2004 BMW 7 Series Steering Problems
- Complaints
- 3about this part
- Share
- 11%of 28 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 54,500miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 3 complaints about the steering of the 2004 BMW 7 Series, 11% of the 28 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 54,500 miles.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“When vehicle comes to a complete stop on an incline with the steering wheel turned full chocked to either the left or right the steering wheel freezes and cannot be turned to the opposite direction. It will not free up until I shift the transmission in reverse and back up a few feet. At that point it will unfreeze with a jerk and operate correctly. This has happened on about 6 occasions. I notified the local dealer where I purchased the car, used with 52,000 miles. It now has 55,000 miles and I've had the vehicle for about 9 months. …”
NHTSA complaint #10232203, filed 2008-06, 54,500 miles“When vehicle comes to a complete stop on an incline with the steering wheel turned full chocked to either the left or right the steering wheel freezes and cannot be turned to the opposite direction. It will not free up until I shift the transmission in reverse and back up a few feet. At that point it will unfreeze with a jerk and operate correctly. This has happened on about 6 occasions. I notified the local dealer where I purchased the car, used with 52,000 miles. It now has 55,000 miles and I've had the vehicle for about 9 months. …”
NHTSA complaint #10234466, filed 2008-07, 55,000 miles“After two weeks of purchase, the vehicle went into neutral mode with the gear shift still in drive without warning. The consumer coasted the vehicle to the side of the road. On a separate occasion, the power steering failed and became difficult to operate for directional control twice. On both items the dealership was unable to duplicate the problem. Please provide details. The consumer was told there was a 9/1/04 recall notice to reprogram this model vehicle. The consumer was told that his vehicle was not during this recall period.”
NHTSA complaint #10089256, filed 2004-09, 2,386 milesRelated service bulletins
- 10043714Feb 1, 2012Bmw: steering column switch center contains one or more faults: internal control, steering wheel lock range exceeded, wiper angle defective. Various check control messages appear…
- 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
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 3 | 11% |
Other parts of the 2004 BMW 7 Series
5 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
4 complaintsAir bags
3 complaintsElectrical system
3 complaintsEngine cooling
3 complaintsFuel system
3 complaintsSeats
3 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
2 complaintsEquipment
1 complaintsExterior lighting
1 complaintsBody and structure
1 complaintsTires
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2004 BMW 7 Series
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 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