2011 BMW 5 Series Steering Problems
- Complaints
- 20about this part
- Share
- 25%of 81 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 72miles
- Trend
- StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
NHTSA recorded 20 complaints about the steering of the 2011 BMW 5 Series, 25% of the 81 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 72 miles. 1 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.
“Bmw 2011 535i - vehicle pulls to right immediately after letting hand of steering wheel. I purchased the vehicle on 12/31/2011 new and it has been in the shop since 1/2/11. It was released to me today with the problem not being fixed. Issue is a safety issue as it can pull vehicle into lane with out driver turning wheel.”
NHTSA complaint #10374690, filed 2011-01, 1,874 miles“My 2011 Bmw 528i pulled hard to the right the day I drove it off the dealer's lot. The car remains in the dealer's shop. It has had two wheel alignments and a software download. I have driven it after the work was performed and it continues to want to pull right. The vehicle has 375 miles on it.”
NHTSA complaint #10373873, filed 2011-01, 1 miles“Car pulls to the right. Does not steer linear. It is hard to determine where the car is going with this pull. It drives like this all the time. It is especially difficult in wet weather. It has been like this since I purchased it new. The dealer has tried rotating tires and rotating strut towers, but no resolve. The dealer told me it's a steering software problem in which they have no fix for.”
NHTSA complaint #10354009, filed 2010-09, 75 miles“I purchased my 2011 550i in january of 2011. Two weeks after actually getting the car on the road I noticed the vehicle veers to the right. I took the car back in and the dealership stated they performed an alignment. Car still pulls to the right in addition to now I have a loud whining noise at 2000 rpms. The chief mechanic has had my car for two weeks now and cannot identify the problem. Additionally, there was a lot of loud creeking noises coming from my rooftop liner. …”
NHTSA complaint #10406284, filed 2011-06, 375 miles“Brand new 2011 Bmw 550i, car pulls hard to the right, car is difficult to control at high speeds, problem is constant, cars honk at me sometimes when driving next to me because the car swerves back and forth uncontrollably.”
NHTSA complaint #10349794, filed 2010-08, 12 milesRelated service bulletins
- 10057532Oct 1, 2014Bmw: during process of starting engine, electric power assist (eps) will be reduced, intermittently, and yellow eps warning lamp briefly illuminates, due to a brief undervoltage.
- 10036979Jun 1, 2010Bmw: a new technical process has been created for bmw to identify causes of steering complaints with a wide range of models.
Steering: other model years
Other parts of the 2011 BMW 5 Series
30 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
10 complaintsElectrical system
6 complaintsFuel system
5 complaintsEngine cooling
4 complaintsEngine
3 complaintsOther or unknown
3 complaintsVehicle speed control
3 complaintsWheels
3 complaintsSuspension
2 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
2 complaintsAir bags
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2011 BMW 5 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