NHTSA Complaint #10633306 — 2007 BMW 530I

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