Skip to content
SteeringPart report

2006 BMW 3 Series Steering Problems

Complaints
24about this part
Share
12%of 202 total for the year
Median mileage
58,901miles
Trend
StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.

NHTSA recorded 24 complaints about the steering of the 2006 BMW 3 Series, 12% of the 202 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 58,901 miles. 2 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“Failure of steering column lock, causing inability to restart automobile intermittently. I have read this is a common problem with early 2006 330i models, but a recall was never issued. My car has very low miles, so it was clearly a design flaw. Bmw offered to supply the parts for free, however I feel this is a safety-related issue and should have been 100% covered by Bmw as a recall and handled proactively by the company.”

NHTSA complaint #10369685, filed 2010-12, 12,696 miles

“I drive a 2006 Bmw 330xi with the oem bridgestone turanaza runflat tires. From 2006 to today I have replaced all 4 of my tires and rims twice and still have problems with the tires being to rough on new york city roads which means it just cracking and bending each and every rim on my car over time. Now this problem with the tires being to rough and lack of control with there tires lead to another problem something in my steering rack has cracked. …”

NHTSA complaint #10238977, filed 2008-08, 19,000 miles

“I own a 2006 Bmw 330xi. I'm having problems with the steering column lock which prevents the car from starting. The problem starts with a yellow warning light that indicates the steering column is locked. The starting problem is constant. We are concerned we may get stranded or as some have reported the steering may lock with little or no warning . From what I can find on the internet it appears Bmw is aware of the problem. Comments are bad steering column. The problem started in feb. Of 2012 when the car only had 9000 miles and my extended warranty had just expired. …”

NHTSA complaint #10611185, filed 2014-07, 9,000 miles

“Received yellow steering wheel and lock icon when trying to start the car. Attempted using different keys, but the car would not start and the steering wheel remained immobile. I exited the car and waited about 30 minutes to try again, but received yellow steering wheel with lock icon again when putting the key fob into the vehicle. When I called the dealership, I was quoted about $1200 as soon as I described the yellow steering wheel and lock, without them having seen the vehicle. The sa also mentioned that the newer models don't even have this feature at all. …”

NHTSA complaint #10543021, filed 2013-09, 149,000 miles

“The two issues are (1) airbag malfunction and (2) steering wheel malfunction. (1) the first issue occurred while I was driving on ca I-80 towards berkley from davis on 8/17/2012. As I was driving, the car displayed a notification that the passenger air bag was experiencing a problem and shut off. There was a passenger in the car. As of this date, the airbag is still shut off. (2) the second issue occurred while I was driving on ca I-280 from burlingame towards millbrae on 8/30/2012. As I was driving, I noticed a steering wheel lock notification. …”

NHTSA complaint #10473122, filed 2012-08, 97,500 miles

Related service bulletins

Steering: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
2012114%
200936%
200823%
20071513%
20062412%
200411%
200228%
200113%

Other parts of the 2006 BMW 3 Series

Air bags
101 complaints
Electrical system
32 complaints
Latches, locks and linkages
26 complaints
Tires
13 complaints
Seat belts
12 complaints
Seats
12 complaints
Engine
11 complaints
Body and structure
9 complaints
Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
8 complaints
Vehicle speed control
6 complaints
Other or unknown
5 complaints
Engine cooling
4 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2006 BMW 3 Series

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology