2007 BMW 328XI

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

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

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.

UPON TRYING TO START CAR, CONTROL MESSAGE CAME ON SAID STEERING WHEEL LOCKED, ENGINE WILL NOT START. TURN WHEEL TO START ENGINE. THIS DID NOT WORK, MANY TRIES!. CAR IS NOT RUNNING. IN CHECKING THE INTERNET, FOR A SOLUTION, I FIND MANY WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT FOR THE SAME MODEL & EVEN YEAR BMW. SOMETHING SOUNDS FISHY. THERE WAS JUST A RECALL ON THE 3 SERIES FOR SOME SHORT INVOLVING FUSE BOX TO BACK OF CAR WRITTEN UP IN MY LOCAL NEWSPAPER. BMW SAID MY CAR IS NOT INVOLVED. COULD THESE TWO ISSUES BE RELATED? I HAVE MAINTAINED MY CAR PER RECOMMENDED SCHEDULE! BMW OF NORTH AMERICA SAID THE WHEEL LOCK PROBLEM IS NOT WARRANTEED NOR IS IT A RECALL ISSUE. SOUNDS LIKE TOO MANY PEOPLE HAVING THIS SAME PROBLEM FOR THIS NOT TO BE A DEFECT THAT SHOULD BE FIXED BY BMW AT NO CHARGE TO THE CUSTOMER. PLEASE INVESTIGATE AND ADVISE! *TR

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

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

MY 2007 BMW 328XI COMPLETELY POWERED DOWN WHILE I WAS DRIVING. I WAS FORCED TO "COAST" INTO A SIDE LANE ON A BUSY ROAD DURING THE FIRST OCCURRENCE. SINCE THIS FIRST INCIDENT MY CAR HAS BEEN HAVING THIS SAME EXACT ISSUE - RECENTLY, MUCH MORE FREQUENTLY. I FEEL AS IF THIS IS AN INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS ISSUE SINCE THIS HAS HAPPENED WHILE I HAVE BEEN DRIVING ON INCREDIBLY BUSY STREETS AND I COULD HAVE EASILY GOTTEN INTO SOME FORM OF AN ACCIDENT. *TR

DASHBOARD DISPLAYS "ELECTRONIC STEERING LOCK" ALERT. NO OTHER OUTWARD SYMPTOMS. CAR IS DRIVABLE. DEALER SAYS WHEEL COULD LOCK UP AT ANY TIME AND SAYS A STEERING COLUMN REPLACEMENT ($1400) IS REQUIRED. THIS SEEMS TO BE A VERY PERVASIVE PROBLEM ON MANY BMW MODELS. I UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS SO BAD THAT BMW REPLACES THE STEERING COLUMN WITH ONE WITHOUT THE STEERING WHEEL LOCK. THEREFORE, THE MANUFACTURER ACKNOWLEDGES THE PROBLEM WITH THE PART. MANY PEOPLE ARE BEING FORCED TO PAY FOR AN EXPENSIVE REPAIR THAT IS OBVIOUSLY DUE TO AN INHERENT AND PERVASIVE PROBLEM THAT THE MANUFACTURERS WILL NOT ACKNOWLEDGE. BMW SHOULD MAKE THIS REPAIR AT NO CHARGE TO THE CUSTOMER. *JS