2003 BMW Z4

THIS COMPLAINT INVOLVES THE STEERING OF THE 2003 BMW Z4(BUILT 03/03). IT SEEMS IN HOT WEATHER (HIGH 80'S AND ABOVE) THE STEERING BECOMES VERY STIFF AND DIFFICULT TO MAKE MINOR ADJUSTMENTS. IT FEELS LIKE IT LOCKS IN PLACE AND WHEN ADJUSTMENTS ARE ATTEMPTED TO CORRECT THE STEERING, YOU ACTUALLY OVER ADJUST BECAUSE IT STICKS AND YOU HAVE A DIFFICULT TIME REMAINING IN YOUR LANE. THIS OCCURS WHEN THE TEMPERATURE IS 80'S OR ABOVE, AND BECOMES STIFFER THE HOTTER THE TEMPERATURE BECOMES. WE CONTACTED BMW AND THEY INFORMED US THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO FOR US. WE FEEL THAT THIS IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY PROBLEM THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY BMW, AS WELL AS REPAIRED FOR FREE BY THEM. ANOTHER PROBLEM THAT WE HAVE ENCOUNTERED IS THE AIRBAG LIGHTS (BOTH IN THE DASH AND ON THE CONSOLE) WERE ON. WE FOUND RECALLS FOR 2004-2005 BMW'S FOR THIS PROBLEM, BUT THEY WOULD NOT ADDRESS OUR VEHICLE SINCE IT IS A 2003, AND NOT COVERED IN THE RECALL. IT IS THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM THAT THE RECALL WAS FOR WHICH WAS THE PASSENGER SENSOR MAT PART #66-77-6-927-893 AND THE CONTROL UNIT AIRBAG PART #65-77-6-965-146. WE HAD TO PAY OUT OF POCKET FOR THE DIAGNOSTIC, REPAIRS AND PARTS, TOTALING $1226.20. AGAIN WE FELT THAT THIS WAS A SAFETY ISSUE SINCE WE PURCHASED THIS CAR BECAUSE IT HAD SIDE,FRONT AND KNEE AIRBAGS FOR SAFETY. WITH THE AIRBAG LIGHTS ON, WE DIDN'T KNOW IF THEY WOULD OR WOULD NOT WORK IN AN ACCIDENT. WE REQUESTED THE OLD PARTS BE RETURNED TO US, BUT THEY WERE NOT. AFTER DOING MUCH RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET, BOTH OF THESE ITEMS SEEM TO BE VERY COMMON PROBLEMS WITH THESE VEHICLES AND WE FEEL THAT BMW SHOULD ADDRESS THEM BOTH AND MAKE THE VEHICLES SAFE TO DRIVE. *TR

2003 BMW Z4 HAS A GLITCH IN THE STEERING THAT OUR DEALERSHIP DOES NOT KNOW WHAT IS CAUSING. ON HOT DAYS ESPECIALLY THE STEERING BECOMES SO JERKY IT IS HARD TO DRIVE THE CAR. YOU CAN TURN THE STEERING WHEEL AND THERE WILL BE A PAUSE BEFORE THE STEERING CATCHES AND TURNS THE CAR. WE TOOK THE CAR INTO THE BMW DEALERSHIP AND THEY HAD TWO OTHER CARS, SAME MODEL AND YEAR WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT. IF YOU GOOGLE IT, YOU RECEIVE MANY PAGES OF PEOPLE HAVING THE PROBLEM SO BMW IS DEFINITELY AWARE OF IT BUT TO THIS POINT HAS DONE NOTHING. THESE CARS HAVE LOW MILEAGE, 15,000 TO 20,000 RANGE SO IT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT HAS WORN OUT; IT IS DESIGN FLAW THAT HAS CAUSED ON GOING PROBLEMS THAT BMW HAS CHOSEN TO IGNORE TO THIS POINT. WE HAVE NOT BEEN IN ANY ACCIDENT, WE HAVE QUIT DRIVING IN HOT WEATHER, BUT, I AM SURE THE STEERING HAS CAUSED SOME ACCIDENTS FOR OTHERS. I ASSUME BMW FIGURES IT IS CHEAPER TO PAY THE LAW SUITS SINCE THERE ARE NOT THAT MANY Z4S MADE THAN TO HAVE A RECALL AND FIX THE PROBLEM. IT IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM THAT AFFECTS NOT ONLY THE DRIVERS OF THE CARS INVOLVED BUT EVERYONE SHARING THE ROAD WITH A CAR WITH STEERING PROBLEMS. *TR

I HAVE FINALLY DECIDED TO FILE MY COMPLAINT AFTER EXPERIENCING THIS PROBLEM FOR TWO CONSECUTIVE SUMMERS. I HAVE PUT OFF FILING A COMPLAINT IN HOPES THAT THE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ON THIS VERY SAME ISSUE BY OTHER Z4 OWNERS WOULD RESULT IN SOME REMEDIAL ACTION ON THE PART OF BMW. THIS DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE HAPPENING. WHEN THE OUTDOOR TEMPS HIT THE HIGH 80'S THE STEERING IN MY 03 Z4 BEGINS TO "STICK" UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. THIS HAS CAUSED ME TO COME CLOSE TO OVER-CORRECTING ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL TO "UNSTICK" IL. IT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS WHERE THERE IS LITTLE MARGIN FOR ERROR. THIS STICKING PROBLEM IS NOT ONLY UNSAFE BUT IT DETRACTS FROM WHAT OTHERWISE IS A BEAUTIFUL PIECE OF MACHINERY. THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY AND I CAN'T SEE WHERE Z4 OWNERS SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR COVERING THE COST OF REPAIRING A MANUFACTURING DEFECT WHICH, SURPRISINGLY, HAS NOT RESULTED IN ANY FATALITIES. *TR

WHEN THE WEATHER GETS HOT OR THE CAR GETS HOT JUST SITTING IN THE SUN THE STEERING GETS STICKY AND DIFFICULT TO TURN. IT FEELS LIKE THERE IS A NOTCH IN THE STEERING ON BOTH SIDES OF DEAD CENTER AND IT IS DIFFICULT TO STEER TO THE RIGHT OR THE LEFT. THIS IS NOT A NEW PROBLEM WITH THESE CARS AS DOCUMENTED IN PUMA CASE NUMBER 5387507 AND OTHERS. *TR

STEERING IS STICKING ON MY BMW Z4 WHEN THE WEATHER IS WARM. I LIVE IN THE MOUNTAINS OF NORTH GEORGIA AND DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING UNDER THESE CONDITIONS. BASED ON LOOKING AT THE ONLINE INFORMATION INTO THIS PROBLEM THIS SEEMS TO BE A DEFECT IN THE Z4. WHY WOULD THIS NOT BE RECALLED? THE DEALERSHIP IMMEDIATELY ASKED AT WHAT TEMPERATURE THIS OCCURS. THE DEALERSHIP HAS QUOTED $3200 TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE WHEN IT LOOKS AS IF THERE ARE ALOT OF Z4 OWNERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. THE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THE MILEAGE IS LOW. PLEASE HELP US WHO OWN THESE CARS TO GET SOMETHING DONE BEFORE SOMEONE GETS SERIOUSLY HURT OR EVEN KILLED. *TR

CAR IS 2003 BMW Z4 3.0 LITRE ENGINE. AT TEMPERATURES ABOVE APPROXIMATELY 78 DEGREES, THE ELECTRONIC STEERING FEELS AS IF IT IS BINDING, AND FEELS DISCONNECTED FROM THE CAR. WHEN YOU RETURN THE WHEEL TO CENTER POSITION IT FEELS AS IF THERE IS A LAG BEFORE THE CAR RESPONDS. THIS AFFECTS THE CARS HANDLING IN TRAFFIC, AS THE CAR WILL NOT HANDLE AS IT SHOULD. THIS EFFECT IS NOT EVIDENT AT LOWER TEMPERATURES. *TR