2006 BMW Z4

ON MY 2006 BMW Z4 3.0I, WHILE REPLACING A BLOWN HEADLIGHT BULB I DISCOVERED THAT THE INSULATION ON THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT WIRING WAS CRUMBLING OFF AND IN PARTS HAD BARE COPPER WIRE SHOWING. AS THIS IS THE MAIN HEADLIGHT WIRING AND BOTH THE + AND - WIRES WERE SHOWING BARE COPPER A SHORT CIRCUIT AND OR FIRE COULD BE POSSIBLE. THIS WIRING IS WITHIN THE HEADLIGHT HOUSING IT'S SELF. UPON DOING RESEARCH ONLINE I AM NOT THE ONLY PERSON AFFECTED. I REPORTED THIS ISSUE TO MY LOCAL BMW DEALER WHO SAID THERE WERE NO RECALLS AT THIS TIME AND I COULD CALL BMW NA. I CALLED BMW NA WHO REPEATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL AND SAID THEY WOULD MAKE A NOTE OF IT BUT OFFERED NO OTHER HELP. *JS

STEERING IS JERKY FROM CENTER POSITION. EXTRA EFFORT IS REQUIRED TO MOVE STERRING WHEEL FROM CENTER POSITION CAUSING OVER CORRECTION IN EITHER DIRECTION. SOMETIMES THIS EXTRA EFFORT PUTS THE CAR INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC OR THE DITCH. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION AN I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE IN THIS CONDITION. BMW WANTS TO REPLACE THE STEERING SYSTEM (EXPENSIVE). THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL FOR THIS ITEM BECAUSE THERE ARE TOO MANY COMPLAINTS FOR THE SAME ISSUE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW Z4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED CONTINUOUSLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE OCCUPANT DETECTION MAT HAD FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNAVAILABLE.

THIS 2006 BMW HAS THE "STICKY STEERING" PROBLEM THAT HAS BEEN PREVIOUSLY REPORTED TO THE NHTSA. THE PROBLEM OCCURS 100% OF THE TIME. WHEN DRIVING, THE STEERING WHEEL WILL NOT TURN WITHOUT APPLYING EXCESSIVE FORCE TO "UNSTICK" THE MECHANISM AND HAVE THE STEERING WHEEL, AND IN TURN, THE CAR STEER PROPERLY. THE CAR SHOULD NOT BE DRIVEN AS IS. THERE CAN BE A DELAY WHEN REACTING TO CORNERS, ON COMING TRAFFIC OR ANY NUMBER OF NORMAL DRIVING HAZARDS. *TR

WHEN THE CAR IS DRIVEN ON A WARM DAY, THE STEERING BECOMES VERY RIGID AND STIFF. WHEN DRIVING AND TRYING TO MAKE SMALL ADJUSTMENTS IN THE LINE OF DIRECTION, THE CAR DOES NOT RESPOND. THE ALIGNMENT HAS BEEN CHECKED AND THE TIRES REPLACED. SOMETHING IS CLEARLY WRONG WITH THE STEERING MECHANISM AND THE CAR BECOMES HARD TO MANAGE. ACCIDENTS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN BECAUSE WHEN THE DRIVER CAN'T MAKE TIMELY ADJUSTMENTS TO COURSE. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

ALL SERVICE AND REPAIRS OF THIS CPO PERFORMED BY DEALERSHIP. FIRE CAUSED TOTAL LOSS OF VEHICLE IN EXCELLENT CONDITION MELTING INTERIOR AND NEARLY BURNING DRIVER-DAMAGE MOST SEVERE ON DRIVER'S SIDE OF VEHICLE AND EXTENDS TO THE CAR EXTERIOR. FIRE STARTED WHILE VEHICLE MOVING ON HEAVILY USED PUBLIC ROAD SHORTLY AFTER WARNING SYMBOL FOR BLINKERS ACTIVATED AND BLINKERS ON PASSENGER SIDE INCREASED IN SPEED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW Z4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE OCCUPANT DETECTION MAT IN THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN I.D. NUMBER: 08V384000 (AIR BAGS:FRONTAL) AND CALLED THE MANUFACTURER. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE VIN NUMBER WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 64,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW Z4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED INDEPENDENTLY. THE FAILURE WAS EXPERIENCED SEVERAL TIMES WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE CONTACT BELIEVED THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO SUDDENLY ACCELERATE BECAUSE ONCE THE VEHICLE DECELERATED TO NORMAL SPEED, THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE GRADUALLY AT A HIGHER SPEED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE A DIAGNOSTIC WAS PERFORMED THAT WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS LEFT WITH THE DEALER FOR FURTHER INSPECTION. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 44,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 54,000.

THE STEERING BECOMES DIFFICULT TO CONTROL WHEN TEMPS ARE ABOVE 90 DEGREES. THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED. WHEN TRYING TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL TO EITHER SIDE THERE IS A QUICK OVER STEER AT THE SLIGHTEST MOVEMENT CAUSING THE DRIVER TO TRY AND CORRECT WHICH THEN CAUSES A REVERSE OVER STEER. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN WELL DOCUMENTED BY OTHER OWNERS TO NHTSA AND BMWNA BUT IGNORED OR VIEWED AS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE. I BEG TO DIFFER. I'VE EXPERIENCED FIRST HAND THE CAUSE AND AFFECT OF THIS STEERING ISSUE WHEN TRYING TO AVOID AN OBJECT ON THE HIGHWAY THAT ONLY REQUIRED A RELATIVELY EASY TURN OF THE STEERING WHEEL. HOWEVER, BECAUSE OF THE "STICKY STEERING" THE MINOR MANEUVER BECAME A MAJOR CONTROL ISSUE TO BRING THE CAR BACK TO A NORMAL STEERING PATH. THIS PROBLEM IS KNOWN THROUGHOUT BMW Z MODEL OWNERS AS "STICKY STEERING". I WILL NOT LET MY WIFE DRIVE THIS VEHICLE BECAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. IT IS JUST TOO DANGEROUS. WHY IS THIS ISSUE NOT BEING ADDRESSED. IT IS SO WIDE SPREAD AND IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE. *TR