NHTSA Complaint #11288471 — 2013 BMW 328I

FAILURE OF ELECTRICAL ASSIST POWER STEERING (EPS) WHILE VEHICLE STATIONARY - 2013 BMW 328I, 89,500 MILES UPON STARTUP, WHILE TURNING STEERING WHELL TOMOVE CAR, STEERING SYSTEM EMITTED WHINING NOISE, BANGS AND THUMPS, THEN HIGH PITCHED WHINE. ALL POWER STEERING WAS LOST, AND CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TO BMW DEALER. DIAGNOSIS WAS MECHANICAL FAILURE OF BOLTS HOLDING POWER STEERING BOX TO THE STEERING RACK, THUS CAUSING DAMAGE TO BOTH COMPONENTS. DAMAGE REQUIRED ENTIRE STEERING SYSTEM TO BE REPLACED AT $5K+ COST. CAUSE, AS DIAGNOSED BY BMW DEALER: EXTENSIVE CORROSION OF ALUMINUM BOLTS HOLDING COMPONENTS TOGETHER CAUSED BOOT FAILURE AND SUBSEQUENT COMPONENT DAMAGE. NHTSA ISSUE: UNSAFE COMPONENT DESIGN, AS BOLT FAILURE AT HIGH SPEED COULD CAUSE CATASTOPHIC ACCIDENT. REMEDIES: 1) NHTSA REQUIRE GENERAL RECALL OF ALL AFFECTED VEHICLES FOR BOLT CHECKING AND REPLACEMENT IF CORROSION PRESENT. 2) NHTSA REQUIRE BMW TO PROVIDE TYPE 316 STAINLESS STEEL FASTENERS WITH SUITABLE DIS-SIMILAR METALS PROTECTION WHERE SAFETY-CRITICAL COMPONENTS EXPOSED TO ROADWAY SALT EXPOSURE. 3) IF THE ABOVE IS NOT WARRANTED DUE TO SMALL NUMBER OF AFFECTED VEHICLES, NHTSA REQUIRE BMW TO ISSUE SERVICE NOTICE FOR ALL AFFECTED VIN NUMBERS TO CHECK CONDITION OF STEERING BOX MOUNTING BOLTS AS PART OF STANDARD INTERVAL MAINTENANCE PROCEDURE. ATTACHMENTS: PICTURES OF TWO AFFECTED UNITS: MY 2013 328I CORODED POWER STEERING UNIT, AND A SIMILAR ON FROM A 2012 328I, DOWNLOADED FROM ENTHUSIAST FORUM ON INTERNET, SUGGESTING A PATTERN.