NHTSA Complaint #10560549 — 2006 BMW 330I

I HAVE A 2006 BMW 330I WHICH HAD A STEERING COLUMN MALFUNCTION AND FAILURE. IT IS SAFETY PROBLEM AND SHOULD BE COVERED BY A BMW CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CAMPAIGN. ON JANUARY 7, 2014 THE TEMP. WAS MINUS 15 DEGREES F AND THE WARNING INDICATOR IN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL SHOWED AN ICON OF A STEERING WHEEL AND A LOCK AND THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START. THE OWNERS MANUAL SAYS "LIGHTS UP IN YELLOW: ELECTRIC STEERING WHEEL IS JAMMED. MOVE THE STEERING WHEEL BEFORE STARTING THE ENGINE." I MOVED THE STEERING, BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED WHILE I WAS AWAY FROM HOME IN THESE MINUS 15 DEGREES F COLD TEMP. I COULD HAVE FROZEN BEFORE I COULD HAVE RECEIVED ASSISTANCE. THE SERVICE MANAGER AT ANDERSON BMW IN ILLINOIS TOLD ME THAT THE 2006 BMW 330I HAS HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE STEERING COLUMN MALFUNCTIONING. I HAD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP WHICH TOOK ALMOST 2 FULL DAYS DUE TO THE COLD WEATHER IN CHICAGO AND ALL THE CARS THAT WOULDN'T START FROM THE COLD. I CONTACTED BMW CUSTOMER SERVICE, EXPLAINED MY PROBLEM AND WAS TOLD THEY COULDN'T DO ANYTHING TO COVER THIS UNUSUAL QUALITY PROBLEM UNDER WARRANTY. I UNDERSTAND IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY, BUT I WOULDN'T EXPECT A MAJOR STEERING, START AND INTERLOCK SYSTEM FAILURE WHEN IT IS ONLY 10,600 MILES OVER THE WARRANTY PERIOD. AS AN AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEER RESPONSIBLE FOR QUALITY I DEAL WITH WARRANTY ISSUES QUITE OFTEN AS WELL AS RECALLS WITH NHTSA. WHILE MANY TIMES A QUALITY ISSUE WITH A PRODUCT IS SAFETY RELATED IT DOES NOT REQUIRE A NHTSA RECALL. HOWEVER, IT CAN BE COVERED UNDER A MANUFACTURERS CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CAMPAIGN. FROM THE NHTSA WEBSITE, THERE ARE MANY CASES REPORTED THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE 2006 BMW 330I MODEL. I AM REPORTING THIS INCIDENT TO NHTSA IN HOPES THAT BMW WILL DO SOMETHING FOR OTHER OWNERS AS THE REPAIR BILL WAS $938.00 AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED BY BMW, WARRANTY OR NOT. *TR