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SteeringPart report

2017 BMW I3 Steering Problems

Complaints
11about this part
Share
21%of 53 total for the year
Median mileage
12,208miles
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

NHTSA recorded 11 complaints about the steering of the 2017 BMW I3, 21% of the 53 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 12,208 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.

“Roads were clear but edges slushy. Temp was 27 degrees.drove 2 miles at 40ish MPH to starbucks, got coffee. Normal rear wheel drive traction issues when changing lanes, etc. I was driving carefully and about 5 MPH under what everyone else was doing. About a mile away from the coffee drive through, I changed lanes (right to left) over a pile of slush...normal mild traction issues. …”

NHTSA complaint #11408397, filed 2021-04, 14,000 miles

“Whileexiting a parking place along a curb - slight veer out,on dry pavement, nightime, on an averagecity street. Steering suddenly became bullish. Within 100 feet and in the processof the 1st upcoming90-degree right-handturn all manner of warnings went off, pedestrian warning faulty,increased steer effort (duh!) chassis stabilization. I also feltimmediatepainin my right forearm and so the order of warnings may be a bit off. …”

NHTSA complaint #11270342, filed 2019-10, 22,000 miles

“Drove car 8 miles as normal. Got back in car and steering was abnormal. Felt as if had a flat (which did not). In steering, the car pulled to the right, and needed counter steering. The center feel of the steering was different, and easy to turn to the left. Parked the car, waited 5 minutes, and the problem was gone. Found multiple similar experiences online with this model.”

NHTSA complaint #11219871, filed 2019-06, 10,650 miles

“On multiple occasions, when pulling away from a parking sport or accelerating from low velocity, the power steering on left appears to lose power. The car begins to pull very heavily to the left. The issue continues the entire drive. The steering became hard. After turning the car off, the steering returned to normal”

NHTSA complaint #11174542, filed 2019-02, 1 miles

“Some times the steering wheel becomes very heavy ( hard to turn) and has a bias to turn one side over the other. Restarting the car after 5 minutes makes it ok. It looks like a software issue. It happens say at least once in 2-3 months.”

NHTSA complaint #11190142, filed 2019-03, 1,000 miles

Related service bulletins

Steering: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
2019431%
2018321%
20171121%
2016824%
20151532%
2014713%

Other parts of the 2017 BMW I3

Other or unknown
13 complaintsBody and structure
12 complaintsElectrical system
8 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
6 complaintsAir bags
3 complaintsFuel system
3 complaintsBrakes
2 complaintsElectronic stability control
2 complaintsVehicle speed control
2 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
2 complaintsBack-over prevention (rear camera)
1 complaintsEngine
1 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2017 BMW I3

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 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