2006 BMW 325I Steering Problems

Vehicle Steering Lock Malfunction - Car does not start and stuck in Park. Cannot move steering wheel which is locked. This is a design defect that needs to be addressed. Vehicle is rendered inoperative! Cannot move or start it! approx. mileage 105k. This is a new problem besides the current recall which has not been available yet. I've also been locked out of this vehicle and had to climb out of the window, thank God it was not a fire or flood! I was able to fix that problem myself. note: Steering Lock Malfunction is a widespread problem! Dealers want to replace the entire steering column in these cases at a very high cost. Thanks, [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

THERE IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THIS MODEL BMW, THE ELV CONTROL /STEERING WARNING LOCK IS FAULTY. BMW ISSUED A TSB TO DEALERS THAT THIS IS AN ISSUE AND SHOULD ONLY BE FIXED IF A CUSTOMER BRINGS IN THE VEHICLE. THE ISSUE FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND IS A SOFTWARE ISSUE AND CAN ONLY BE FIXED AT A DEALER. A RECALL SHOULD BE ISSUED, IF THE CONTROL CANNOT BE UNLOCKED THE CAR CANNOT START. SINCE BMW HAS RECOGNIZED THE ISSUE WITH A TSB, I AM UNSURE AS TO WHY A RECALL AS NOT BEEN ISSUED. THIS ISSUE IS STRICTLY RELATED TO THE BMW COMPUTER SYSTEM AND THE OWNERS CAN DO NOTHING TO PREVENT THIS FAILURE. *TR

STEERING COLUNM

Mileage: 300,000

ENGINE SUDDENLY SHOT OFF COMPLETE STALL - LOST POWER STEERING ON FREEWAY WHILE GOING 70 MPH

Mileage: 172,000

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 325I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A STRONG ODOR ENTERING THE VENTS OF THE VEHICLE WHILE WAITING FOR MONTHS TO RECEIVE THE REMEDY FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V676000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). IN ADDITION, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE STEERING WHEEL BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC OR DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS OR REPAIRS. THE DEALERS BMW OF BOWLING GREEN (325 THREE SPRINGS RD, BOWLING GREEN, KY 42104, (270) 745-0001) AND BMW OF LOUISVILLE (4 AUTOCENTER DR., LOUISVILLE, KY 40299, (502) 287-1501) HAD BEEN UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHEN THE REMEDY PARTS WOULD BE PROVIDED FROM THE MANUFACTURER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND BUT WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHEN THE REMEDY PARTS WOULD BE PROVIDED TO THE DEALERS FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE. *TT

CAR WAS DRIVING WHEN YELLOW STEERING COLUMN LOCK WARNING LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING ON STREET. MALFUNCTION OF INTEGRAL LOCK SENSOR IN STEERING COLUMN ELV ECU HARDWARE STEERING LOCK ERROR STEERING COLUMN LOCK YELLOW COLOR LEADS TO RED WHICH TOTALLY RENDERS CAR UNABLE TO START BMW HAS KNOW BULLETIN SIB-32-04-07

Mileage: 91,000

THE VEHICLE WON'T START, AND STEERING WHEEL IS LOCKED. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN THE GARAGE, I WAS ABLE TO START THE CAR INITIALLY, BUT 20 MINUTES LATER, THE CAR WOULD NOT START AND THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED. I TESTED THE ALTERNATOR AND THE BATTERY, BUT STILL NOT ABLE TO START OR TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. UPON RESEARCHING THE PROBLEM, IT SEEMS TO BE THE AN ISSUE WITH THE ELV LOCKING SYSTEM.

TENSION BELTS.OVER HEATING.ALIGNMENT.TRANSMISSION. I'VE LOST JOBS DUE TO THESE ISSUES THE CAR AGAIN IS BROKE

MY WIFE PARKED HER 2006 BMW 325I AND WHEN SHE TRIED TO START THE CAR THE ELECTRONIC STEERING WHEEL LOOK MALFUNCTION LIGHT CAME ON. SHE WAS UNABLE TO START THE CAR, MOVE THE CAR OR TAKE IT OUT OF PARK TO HAVE IT TOWED. THIS IS EITHER A BAD DESIGN BY BMW (IT ONLY HAPPENS IN 2006-7 MODELS) OR SAFETY DEFECT.

Mileage: 98,765

STEERING WHEEL LOCK LIGHT IS ON ENGINE DOES NOT START STEERING WHEEL DOES NOT MOVE IS LOCK

Mileage: 130,000

STEERING WHEEL LIGHT COMES ON VEHICLE DOES NOT START STEERING WHEEL LOCKS I HEAR FROM A FORUM THAT THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE CAN BE A REASON FOR A FATAL ACCIDENT.

Mileage: 130,000

ELECTRIC STEERING LOCK.

STEERING WHEEL LOCK HAS MALFUNCTIONED RENDERING THE CAR UNSTARTABLE..CAR WAS PARKED WITH WHEELS FACING STRAIT AHEAD AND UPON RESTART THE LOCK MALFUNCTIONED AND HAS BEEN STUCK IN THE LOCK POSITION.

Mileage: 80,000

BELT TENSIONER BOLT BROKE OFF CAUSING SERPENTINE BELT TO SLIP OFF CAUSING ENGINE TO FAIL. CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN WHEN CAR STARTED TO LOSE POWER AND POWER STEERING STOPPED WORKING. I HAVE NO DOCUMENTATION YET BECAUSE CAR HAS JUST BEEN DIAGNOSED AND IS IN REPAIR SHOP NOW. I FOUND ONLINE THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO OTHERS AS WELL.

Mileage: 125,000

STEERING ENGINE LIGHT WARNING. STARTED WITH A SMALL RED LIGHT WHEN TURNING CAR OFF. THE FLASH OF RED WAS SO QUICK COULD NOT TELL WHAT SYMBOL IT WAS. THIS THEN TURNED INTO YELLOW WARNING WITH WRITTEN DESCRIPTION IN NAVIGATION/COMPUTER DISPLAY. STEERING ENGINE LOCK. TURN STEERING WHEEL LEFT AND RIGHT. DO NOT TURN CAR OFF WILL NOT RESTART. TOOK CAR IN TWICE NOT ANYTHING SHOWING ERROR OR PROBLEM. CALLED BMW N. AMERICA HAD NO IDEA WHAT THIS ILLUMINATED SYMBOL MEANT, CONNECTED ME TO A LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND THEY HAD NO IDEA. TOWED TO DEALER WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR (I HAVE BEEN THE ONLY OWNER AND DRIVER). CAR HAS 44950 MILES. DEALER CALLED TODAY AND SAID STEERING COLUMN NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THE YELLOW ILLUMINATION STAYED ON WHEN CAR WAS STATIONARY, IN MOTION AND TURNING WHILE ON CITY STREETS AND HIGHWAY. RED ILLUMINATION CAR WAS STATIONARY.

Mileage: 44,900

STEERING WHEEL LOCK PREVENTS THE STARTER FROM WORKING. THIS PREVENTS THE ENGINE FROM STARTING. I WILL HAVE TO REPLACE THE STEERING COLUMN WHICH WILL COST OVER ONE THOUSANDS DOLLARS. BMW HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM

Mileage: 93,000

MY VEHICLE IS IN STORAGE FOR THE WINTER I START IT ONCE A WEEK THEN RECENTLY IT JUST STOP WORKING AND A STEERING WHEEL LOCK APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD I RESEARCH IT AND THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE A BMW 325I HAD THE SAME ISSUE . I FEEL BMW SHOULD REPAIR THIS MANUFACTURING DEFECT. *TR

Mileage: 66,000

VEHICLE HAD A YELLOW STEERING WHEEL AND LOCK DISPLAY ON THE DASH WHEN I TRIED TO START MY CAR. AFTER MULTIPLE ATTEMPT TO START THE CAR IN EVERY POSSIBLY WAY, IT STILL DID NOT START. PUT KEY IN, PULLED IT OUT MULTIPLE TIMES; LOCKED CAR, UNLOCKED CAR; WIGGLED STEERING WHEEL WHILE TRYING TO START THE CAR (PUSH START). NOTICED WHEN KEY IS PUSHED INTO KEY HOLE, IT LATCHES, BUT DOES NOT GIVE ANY ELECTRICAL POWER TO THE CAR, OR RELEASE THE STEERING WHEEL. STEERING WHEEL WAS LOCKED. CAR HAS NO POWER TO OTHER FUNCTIONS IN CAR. CAR CAN'T BE SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL TO MOVE CAR. THE CAR IS PRETTY MUCH UNUSABLE. *TR

Mileage: 146,000

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

Mileage: 65,512

JUST HAD CAR SERVICED AND LOOKED OVER ON WEEK LATER STEERING WHEEL LOCK CAME ON WHEN I USED IT DAY BEFORE. HAD NO WARNING, WOKE UP IN THE MORNING TO GO TO WORK AND STEERING WHEEL LOCK SYMBOL CAME UP AND CAR WILL NOT START. *TR

Mileage: 109,000

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 325I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PARK, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME STUCK AS THE STEERING WHEEL LOCK WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE THEN STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 66,000. *TR

Mileage: 66,000

STEERING WHEEL LOCK JAM LIGHT CAME ON IN THE CAR AND I WAS ABLE TO RESET IT. HAPPENED AGAIN ON FEBRUARY 15 AND THIS TIME IT WILL NOT RESET. *TR

Mileage: 25,489

THE STEERING COLUMN LOCK WAS YELLOW, THEN WENT RED AND WOULD NOT START. MY MECHANIC GOT HIT TO GO BACK TO YELLOW, TOOK IT TO BMW AND THEY SAID THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. TOOK THE CAR HOME AND TO ANOTHER MECHANIC WHO REPLACED THE COLUMN, BUT IT DID NOT RESOLVE THE ISSUE. EVERYONE TELLS ME THE CASE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. *TR

Mileage: 82,000

I NOW HAVE THE "STEERING LOCK" YELLOW CAUTION LIGHT ON. *TR

Mileage: 55,000

TRIED TO START CAR, PUT KEY IN, PRESSED START BUTTON AND AN AMBER PADLOCK ICON APPEARED OVER A STEERING WHEEL ICON - CAR WON'T START. *TR

Mileage: 80,000

TODAY MY BMW 325I WAS GIVING ME A TROUBLE SYMBOL WITH A RED STEERING WHEEL WITH A LOCK WITH THE NUMBER 1 IN IT. I WAS PARKED AT GAS STATION GETTING GAS AND WHEN I TRIED TO CRANK THE CAR BACK UP IT WOULD NOT START. I HAVE BEEN READING HUNDREDS OF OTHER BLOGS ABOUT PEOPLE HAVING THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. IT LOOKS LIKE WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE A TOW TRUCK TO TAKE THE CAR 70 MILES TO THE NEAREST DEALER AND PAY TO HAVE IT FIXED. THIS SHOULD CERTAINLY BE A RECALL!!! SHAME ON YOU BMW FOR NOT ADMITTING THAT THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM. WHAT IF THE STEERING WOULD HAVE LOCKED UP WITH MY FAMILY IN THE CAR GOING DOWN THE ROAD? *TR

Mileage: 92,000

STEERING WAS LOCKED AND I CAN'T START THE CAR FOR 2 DAYS AFTER I TRYING SO MANY METHODS GOT FROM ONLINE. *TR

Mileage: 32,000

THE VEHICLES ELECTRONIC STEERING WHEEL LOCK MECHANISM HAS FAILED AND VEHICLE WILL NOT UNLOCK THE STEERING WHEEL COLUMN NOR START THE VEHICLE WITH THIS PROBLEM IN PLACE. HUNDREDS OF OTHER COMPLAINTS ACROSS THE BOARD WITH MY SAME PARTICULAR MY (2006) CAN EASILY BE FOUND BY A SIMPLE SEARCH ON ANY GIVEN BMW BLOG/FORUM. THIS SHOULD DEFINITELY BE A RECALL. WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF IT HAD LOCKED UP WHILE DRIVING?? NOT SAFE AT ALL AND WILL CERTAINLY TRY EVERYTHING I CAN TO RECOUP THE $1000+ I WILL BE SPENDING FROM BMW FOR THE LABOR/REPAIR THAT IT WILL COST TO HAVE THIS RIDICULOUS ISSUE RESOLVED. *TR

Mileage: 117,000

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 325I. WHILE PARKED,THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE STEERING WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC. THE CONTACT DID NOT EXPERIENCE A FAILURE WITH THE STEERING WHILE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 52,000.

Mileage: 52,000

AS MANY OTHERS HAVE COMPLAINED, MY CAR NOW HAS A YELLOW STEERING WHEEL ICON WITH A LOCK. I HAVE TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL A FEW TIMES IN ORDER TO GET THE CAR TO UNLOCK AND START. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE IT AS I HAVE READ THAT MANY PEOPLE ARE UNABLE TO START THE CAR ONCE THE ICON TURNS FROM YELLOW TO RED. THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECT TO BMW AND THEY HAVE DISCONTINUED USE OF THIS ELECTRONIC LOCK IN THEIR 2007+ CARS. WHY WON'T BMW ADMIT THAT THEIR IS AN ISSUE AND FIX IT? WHY SHOULD I HAVE TO PAY $500+ TO FIX SOMETHING THEY'VE KNOWN WAS BROKEN IN THE FIRST PLACE. *TR

Mileage: 50,000

RED STEERING WHEEL LOCK MALFUNCTION THE CAR WON'T START DUE TO THE MALFUNCTION I HAVE TOO GET IT TOWED DOWN TO THE DEALER. *TR

Mileage: 98,000

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 325I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED. THE DRIVER RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND THE STEERING WHEEL OPERATED AS NORMAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST AND THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE ELECTRONIC STEERING LOCK WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 48,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

Mileage: 48,000

STEERING WHEEL COLUMN HAS LOCKED AND THE CAR NEEDED TO BE TOWED TO THE BMW DEALERSHIP. AFTER RESEARCHING THE VEHICLES MAKE AND MODEL (325I 2006 BMW) I HAVE NOTICED THAT THIS IS AN ONGOING ISSUE WITH THE STEERING WHEEL COLUMN AND IGNITION PORT. BMW HAS DISCONTINUED THIS TYPE OF STEERING WHEEL COLUMN WHEN BUILDING THEIR 2007 VEHICLES BECAUSE ITS AN ISSUE. WHY HASN'T THIS BEEN RECALLED AND WHY HASN'T ANYONE TAKEN ACTION ON THE INCIDENT? *TR

Mileage: 56,000

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 325I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE STEERING COLUMN COULD SEIZE AND PREVENT THE WHEELS FROM BEING TURNED. THEY ALSO ADVISED THAT A SENSOR IN THE STEERING COLUMN WAS POSSIBLY FAILING AND THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN WOULD MOST LIKELY NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,009.

Mileage: 70,009

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 325I. THE CONTACT STATED THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD LOCK AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THE DEALER STATED THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THERE ARE NO RECALLS OR WARRANTIES RELATED TO THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.

Mileage: 50,000

STEERING WHEEL LOCK FAILURE. I HAVE A 2006 BMW 325I. ACCORDING TO BMW IT JUST BROKE. HOW? MY VEHICLE IS NOT EVEN TRULY 6 YEARS OF AGE AND DOESN'T EVEN HAVE 100,000 MILES ON IT YET. I'VE FOUND SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ON BIMMERFEST.COM CONCERNING THE SAME PROBLEM. I FEEL THAT SOMEONE SHOULD LOOK INTO THIS PROBLEM MORE THOROUGHLY. YES I HAVE TO PAY FOR MY OWN FIX BUT I ALSO FEEL THAT THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM THAT'S OCCURRING IN THIS MODEL MAKE AND YEAR. *TR

Mileage: 94,000

STEERING WHEEL LOCK WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED IN RED ON DASH. VEHICLE WHEEL COULD LOCK ACCORDING TO THE OWNERS MANUAL. *LN

Mileage: 84,000

STEERING WHEEL LOCKED ON 2006 325I - CAR HAS ONLY 41000+ MILES. NEITHER KEY WOULD WORK TO START THE CAR. BATTERY IN GOOD CONDITION. CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER SINCE THE STEERING WHEEL WAS STUCK AND SO WAS THE GEAR. NEITHER OF THE KEYS WERE ABLE TO START THE VEHICLE. THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS ON BIMMERFEST.COM AND OTHER CONSUMER WEBSITES. *TR

Mileage: 41,600

2006 BMW 325I STEERING WHEEL LOCK FAILURE OCCURRED IN MAY 2007. TOOK CAR TO DEALER AND THE STEERING WHEEL COLUMN WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN REPLACED MAY 2007. JULY 2010 CAR MADE A LOUD GRINDING NOISE. AUG 2010 GOT WHEEL LOCK SYMBOL AGAIN---STEERING WHEEL LOCK FAILING AGAIN FOR THE SECOND TIME. TOOK CAR TO DEALER. DEALER WANTS TO CHARGE ME $130.00 JUST TO CHECK IT OUT--NOT INCLUDING REPAIRS. I THINK THIS PROBLEM SHOULD BE A RECALL. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH 2006 325I SERIES. *TR

Mileage: 81,000