2007 BMW 550I

ABOUT 3 MONTHS AGO I BOUGHT A 2007 BMW 550I WITH 29,802 MILES. WHEN A LARGE RED STEERING LOCK LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASH, AS WELL AS, THE CENTER CONSOLE COMPUTER HAD INSTRUCTIONS "NOT TO TURN THE ENGINE OFF". THE CAR OPERATED NORMALLY JUST WITH AN UNCOMFORTABLE BIG RED LIGHT ON MY DASH. BEFORE CALLING THE BMW DEALER I DECIDED TO DO SOME RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET. I HAVE FOUND DOZENS OF BMW FORUMS REFERENCING STEERING WHEEL LOCK MALFUNCTIONS. MOST WERE RANGING FROM UPDATING COMPUTERS TO STEERING COLUMN REPLACEMENTS. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE BMW DEALER AS HE GAVE ME A LOANER AND TOOK MY CAR FOR THE NIGHT. THE FOLLOWING DAY HE CALLED ME IN AND TOLD ME I NEEDED TO FIX THIS PROBLEM THAT WOULD COST ME $700 OR THE STEERING MIGHT LOCK UP ON ME DURING DRIVING. WITH THIS MANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE MIGHT BE A RECALL ON THE BMW STEERING LOCK? *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 BMW 550I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SRS WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE PASSENGER WOULD HAVE THE SEAT BELT ON, BUT IT WOULD INDICATE THAT THERE WAS A RESTRAINT MALFUNCTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 43,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 43,500.

I OWN A 2007 BMW 550I SPORT. I RAN OVER A RAISED ROAD MARKER WHILE IN ATLANTA AND RUPTURED THE SIDE WALLS OF BOTH LEFT SIDE TIRES, WHILE ALSO BENDING THE FACTORY 18" RIMS. IN MY JUDGMENT THE CONTACT WAS NOT SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH TO CAUSE THE DAMAGE THAT OCCURRED. ONCE I HAD THE TIRES REMOVED I NOTICED THAT THE INSIDE PORTION OF EACH REAR TIRE WAS WORN DOWN TO THE METAL MESH EMBEDDED IN THE TIRE. THE OUTER PORTION OF THE TIRES SHOWED AT LEAST ANOTHER 10K MILES ON THEM. THIS WAS/IS VERY DISCONCERTING AND ALARMING TO ME. I SEE IT AS A DESIGN FLAW, AND A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY CONCERN. ONE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO HAVE THEIR CAR LIFTED INTO THE AIR EVERY 3-6K MILES TO INSPECT FOR THIS ISSUE. THIS IS A $60K + AUTOMOBILE. WHILE EXTREMELY SATISFIED WITH SOME ASPECTS OF THE VEHICLE, AND SATISFIED WITH OTHERS, THIS IS A DEAL BREAKER FOR ME. IF I EVER RECOMMEND A BMW 550I TO ANYONE, IT WILL BE WITH THE CAVEAT OF BE CAREFUL WHEN IT COMES TO THE FACTORY WHEELS AND ANY TYPE OF TIRE THAT YOU MOUNT ON IT BECAUSE OF THE ONGOING REAR ALIGNMENT ISSUES. I HAD THE SAME EXACT PROBLEMS WITH AN OTHERWISE GREAT 99' 525I SPORT. THE REALIGNMENT WORE OUT 2 MICHELIN PILOT SPORTS/REAR IN LESS THAN 10K MILES. *TR

I HAVE A 2007 550I THAT I BOUGHT IN 2009. I SEVERAL PROBLEMS WITH THE WHEELS, ALL OF THEM ARE SOME WHAT BENT, BUT THE REAR LEFT WHEEL IS CRACKED. THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL ISSUES WITH MANY BMW OWNERS REGARDING BENT RIMS. I SUSPECT THERE IS AN ISSUE, AS WHEELS DON'T JUST HAVE HAIRLINES, STRAIGHT CRACKS ON THE INSIDE WALL WITHOUT SOME SORT OF BEND IN THE WHEEL. EVEN THE TIRE GUY, WHERE I BOUGHT MY TIRES, SAID IT LOOKS A LITTLE SUSPICIOUS. THIS CRACK IS ABOUT 1 INCH LONG ON THE RIM EDGE. *TR

2007 BMW 550I, AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, ABOUT 48,000 MILES. AFTER A PERIOD OF HIGHWAY DRIVING, IF REVERSE IS SELECTED (E.G., IN A PARKING LOT, A U-TURN THAT REQUIRES BACKING UP), THE TRANSMISSION WILL GO INTO NEUTRAL FOR SEVERAL SECONDS RATHER THAN IMMEDIATELY ENGAGING. SCENARIO 1 (COMMON): PULLING INTO PARKING LOT AFTER 22 MINUTE HIGHWAY COMMUTE TO WORK. I START TO GO BY AN OPEN SPOT AND NEED TO ENGAGE REVERSE IN ORDER TO PULL IN. I PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE, BUT THE TRANSMISSION GOES INTO NEUTRAL. AFTER ABOUT 3-5 SECONDS, REVERSE FINALLY ENGAGES. THIS IS A RECENT PHENOMENON. PREVIOUSLY, ENGAGEMENT WAS IMMEDIATE. INCIDENT 1 (6 JUNE 2011): AFTER DRIVING FOR A PERIOD OF TIME AT FREEWAY SPEEDS, A TIGHT U-TURN WAS REQUIRED. COMING OUT OF THE U-TURN, THE ROAD WAS DOWNHILL. I NEEDED TO PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE IN ORDER TO MAKE THE TIGHT U-TURN. I PUT THE SHIFTER IN REVERSE, AND STEPPED ON THE GAS. THE ENGINE REVVED AND THE CAR ROLLED FORWARD. OBVIOUSLY, IT WAS IN NEUTRAL. I PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE, THEN REVERSE. SAME THING. I PUT THE CAR IN PARK, THEN REVERSE, SAME PROBLEM. ULTIMATELY, I HAD TO TURN OFF THE CAR, THEN START IT AGAIN. NOW, REVERSE ENGAGED. UNFORTUNATELY, I RAN INTO A FIXTURE AT VERY LOW SPEED, CAUSING NO DAMAGE TO THE FIXTURE AND COSMETIC DAMAGE TO MY FRONT FENDER. INCIDENT 2 (10 JUNE 2011): AFTER DRIVING FOR ABOUT AN HOUR AT FREEWAY SPEEDS, I WAS PULLING INTO A HOTEL PARKING LOT. I NEEDED TO ENGAGE REVERSE IN ORDER TO PULL IN AS I DROVE SLIGHTLY PAST THE ENTRANCE TO THE PARKING LOT. I PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE AND STEPPED ON THE GAS. THE ENGINE REVVED AND DID NOT MOVE. THE TRANSMISSION WAS IN NEUTRAL. I AGAIN HAD TO TURN OFF THE VEHICLE, THEN TURN ON THE VEHICLE BEFORE I COULD ENGAGE REVERSE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 BMW 550I SERIES. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH AT VARIOUS SPEEDS THE POWER STEERING FAILED. THE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED INDICATING THAT THE WARNING HYDRAULIC STEERING MALFUNCTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE HE WAS TOLD THAT THEY NEEDED TO REPLACE THE COMPUTERIZED STEERING COLUMN CHIP. HE WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WOULD BE A RECALL FOR THE FAILURE AND HE SHOULD WAIT FOR THE RECALL NOTICE BEFORE THEY CAN REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CALLED AND STATED THAT THEY KNEW NOTHING ABOUT THE RECALL AND OFFERED NO OTHER ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

HAVE HAD THIS BMW 550I FOR ABOUT 2 YEARS, AND IN THAT TIME I'VE HAD 3 BENT WHEELS AND ONE CRACKED WHEEL. I HAVE CARS WITH SIMILAR, ALUMINUM ALLOY RIMS AND LOWER PROFILE TIRES ON THEM - AND HAVE NOT BENT OR CRACKED A WHEEL ON THE OTHER CARS. THE REAR WHEEL CRACKED, BUT IT WAS ALONG THE INNER EDGE - AND WAS NOT NOTICED. THE ONLY REASON IT WAS CHECKED WAS BECAUSE THE TIRE KEPT LEAKING AIR. LUCKILY IT WAS CAUGHT BEFORE THE WHEEL CRACKED EVEN MORE (IT CRACKED FOR ABOUT 1" LONG FROM THE RIM EDGE TO JUST PAST THE TIRE BEAD). UPDATED 12/02/10 *BF UPDATED 12/07/10 *TR

I HAVE A 550I WITH THE SPORT PACKAGE. BOTH REAR TIRES WORE OUT THE INNER 1/4" OF TIRE COMPLETELY WHILE THE OUTER, AND THE VISIBLE PORTION OF THE TREAD HAD PLENTY OF DEPTH LEFT (APPROX 4/32" OR MORE). THE RIGHT TIRE WAS SLIGHTLY WORSE AND BLEW OUT ON THE HIGHWAY CAUSING A DANGEROUS SITUATION. THE LEFT WEAR WAS VERY CLOSE. ALIGNMENT IS WITHIN THE BMW SPECS. HOWEVER, THE REAR NEGATIVE CAMBER SPECIFICATION IS JUST TOO HIGH, AND THE REAR SUSPENSION DOES NOT HAVE ENOUGH ADJUSTMENT TO REMOVE SOME OF THE NEGATIVE CAMBER. BMW SHOULD SPECIFY A TIGHTER TOLERANCE FOR THE REAR CAMBER ON THESE CARS (IN PARTICULAR, THOSE WITH THE SPORT SUSPENSION), AND SPECIFY LESS NEGATIVE CAMBER IN THE REAR. ADDITIONALLY, THERE NEEDS TO BE A WAY TO REMOVE MORE CAMBER OUT OF THE REAR TIRES THAN THE STOCK SUSPENSION ADJUSTMENTS ALLOW. *TR