BMW 1 Series Won't Start: Key System and Steering Issues

Hey there! I had a similar issue with my 2018 BMW 2 Series diesel last year. The symptoms were nearly identical, car wouldn't start, steering lock engaged, and warning lights all over. Turned out the door handle sensor unit was failing, which messed with the entire access system. My handle would sometimes not recognize the key fob, and the whole electronic system would get confused. Got it diagnosed properly at my regular garage, and they had to replace the door handle electronics completely. It wasn't a cheap fix, but definitely worth doing as it affects the whole car's security system. It wasn't super serious in terms of safety, but leaving it unfixed would've eventually locked me out of the car completely. The repair took about half a day once they had the parts in. Best bet is to find a garage that specializes in BMW electronics, general mechanics often struggle with these specific access system issues. Hope this helps point you in the right direction.

Thanks for sharing your experience! That sounds exactly like what I'm dealing with. Really helpful to know about the door handle sensor, definitely going to get that checked out first. Would you mind telling me roughly how much you ended up paying for the repair? Also, has everything been working smoothly since the fix, or have you noticed any other quirks pop up?

Hey again! Great to hear back from you! Yes, happy to share, I ended up paying 480 € for the complete door handle electronics replacement. It wasn't exactly cheap, but it completely solved the access system failures. Haven't had a single problem since the repair, which was about 8 months ago now. The car starts perfectly every time, no more warning lights, and the key fob is recognized consistently. Just make sure you go to someone who knows what they're doing with BMW electronics. My mechanic actually showed me the old handle unit when they replaced it, you could see where the connections had degraded. It's quite amazing how one small component can affect the whole car's systems! Trust me, it's worth getting it sorted properly. Nothing worse than wondering if your car's going to let you in each morning! Let me know how you get on with the repair.

I really appreciate your help and advice! You won't believe this, but I actually just got back from the mechanic today. Just like you said, it was the door handle sensor that was causing all the trouble. The repair cost me a bit more, around 550 €, but honestly, I'm just relieved it's fixed. The funny part was when they showed me the old sensor, it looked completely fine on the outside, but the internal connections were totally shot. The mechanic I found was great, really knew his stuff about BMWs. He even took the time to explain everything and showed me what was wrong with the old part. The car's running perfectly now, no more warning lights, starts right up, and the steering lock is working properly. Such a relief to have it sorted! Thanks again for pointing me in the right direction with this. It saved me a lot of time and headache trying to figure it out on my own.