2006 BMW Z4

STEERING WHEEL TENDS TO 'DETENT' IN ONE POSITION UNTIL MOVED TO ANOTHER POSITION. STEERING RESPONSE IS NOT SMOOTH AND LINEAR. VEHICLE STEERING IS 'DARTY' AND UNPREDICTABLE - MORE PRONOUNCED ON CROWNED ROADS. LANE CONTROL IS DIFFICULT AND REQUIRES CONSTANT STEER / COUNTER STEER TO PREVENT LANE EXCURSIONS. HIGHER AMBIENT TEMPERATURES TEND TO COMPOUND / AMPLIFY PROBLEM. VEHICLE BUILD DATE IS 05 / 2006. *TR

PASSENGER AIRBAG DEACTIVATION LIGHT ALWAYS ON (SINCE 20,000 MILES APPROX) TOGETHER WITH DASHBOARD AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT. GARAGE DIAGNOSED FAULTY PASSENGER SEAT PRESSURE MAT AND ADVISED PASSENGER AIRBAG WOULD NOT DEPLOY IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. BMW NORWELL MA, WHO SOLD THE CAR TO US, STATED NO RECALL ON 2006 MODEL (CONVERSATION WITH THEIR SERVICE DEPT. OF 10/21/2011) ALTHOUGH ALL Z4S UP TO 2005 WERE RECALLED FOR MAT REPLACEMENT. BMW WERE CLEARLY STILL FITTING DEFECTIVE PRESSURE MATS IN THE 2006 MODELS AND WOULD APPEAR TO BE NOT ONLY JEOPARDIZING OUR SAFETY BUT ALSO AVOIDING THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES. *TR

ON HOT DAYS, THE STEERING ON MY BMW "STICKS." THIS IS BECOMING MORE AND MORE OF A PROBLEM. I JUST DROVE THE CAR HOME FROM THE MECHANIC ON A 60 MILE TRIP. THE PROBLEM CAUSES ME TO HAVE OVERSTEER AND OVER-CORRECT WHEN CHANGING LANES. IT'S INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. FURTHERMORE, I NOW DRIVE WITH MY FOREARMS COMPLETELY TENSE IN AN ATTEMPT TO COMPENSATE FOR THE PROBLEM WHICH RESULTS IN UNDUE FATIGUE. MY MECHANIC SUGGESTED TAT THE ONLY REMEDY IS AN ENTIRELY NEW STEERING RACK, IN EXCESS OF $2,000. THE CAR ONLY HAS 52,000 MILES THOUGH IT IS OUT OF FACTORY WARRANTY. A QUICK SEARCH ONLINE, INDICATES THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN OCCURRING FOR SOME TIME (AT LEAST 25,000 MILES) BUT I'M BEGINNING TO FEEL AT MORE AND MORE OF A RISK. I MENTIONED IT TO THE DEALER WHEN IT FIRST BEGAN HAPPENING, WHILE THE CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY, BUT THEY TOLD ME NOTHING WAS WRONG. *TR

SAME ISSUE AS DESCRIBED IN NHTSA INVESTIGATION PE 10-020 "STICKY STEERING" OCCURS DURING PERIODS OF HIGH AMBIENT TEMPERATURES. THE CAR DARTS AND WANDERS. IT IS EXTREMELY DISCONCERTING AND REQUIRES CONSTANT ATTENTION. AN INCREASED STEERING EFFORT TYPICALLY OCCURS WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL IS AT THE CENTER POSITION AND THEDRIVER ATTEMPTS TO MAKE SMALL STEERING ADJUSTMENTS. THIS IS NOT A ONE TIME INCIDENT SO "APPROXIMATE INCIDENT DATE" IS INAPPROPRIATE. IT IS CONSTANT. ALSO NOT SURE WHY THE INVESTIGATION YOU CONDUCTED LISTS ONLY '03-05 WHEN IT CLEARLY STATES IN THE INVESTIGATION THAT BMW DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM UNTIL JULY 2006. MY CAR IS A 2006 WITH A JUNE 2006 BUILD DATE, JUST PRIOR TO THE FIX OF THE ACKNOWLEDGED PROBLEM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW ROADSTER Z4. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 40 TO 70 MPH THE STEERING WHEEL PULLED TO THE RIGHT WHICH MADE IT DIFFICULT FOR THE CONTACT TO CONTINUE MOVING IN A STRAIGHT LINE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO INSPECTED THE FAILURE AND CONFIRMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS FUNCTIONING NORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS ALSO TAKEN TO ANOTHER MECHANIC WHO STATED THE VEHICLE NEEDED AN OIL SEPARATOR TO AVOID A YELLOW LIQUID FROM FORMING WITHIN THE OIL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 54,000.

THE PASSENGER AIRBAG SYSTEM IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY... IS NOT SENSING WHEN MY WIFE IS SEATED... LM ALWAYS NERVOUS THINKING THAT MY WIFE IS NOT PROTECTED BY THE AIRBAG SYSTEM WHEN WE ARE IN THE CAR. DID A RESEARCH ONLINE AND FOUND THAT A LOT BMWS WENT TO RECALL BECAUSE OF THIS...CALLED BMW 1800 NUMBER... AND THEY SAY MY CAR IS NOT IN THAT RECALL... THE SITUATION IS REALLY BAD AND THE DEALERS SAYS TO FIX THE PROBLEM...WILL BE AROUND 2000 USD. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW Z4. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE STEERING PULLED TO THE RIGHT OR THE LEFT. WHILE MAKING A RIGHT TURN, THE STEERING PULL TO THE RIGHT AND THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE CURB CAUSING EXTENSIVE DAMAGES TO THE FRONT FENDER AND SIDES. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THERE ARE NO RECALLS FOR THE STEERING PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED WHO STATED HE SHOULD TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR AN INSPECTION AND OFFERED NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 55,000.

THIS REPORT CONCERNS A SAFETY ISSUE WITH A 2006 BMW Z4 WITH A 3.0 ENGINE AND AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. THE VEHICLE HAS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM THAT BEGAN EARLIER THIS YEAR. THE VEHICLE WILL BEGIN ACCELERATING WITHOUT DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR AND WILL SOMETIMES MAINTAIN A CONSTANT SPEED WHEN THE FOOT IS TAKEN OFF THE ACCELERATOR. IT WILL ACCELERATE WELL PAST 100MPH WITHOUT STOPPING. THE THREE WAYS THAT STOP THE SUDDEN ACCELERATION IS TO 1. APPLY THE BRAKES, 2. PUT THE GEAR SELECTOR INTO NEUTRAL, OR 3. TAP THE 'OFF' POSITION ON THE CRUISE CONTROL LEVER. CRUISE CONTROL HAS NEVER BEEN UTILIZED WHEN THE VEHICLE HAS EXPERIENCED THIS UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. THERE ARE NO FLOOR MATS IN THE VEHICLE THAT COULD IMPEDE THE FUNCTIONING OF THE ACCELERATOR. THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR SERVICE ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. A TECH WORKING ON THE VEHICLE STATED THAT HE BELIEVED IT WAS A CRUISE CONTROL SENSOR, BUT THE SHOP FOREMAN DETERMINED THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG. BMW OF NORTH AMERICA INSPECTED THE CAR AND HAVE STATED THAT 'THEY WILL STAND BY THEIR PRODUCT AND THAT NO DEFECT EXISTS.' I HAVE PROVIDED VIDEO DOCUMENTATION OF THIS ISSUE TO BMW. *TR