1) The power steering completely failed without any warning as a result of the serpentine belt failing catastrophically. 2) The failure happened in rush hour traffic right as the light turned green to turn left on an extremely busy intersection. I couldn-??t turn the wheel and was a few inches from a head on collision with several large trucks which were also turning to the opposite direction. 3) The service center explained that this issue is the most common that they see on bmws with the same engine. They alleged that BMW used a faulty power steering bolt that would leak fluid onto the belt, eventually leading to catastrophic engine failure due to the shredded belt being sucked into the crankshaft seal. 4) Yes. 5) The steering was heavy but the bmw dealer assured me the vehicle was in excellent shape just a few weeks prior to this incident.

- Peoria, AZ, USA

Recently started to lose power steering assistance while driving. Took it to Chevy dealer, they said there was a bulletin (not a recall) about a sensor that needed to be replaced. They told me I was within the parameters of the problem but the warranty of part expired. This makes no sense since it is a safety issue.

- Fullerton, CA, USA