There are 6 owner-reported steering complaints for the 2005 BMW 3 Seriesin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
SUSPENSION- SWAY BARS, BUSHINGS, EVERY PART OF SUSPENSION BREAKING. BRAKES-EMERGENCY BRAKE DOES NOT WORK. LIGHTING-ISSUES WITH HEADLAMPS. REARVIEW MIRROR-DEFECTIVE, NOT CLEAR ENOUGH TO SEE OUT OF. AIRBAGS-REPLACED, BUT WHEN THE CAR WAS IMPACTED THE ROLL BARS DEPLOYED WHILE THE AIRBAGS DID NOT.
I WAS COMING AROUND A CURVE AT AROUND 35 MILES PER HOUR WHEN OUT OF NOWHERE MY POWER STEERING FAILED. I NEARLY RAN OFF THE ROAD WHEN THE POWER STEERING WAS LOST BUT WAS ABLE TO SLOW DOWN AND STAY ON THE ROAD. HAD THIS HAPPENED ON AN OFFRAMP AT 50 MILES PER HOUR THERE COULD HAVE BEEN A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT OUTCOME. MY INTERNET RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR THE POWER STEERING PUMPS TO FAIL AS THE INTERNAL SHAFT BREAKS AWAY IN THE PUMP AND FLUID IS NO LONGER CIRCULATED WITHIN THE SYSTEM. GIVEN THAT THIS FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE, I DON'T SEE HOW THIS IS NOT A RECALL. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BMW 330CI. AFTER STARTING THE ENGINE, THE POWER STEERING MALFUNCTIONED AND CAUSED THE STEERING WHEEL TO BECOME VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP MALFUNCTIONED. THE PUMP WAS REPLACED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE SHAFT INSIDE THE POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED. THE POWER STEERING PUMP WAS REPLACED AND THE FAILURE WAS REMEDIED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 57,000.
CAR PULLS SEVERELY WHEN BRAKING AND MILDLY TO MODERATELY WHEN DRIVING. HAVE ASKED FOR ALIGNMENT AND HAD ALIGNMENT CHECKED SEVERAL TIMES BUT TOLD THAT CAR IS NOT OUT OF ALIGNMENT. *TR
CAR PULLS SEVERELY TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED. I HAVE HAD THE CAR SERVICED AND ASKED FOR AN ALIGNMENT SEVERAL TIMES BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE. I WAS TOLD THAT NO ALIGNMENT WAS NEEDED BUT NO EXPLANATION AS TO WHY THE CAR PULLED WAS GIVEN. *TR
RE DEFECTIVE BRAKING/STEERING IN A 2005 BMW, REQUESTING A DEFECT INVESTIGATION. *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE PULLED TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT UPON STOPPING. IN ONE CASE, THE VEHICLE PULLED SO SEVERELY THAT IT CAME TO A REST AT AN ANGLE ON THE ROAD. THE WHEEL COULD NOT BE STRAIGHTENED UNTIL THE BRAKE HAD BEEN RELEASED. *JB
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026