[Npv1107]

Hi everyone. Recently bought a 2016 M135. After about 5:6 months the steering became very stiff intermittently and went to BMW to have a look. They advised the steering rack needed to be replaced. I did this and replaced it with a second hand steering rack I found. After less than 2 months th exact same thing happened to the new steering rack and it is again intermittently very stiff and almost undrivable.
Has anyone ever experienced this? Looks like my last option is to try a steering rack from BMW which will cost around £3k which I really don’t want to do.

BMW haven’t been able to figure out what is causing the issue but I think something is causing the problem with the steering rack to bless I just got very unlucky with the replacement I bought.

Thanks for anyone that can help

[No one]

I had this with my new rack (a new/refurbished rack from BMW installed for free due to a known/admitted issue recall). It stopped happening on it's own, nothing was done.

Did they bother to inform you what was wrong with the rack so it had to be replaced? It's apparently a power steering issue. Something like inconsistent power supply to the rack motor. My wildest guess is it could be related to the battery charge level (when the battery is weak the computer disables "unnecessary" consumers to save power), although I didn't notice any other issues when the steering was going stiff suddenly, no warning either. Yet, they did reprogram the car for the new rack, an annoying degradation is no more running long CD track name, only the beginning is displayed . It can be worse still, perhaps.

[IJO]

I agree that it could be a power supply to the motor issue.
It tkes a lot of current when active so I would check the connections and also at the battery and underbonnet fusebox, earthing lead connections etc.