2003 BMW Z4

STEERING BECOMES INTERMITTENTLY "STICKY". FIRST SYMPTOM IS THAT WHEN I TURN THE WHEEL NORMALLY NOTHING HAPPENS. AS A RESULT, I TURN THE STEERING WHEEL MORE AND THEN SUDDENLY THE CAR TURNS. IMMEDIATELY, I HAVE TO TURN THE WHEEL BACK THE OTHER WAY TO AVOID GOING OFF THE ROAD. THE PROBLEM IS REPEATED WHEN I TURN BACK IN THE OTHER DIRECTION AND I ESSENTIALLY END UP WEAVING DOWN THE ROAD. WHEN I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE IN TO HAVE IT CHECKED AFTER THE FIRST OCCURRENCE, THE SYMPTOM COULDN'T BE REPRODUCED BY THE SERVICEMEN WHO LOOKED AT IT. IN RETROSPECT, I'VE REALIZED THAT I WAS ALWAYS HAVING THE CAR CHECKED WHEN IT WAS COOL OUT (MORNINGS & I LIVED NEAR LAKE SUPERIOR), BUT THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO OCCUR ONLY WHEN IT IS HOT OUTSIDE (OVER 70 TO 80 DEGREES). SINCE I COULDN'T SOLVE THE PROBLEM, I HAVE DRAMATICALLY REDUCED MY DRIVING WITH THIS VEHICLE. HOWEVER, AFTER RECENTLY MOVING TO A DIFFERENT PART OF THE COUNTRY, I MENTIONED THE PROBLEM TO A NEW SERVICEMAN LAST MONTH. HE SAID THIS WAS A WELL KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THE Z4 STEERING BEARINGS. AFTER SPENDING SOME TIME SEARCHING ON THE INTERNET, I WAS SHOCKED TO SEE HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE REPORTED THIS SAME PROBLEM (INCLUDING TO THIS WEBSITE). I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF A SIMILAR PROBLEM WITH ANY OTHER VEHICLE; IT CERTAINLY SEEMS TO ME THIS IS SOME SORT OF DESIGN FLAW. IT IS HARD TO IMAGINE STEERING BEARINGS WEARING OUT DUE TO NORMAL "WEAR AND TEAR" WITH ONLY 34,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. PLEASE RECALL THIS VEHICLE ASAP AND FORCE BMW TO FIX THE PROBLEM BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED! *TR

AFTER BEING PARKED FOR A FEW HOURS IN THE SUN ON A HOT DAY (OVER 80 DEGREES) THE STEERING STICKS. IT IS MOST NOTICEABLE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WHERE IT BECOMES VERY DIFFICULT TO MAKE FINE ADJUSTMENTS SO IT IS HARD TO HOLD THE CAR IN A LANE. THIS HAS OCCURRED MULTIPLE TIMES AND IS A PREDICTABLE PROBLEM WHEN THE TEMPERATURE IS HIGH AND THE CAR HAS BEEN PARKED IN THE SUN. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW Z4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AS THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION OR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE VIN DID NOT QUALIFY FOR REPAIRS UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 04V247000 (AIR BAGS). THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 50,000 .

THE STEERING MECHANISM AND WHEEL SEEM TO STICK. THE STEERING WHEEL DOES NOT TRAVEL SMOOTHLY WITHIN THE NORMAL STEERING RANGE. WHEN THE CAR IS BEING DRIVEN ON A STRAIGHT LINE... SUDDENLY, YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO KEEP THE CAR GOING STRAIGHT, WHICH CAUSES THE DRIVER TO ATTEMPT TO CORRECT AND TYPICALLY CAUSES THE CAR TO MOVE ERRATICALLY FROM SIDE TO SIDE TO KEEP THE CAR CENTER ON THE DRIVING LANE. DRIVING THE CAR UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS HAS BECOME A BATTLE TO KEEP THE CAR STRAIGHT ON THE ROAD. OVER CORRECTIONS ARE INEVITABLE AND THIS CAN CAUSE LOSS OF CONTROL AND ACCIDENTS/COLLISIONS. *TR

IN HOT WEATHER THE POWER STEERING GETS EXTREMELY STICKY AND WHEN MAKING A TURN SUCH AS ON AN EXIT RAMP THE STEERING WHEEL HAS TO BE PULLED TO RETURN IT TO THE STRAIGHT POSITION WHICH RAISES THE DISTINCT POSSIBILITY THAT THE CAR COULD GO RIGHT OFF THE RAMP IF NOT CAUGHT. THIS PROBLEM ALSO CAUSES SWERVING WHEN MAKING SMALL STEERING CORRECTIONS ON THE HIGHWAY, THE CAR CAN SWERVE INTO ANOTHER LANE. DEALERS ARE UNWILLING TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE AND THE ON-LINE Z 4 FORUM INDICATES THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM APPARENTLY DUE TO DESIGN FLAWS. *TR

I HAD THE STEERING ON THIS VEHICLE GET WORSE ON THE INTERSTATE AFTER I FILED THE FIRST COMPLAINT. I CONTACTED BMW USA AND TOOK IT TO THE BMW DEALER. I WAS TOLD BY BMW USA THAT MY PROBLEM WAS THE DEFECT THAT THEY WERE AWARE OF. HOWEVER, THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY WILL NOT REPAIR ANY OF THESE VEHICLES UNLESS THERE IS A RECALL. IS IT GOING TO TAKE A FEW MORE FATAL CRASHES FOR THE SOMEONE TO STEP UP AND FORCE THIS MANUFACTURER TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM? EVEN THOUGH I AM THE SECOND OWNER OF THIS CAR, IT WAS PURCHASED IN FLORIDA WHERE YOU ARE SUPPOSE TO ENJOY A CONVERTIBLE. HOWEVER, THIS FAILURE OCCURS AT TEMPERATURES ABOVE 77 DEGREES. NOW THAT I KNOW OF THIS PROBLEM, HOW CAN I PASS IT ON TO ANOTHER WHO MIGHT NOT BE AN EXPERIENCED DRIVER AND JOIN BMW IN BEING THE INSTRUMENT OF THEIR DEATH. *TR

1.VEHICLE UNSAFE TO DRIVE; UNABLE TO MAINTAIN STEERING OR KEEP VEHICLE ON THE ROAD SAFELY. 2.VIBRATIONS WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE 3.MANUAL GEAR BOX; SHIFTING THROUGH GEARS NOT SMOOTH, NOT ENGAGING SMOOTHLY 4.WATER LEAKING INSIDE OF VEHICLE TRUNK AND REAR SEAT AREAS. VEHICLE TRUNK AREA WAS SATURATED WITH WATER AFTER RAINING; FILLING WATER OVER THE BATTERY BOX AND CARPETS, SHORTING OUT ELECTRONICS. 5.OUTSIDE OF VEHICLE; PLASTIC COMPONENTS EARLY DETERIORATION; FRONT WINDSHIELD WIPER AREA BLACK PLASTIC COWL AND ANTENNA. INSIDE OF VEHICLE BLACK PLASTIC COVER FOR CONVERTIBLE TOP 6.RAIN SENSOR INOP 7.DOOR LOCKS INOP/INTERMITTENT 8.WINDOWS REGULATORS PLASTIC BROKEN. *TR

MY STEERING WHEEL LIGHT GOES ON THEN THE CAR HANDLING BECOMES VERY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. THE PROBLEM STARTED ONE DAY ON THE HIGHWAY. THE WHEEL WAS SUDDENLY HARD. THIS PROBLEM HAPPENS SEVERAL TIMES A DAY: WHEN I START THE CAR AND AT ANY RANDOM TIME WHILE I'M DRIVING. I HAVE TO RESTART THE CAR IN ORDER TO GET THE POWER STEERING BACK (BEFORE THE NEXT FAILURE). THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS SINCE NOTHING IS TELLING ME WHEN THE NEXT ISSUE IS GOING TO HAPPEN. I'M ALWAYS SCARED TO MAKE A TURN OR TO CHANGE LANES. *TT