BMW 5 Series Won't Start, Locked Steering & Access Issues

Hi there! I have some experience working on cars, and I actually dealt with a similar issue on my 2004 BMW 3 Series last year. The symptoms you're describing sound very familiar. In my case, it turned out to be a faulty door handle electronics unit. The car's access system wasn't recognizing the key fob properly, which caused the steering lock and starting issues. My trusted mechanic diagnosed and replaced the door handle electronics module, which cost me about 480 Euro to fix. Before jumping to conclusions though, could you share: Which specific error messages you're seeing? Are all door locks working properly? Does your key fob battery have good charge? I'm glad I could get it fixed, but these electronic gremlins can be tricky to diagnose. Let me know the details and I might be able to help more specifically.

Thanks for sharing your experience! I've had my BMW for a while (11902 KM, last serviced 3 months ago), and your suggestion about the door handle electronics makes sense. The error message I'm getting is "Key not detected" along with "Steering locked" warnings. The doors are actually working fine, and I just replaced the key fob battery last week, so that shouldn't be the issue. I'm leaning towards getting it checked professionally since these electronic issues can be complex. Thanks for the heads up about the potential cost, helps me budget for what might be coming. Has your fix held up well since then? Haven't had any recurring issues?

Hey again! Happy to share an update about my experience. Since fixing the door handle electronics unit on my 3 Series last year, it's been working perfectly fine, no recurring issues at all. The repair has definitely held up well, and I've put about 15000 km on it since then. Those error messages you're getting are exactly what I saw too, "Key not detected" and "Steering locked." It's interesting that you mention the doors are working fine though, as mine were acting up a bit before the complete failure. Just a heads up, even though your doors are working now, the system could still be in the early stages of failing. One thing I learned through this whole ordeal, these electronic issues rarely fix themselves and usually get worse over time. Getting it checked professionally was definitely the right move in my case, even though the bill hurt a bit! I'd actually recommend taking it in sooner rather than later. When mine finally gave out completely, I was stuck in a really inconvenient situation. At least now you can plan the repair on your own terms rather than being forced to deal with it as an emergency. Let me know what your mechanic finds, would be interesting to see if it's the same issue as mine!

Thanks so much for the detailed follow-up! It's really reassuring to hear that your repair has been holding up well after all those kilometers. I definitely don't want to end up stranded somewhere, so I'll take your advice and get it checked out ASAP. Already called my mechanic and booked it in for next week. You're probably right about catching it early, better to deal with it now than wait for a complete failure. I'll make sure to update this thread once I get the diagnosis and repair done. Maybe it'll help someone else with similar issues down the road. Really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience and tips. Having some real-world context about these issues makes the whole situation feel less overwhelming. Thanks again!