BMW 5 Hybrid: Multiple System Failures & Control Issues

Hey! I can totally relate as I had a very similar issue with my 2018 BMW 3 Series Hybrid last year. I have some experience working on cars, but this one was beyond my DIY skills. Same symptoms, multiple warning lights, steering wheel controls dead, no cruise control. Turns out it was a faulty connection in the steering wheel wiring harness. The workshop found a loose cable connection that was causing all these problems. Got it fixed for around 95 Euro, and everything's been working perfectly since then. Quick question, have you noticed if the issues appear more when turning the steering wheel? This could help confirm if we're dealing with the same problem. Also, would you mind sharing your exact model number? Some variants have different wiring setups, and knowing yours could help me provide more specific insights.

Thanks for sharing your experience! My car has 36624 KM on the clock and had its last service about 3 months ago. The warning lights actually appear out of nowhere, not specifically when turning the wheel. Sometimes they'll pop up right after starting the car, other times while driving straight on normal roads. Your wiring harness issue sounds pretty similar though, especially with all those dashboard warnings. Did you notice any clicking sounds from the steering wheel before getting it fixed? I'm hearing a slight click occasionally, which makes me wonder if it could be the same problem. The repair cost sounds reasonable too, definitely better than what I was expecting!

Yeah, sounds very familiar! And since you asked, no, I actually didn't hear any clicking sounds in my case before getting it fixed. But I do know that clicking sounds can definitely be another symptom of wiring harness issues, especially in these models. The unusual warning lights you're describing are exactly what I experienced, super unpredictable and really annoying! Just a heads up, even though my repair was relatively cheap, prices can vary quite a bit depending on how much work they need to do. The loose connection in my case was pretty easy to access, but sometimes they need to take apart more of the steering column which can bump up the cost. Since you've only got 36K on the clock and it's still pretty new, might be worth checking if this could be covered under warranty? My dealer initially tried to tell me it was normal wear and tear, but I pushed back since it's clearly a defect, not wear and tear. They ended up covering part of the repair cost. Have you tried disconnecting the battery for about 15 minutes? Sometimes this can reset the system and temporarily fix these kinds of electrical gremlins. Might help you confirm if it's definitely a hardware issue. Though based on what you're describing, I'm pretty confident you're dealing with the same wiring problem I had.

Thanks for all that detailed info! I'll definitely try the battery disconnect trick tonight, haven't thought of that yet. And great point about the warranty coverage, my car's actually still under warranty for another 8 months, so I'll definitely bring that up with the dealer. Better to get it sorted properly now than wait for it to get worse. Really helpful to know about your experience with the dealer too. I'll make sure to be firm about this being a defect rather than wear and tear. It's pretty obvious that a 2020 model with such low mileage shouldn't be having these kinds of issues already. Think I'll book it in for next week and see what they say. Will just have to deal with the unusual warning lights until then, but at least I've got a better idea of what might be causing it. Thanks again for all your help, really made me feel better knowing someone else has dealt with and resolved the same problem!