2007 BMW 328I Steering Problems

I WAS DRIVING THE CAR AND THE ELECTRONIC STEERING WHEEL LOCK ICON ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH PANEL. IT KEPT GIVING THE WARNING THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WILL LOCK AND IF I TURN THE CAR OFF, I WON'T BE ABLE TO CRANK IT. I DROVE IT FOR ABOUT TWO WEEKS. WHEN I TURNED THE CAR OFF, I COULD NOT CRANK IT BACK UP. I HAD TO HAVE THE STEERING COLUMN REPLACED AT MY LOCAL BMW REPAIR SHOP. I HAVE KNOWN OTHER BMW OWNER'S WHO SAYS THIS HAS HAPPENED TO THEM MORE THAN ONCE. I AM WONDERING IF THIS IS A DEFECT IN THE BMW 328I MODELS BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THE STEERING WHEEL COULD ALSO LOCK IF A PERSON WAS DRIVING, ALSO. *TR

BMW STEERING WHEEL LOCK CANT START VEHICLE LEAVES YOU STRANDED. HAD DEALER REPLACED ALREADY ONCE IN PAST PROBLEM PERSISTS. *TR

STEERING WHEEL LOCKS UP UNEXPECTED AND CAR WILL NOT START. HAVE BEEN REPLACED ONCE BEFORE. THIS IS THE SECOND INCIDENT SINCE 12/28/09. CAR HAS TO BE TOWED FROM LOCATIONS. *TR

RED STEERING WHEEL AND PADLOCK WARNING INDICATOR LIGHT IS ON - STEERING WHEEL WILL NOT LOCK. THE MOST COMMON ISSUE WITH THIS FAULT CAN CAUSE A "NO START" CONDITION. THE "NO START" CONDITION CAN ARISE AND THE STEERING WHEEL COULD LOCK WHILE DRIVING. THIS IS THE SECOND FAILURE WITHIN 4 YEARS AND COMMON IN BMW'S (SEE THREAD: HTTP://WWW.BIMMERFEST.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=316722 *AND THREAD: HTTP://WWW.E90POST.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=147586)

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 BMW 328I. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH AND MAKING A RIGHT TURN, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED. THE CONTACT DROVE ACROSS SEVERAL LANES OF TRAFFIC WITHOUT CRASHING. THE BRAKES WERE SLOW TO RESPOND WHEN DEPRESSED AND THE ABS LIGHT ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL ILLUMINATED. WHEN THE VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP, THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE STEERING WHEEL WAS STILL LOCKED. THE CONTACT SHUT OFF THE VEHICLE. WHEN SHE RESTARTED IT, THE VEHICLE BEGAN OPERATING NORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT CURRENTLY REMAINS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 3,183.