BMW 5 Series Hybrid Power Steering Failure, Help Needed

Hi there! I had a somewhat similar issue with my 2017 BMW 7 Series Hybrid last year (I also own a 3 Series). I have some experience working on cars, mostly basic maintenance stuff. The symptoms you're describing sound exactly like what I experienced, heavy steering, vibrations, and that weird spongy feeling. My trusted workshop diagnosed it as a faulty cable connection to the power steering unit. They found some corrosion on the connectors. The fix wasn't too complex, they cleaned the connections and replaced some wiring, cost me around 95 Euro. Could you share more details about when this started happening? Does it get worse when the engine is cold or after driving for a while? This info would help determine if you're dealing with the same issue I had. Hope this helps! Let me know if you need more specific info about the repair.

Thanks for sharing your experience! I'm relieved to hear it might not be a major issue. Mine started acting up about a week ago, initially just occasional heaviness but now it's pretty consistent. It's definitely worse when I first start driving, especially after the car's been sitting overnight. Seems to improve slightly after driving for about 10 minutes. I just checked my service history, last maintenance was at 15547 KM, and they didn't mention any steering issues then. I'm not too handy with cars myself, so I'll probably need to get it checked by a professional. Your experience with the cable connection issue gives me hope it might be something relatively straightforward and not too expensive to fix. I'll schedule a workshop visit and get those connectors checked first. Really appreciate the detailed insight!

Hey again! Yeah, what you're describing about it being worse when first starting up actually sounds even more similar to my situation than I initially thought. That's exactly how mine behaved, super heavy steering in the morning, then slightly better after warming up. After hearing about the timing with your maintenance schedule, I've got a strong feeling you're dealing with the same connector issue I had. Here's something I didn't mention in my first reply, before getting it fixed, I tried turning the steering wheel full lock to lock while stationary, and it made this weird grinding noise. Did you notice anything like that? Just a heads up though, when they were fixing mine, they found the corrosion had spread a bit further than initially thought. Ended up needing slightly more wiring replaced than expected. Still wasn't a huge job, but worth mentioning so you're prepared. In my case, they also recommended doing a quick power steering fluid check as preventive maintenance. Might be worth asking about that when you take it in. Better safe than sorry with these hybrid systems. Keep us posted on what the workshop finds! Always interesting to compare notes on these issues.

Thanks for the additional details and the tip about the steering lock test! I actually did notice a similar grinding noise when turning the wheel completely, but I wasn't sure if that was relevant. Should've mentioned it earlier! I just did the lock-to-lock test again in my driveway, and yep, there's definitely that grinding sound you described. It's almost like a gravelly noise when the wheel's at full lock. I also checked under the hood and noticed some slight discoloration around the power steering connections, which might be the corrosion you mentioned. I've booked an appointment for next week at my local BMW workshop. I'll definitely ask them to check the connections and wiring first, and thanks for the heads-up about possibly needing more wiring replaced. Good call on the power steering fluid check too, I'll make sure they include that in the inspection. Really appreciate all your help! I'll update the thread once I get it sorted. It's so helpful having someone who's been through the same issue.