2003 325i Steering Wheel Crooked

[OCindependent]

Hello,

I just bought a 2003 325i and after a few hours of driving I noticed the steering wheel was slightly crooked. When I’m sitting straight in the driver's seat and I put my hands on the wheel (9&3 position), the 3 o'clock position feels closer to the driver than the 9 o'clock position. It's crooked by maybe a 1/2 inch, or so it appears.
I'm getting used to it, but seems like an odd design. I went back to the dealer and sat in another 325i and it was exactly the same. I found a few threads from Google Newsgroups: alt.autos.bmw complaining about the same thing...any ways has anyone else noticed this funky Steering Wheel design? Is there a reason for this?

TIA,

Alex

[OCindependent]

I wound up measuring the distance from the left side of the steering wheel to the left head rest post and then the right side. There's a 1/2 inch difference. I have sat in 2 other 3 series and this appears to be the norm. For what ever reason the steering wheel is not striaght w/ the driver.
If anyone knows why the steering column is askew w/ the driver please post it.

[bjchacha]

This is not normal. I had the same issue in my 328i. I took it to the dealer for an alignment, and they straightened it out. Now it's perfect.

[OCindependent]

Thanks for the reply. I'm still waiting for a response from BMW...I sent off an email from the Owner's Circle Website on Sunday.
Just to confirm, your steering column was not straight w/ the driver and dealer adjusted the column. What did the dealer say about why the steering column was crooked? Can you go into more detail about your problem, or was it exactly like my first post...the 3 o'clock position was closer to the driver than the 9 o'clock position.
I'm confused, because I have other E-46 owners telling me "that's just the way they are."

- TIA

[bjchacha]

Oh - hang on - I think I mis-read you. I was speaking of the wheel being slightly turned, as you would turn it to make a right.

I think you're saying the wheel is canted so the plane of the wheel's radius is not perpendicular to the horozontal longitudinal axis of the car.

I've never seen that, but I've never driven the E46 generation cars.