NHTSA Complaint #10644096 — 2006 BMW 325I

I ONLY HAVE 65K MILES ON MY BMW 325I 2006 IT AND MOSTLY DRIVEN ON HIGHWAYS. A FEW DAYS BACK MY BMW WOULDN'T START WITHOUT ANY RHYME OR REASON. IT HAD A RED STEERING WHEEL WARNING LIGHT ON AND THE CAR WOULDN'T START AT ALL. THE BOOK DIDN'T HAVE ANY INSTRUCTIONS EITHER BUT TO TAKE THE CAR TO DEALERSHIPS. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY WERE ALSO HELPLESS AND HAD NO IDEA. I HAD TO TOW MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP. ULTIMATELY DEALERSHIP INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS SOME MANUFACTURING ISSUE AND THE WHOLE STEERING COLUMN NEED TO BE REPLACED. THIS SOUNDED CRAZY AS MY CAR HAS NEVER BEEN WITH ANY ACCIDENT. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY A CAR WITH ONLY 65K MILES NEEDS A WHOLE STEERING COLUMN REPLACED. IT COST ME ~$1500 TO REPLACE THE STEERING COLUMN. ON SEARCHING GOOGLE IT LOOKS LIKE A LOT OF CUSTOMERS HAVE THE SAME MANUFACTURING ISSUE WHERE THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD JAM AND CUSTOMERS NEED TO REPLACE THE WHOLE STEERING COLUMN. I EMAILED AND CALLED THE BMW SERVICE AND THEY REFUSED TO TAKE ANY ACTION AND TOLD ME TO FILE A COMPLAINT WITH NHTSA IF I WISH TO DO SO. THIS IS DEFINITELY A MANUFACTURING DEFECT WHERE THE CAR WOULD NOT EVEN START UNTIL THE WHOLE STEERING COLUMN IS REPLACED. PLEASE TELL BMW TO OWN THE MANUFACTURING ISSUE AND STOP CHEATING NAIVE CUSTOMERS. *TR