My 2026 BMW i7 eDrive50 developed significant steering-wheel surface deterioration within approximately three months of ownership and 6,000 miles of driving. The steering-wheel material is deteriorating, becoming sticky, and transferring a glue-like residue onto my fingers during normal driving. This is not simply a cosmetic concern. The sticky surface creates a potential safety hazard because it can interfere with the driver's ability to maintain a consistent grip, release and reposition the hands smoothly, and react quickly during emergency steering maneuvers. I am concerned that the steering-wheel material or surface coating may be defective and that continued deterioration could compromise safe vehicle operation. This condition developed unusually early in the vehicle's life. The vehicle was presented to Pacific BMW for evaluation. BMW of North America subsequently denied warranty coverage, stating that the condition was not warrantable under its New Vehicle Limited Warranty. However, BMW offered to provide a replacement steering wheel valued at $2,657.68 as goodwill, while requiring me to pay $319.44 in labor. Despite written correspondence and photographic documentation, BMW has not provided me with a specific technical explanation identifying the cause of the deterioration or addressing the potential safety implications of the sticky residue. I request that NHTSA investigate whether this steering-wheel surface deterioration represents a potential material defect affect
2026 BMW I7 Edrive50
Owners filed 1 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the steering. No safety recall has been issued.
Most common 2026 BMW I7 Edrive50 problems
1 of the 1 complaints (100%) are about the steering.
| Component | Reports | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
What owners reported
Newest filingsAll 1 complaints, reproduced as filed.
Across model years
Worst on record: 2026Reading this record
No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.
Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.