NHTSA Complaint #10432477 — 2007 BMW 328I

THERE IS A DEFECT WITH THE ELECTRONIC STEERING WHEEL LOCK. THE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON, BUT THE CAR FUNCTIONED NORMALLY DESPITE THE OWNER'S MANUAL SAYING THE CAR WOULD NOT START. I THOUGHT IT WAS A DEFECTIVE LIGHT, UNTIL I TRIED TO START MY CAR ONE MORNING. THE ELECTRONIC STEERING WHEEL LOCK WOULD NOT DISENGAGE, AND I HAD TO GET THE CAR TOWED. IT APPEARS TO BE A COMPLEX PROBLEM AS BMW DEALER MECHANICS CAN ONLY TELL ME THAT THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THEY WILL NOT TELL ME WHY IT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED OR WHAT IS CAUSING THE PROBLEM. ESTIMATES FOR REPAIR HAVE BEEN BETWEEN $1300 AND $1800 DEPENDING ON THE DEALER. I UNDERSTAND THAT CARS BREAK DOWN BUT, AFTER VISITING BMW FORUMS ON THE INTERNET, IT IS PLAIN TO SEE THAT THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECT THAT BMW REFUSES TO FIX. ONE POSTING DID INDICATE THAT THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP WHILE THE CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN CAUSING A DANGEROUS SITUATION, BUT, IN MY CASE, THE CAR WAS PARKED. THIS DEFECT DOES POSE TO CAR OWNERS A GREAT INCONVENIENCE WITH POSSIBLE UNSAFE CONSEQUENCES DEPENDING ON THE CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING THE CAR OWNER GETTING STRANDED. FURTHERMORE, ONCE STRANDED, THE OWNER HAS LITTLE CHOICE BUT TO GET IT TOWED MOST LIKELY TO A BMW DEALERSHIP AND PAY THE LARGE REPAIR BILL. (I TRIED AN INDY BMW SPECIALIST FIRST. HE COULD NOT FIX IT OR EVEN DETERMINE WHY IT WAS OCCURRING.) I AM FILING THIS COMPLAINT IN THE HOPE THAT ANY SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATION BY THE NHTSA WILL REVEAL THAT BMW HAS LET A KNOWN DEFECT PERSIST. ONCE THAT IS DISCOVERED, BMW SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO FIX THE DEFECT AND REIMBURSE OWNERS WHO HAVE HAD TO PAY FOR A COSTLY REPAIR. *TR