Table 1 shows one common steering related problems of the 2017 BMW X3.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Steering problems |
The vehicle will not drive straight when the steering wheel is at center. The vehicle will drift either to the left or to the right, but it will not go straight without constant corrections. In short, the steering system does not have a center. The authorized dealer's certified technician test drove the vehicle and confirmed the issue. They unsuccessfully tried to repair it with wheel alignment and eps recalibration. Then they said that they test drove a similar vehicle and it exhibits the same steering issue and thus they called it "a normal characteristic of the electric steering". I have contacted BMW na about the issue and the dealer's statement that this steering issue is a normal characteristic. BMW na has not provided any technical guidance or opinion and they redirect me back to the dealer. Their overall verdict is that if more than one vehicles exhibit the issue, then it is normal, and there is nothing they can do. Nhtsa should investigate if X3 models with electric steering have this steering issue and possibly ask BMW to recall because it is a big safety issue.
The contact owns 2017 BMW X3. The contact stated that while driving at various speed, the power steering system malfunctioned and caused the contact to experience extreme difficulty in steering. The failure recurred several times. The contact also stated that the failure occurred from the time the vehicle was purchased. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the rear tire were out of alignment. The vehicle was repaired. The contact experienced the same failure even after it was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 20.