2003 BMW Z4

WHEN DRIVING AT SPEEDS ABOVE 40 MPH STEERING HAS DEFINITE STICKING SPOTS CREATING HAZARDOUS CONTROL. THIS PROBLEM IS NOT PREDICTABLE SOMETIMES DRIVES FINE OTHER TIMES WITH NO WARNING PROBLEM OCCURS, MAKING THE SAFETY ISSUE EVEN MORE GRAVE. FEAR OF LANE SWERVE AND POSSIBLE COLLISION. BMW SERVICE COULD NOT REPLICATE PROBLEM AND SAYS THEY HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF A PROBLEM EXISTING. UPON INVESTIGATION IT SEEMS I AM IN A LARGE GROUP OF BMW Z4 OWNERS EXPERIENCING THIS STEERING PROBLEM. I URGE YOU TO INVESTIGATE THIS ISSUE BEFORE SOMEONE IS HURT, MAIMED OR EVEN KILLED. *TR

I HAVE BEEN HAVING DIFFICULTY WITH THE STEERING SYSTEM ON MY Z4. THIS BEGAN SEVERAL YEARS AGO AND HAS BEEN INTERMITTENT AT FIRST BUT THE DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY IN THE STEERING HAS BEEN INCREASING FROM MONTH TO MONTH AND WHERE IT NOW IS BEGINNING TO FEEL UNSAFE. THE STEERING STICKS WHILE NAVIGATING THROUGH CURVES AND DOES NOT ALWAYS RETURN TO NEUTRAL POSITION. OTHERTIMES, IT STICKS AND ONE NEEDS TO PULL IT BACK TO CORRECT THE STEERING. IT IS QUITE UNSAFE AND MY WIFE AND I ARE VERY CONCERNED, NOT ONLY FOR OUR SAFETY, BUT ALSO OTHERS WHO MAY BE VICTIMIZED BY HEAD ON COLLISIONS. AFTER CHECKING OUT MY COMPLIANT WITH MY BMW CERTIFIED MECHANIC, HE TELLS ME THERE IS A REAL PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING MECHANISM ON THIS CAR AND CHECKING THROUGH THE MECHANIC'S WEB SITE, THERE APPEARS TO BE NO ONE THAT KNOWS HOW TO REPAIR THE SYSTEM, SHORT OF TAKING OUT THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN AND REPLACING WITH A NEW ONE. THE COST OF THIS WOULD AMOUNT TO $3,000.00 OR MORE. THE MECHANICS FEEL THIS IS A POOR STEERING DESIGN AND SHOULD BE FIXED BY BMW. HE TOLD ME TO BE VERY CAREFUL WHEN DRIVING THIS CAR FOR IT IS POSSIBLE THE ENTIRE SYSTEM COULD BREAK DOWN AT ANY MOMENT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW Z4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE STEERING WOULD DRIFT FROM SIDE TO SIDE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 81,000. UPDATED 03/21/12 *BF UPDATED 05/11/12

I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE NEW AND 3 YEARS AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE, THE STEERING BECAME EXTREMELY TIGHT WITH A LOT OF RESISTANCE IN THE STEERING WHEEL WHILE DRIVING. THIS "STICKING" STEERING WHEELS MAKES THE VEHICLE DIFFICULT TO DRIVE AND HARD TO KEEP FROM WANDERING. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY, AND THE STEERING MECHANISM WAS FOUND TO BE DEFECTIVE AND WAS REPLACED. SEVERAL YEARS LATER AND NOW OUT OF WARRANTY, I NOTICED THIS SAME PROBLEM STARTED BACK UP. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT I WOULD RARELY DRIVE THE VEHICLE AND HAVE ONLY PUT 4000 MILES SINCE 7/06) THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS. AT THIS POINT, I DO NOT DRIVE THE VEHICLE DUE TO THIS PROBLEM THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE WORSE AS THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE INCREASES. THIS DEFECT MAKES THE VEHICLE DANGEROUS TO DRIVE SINCE THE VEHICLE TENDS TO WANDER BACK AND FORCE DUE TO THE STEERING WHEEL STICKING. THE REPAIR IS IN THE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS AND I HAVE BEEN HOPING FOR A RECALL SINCE I HAVE READ OF MANY OTHER OWNERS EXPERIENCING THIS SAME DANGEROUS PROBLEM. *TR

WHEN THE CAR STAY OUTDOOR FOR A LONG TIME ON HOT SUNNY DAY, THE STEERING WHEEL BECOME VERY HARD TO TURN. IT IS NOTICEABLE AT ANY SPEED. HIGHWAY SPEED IS DANGEROUS BECAUSE THE CAR IS HARD TO KEEP ON A STRAIGHT LINE. THE PROBLEM DOES NOT APPEAR WHEN THE WEATHER IS COLD. I BOUGHT THE CAR FROM USA BUT I LIVE IN CANADA. THE ADDRESSEE THAT I WROTE IS WHERE THE CAR WAS BOUGHT NEW. SORRY FOR MY POOR ENGLISH. *TR

THE STEERING ON MY 2003 BMW Z4 IS VERY ERRATIC. THE CAR FEELS LIKE IT WANTS TO TURN ITSELF LEFT OR RIGHT, AND OFTEN FEELS LIKE IT IS FIGHTING ITSELF TO TURN. WHEN DRIVING OVER THE SLIGHTEST UNEVEN ROAD, THE STEERING WILL PULL AND SWERVE ON IT'S OWN. AT SLOW SPEEDS, IT REQUIRES CONSTANT ATTENTION TO KEEP THE VEHICLE DRIVING IN A STRAIGHT LINE. AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS IT HAS BECOME A WHITE KNUCKLED SCARY EXPERIENCE. UNDER BREAKING, THE CAR WILL SWERVE IMMEDIATELY TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW Z4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WAS DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER IN A STRAIGHT POSITION WHEN DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS OF 60 MPH AND ABOVE. THE FAILURE RECURRED MOST OFTEN WHEN DRIVING IN WARMER WEATHER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS AND VARIOUS REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED. THE STEERING BOX WAS REPLACED, BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12,000.

THE POWER STEERING ASSIST HAS FAILED ON THE CAR MAKING IT VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER. LUCKILY IT FAILED WHILE ON A STRAIGHT PART OF AN INTERSTATE AS MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING THE CAR AND THIS SEVERELY FRIGHTENED HER. SHE DID NOT OVERREACT AND WE TOOK APPROPRIATE MEASURES TO GET THE VEHICLE HOME. ONLINE RESEARCH INDICATES THAT THIS ISSUE WAS BEING INVESTIGATED BY NHTSA IN 2010 BUT CAN NOT FIND ANY INDICATION THAT AN ACTUAL RECALL IS IN PLACE. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS THING TO HAPPEN, ESPECIALLY IN A STATE WITH A LOT OF WINDING ROADS (TENNESSEE). I PURCHASED THE CAR USED LAST YEAR AND ALSO HAD A WATER PUMP FAILURE THAT RESULTED IN A BLOWN ENGINE. I WISH THIS ISSUE HAD BEEN INVESTIGATED ALSO AS I UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS A COMMON FAILURE WITH THIS PARTICULAR ENGINE. THERE IS ALSO A PROBLEM WITH THE SPEEDOMETER AND FUEL GAUGES READING INCORRECTLY. I READ THAT ONE OWNER WAS CONTACTED BY BMW NORTH AMERICA AFTER THEY FILED A COMPLAINT REGARDING THE POWER STEERING WITH NHTSA AND BMW VOLUNTARILY FIXED THE PROBLEM FOR THE OWNER. I HOPE I HAVE THE SAME LUCK AFTER POSTING THIS COMPLAINT. THANK YOU. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW Z4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT SHOULDER STRAP WAS LOOSE AND WOULD NOT RETRACT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT SEAT BELT BUCKLE ASSEMBLY WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 03V032000 (SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 44,000.