2007 BMW Z4

CASE NUMBER [XXX] FROM FARS 2012 DATABASE. CAR RAN OFF RIGHT SIDE OF ROADWAY WHILE NEGOTIATING CURVE IN ROAD AND HIT A TREE. SOLE-OCCUPANT DRIVER PERISHED IN SUBSEQUENT FIRE. SIX MONTHS BEFORE ACCIDENT, VICTIM REPORTED THAT CAR "OCCASIONALLY POPS AND/OR SQUEAKS WHEN CORNERING" IN REQUEST FOR SERVICE APPOINTMENT WITH STEVENS CREEK BMW. PLS NOTE THAT LAT/LONG IN FARS CONTRADICTS REPORT THAT ACCIDENT OCCURRED ON CENTRAL EXPWY EASTBOUND IMMEDIATELY EAST OF BERNARDO AVE. *TT INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TT

STEERING IS DANGEROUSLY DEFECTIVE WITH CAR MOVING LEFT AND RIGHT RAPIDLY CREATING SCARY AND UNCOMFORTABLY DRIVING EXPERIENCING. FEELS LIKE INTERMITTENT GRABBING RESISTANCE ON THE STEERING WHEEL WHEN TURNING AT NORMAL HIGHWAY SPEEDS, ALMOST LIKE THE BRAKES ARE BEING APPLIED INTERMITTENTLY IN THE TURN. I HAVE HAD THE TIRES REBALANCED AND INSPECTED TWICE FOR DEFECTIVE OR SEPARATION OF TREADS AND NOTHING CHANGED. ALSO HAD A BMW SPECIALIST CHECK THE SUSPENSION AND FRONT END AND HE SAID ALL WAS GOOD THERE. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION AND I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR OFF THE ROAD DO TO SEVERITY OF THE PROBLEM. *TR

BMW Z4 2007 - STEERING WHEEL PULLS HARD TO THE RIGHT. WHEN CORRECTED PULLS HARD TO THE LEFT AND VICE-VERSA. I'VE TAKEN THE VEHICLE IN 5 TIMES IN THE LAST YEAR TO 3 DIFFERENT CERTIFIED MECHANICS THINKING IT HAS TO DO WITH THE ALIGNMENT BUT THE ISSUE IS NOT RESOLVED. I HAVE BEEN ADVISED BY A PRIVATE CERTIFIED MECHANIC THAT THIS IS LIKELY DUE TO A STEERING COLUMN DEFECT, FOR WHICH THE 2003-2005 BMW Z4'S WERE RECALLED. THE VEHICLE IS DIFFICULT TO CONTROL AND DANGEROUS TO DRIVE AT ANY SPEED OVER 40 MPH. THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP COMPLETED ANOTHER ALIGNMENT LAST WEEK, IS NOT ACKNOWLEDGING THE STEERING PROBLEM AND CLAIMS THAT THE VEHICLE IS OK. I AM NOW DEALING WITH CUSTOMER RELATIONS AT BMW-USA BUT NO ACTION FOR ASSISTANCE WITH THIS FACTORY DEFECT WILL BE CONSIDERED UNTIL THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT ACKNOWLEDGES THE PROBLEM AND QUOTES THE REPAIR. I HAVE LOST CONFIDENCE IN THE VEHICLE AND AT HIS POINT THE IT SITS IN MY DRIVEWAY BECAUSE IT IS UNSAFE AND DANGEROUS ON THE ROAD.

A TRACTOR TRAILER HIT MY CAR, A BMW Z4 CONVERTIBLE, CT LICENSE PLATE, IN THE REAR LEFT, AS I WAS MOVING SLOWLY WITH TRAFFIC JUST BEFORE THE OVERPASS, RIGHT BEFORE I HIT THE TAPPANZEE BRIDGE AS I WAS HEADING TO NJ ON FRIDAY, AUGUST 1ST, 2014, SOMETIME BETWEEN 11:50-1230PM. I BELIEVE IT WAS CLOSE OR ABOUT 12:20PM.MY HEAD SLAMMED VIOLENTLY AGAINST THE TOP OF THE WHEEL FROM THE IMPACT.I LOOKED BACK AFTER BEING HIT AND THE DRIVER AGREED TO PULL OVER WHEN THERE WAS ROOM FOR HIM AFTER GOING OVER THE BRIDGE TO EXCHANGE INSURANCE INFORMATION. I WROTE DOWN HIS LICENSE PLATE , IT WAS TENNESSEE U514217.I BELIEVE THE # OF THE TRUCK WAS 5318. THE DRIVER WAS A WHITE MALE, ABOUT 40-45YEAR OF AGE.AFTER I SPED IN FRONT, I PULLED OVER JUST OVER THE BRIDGE TO THE RIGHT WHERE CONSTRUCTION WAS TAKING PLACE AND I WAITED FOR THE TRUCK TO PULL IN BEHIND ME. THE TRUCKER PULLED UP TO THE LEFT OF MY CAR WHILE HE WAS STILL IN THE FIRST LANE, AND HE WAS MOVING AT A SNAIL'S PACE; HIS WINDOW WAS ROLLED DOWN AND HE STARED ME IN THE FACE, CURLED HIS RIGHT HAND INTO A FIST, PUT IT UP TO HIS NECK, RAISED HIS RIGHT THUMB, AND DRAGGED HIS RIGHT HAND ACROSS HIS NECK AS IF TO SAY HE'D CUT MY THROAT. HE THEN YELLED, "I GOT SOMEWHERE TO BE! DO YOU WANT ME TO DRIVE BACK UP HERE AFTER WE EXCHANGE PERSONAL INFORMATION, COME TO WHERE YOU LIVE, AND CUT YOUR THROAT!" HE HAD DRIVEN PAST ME.I HESITATED. I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. , I GOT A CAT SCAN AND HAD MY HEAD WOUND LOOKED AT, AND WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A SEVERE BRUISE TO THE HEAD AND RECEIVED TREATMENT FOR ANXIETY I WAS FEELING FROM THE ACCIDENT AND THE HIT AND RUN THREAT. A MONTH HAS PASSED AND I AM STILL FEELING ANXIETY OVER THIS; NOT TO MENTION MY CAR HAS BEEN DAMAGED.I AM LOOKING TO FIND THE DRIVER WHO HIT MY CAR AND CAUSED ME THE WOUND AND CONSTANT ANXIETY I NOW SUFFER. *TR

I'VE LOST CONTROL OF MY STEERING IN GRAVE CIRCUMSTANCES AND THE WHEEL STICKS, WHERE IT REACHES A POINT WHERE I CANNOT CONTROL THE VEHICLE WHATSOEVER. THE VEHICLE BARELY HAS 47,000 MILES ON IT. WHILE DRIVING 30MPH LAST FALL, THE STEERING WHEEL BEGAN TO STICK AND I COULD NOT STEER THE VEHICLE. I HAD TO APPLY A GREAT DEAL OF FORCE TO GET THE STEERING TO RESPOND. THERE IS A CONTINOUS CLICKING, ALMOST LIKE A "CLUNK" SOUND, FROM THE STEERING COLUMN AND THE STEERING SIMPLY DOES NOT RESPOND WELL AND I FEEL EXTREMELY UNSAFE. THE LOCAL BMW DEALER SAYS THAT THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED, WHICH WILL COST ME OVER $3,000. I PARKED THE CAR FOR WINTER AND RECENTLY PULLED IT BACK OUT AND THE PROBLEM CONTINUES TO PERSIST. *TR

WHILE DRIVING STRAIGHT, THE STEERING WHEEL TENDS TO STICK, FORCE IS NEEDED TO STEER TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT OR TO EVEN KEEP IT GOING STRAIGHT. ONCE YOU START TURNING IT SEEMS TO FEEL NORMAL UNTIL YOU START TO MOVE THE WHEEL BACK TO THE NEUTRAL POSITION, THEN YOU REALIZE THE WHEEL IS NOW STUCK IN THIS POSITION. IT USUALLY TAKES QUITE A TUG TO GET IT MOVING AGAIN! IT APPEARS TO BE GETTING MORE EXTREME AND REQUIRING MORE FORCE TO MOVE THE WHEEL. I HAVE OWNED THE CAR FOR ABOUT 2 1/2 YEARS AND HAVE ALWAYS THOUGHT IT STEERED A LITTLE DIFFERENT, I JUST FIGURED IT WAS A BMW THING AND IT BEING A SMALLER CAR THAT WAS CAUSING IT TO HANDLE THIS WAY!! I DON'T THINK THAT ANY MORE! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 BMW Z4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD VEER TO THE RIGHT AND THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD HAVE TO BE HELD TO THE LEFT IN ORDER TO KEEP THE VEHICLE STRAIGHT. THE CONTACT PUT AN ANALYZER ON THE VEHICLE WHICH READ THAT THE STEERING SENSOR WAS DEFECTIVE AND THE STEERING STABILIZER HAD FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 51,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 BMW Z4. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO REVERSE FROM A PARKING SPACE AT APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED AND BECAME DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A LOSS OF POWER STEERING WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING UNIT AND COLUMN HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,345. UPDATED 10/19/11 *BF