2007 x3 3.0si steering trouble

[trevk525]

Hi All,

I'm a new member and just recently purchased an 07 x3 E83 with mileage of about 110k. Besides an expansion tank problem I ran into last month, it has felt pretty solid and has been a pleasure to drive. Just the other day though I hit a bit of a bump in the road, and now clearly something has been affected in the front of the car, as I can constantly hear something rattling or clunking around the front left tire every time I go over a major bump. Worse though, when I was parking it the other day, I decided to take my hands off the steering wheel as it went over small bumps at about 10-15 mph, and the steering wheel will rapidly move side to side with each bump. Am I just going crazy or should the steering wheel remain stationary if I was driving at such a slow speed? As a whole the steering feels a little less responsive ever since hitting that very first one. I know the CT roads aren't particularly good, but it would surprise me if the BMW isn't able to take the punishment.

Is there something wrong with the suspension or transfer case here? Not sure what it could be and I'd rather not go to the dealer so any thoughts or help would be much appreciated. Thanks!

[dano1200r]

You're not going crazy, but you would be if you keep driving with a broken steering column /mechanism. Get it on a lift and SEE what you can.

[my1stE30]

you have a serious problem with your steering and/or suspension ... you have some loose or broken parts ... no way the steering wheel should act like that in any car .... this is not an issue of bmw not being able to withstand road bumps ... it is more of a problem with abusing your vehicle when hitting a punishing rock or pothole in the road while driving too fast ... get it to a mechanic to put on a hoist and give you the diagnosis and repair estimate ...

drive it veeery carefully (ie., slowly) to the mechanic, and seriously consider getting it towed (for your own safety)

[trevk525]

Appreciate all the feedback, and it indeed confirms my worst fear. I wouldn't say I drive in an abusive manner but sometimes the crap on the roads is unavoidable. So far the X3 has been really great with any hard bumps, so maybe something was simply aging and was a problem waiting to happen. In any case I'll see what the diagnosis is.

[trevk525]

So just as a follow up to this thread, I had it looked at and it turns out it's the struts, which after doing some poking around with the X3 on this site seems like a pretty common issue. The front right strut is completely blown according to the dealer, whereas the front left is still relatively okay, but the strut mount is what is causing my noise. Currently searching for a better repair alternative than the dealer (for obvious reasons), but it's good to have the diagnosis. Also my rear coil springs need to be replaced, but I'll hold off on that for now while getting the struts done.