2003 BMW Z4

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW Z4. THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED WHILE DRIVING AT EITHER A SLOW SPEED SUCH AS 35 MPH OR 65 MPH AND WHEN HE MADE A LEFT OR RIGHT TURN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE HAD TO PULL THE STEERING WHEEL IN EITHER POSITION WHENEVER IT LOCKED IN ORDER TO ALLOW IT TO MOVE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO NOR WAS THE MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 24,000.

MY 2003 BMW Z4 HAS STICKY AND/OR BINDING ELECTRIC POWER ASSISTED STEERING CONTROL WHEN THE TEMPERATURES ARE 75 DEGREES OR WARMER, MAKING THE CAR DIFFICULT AND DANGEROUS TO STEER. BECAUSE OF THIS, OVERSTEERING RESULTS, WHICH CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO LUNGE INTO THE NEXT LANE OR ONTO THE SHOULDER. THIS BECOMES A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE WHEN CHANGING LANES OR MAKING MINOR STEERING CORRECTIONS. THE PROBLEM GOES AWAY OVERNIGHT WHEN COOLER TEMPERATURES PREVAIL AND THE POWER STEERING UNIT HAS HAD A CHANCE TO COOL DOWN. *TR

WHILE DRIVING OUR BMW Z4 THE STEERING SEEMS TO GET LOCKED IN TO A POSITION WHICH REQUIRES MORE A LOT EFFORT THAN NORMAL TO STEER. WE HAVE TO HOLD THE STEERING WHEEL TIGHTLY WITH BOTH HANDS TO AVOID OVER STEERING. I SEE THERE ARE MANY MORE PEOPLE WHO ARE HAVING THIS PROBLEM WHEN I GOOGLED Z4 STEERING. IT IS QUITE PREVALENT ON THE BMW FORUMS. *TR

VEHICLE IS A 2003 BMW Z4. I HAVE EXPERIENCED THREE STEERING MALFUNCTIONS IN THE PAST 2 YEARS. EACH OCCASION RESULTED IN LOSS OF CONTROL WITH THE VEHICLE SWERVING ACROSS ONCOMING LANES AND BACK OFF THE SHOULDER.. MOST RECENT 8/12/2010. THE DEALER INDICATED THEY HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF THE PROBLEM AND WITHOUT AN OCCURRENCE PROBABLY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DETERMINE PARTS OR SERVICE TO CORRECT. THIS HAPPENS SUDDENLY WITH NO WARNING AND GOES AWAY JUST AS IT APPEARED WITH NO ACTION ON MY PART. THIS IS A DEADLY ISSUE. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THIS CONTINUES TO BE AN ISSUE CONSIDERING THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS I HAVE SINCE FOUND ON THE INTERNET AS VOICED BY OTHER OWNERS. *TR

FOR SEVERAL MONTHS, MY 2003 BMW Z4 HAS FELT LIKE IT WAS SLIGHTLY STUCK IN THE CENTER POSITION WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY OR HIGHWAY. RECENTLY, THE STEERING HAS FAILED COMPLETELY ON ENGINE START-UP. IN OTHER WORDS THE CAR WILL BARELY TURN. AFTER IT HAPPENED, I DISCOVERED IT WILL WORK IF THE IGNITION IS TURNED OFF AND THEN RE-STARTED. HOWEVER, THE CAR STILL SOMETIMES DISPLAYS THE STICKINESS IN THE WHEEL, ESPECIALLY ON WARMER DAYS. THE CAR WILL STEER BUT SEEMS TO GET STUCK SLIGHTLY WHEN THE WHEEL IS CENTERED. IN SEARCHING FOR A SOLUTION ONLINE, I DISCOVERED THAT THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM FOR MANY CARS OF THIS MODEL. *TR

STEERING BECOMES STICKY WHEN OUTSIDE TEMPS REACH 85+ DEGREES. THE CAR DOES NOT FEEL SAFE TO OPERATE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WHEN THIS IS OCCURRING. BASICALLY IT FEELS LIKE THERE IS AN INVISIBLE BARRIER THAT MUST BE BROKEN PAST WHEN TURNING FROM CENTER TO LEFT OR RIGHT, EXCESSIVE FORCE IS REQUIRED TO MOVE PAST CENTER TO OTHER DIRECTIONS AND CAN LEAD TO STEERING THE CAR FURTHER IN EITHER DIRECTION THAN DESIRED. BMW HAS DONE NOTHING TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE ON THEIR OWN AND FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND IT IS A VERY EXPENSIVE FIX. *TR

I SOMETIMES NOTICE AFTER MY 2003 BMW Z4 2.5I HAS BEEN PARKED, IT SEEMS AS IF THE TIRES AND STEERING WHEEL ARE MISALIGNED AND THE CAR DRIVES TO ONE SIDE AS IF ONE TIRE WAS FLAT. THIS ONLY HAS HAPPENED AT LOWER SPEEDS SOON AFTER I START DRIVING, AND EVENTUALLY SEEMS TO GO AWAY AFTER THE CAR HAS BEEN DRIVING FOR A COUPLE MINUTES. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE NOW TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM BUT I PLAN ON GIVING BMW A CALL TO SEE WHAT THEY CAN DO FOR ME. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. *TR