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
2007 BMW 3 Series
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most 3 Series years
Owner complaints for the 2007 BMW 3 Series are substantially higher than the model-year median of 23.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all 3 Series years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
92 reports with mileage · 23 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Air Bags. Review the 35 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 31 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine. Review the 22 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Engine complaints
22 reportsBATTERY 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 ELE…
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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.
BURNING SMELL IN CABIN. CHANGED CABIN AIR FILTER WITHOUT ANY IMPROVEMENT. DEALER. OIL FROM VALVE COVER GASKET LEAKAGE IS AN ISSUE IN THIS MODEL. DID INTERNET RESEARCH. APPARENTLY NOT UNCOMMON AT ALL TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM. THIS IS A HEALTH HAZARD-SMOKE INHALATION AND ALSO A FIRE HAZARD. I CONTACTED BMW CORPORATE OFFICE AND WAS TOL…
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BURNING SMELL IN CABIN. CHANGED CABIN AIR FILTER WITHOUT ANY IMPROVEMENT. DEALER. OIL FROM VALVE COVER GASKET LEAKAGE IS AN ISSUE IN THIS MODEL. DID INTERNET RESEARCH. APPARENTLY NOT UNCOMMON AT ALL TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM. THIS IS A HEALTH HAZARD-SMOKE INHALATION AND ALSO A FIRE HAZARD. I CONTACTED BMW CORPORATE OFFICE AND WAS TOLD THIS CAN HAPPEN. NO FURTHER INFORMATION GIVEN. *TR
I WAS PARKED, PLACED MY CAR IN REVERSE AND IMMEDIATELY ALL OF MY DASHBOARD LIGHTS WERE ACTIVATED (4X4 MALFUNCTION, ABS BRAKE FAILURE, TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTION) THEN MY CAR LOST POWER. THERE IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE SET POSITIONING MOTOR FAILING ON THESE VEHICLES. THE BMW DEALER PART # IS 27 10 7 546 671. THERE IS AN INTERNAL G…
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I WAS PARKED, PLACED MY CAR IN REVERSE AND IMMEDIATELY ALL OF MY DASHBOARD LIGHTS WERE ACTIVATED (4X4 MALFUNCTION, ABS BRAKE FAILURE, TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTION) THEN MY CAR LOST POWER. THERE IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE SET POSITIONING MOTOR FAILING ON THESE VEHICLES. THE BMW DEALER PART # IS 27 10 7 546 671. THERE IS AN INTERNAL GEAR, WITH IN THE SET POSITIONING MOTOR, MADE OUT OF PLASTIC THAT WEARS PREMATURELY. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH BMW'S AND IT SHOULD BE RECALLED. MY VEHICLE BECOME DISABLED WITH OUT WARNING, LEAVING ME STRANDED WHICH MAY HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. *TR
ENGINE MOUNT BOLTS: WAS DRIVING OUR CAR YESTERDAY AND WENT OVER SOME TRAIN TRACKS. THEY WERE BUMPY BUT NOT JARRING OR EXCESSIVE. RIGHT AFTER THAT A STRONG VIBRATION STARTED GOING THROUGH THE CAR. I TOOK THE CAR HOME AND FOUND THE FOUR BOLTS HOLDING THE MOTOR MOUNT BRACKET TO THE ENGINE BLOCK HAD ALL SHEARED OR FALLEN OUT. T…
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ENGINE MOUNT BOLTS: WAS DRIVING OUR CAR YESTERDAY AND WENT OVER SOME TRAIN TRACKS. THEY WERE BUMPY BUT NOT JARRING OR EXCESSIVE. RIGHT AFTER THAT A STRONG VIBRATION STARTED GOING THROUGH THE CAR. I TOOK THE CAR HOME AND FOUND THE FOUR BOLTS HOLDING THE MOTOR MOUNT BRACKET TO THE ENGINE BLOCK HAD ALL SHEARED OR FALLEN OUT. THE ENGINE IS NOW SITTING AT AN ANGLE. *JS
I WAS DRIVING ON THE PALMETTO EXPRESS WAY AND THE CAR SUDDENLY STALL I WAS DOING ABOUT 50 MILES/HOUR,ANTIFREEZE WAS COMING OUT OF THE OVERKILL TANK,THIS IS THE THIRD TIME IT HAPPEN AND ALWAYS ON THE HIGHWAY,WHICH IS VERY DANGER. *TR
WHEN I START MY CAR IT WANTS TO TURN OFF. BMW ISSUED A RECALL I TOOK IT IN TO FIX IT BUT PROBLEM STILL HAPPENING. THEN MY CAR HAS 63000 MILES AND IT KICKS A LOT IN FIRST GEAR. FOR LOW MILES THAT SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING. *TR
REFERENCE NHTSA CAMPAIGN: 13V044000 MY VEHICLE HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING ISSUES AS EXACTLY OUTLINED IN THIS RECALL NOTICE SUCH AS THE STARTING ROUGH, NOT STARTING, BATTERY INDICATOR LAMP LIT, AND OTHER ELECTRICAL ISSUES. I HAVE EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF POWER & DEGRADED PERFORMANCE WHILE DRIVING ALTHOUGH IT HAS NOT RESULTED IN A CRAS…
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REFERENCE NHTSA CAMPAIGN: 13V044000 MY VEHICLE HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING ISSUES AS EXACTLY OUTLINED IN THIS RECALL NOTICE SUCH AS THE STARTING ROUGH, NOT STARTING, BATTERY INDICATOR LAMP LIT, AND OTHER ELECTRICAL ISSUES. I HAVE EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF POWER & DEGRADED PERFORMANCE WHILE DRIVING ALTHOUGH IT HAS NOT RESULTED IN A CRASH BECAUSE I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY PULL MY CAR OVER. I SPOKE WITH BMW CUSTOMER RELATIONS AND THEY SAID MY VIN WAS NOT SPECIFIED BY THIS RECALL AND TO FILE A COMPLAINT WITH THE NHTSA TO GET THIS RESOLVED. I HAVE RESEARCHED MANY OTHER 2007 3-SERIES OWNERS HAVING SIMILAR ISSUES AND WOULD EXPECT THIS TO BE COVERED BY THE RECALL. *TR
MY VEHICLE DID NOT HAVE A RECALL ON THE FOLLOWING ITEMS: HPFP, FUEL INJECTORS, WASTEGATE. FAILURE- LONG CRANK, ENGINE MALFUNCTION LIGHT, ENGINE SERVICE SOON LIGHT, CLICKING(RATTLING) COMING FROM BOTTOM OF CAR(WASTE GATE), CAR LOSE POWER ON FREEWAY, WHEN REV CLICKING IN THE FUEL INJECTORS. PLEASE HELP I HAVE READ MANY PE…
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MY VEHICLE DID NOT HAVE A RECALL ON THE FOLLOWING ITEMS: HPFP, FUEL INJECTORS, WASTEGATE. FAILURE- LONG CRANK, ENGINE MALFUNCTION LIGHT, ENGINE SERVICE SOON LIGHT, CLICKING(RATTLING) COMING FROM BOTTOM OF CAR(WASTE GATE), CAR LOSE POWER ON FREEWAY, WHEN REV CLICKING IN THE FUEL INJECTORS. PLEASE HELP I HAVE READ MANY PEOPLE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AND MANY PEOPLE WERE ISSUE A RECALL. I HAVEN'T GOT ONE AND AM 100% POSITIVE THESE THREE ITEMS NEEDS REPAIR. MY CAR IS A 2007 BMW 335I AND HAS NOT BEEN ISSUED THE RECALL FOR THOSE 3 FAILURES. 89450 MILEAGE PLEASE ISSUE ONE. THANK YOU I JUST BOUGHT THE CAR AS OF 5/15/2013 FROM PRIVATE OWNER AND NOTICED THE PROBLEM TILL 6/12/2013 AND STILL EXPERIENCING THESE PROBLEMS DAILY. *TR
MY WIFE WAS DRIVING IN THE LEFT CENTER LANE OF INTERSTATE 384 IN MANCHESTER CT. THE CAR STALLED AND SHE WAS HIT FROM BEHIND BY 3 OTHER VEHICLES. SHE SUFFERED BACK AND NECK INJURIES. THIS IS RELATED TO THE RECENT RECALL OF BMWS FOR A FAULTY BATTERY CABLE. BMW WOULD NOT ACKNOWLEDGE ANYTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE CAR. WE TRADED THE CA…
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MY WIFE WAS DRIVING IN THE LEFT CENTER LANE OF INTERSTATE 384 IN MANCHESTER CT. THE CAR STALLED AND SHE WAS HIT FROM BEHIND BY 3 OTHER VEHICLES. SHE SUFFERED BACK AND NECK INJURIES. THIS IS RELATED TO THE RECENT RECALL OF BMWS FOR A FAULTY BATTERY CABLE. BMW WOULD NOT ACKNOWLEDGE ANYTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE CAR. WE TRADED THE CAR IN BECAUSE WE DID NOT FEEL IT WAS SAFE OR RELIABLE. *TR
Official recalls
122V119000 · Engine And Engine Cooling:exhaust System:emission Control:crankcase (pcv)
Mar 2, 2022
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2008-2013 1 Series Coupe (128i); 2007-2013 3 Series Coupe (328i, 328xi, 328i xDrive); 2007-2010 X3 SAV (X3 3.0si, X3 xDrive30i); 2008-2013 1 Series Convertible (128i); 2006-2011 3 Series Sedan (325i, 325xi, 328i, 328xi, 328i xDrive, 330i, 330xi); 2006-2012 3 Series Wagon (328i, 328i xDrive); 2007-2013 3 Series Convertible (328i); 2006-2010 5 Series Sedan (525i, 525xi, 528i, 528xi, 530i, 530xi); 2006-2007 5 Series Wagon (530xi); 2007-2010 X5 SAV (X5 3.0si, X5 xDrive30i); 2006-2008 Z4 Coupe (Z4 3.0si); and 2006-2011 Z4 Roadster (Z4 3.0i, Z4 3.0si, Z4 sDrive30i) vehicles. The heater for the positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) valve may short circuit.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: An electrical short can cause the PCV valve heater to overheat, increasing the risk of a fire while driving or, soon after driving when parked.
Remedy: This recall supersedes and expands previous NHTSA recalls 17V-683 and 19V-273. Dealers will install an electrical wiring harness with fuse protection for the PCV Valve heater in potentially affected vehicles, free of charge. This recall supersedes and expands previous NHTSA recalls 17V-683 and 19V-273. Vehicles previously repaired under the prior recalls will need to come back for the new recall remedy. The remedy is currently being developed. Interim owner notification letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed on April 1, 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 22, 2022. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
Illustration