING COLUMN. THIS MEANS THAT BMW IS BUYING BACK THE MALFUNCTIONED UNITS TO EITHER DIAGNOSE, OR THEY'RE REBUILDING THEM AND MAKING MORE MONEY. EITHER WAY, IT'S AN KNOWN PROBLEM AND BMW ISN'T TAKING THE PROPER ACTION TO ENSURE OWNERS SAFETY. *TR

STEERING WHEEL LOCK INDICATOR RENDERS THE VEHICLE NOT ABLE TO START. BMW SAYS THE ONLY SOLUTION IS A REPLACEMENT OF STEERING COLUMN. THE STEERING COLUMN WAS REPLACED AT 25000 MILES. 2 YEARS LATER AT 49000 MILES, THE VEHICLE WILL NEED TO DO IT AGAIN. THIS WILL BE THE 3RD SET OF STEERING COLUMN WITHIN THE LAST 7 YEARS. IT IS CLEANLY A DESIGN AND DEFECT. IT SHOULD BE RECALL. *TR

I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE IN TO BMW AND STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL LOCK LIGHTS COME ON AND THE CAR WILL NOT START UNTIL A FEW TRIES. BMW COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM, SINCE THEN IT HAS PROGRESSIVELY GOTTEN WORST AND READING FORUMS, THERE SEEN TO BE A LEGITIMATE PROBLEM WITH THIS ISSUE. *TR

STEERING WHEEL LOCK JAM LIGHT CAME ON IN THE CAR AND I WAS ABLE TO RESET IT. HAPPENED AGAIN ON FEBRUARY 15 AND THIS TIME IT WILL NOT RESET. *TR

I AM GETTING A NEW MESSAGE ON MY CAR INDICATING THE WHEEL BEING LOCKED. THIS PROBLEM IS WELL DOCUMENTED AND IT SEEMS THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL. PLEASE CHECK OUT ALL THE COMMENTS ON THIS WEBSITE. HTTP://WWW.BIMMERFEST.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=410153. MY HOPE IS THAT A RECALL HAPPENS. THIS 2006 BMW HAS BEEN A MAINTENANCE NIGHTMARE. HAVE HAD WAY TOO MANY PROBLEMS. WHAT CAN I DO? *TR

THIS VEHICLE, ALONG WITH HUNDREDS, MAYBE THOUSANDS, OF OTHERS ARE AFFLICTED WITH A KNOWN DEFECT BMW IS WELL AWARE OF (AND HAS SUBSEQUENTLY MADE ENGINEERING CHANGES AFTER 2006) INVOLVING THE STEERING WHEEL LOCK IN E90 AND E91 CHASSIS. AN AMBER OR RED STEERING WHEEL LOCK INDICATOR WILL LIGHT FOR NO APPARENT REASON NOR WARNING RENDERING THE VEHICLE NON-DRIVABLE (NOR TOWABLE) AND NON-STARTABLE. BMW SAYS THE ONLY SOLUTION IS A COMPLETE CHANGE OF THE STEERING COLUMN. A VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR. THE OWNERS BLOG SHOWS HUNDREDS OF OTHER DISSATISFIED OWNERS WITH SIMILAR PROBLEMS. I THINK YOU SHOULD HAVE A RECALL OF THESE BMW'S BECAUSE OF THE OBVIOUS DEFECT IN ITS ENGINEERING. AND, FURTHERMORE, SINCE BMW CHANGED THE WHOLE STEERING LOCK SYSTEM IN THEIR LATER MODELS, THEY TOO KNEW OF ITS FAULTS. PROVING THEIR GUILT. *TR

MY STEERING WHEEL LOCK INDICATOR WAS WARNING ME THAT IT WAS LOCKED (AMBER LIGHT) ULTIMATELY THE INDICATOR TURNED RED WHEN TRYING TO START THE CAR AND STRANDED ME. *TR

STEERING COLUMN. BMW PROBLEM, FACTORY ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE TAKEN CARE OF. STEERING LOCK LIGHT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 325I. WHILE PARKED,THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE STEERING WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC. THE CONTACT DID NOT EXPERIENCE A FAILURE WITH THE STEERING WHILE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 52,000.

I NOW HAVE THE "STEERING LOCK" YELLOW CAUTION LIGHT ON. *TR

MY VEHICLE HAD THE STEERING WHEEL LOCK WITH THE AMBER LIGHT. APPARENTLY, THERE ARE NUMEROUS 3 SERIES WITH THIS ISSUE IN US AND WORLD. THIS IS COMMON FOR THE E90S. BELOW IS A LIST OF THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO YOUR AGENCY. THIS FAULT COULD POTENTIALLY HAPPEN WHILE DRIVING CAUSING THE OCCUPANTS TO LOSE STEERING CONTROL. REPORTS: 10380778, 10378186 - 330I 10322165 - 325XI 10380077, 10353644 - 325I 10173714,10369685,10341920,10341836,10238977,10181405 AND MANY OTHERS. WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO HOLD BMW ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS MAJOR ISSUE AND SAFETY HAZARD? *TR

STEERING WAS LOCKED AND I CAN'T START THE CAR FOR 2 DAYS AFTER I TRYING SO MANY METHODS GOT FROM ONLINE. *TR

BMW STEERING LOCK FAILURE I SHOULD BE REPLACE BY BMW BECAUSE ALL THIS MODELS HAVE THIS PROBLEM IS VERY UNSAFE BUT BMW DON'T WANT TO DO A RECALL IN THIS MATTER. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 330I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT A LOUD NOISE EMITTED FROM THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE WHEEL SEIZED. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE ELV STEERING LOCK WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 97,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 99,334.

TODAY MY BMW 325I WAS GIVING ME A TROUBLE SYMBOL WITH A RED STEERING WHEEL WITH A LOCK WITH THE NUMBER 1 IN IT. I WAS PARKED AT GAS STATION GETTING GAS AND WHEN I TRIED TO CRANK THE CAR BACK UP IT WOULD NOT START. I HAVE BEEN READING HUNDREDS OF OTHER BLOGS ABOUT PEOPLE HAVING THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. IT LOOKS LIKE WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE A TOW TRUCK TO TAKE THE CAR 70 MILES TO THE NEAREST DEALER AND PAY TO HAVE IT FIXED. THIS SHOULD CERTAINLY BE A RECALL!!! SHAME ON YOU BMW FOR NOT ADMITTING THAT THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM. WHAT IF THE STEERING WOULD HAVE LOCKED UP WITH MY FAMILY IN THE CAR GOING DOWN THE ROAD? *TR

STEERING WHEEL LOCK IS ON WHICH PREVENTS THE CAR FROM STARTING EVEN AFTER MOVING THE STEERING WHEEL AND INSERTING/REMOVING THE KEY FOB IN THE KEY SLOT. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE AND AS WELL AS A SAFETY ISSUE. NUMEROUS PEOPLE FROM BMW FORUMS HAVE REPORTED THE SAME PROBLEM AND BMW WON'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. *KB

EVER SINCE I PURCHASED THIS CAR, IT'D DISPLAY A YELLOW ICON WITH A STEERING WHEEL LOCK. ON THIS DATE, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCK FAILED TO DISENGAGE AND THE ICON WAS RED, LEAVING ME STRANDED. THIS SAME ISSUE OCCURRED TO MY FRIEND LAST MONTH AS HE HAS THE EXACT SAME CAR AS ME. ACCORDING TO MANY ONLINE SOURCES, MANY OTHERS HAVE HAD THE EXACT SAME ISSUE. *KB

VEHICLE HAS BEEN FAILING TO START AND DISPLAYING A ELV STEERING COLUMN LOCK. PROBLEM WOULD INTERMITTENTLY COME AND GO. IT HAS NOW RESULTED IN A TOTAL FAILURE AND VEHICLE WILL NOT START OR RESPOND. PROBLEM IS EITHER WITH BMW SOFTWARE OR STEERING COLUMN MALFUNCTION WHICH HAS NOT BEEN OFFICIALLY ACKNOWLEDGED BY BMW SO THEY WON'T WARRANTY PROBLEM. *JS