NHTSA Complaint #11091725 — 2012 BMW 328I

I LEFT MY CAR IN MY DRIVEWAY FOR NEARLY 2 MONTHS WITHOUT DRIVING IT OVER THE WINTER MONTHS IN NEW ENGLAND. UPON STARTING THE CAR ON NICER WEATHER, MY STEERING WHEEL WOULD NOT MOVE. I CAN DRIVE THE CAR IN A STRAIGHT DIRECTION BUT THE STEERING WHEEL JUST WOULDN'T BUDGE. HAD A BMW DEALERSHIP DIAGNOSE THE ISSUE AND FINGERS WERE POINTED AT HITTING A POTHOLE THAT CAUSED IMPACT AND THEREFORE DAMAGED 4 BOLTS HOLDING THE STEERING RACK TO THE MOTOR. HOWEVER, THEY COULD NOT FIGURE OUT HOW I WAS DRIVING IT PERFECTLY FINE BEFORE STORING IT FOR WINTER, AND HOW 3 BOLTS WAS ALREADY MISSING AND THE LAST BOLT WAS CORRODING AND EVENTUALLY FELL OFF. NICE, NOT A MECHANICAL ISSUE SO NOT BMW'S RESPONSIBILITY. THIS MEANS I WAS DRIVING THE CAR WITH 1 BOLT HOLDING THE STEERING RACK TO THE MOTOR FOR AN UNKNOWN PERIOD OF TIME. THE CAR GAVE NO WARNINGS WHATSOEVER AND I AM LUCKY THAT THE LAST AND FINAL BOLT HELD TOGETHER UNTIL THE CAR WAS NOT BEING DRIVEN. IF THE LAST BOLT GAVE UP WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS MOVING, THEN I MAY NOT HAVE BEEN SO LUCKY. WHY WOULD AN IMPACT THAT STRONG, AS DESCRIBED BY THE BMW TECHNICIAN, NOT FULLY RIP APART THE BOLTS? WHY WAS I ABLE TO DRIVE NORMALLY FOR WEEKS WITHOUT ISSUES? HOW DID IT NOT CAUSE ANY OTHER ISSUES AROUND THE WHEEL OR SUSPENSION AND ONLY 4 SECLUDED BOLTS WERE AFFECTED? WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF ALL THE BOLTS GAVE UP WHILE THE CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN? HOW DOES A BMW CANNOT WITHSTAND NORMAL IMPACT WITH ITS FINE GERMAN ENGINEERING? FORD HAD RECENTLY RECALLED ALMOST 1 MILLION VEHICLES BECAUSE THEIR BOLTS WERE FAULTY AND WOULD CORRODE UNDER WATER/SNOW WITH SALT. TESLA DID THE SAME RECALL EARLIER THIS YEAR. PLEASE NOTE TESLA USES THE SAME MANUFACTURER FOR THESE ALUMINUM BOLTS WHICH ARE SUSCEPTIBLE TO CORROSION AS BMW.