NHTSA Complaint #10560439 — 2007 BMW 328I

I WAS DRIVING MY 328I WITH 48K MILES AND THE ELECTRONIC STEERING WHEEL LOCK ICON CAME UP ON THE DASH PANEL. IT KEPT GIVING THE WARNING THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WILL LOCK AND IF I TURN THE CAR OFF AND I WON'T BE ABLE TO START IT. I DROVE IT HOME AND WHEN I TURNED THE CAR OFF, I WAS ABLE TO CRANK IT BACK UP AND HAD NO PROBLEM WITH STEERING IN TEST DRIVE. DEALER TOLD ME THAT I NEED TO REPLACE THE COLUMN BECAUSE IT COULD ACTUALLY LOCK. THIS WOULD BE DISASTROUS ON A FREEWAY IN SOUTHERN CAL WHERE I LIVE. THIS IS A DEFECT IN THE BMW 328I MODELS BECAUSE I AM READING OTHER ONLINE POSTS STATING THE STEERING DID LOCK. I AM FILING THIS COMPLAINT, HOPING THAT ANY SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATION BY THE NHTSA WILL SEE THIS IS A REAL SAFETY ISSUE AND BMW KNOWS THERE IS A PROBLEM THAT COULD RESULT IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT YET THEY WON'T ISSUE A RECALL. *TR