STEERING ASSISTANCE SPORADIC REDUCTION: The driver notices a reduction of steering assistance sporadically while in certain driving situations. Steering control is never lost when the reduction of assistance occurs.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗2015 BMW i3 steering problems
moderate Owners of the 2015 BMW i3 have filed 15 NHTSA complaints about the steering, typically surfacing around 30,000 miles at roughly $700 to repair (U.S. federal records, as of July 2026). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. See steering across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
15
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$700
| Model year | steering complaints |
|---|---|
| 2014 i3 | 7 |
| 2015 i3 (this page) | 15 |
| 2016 i3 | 8 |
| 2017 i3 | 11 |
When does it fail?
Of the 15 steering complaints filed for the 2015 BMW i3, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 25,000-50,000 mi.
0-25k
25-50k
50-75k
75-100k
100-125k
125-150k
150k+
Each bar shows the share of total complaints filed at that mileage range. Peak failure window highlighted. Some owners report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 miles symptom-free. Maintenance habits and driving conditions shift the curve as much as mileage alone.
What stands out
Of the 4 model years of BMW i3 we track for steering problems, this one carries the most owner complaints on file — 15.
Steering accounts for 32% of every owner complaint on file for this vehicle — the dominant problem area across 6 categories tracked.
Is there a fix? Manufacturer service bulletins
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering steering on this vehicle — documented repair instructions, service campaigns, or warranty extensions sent to dealers. A TSB isn't a recall (it's not a free safety remedy), but it's the manufacturer acknowledging the issue and how to fix it.
?SPORADIC REDUCTION OF STEERING ASSISTANCE: The driver notices a reduction of steering assistance sporadically while in certain driving situations. Steering control is never lost when the reduction of assistance occurs.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗SPORADIC REDUCTION OF STEERING ASSISTANCE: This Service Information Bulletin (Revision 1) replaces SI B32 11 19 dated October 2019. The driver notices a reduction of steering assistance sporadically while in certain driving situations. Steering control is never lost when the reduction of assistance occurs. The fault may self-correct for no obvious reason or be eliminated with a terminal change/key cycle. There is no Check Control (CC) message when the issue occurs. Unfavorable software in the Electric Power Steering (EPS).
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗CHECK CONTROL MESSAGES FOR BRAKE SUSPENSION AND AIR BAG SYSTEM MALFUNCTION: Multiple check control messages (CCM) can display for brake suspension and air bag system malfunction. The customer may also complain about any of the following: Engine can no longer be switched off Drive position (D) cannot be engaged on the gear selector switch (GWS) Reduction of steering assist After an engine emergency shut-off (either a prolonged long press; or 3 consecutive short presses of the Start/Stop button) and the vehicle going to sleep (identifiable by the lighting of the "Start/Stop button") everything resumes normal functionality and the CCM messages no longer appear.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Power-assisted Steering Intermittently Not Available at Engine Start-up: This Service Information Bulletin (Revision 1) replaces SI B32 02 14 dated November 2016. The power-assisted steering is unavailable at start up/drive readiness. No communication with the Electric Power Steering (EPS). Possible fault codes: Fault code Text D356A5 message fault (display of the check control driving dynamics 02 D: Disp_CC_DRDY_02) Timeout D359BF message fault (actual steering torque of the driver actuator ID: AVL_STMOM_DV_ACT) Timeout D356B6 message fault (display of the check control driving dynamics 02 ID: DISP_CC_DRDY_02) - Alive 480AB8 internal status management of the complete monitoring range CDA451
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The failure pattern owners describe
The 2015 BMW i3 steering failures cluster around four related behaviors, all intermittent and reactive to a power cycle reset. Owners most commonly describe the steering wheel drifting left or right by itself despite keeping their hands on it—sometimes requiring significant force to counter. The car pulls in the drift direction and will continue pulling even after you straighten the wheel, only to drift again after you let go.
Power steering assistance also fails outright on multiple vehicles. The steering becomes extremely heavy, feedback vanishes, and the wheel requires the kind of force you'd expect from a car with no power assist at all. Low-speed failures happen alongside highway incidents; one owner encountered total assist loss at 15 mph in oncoming traffic.
A third pattern involves notchy, sluggish steering that doesn't self-center after turns—feeling like you're driving with two flat tires or loose linkage, despite proper inflation and alignment. Some owners report this worsens above 25 mph.
Nearly all cases resolve with power-off restart, though a few have required sitting overnight. Dealers have inspected suspension, alignment, and the steering angle sensor without consistently finding fault. Owners widely suspect a software bug; online forums show this reported across multiple model years. No diagnostic trouble codes appear in any narrative.
Same BMW i3 steering reports on nearby years: 2017
Failure modes owners describe
Steering wheel drift and loss of center position
Steering wheel drifts or holds to one side (left or right) without driver input, requiring force to return to center. Vehicle veers in the drifting direction. Issue is intermittent and often resolves when car is powered off and back on.
When: Intermittent, reported from startup through highway driving. One owner reported occurrences in March, April, June, and August. Another reported it happening every few days or every couple of weeks.
Symptoms owners cite: Steering wheel turns left or right by itself without driver input; Car veers left or right despite attempts to keep it straight; Requires force to correct steering back to center; Resolves temporarily when car is powered off and restarted; Creates safety hazard, particularly at highway speeds
Repairs/costs cited: Dealers have inspected steering, suspension, and conducted extensive testing but have been unable to reproduce the issue in most cases. One dealer aligned the vehicle and inspected the steering angle sensor, providing temporary resolution (approximately two months).
Power steering assist failure or malfunction
Power steering assist degrades or completely fails, causing steering to become extremely heavy and difficult to turn. Vehicle loses power assist feedback and operates like manual steering. Issue is intermittent and resolves with power cycling.
When: Intermittent occurrences. One owner reported it once in December and again on 2/14/19. Another reported approximately once per month. One incident occurred at 15 mph, another at low speed during startup.
Symptoms owners cite: Steering wheel becomes extremely stiff and heavy; Loss of power steering assistance or feedback floating in undetermined state; Difficult to steer, requiring excessive force; Vehicle pulls to left or right when power assist fails; No error codes displayed; Resolves temporarily when car is powered off and restarted
Repairs/costs cited: Owners report that turning car off and restarting (sometimes requiring a few minutes of shutdown) restores power steering function. One owner noted that parking the car and waiting overnight resolved the issue, but short parking did not.
Heavy, notchy, or sluggish steering response
Steering becomes stiff, notchy, sluggish, or loses responsiveness. Steering wheel does not center itself after turns. Vehicle feels like it has flat tires or loose steering linkage despite proper tire inflation. Issue is intermittent.
When: Intermittent, occurring at various speeds from low speed (under 25 mph) to highway speeds. One owner reported it starting immediately when car begins moving forward. Another reported it happening several times over a few months.
Symptoms owners cite: Steering feels stiff, heavy, or notchy; Steering wheel does not self-center after turns; One direction of steering loose while opposite direction is hard to turn; Feels like driving with flat tires or loose steering linkage; Steering sluggish or with reduced feedback; Vehicle pulls to one side or wanders out of lane; Unsettling at high speeds or on curvy roads; Associated warning alerts: Pedestrian Warning, Stability Control, and others
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer inspected steering angle sensor and performed wheel alignment in one case, which resolved the issue for approximately two months.
Speed-dependent steering assist degradation
Power steering assist loss or malfunction that is triggered or worsened above a specific speed threshold (approximately 25 mph), with normal function at lower speeds. At highway speeds, steering becomes notchy or loses assist entirely.
When: Intermittent, occurring when vehicle speed exceeds approximately 25 mph. One owner reported it happening sporadically about once per month.
Symptoms owners cite: Steering normal at low speeds (under 25 mph); Steering becomes very stiff or notchy above 25 mph; Loss of power steering assist above 25 mph; Vehicle veers out of lane at highway speeds; Requires force to keep vehicle in lane; Returns to normal at low speeds
Synthesized from 15 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 6 most recent
Twice the power steering failed to function correctly. Each time the feedback to power assist "floated" in an undetermined state. The ability to force a turn (make hard turns) seemed to active the power assist and worked as expected. Straight driving seemed to caused the power assist to go on an off and wander or vary the force. It would seem to engage power assist when steering went off…
My 2015 i3 just had the steering get really heavy as if I had a flat and it pulled to the right. It was difficult to center the steering as if the power steering had failed. This is a known issue on various internet forums for this model, but it is intermittent and therefore hard to duplicate for the service department. After letting the car sit for a while, it was back to normal the next time…
In last 4 weeks, on two occasions steering became very stiff a & hard to turn. Both times the steering was very stiff immediately when car started to move forward. In first occurrence, after leaving parking lot under 10 miles/hour, I drove 25-30 miles/hour in city traffic (straight streets), then drove up to 65-70 miles/hour on interstate 95 (mostly straight ahead driving). In the second…
While driving, steering became heavy, notchy. It would not center itself; for example, around a turn, the steering wheel would stay in the direction I turned. This has happened several times over the last few months! It seems there is a bug in the software. BMW can't find anything wrong. Several forms have been created over this problem.
I am reporting a recurring issue with the steering wheel. The vehicle was in motion, on a city street, going straight. When the issue happened, the steering wheel turned to the left noticeably by itself and it took force by hand to correct it so the car could go straight. This created a safety risk concern to the driver. I feel the affected components likely are the steering wheel and…
Power steering malfunctioned causing steering to be very stiff. This happened whenever the car exceeded about 25 MPH, and returned to normal at low speeds. The car wanted to veer out of the lane and required force to keep it in the lane. After turning the car off and back on, the car steering returned to normal. This event happens sporadically, about once a month. While the steering can be…
Had steering trouble with your 2015 BMW i3?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the steering problem on the 2015 BMW i3?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 15 complaints have been filed. Repairs average $700 and most owners catch it before it causes a breakdown.
At what mileage does the steering typically fail?
Across the 13 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most steering failures cluster between 23,000 and 35,000 miles, with the median around 30,000. A quarter of owners report trouble before 23,000; a quarter make it past 35,000. Maintenance history matters more than the odometer alone — this is the reported failure window, not a guarantee.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $700 for steering repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to steering?
No active recalls currently cover steering issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2015/BMW/i3.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.