2003 BMW Z4

MY Z4 HAS ABOUT 70,000 MILES ON IT AND I JUST GOT IT BACK IN 6/20015 AND I NOTICED WHEN STEERING THERE IS A SORTA STICKING PROBLEM WITH IT AND IT KIND A WANT TO DRIFT SIDE TO SIDE ? NOW THE STEERING INDICATOR LIGHT COMES ON AND ITS LIKE A OLD TYPE STANDARD STEERING CAR. AND WHEN RESTARTED IT WORKS FOR A LITTLE WHILE AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN IT DOES IT ALL OVER AGAIN. THIS WOULD BE A REAL PROBLEM FOR A OLDER PERSON IF THIS WOULD HAPPEN , MAY CAUSE A SEVER ACCIDENT . I DID SOME INTERNET RESEARCH AND I DON'T THINK THIS IS A SOLO EVENT FOR ME. I DID ASK MY LOCAL DEALER AND THEY SAID THERE WAS NO RECALL ON THIS CAR. AS FAR AS I CAN TELL I AM THE 2ND OWNER ?

WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AND IN THE CITY, MY BMW Z4'S STEERING WHEEL GETS STUCK, PULLS TO THE LEFT & RIGHT AND NEEDS HARD FORCE TO RELEASE IT. I'VE ALMOST WRECKED SEVERAL TIMES BECAUSE OF THIS! I'M AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR BECAUSE IT'S TOO DANGEROUS. AFTER MUCH RESEARCH ON THIS ISSUE, I'VE FOUND OUT THAT THOUSANDS OF BMW Z4 OWNERS HAVE THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM.

PASSENGER DOOR LOCK WILL NOT UNLOCK WITH THE KEY FOB OR THE INTERIOR SWITCH. ALL OTHER LOCKS RESPOND APPROPRIATELY. THE DOOR WILL OPEN MANUALLY WITH THE INTERIOR HANDLE. I REPLACED THE LOCK ACTUATOR WITH NO IMPROVEMENT. I AM NOW TRYING TO REPLACE THE ELECTRICAL RELAY. THE DATE BELOW IS APPROXIMATE. I AM THE ORIGINAL PURCHASER. I HAVE NOT BEEN HAPPY WITH BMW SERVICE DEPARTMENT.

SUDDENLY UNABLE TO STEER. WHEN MOVING IT WAS VERY HARD TO STEER. WHEN STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT IT WAS AGAIN UNABLE TO STEER. BUT AGAIN WAS VERY HARD TO STEER WHEN MOVING AS WELL. STEERING LIGHT CAME ON. PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT. GETTING WORSE. TURN OFF AND RESTART ENGINE AND THE PROBLEM GOES AWAY FOR A SHORT WHILE THEN RETURNS. SEEMS TO BE A VERY DANGEROUS ISSUE.

AFTER SITTING IN HOT DIRECT SUN FOR OVER TWO HOURS, THE STEERING ON THE CAR IS DIFFICULT TO MANAGE. THE STEERING GETS EXTREMELY LOOSE AND YOU HAVE TO HOLD TIGHTLY TO THE STEERING WHEEL TO KEEP THE CAR FROM SWERVING. THERE IS NO ISSUE ON A COOL DAY, NOR IS THERE AN ISSUE ON A HOT DAY IF THE CAR IS PARKED IN THE SHADE. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR THE LAST 3 YEARS TO MY 2003 Z4. THE CAR IS GARAGE KEPT AND STORED IN THE WINTER. IT HAS NEVER BEEN IN THE RAIN OR SNOW AND IS WELL-MAINTAINED. AS OF SEPTEMBER 2015, THE CAR ONLY HAS 12,000 MILES, SO IT SHOULD NOT BE A WEAR AND TEAR ISSUE. THERE HAVE BEEN OVER 300 COMPLAINTS FILED ABOUT THIS ISSUE SINCE 2003. THE INVESTIGATION DONE IN 2010 WAS CLOSED IN 2011, AND YET HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS REMAIN UNANSWERED. IT SHOULD BE CONFIRMED WHETHER OR NOT THE INVESTIGATION INCLUDED TESTING THE CARS AFTER THEY HAVE BEEN IN THE DIRECT SUN ON A HOT DAY FOR SEVERAL HOURS. IF THE TESTING WAS NOT COMPLETED UNDER THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES, THE TEST WOULD BE FLAWED AND THE INVESTIGATION SHOULD BE REOPENED. IT IS UNACCEPTABLE THAT HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE ALL HAVE THE EXACT SAME ISSUE, AND A SAFETY ISSUE, AND NOTHING IS BEING DONE ABOUT THIS.

STEERING BECOMES VERY STICKY AND JERKY IN HOT WEATHER. STEERING IS SO BAD IT IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE WHEN WEATHER IS HOT. THIS IS BEEN AN ON GOING ISSUE AND REPORTED BEFORE BUT NOTHING GETS DONE ABOUT A RECALL. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHEN STEERING ISN'T A FACTOR FOR RECALL BY NTHSA. BMW LAWYERS APPARENTLY OUT SMARTED THE NTHSA. I INVITED ANY HTHSA OFFICIAL TO COME DRIVE MY 2003 Z4 AND PUT HIS LIFE AT RISK. BMW NORTH AMERICA WILL NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT THE ISSUE UNTIL NTHSA ISSUE A RECALL.

GETTING INTO THE CAR AFTER SHOPPING IT WAS SUDDENLY UNABLE TO STEER. WHEN MOVING IT WAS VERY HARD TO STEER. WHEN STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT IT WAS AGAIN UNABLE TO STEER. BUT AGAIN WAS VERY HARD TO STEER WHEN MOVING. I'VE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS FOR YEARS WITH THE STEERING STICKING WHEN DRIVING BUT THIS IS A VERY DIFFERENT ISSUE. I CAN'T DRIVE THE CAR LIKE THIS.

STICKY OR JERKING STEERING WHILE DRIVING BMW 2003 Z4, FIRST ATTEMPT WAS TO TAKE THE CAR TO AUTHORIZED BMW DEALER IN JULY 2013 , MILEAGE 27,756. SUGGESTED RESULT WAS TO REPLACE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN. 2ND ATTEMPT TO RESOLVE PROBLEM, APRIL 2014 MILEAGE 28,844. LUBRICATE UPPER STEERING WHEEL BEARING. 3RD ATTEMPT, MAY2015, MILEAGE 31,098. INSTALLED GREASE FITTING INTO STEERING COLUMN. NOW AT 32,000 MILES CAR IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. BMW NEEDS TO RECOGNIZE THIS ISSUE WITH Z4 MODELS FROM 2003 -JUNE 2006 PRODUCTION.