2007 BMW 530I

I WAS SITTING STILL AND THE STEERING WHEEL LOCK CAME ON. IT STATED THAT THE CAR MAY NOT BE ABLE TO START. I AM TIRED OF PUTTING MONEY IN THIS. THEY WANY $130.OO JUST TO DIAGNOSIS IT BEFORE THEY EVEN WANT TO FIX IT. PLEASE MAKE THIS A RECALL. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TT

MY 2007 BMW 530I HAS A MESSAGE IN THE DASH WITH A RED STEERING WHEEL SAYING "STEERING WHEEL LOCK MALFUNCTION!" "STEERING WHEEL MAY STAY LOCKED/UNLOCKED AND VEHICLE MAY NOT START"..... I HAVE CALLED THE BMW MANUFACTURING COMPANY IN SOUTH CAROLINA AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO ABOUT THIS ISSUE STATING THAT THE VEHICLE WAS 11 YRS OLD AND PROBLEMS WILL ACCRUE WITH THAT AGE ON ANY VEHICLE. YES THAT MAY BE TRUE BUT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE THE STEERING WHEEL COULD LOCK WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE RD AND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. I ALSO CALLED THE LOCAL BMW DEALERSHIP TO SEE HOW MUCH IT WOULD COST TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE ON MY OWN AND THE SAID THAT THE PART ITSELF WAS AROUND $600!!! THEN ADD ON 4HRS OF LABOR TO THAT WITH A LABOR RATE OF $145 AND HE! THAT ADDS UP TO ALMOST $1200.00, HOW CAN A STEERING WHEEL LOCK COST SO MUCH! AND US CUSTOMERS BE FORCED TO PAY THIS AMOUNT BECAUSE IF WE DON'T WE MAY END UP ON THE INTERSTATE AT 70MPH AND THE STEERING LOCKUP AND HAVE MAJOR ACCIDENT. SOMEONE PLEASE HELP WITH THIS ISSUE!

THE STEERING WHEEL HAS A LOCK WITH AN ELECTRONIC SYSTEM THAT CREATES A "FAULT" NOTICE WHEN NOT WORKING. THE FAULT NOTICE CAN COME ON EVEN WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL IS OPERABLE. APPARENTLY, THE FAULT NOTICE CAN LOCK THE STEERING WHEEL AFTER 10 +/- NOTICES. THE LOCK CAN CAUSE THE STEERING WHEEL TO FREEZE, AND/OR THE CAR TO SHUT DOWN. THERE ARE LITERALLY THOUSANDS OF REPORTS ONLINE ABOUT THIS ISSUE. THE REPAIR COSTS $850. THIS DANGEROUS SITUATION SHOULD BE A MANUFACTURER'S PROBLEM AND A RECALL SHOULD BE IMPLEMENTED.

ELECTRONIC STEERING LOCK MESSAGE APPEARED WHILE CAR WAS STATIONARY. CAR WAS BROUGHT TO MECHANIC WHO SAID THE STEERING WHEEL NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND THAT THE CAR WAS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE BECAUSE THE STEERING WHEEL COULD LOCK AT ANY TIME INCLUDING WHILE DRIVING AT HIGH SPEEDS. THEN BROUGHT CAR TO BMW DEALER WHO ALSO CONFIRMED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND IT WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THIS SAFETY ISSUE. THIS IS EVEN MORE DANGEROUS THAN THE CURRENT AIRBAG RECALL. THERE IS ALREADY A SERVICE BULLETIN REGARDING THIS WHICH STATES "IF DEFECTIVE, WHICH WAS COMMON, THE STEERING COLUMN WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED". IT ALSO STATES THAT THESE LOCK MECHANISMS WERE ONLY USED IN PRODUCTION YEAR 2006. BMW STOPPED USING THESE ELECTRONIC MECHANISMS BECAUSE THEY KNEW IT WAS UNSAFE. I HAVE READ MANY OTHER POSTS HERE AND ONLINE WHERE PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUE. THIS MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED AND A RECALL SHOULD BE ISSUED. I'M HOPING YOU WILL TAKE CARE OF THIS MATTER SOON BEFORE SOMEONE IS SERIOUSLY INJURED. *TR