13 complaints reported

2004 BMW 5 Series Steering

Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.

Reports
13
Crashes
1
Fires
0
Injuries
1

Complaint Timeline

Chronological view of owner reports

Mar 2021 Crash Injury

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.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2004 BMW 530I, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Mar 2021
Nov 2017

ACTIVE STEERING MALFUNCTION, STEERING WHEEL NOT CENTERED

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2004 BMW 530I, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Sep 2017
Jun 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

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2004 BMW 530I, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Sep 2014
Sep 2012

THE ACTIVE STEERING MALFUNTION LIGHT CAME ON AND THE STEERING WHEEL TURNED APROX. 30 DEG OFF CENTER. THE CAR DRIVES FINE BUT THE WHEEL IS STUCK 30 DEG OFF CENTER. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2004 BMW 5 SERIES, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Nov 2011
Mar 2012

THE BATTERY DIED SO I GOT A NEW ONE. AFTER REINSTALLING IT, ALL THE DASH LIGHTS CAME ON. THE ACTIVE STEERING CAME ON ALSO. AFTER DRIVING THE CAR OFF THE LOT, I REALIZED MY STEERING WHEEL WAS TURNED TO THE LEFT BUT I WAS GOING STRAIGHT. NOW I CAN'T FIGURE OUT HOW TO FIX THIS ISSUE. *JS

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2004 BMW 545I, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Mar 2012
Jan 2012

THE ACTIVE STEERING FAULT CODE COMES ON AND STATES YOUR ACTIVE STEERING MAY NOT BE FUNCTIONING. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2004 BMW 530I, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Mar 2012
Nov 2011

I OWNED A 2004 BMW 525I E60 HAD "ACTIVE STEERING FAULT CAME ON AT ALL TIME .THE DEALER WANTS 4000USD TO FIX THE PROBLEM BUT THE STEERING CONTROL IS FINE . I BELIEVE THIS ISSUE HAD RELATED TO STEERING ANGLE SENSOR DEFECTIVE FROM BMW FACTORY AND DEALERS IN US DID NOT WANT TO FIX THIS MANUFACTURING DEFECTS. THIS PROBLEMS HAD HAPPENED TO ALL BMW'S . ALL OVER THE BLOGS .CUSTOMERS HAD FILED A COMPLAINT ABOUT THIS ISSUE. PLEASE LOOKING INTO THIS PROBLEM(S). *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2004 BMW 5 SERIES, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Nov 2011
Jul 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

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2004 BMW 530I, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Jun 2011
Jun 2011

ACTIVE STEERING PROBLEM. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2004 BMW 525I, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Jun 2011
Mar 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

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2004 BMW 530I, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Jan 2011
Nov 2010

BMW 2004 545I ACTIVE STEERING PROBLEM. MY STEERING WHEEL SUDDENLY SHIFTED TO THE RIGHT. THE ACTIVE STEERING LIGHT WENT ON. NOW THE CAR DRIVES STRAIGHT WITH THE STEERING WHEEL TILTED TO THE RIGHT. THIS IS CAUSED BY THE BATTERY VOLTAGE DROP. CAR STARTS TO SHUT DOWN MAJOR COMPONENTS ACTIVE STEERING, TRANSMISSION, NAVIGATION, AND I-DRIVE SYSTEM WHICH CONTROLS THE WHOLE CARS ELECTRONICS. SCARY WHEN YOU HAVE A 8 MONTH OLD KID IN A CAR. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2004 BMW 5 SERIES, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Nov 2010
Jan 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

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2004 BMW 530I, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Nov 2007
Apr 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

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2004 BMW 530I, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Apr 2006

Trend Over Time

Complaints by year

Quick Summary

The 2004 BMW 5 Series has 13 Steering complaints on file. 1 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.