2007 BMW 3 Series Steering

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.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 BMW 328I. WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. VARIOUS WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT ABLE TO RESTART AND WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 107,000.

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

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.

JUST THE OTHER DAY I DECIDED TO TAKE A TRIP TO THE STORE . I STEPPED IN THE CAR AND ATTEMPTED TO STATE IT. I GOT THE ( ELECTRIC STEERING WHEEL LOCK MALFUNCTION ) IT AUTOMATICALLY DISABLES THE VEHICLE NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE LOCATED . I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP TO CONFIRM THE DIAGNOSTICS AND THEY TOLD ME IT WAS A COMMON ISSUE AND IT WOULD COST ME UP TOWARDS $1500 OUT OF POCKET .. THAT IS CRAZY !! NOW I HAVE A HEAVY AND EXPENSIVE PAPER WEIGHT IN MY DRIVEWAY . I DID SOME RESEARCH ON A COUPLE OF BMW FORUMS TO DO SOME HOME WORK I COULDN'T BELIEVE THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WITH THE SAME ISSUE . THE KICKER IS ITS A DEALER PART ONLY . I HAVE NOW CHOICE BUT TO GO THE DEALERSHIP AND BE FORCED TO PAY PREMIUM PRICES FOR A DEFECTIVE PART THE IS COMMON TO BREAK . ITS A SENSOR THAT IS LOCATED IN THE STEERING COLUMN OF THE CAR THAT FAILS . BMW DESIGNED THE STEERING COLUMN TO BE ONE UNIT SO I HAVE TO CHANGE OUT THE WHOLE COLUMN INSTEAD THE EFFECTED PROBLEM WHICH COST NOTHING IN COMPARISON. HOW IS THIS MY FAULT . WHY DO I HAVE TO PAY THIS OUTRAGEOUS AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR SOMETHING THAT IS OUT OF MY HANDS . *TR

ELECTRONIC STEERING WHEEL LOCK MALFUNCITON. VEHICLE CANNOT START. STEERING WHEEL COLUMN NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND SOFTWARE UPGRADED.

A MESSAGE IN RED APPEARED ON THE DASH WITH A STEERING WHEEL AND PADLOCK. CAR WOULD NOT START. WAS TOLD STEERING COLUMN NEEDS TO BE REPLACED

STEERING WHEEL IS LOCKED AND CAN'T START THE VEHICLE. I SEE NOW THAT I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE TO DEAL WITH THIS NOW. *JS

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

DROVE TO MALL. PARKED CAR. CAME BACK OUT TO A RED STEERING WHEEL WITH A PADLOCK ON THE DASH. I PUT THE KEY IN THE CAR. PRESSED THE BUTTON, CAR WOULD NOT START. TRIED TO UNLOCK THE STEERING WHEEL BUT IT WOULD NOT BUDGE. I SEARCHED THE SYMBOL TO FIND OUT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM "INTERMITTENT IR IMMEDIATE STEERING WHEEL LOCKOUT". I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALER BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT BMW SAID WAS THE ONLY OPTION. DIAGNOSIS NEED A NEW STEERING COLUMN. NO WARNING. NO STEERING ISSUES. NO VISIBLE DAMAGE. JUST AUTOMATICALLY LOCKED OUT AND LEFT STRANDED.

THE VEHICLE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED AND THE CAR WOULD NOT START. A KNOWN AND CONSISTENT PROBLEM FOR THIS VEHICLE, YET NO RECALL. A FAULTY LOCK MECHANISM IN THE STEERING COLUMN COULD LEAD TO A FATAL ACCIDENT. THIS IS COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE. *TR

STEERING COLUMN LOCK FAILED AND STRANDED CONSUMER. THIS IS A WELL KNOWN ISSUE IN THE 2007 328XI AND THE MANUFACTURER HAS DONE NOTHING OTHER THAN FORCE THE CONSUMER TO MAKE EXPENSIVE REPAIR/REPLACEMENT OF AN OBVIOUS MANUFACTURING/ENGINEERING FLAW. *JS

VEHICLE HAS A CONSTANT STEERING WHEEL LOCK WARNING. THE STEERING WHEEL DOES NOT ACTUALLY LOCK, BUT THE WARNING IS CONSTANT. DEALER HAS STATED THAT THE ONLY REMEDY IS TO REPLACE THE STEERING WHEEL COLUMN. *TR

RED WARNING LIGHT STEERING PROBLEM STOP CAR IMMEDIATELY. BMW AND INTERNET STATES THIS WAS COMMON PROBLEM $1800+ TO FIX I HAD EXTENDED WARRANTY BUT IT STILL COST ME APPROX $600. *TR

STEERING WHEEL LOCK SIGN KEEPS APPEARING AND LOCKING ME OUT OF THE CAR. THIS HAS HAPPENED 4 TIMES IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS AND HAS LEFT ME STRANDED EVERY TIME AND 3 OF THE TIMES A TOW TRUCK WAS UNABLE TO REACH MY CAR TO TOW IT. I HAVE HAD IT AT THE DEALER FOR A WEEK NOW AND THE SIGN HAS NOT POPPED UP FOR THEM SO THEY SAY THEY CAN NOT DO ANYTHING. WHEN I DROPPED OFF THE CAR TO THEM AFTER BEING STUCK FOR 45 MIN, AS SOON AS I PARKED IT AT BMW THE SERVICE WOMAN TRIED TO GO INTO IT AND START IT AND IT SHOWED THE SIGN. THE SERVICE TEAM HAS BEEN UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. SO I AM PICK UP THE CAR TODAY WITH NOTHING THAT HAS BEEN DONE TO IT AND IT WILL MOST LIKELY HAPPEN AGAIN IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS SINCE IT WILL BE DRIVEN NORMALLY. *TR

I HAD JUST EXITED OFF OF THE FREEWAY AND WAS MAKING A LEFT TURN AT A LIGHT WHEN THE STEERING "LOCKED UP". I COULDN'T GET THE CAR TO STEER AND THE "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT CAME ON. LUCKILY, THE CAR "COAST" TO THE SIDE OF THIS NON-BUSY ROAD. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND RESTARTED AND EVERYTHING WAS BACK TO NORMAL. I WAS ALSO ABLE TO DRIVE BACK HOME WITHOUT ANY ISSUES A COUPLE OF HOURS LATER. HOWEVER, THIS INCIDENT HAS ME AND MY FAMILY FREAKED OUT AS WE FREQUENTLY TRAVEL WITH OUR CHILDREN. I CANNOT IMAGINE THE CONSEQUENCES IF THIS LOCK UP WERE TO HAPPEN ON A FREEWAY AT SPEEDS IN EXCESS OF 60MPH. I HAVE SEEN SEVERAL FOLKS COMPLAIN OF THIS ISSUE AND AM AFRAID IT MAY RESURFACE ANYTIME WITHOUT WARNING. I'LL HAVE MY CAR TAKEN TO A SERVICE SHOP NEAR MY HOME AND HAVE THEM DIAGNOSE, BUT HAVING READ SO MANY COMPLAINTS IT APPEARS TO BE ALONG SIMILAR LINES OF THE STEERING COLUMN ISSUE. HAS BMW OWNED UP TO THIS AND ARE THEY ISSUING A RECALL? *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY 328I WITH 48K MILES AND THE ELECTRONIC STEERING WHEEL LOCK ICON CAME UP ON THE DASH PANEL. IT KEPT GIVING THE WARNING THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WILL LOCK AND IF I TURN THE CAR OFF AND I WON'T BE ABLE TO START IT. I DROVE IT HOME AND WHEN I TURNED THE CAR OFF, I WAS ABLE TO CRANK IT BACK UP AND HAD NO PROBLEM WITH STEERING IN TEST DRIVE. DEALER TOLD ME THAT I NEED TO REPLACE THE COLUMN BECAUSE IT COULD ACTUALLY LOCK. THIS WOULD BE DISASTROUS ON A FREEWAY IN SOUTHERN CAL WHERE I LIVE. THIS IS A DEFECT IN THE BMW 328I MODELS BECAUSE I AM READING OTHER ONLINE POSTS STATING THE STEERING DID LOCK. I AM FILING THIS COMPLAINT, HOPING THAT ANY SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATION BY THE NHTSA WILL SEE THIS IS A REAL SAFETY ISSUE AND BMW KNOWS THERE IS A PROBLEM THAT COULD RESULT IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT YET THEY WON'T ISSUE A RECALL. *TR

THE CAR FORTUNATELY WAS NOT IN MOTION HOWEVER THE STEERING COLUMN LOCK IS NOT ALLOWING THE STEERING WHEEL TO MOVE AS WELL AS PREVENTING THE CAR TO START. IT SEEMS TO BE A COMMON INHERENT PROBLEM WITH BMW. IN WHICH COSTS THE CONSUMER ~$1800 TO FIX EVEN THOUGH IT'S A MOST LIKELY A SOFTWARE ISSUE AND NOT A PARTS ISSUE. I HAVE FOUND NUMEROUS SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ONLINE. *TR

STEERING WHEEL LOCK DISPLAYED ON CAR DASH BOARD. IT WILL NOT START AND CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. I HAVE FOUND SEVERAL COMPLAINTS OF THIS SAME ISSUE ONLINE. BMW NEEDS TO PAY FOR THIS ISSUE I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER BMW THE REST OF MY LIFE. PLEASE CHECK INTO THIS. *TR

THE STEERING WHEEL COLUMN LOCKS UP AND WILL NOT START AFTER DRIVING IT. IF I DRIVE NORMAL WITHOUT DOING ANYTHING OUT OF THE NORMAL IT LOCKS. I CAN'T RESTART THE CAR. I TURN THE STEERING BACK AND FORTH TO GET IT TO UNLOCK. I HAVE EVEN GONE AS FAR AS TO WAIT A FEW MINUTES AND THEM RESTART IT. I'M SCARED THE STEERING WHEEL WILL LOCK WHILE I'M DRIVING I HAVE A 6 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER AND I DON'T WANT OUT LIVES AT JEOPARDY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 BMW 328XI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE ELECTRONIC STEERING LOCK (ELV) IN THE STEERING COLUMN MALFUNCTIONED AND THE STEERING COMPONENT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 46,000.

A RED STEERING WHEEL AND LOCK APPEARED ON THE DASH OF MY 2007 328XI WHICH DISPLAYS "STEERING WHEEL LOCK" ALERT AND READS THAT THE CAR SHOULD NOT BE TURNED OFF OR ENGINE MAY FAIL TO START. THIS APPEARS TO BE AN ONGOING ISSUE WITH THIS MODEL WHICH IS QUITE EXPENSIVE TO FIX. THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE TO FIX THIS KNOWN DEFECT AS IT IS QUITE COMMON IN THIS MODEL AND THERE ARE MANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS REGARDING THE SAME ISSUE. *TR

STEERING WHEEL LOCK ENGAGED NOT WHILE DRIVING. CAR WAS PARKED WENT TO GET IN CAR AND START IT BUT NOTHING HAPPENED. STEERING WHEEL LOCK IS ENGAGED. TURN STEERING WHEEL TO START ENGINE WAS THE MESSAGE THAT APPEARED ON SCREEN. TRIED EVERYTHING EVEN CALLED BMW DEALERSHIP TO ASK FOR HELP. TRIED EVERYTHING THEY TOLD ME FOR HOURS. IT STILL WONT START. NEEDS TO BE TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP AND FIXED. WHERE THE CAR WASN'T MOVING WHEN THIS HAPPENED THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL. I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS BECAUSE I HAVE READ MANY OF FORUMS AND THREADS ABOUT STEERING WHEEL LOCKS ON 07 335I AND HAVING MANY PROBLEMS. THIS NEEDS TO BE FIXED. THANKYOU *TR

ON THE WAY TO WORK THAT MORNING A RED WARNING LIGHT "STEERING WHEEL WITH A PAD LOCK ON THE TOP LEFT CORNER" CAME ON, AFTER PARKING AT WORK I GOT THE MANUAL OUT AND FOUND THAT THIS IS AN ELECTRIC STEERING-WHEEL LOCK FAULT , THE CAR MIGHT NOT START IF SHUT OFF. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER A FEW DAYS LATER, AND THEY CLEARED THE CODE SAYING THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG. GOT THE WARNING AGAIN IN DECEMBER, WENT BACK TO THE DEALER, AND NOW THEY SAY A SENSOR IS BAD. THEY NEED TO REPLACE THE STEERING COLUMN FOR $1000.00. *TR

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