2003 BMW Z4 Complaints

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.

THERE WAS NOT AN INCIDENT, THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYS ON. I TOOK IT TO THE BODY SHOP TO HAVE THE ERROR RESET AND IT SAID TAKE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. I DID NOT AND IT IS STILL ON. WAS THERE A RECALL ON THIS.

WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND TURNING INTO CURVES THE RETURN STEERING STICKS REQUIRING FORCE TO OVERCOME THE STICK. WHEN THE STICK IS OVERCOME IT CAUSES AN OVERSTEER CONDITION AND REQUIRES RAPID CORRECTION. THIS IS INTERMITTENT ALTHOUGH WITH A HIGH RATE OF OCCURENCE.

THE CENTRAL LOCKING SYSTEM DOES NOT WORK CORRECTLY. IT OPERATES THE GLOVE BOX, PASSENGER AND DRIVER DOORS AS WELL AS GAS CAP DOOR. IT DOES NOT RESPOND PROPERLY TO FOB OR BY KEY. AT TIMES ALL LOCKS ARE FROZEN TO THE POINT WHERE YOU CAN NOT OPEN TO GET IN OR GAS. RIGHT NOW PASSENGER DOOR HAS BEEN LOCKED FOR 30+ DAYS. CANNOT OPEN AT ALL. TOOK TO A MECHANIC WHO ORDERED A NEW ACTUATER FROM BMW DEALER, FIRST ONE DID NOT WORK. SECOND ONE INSTALLED AND THE PROBLEM IS NOT SOLVED. ($240.00). MECHANIC TELLS ME THAT SOMETHING IS BURNING AND I MUST TAKE TO DEALERSHIP. I CAN SMELL THE BURNING AND I AM AFRAID AND WILL NOT DRIVE. LOOKED UP ON INTERNET, THERE ARE 100S OF CONSUMERS WITH THE SAME ISSUE. THIS CAR ONLY HAS 71,000 MILES ON IT.

STEERING WHEEL ROTATION INHIBITED, WOULD NOT TURN SMOOTHLY, EXTRA FORCE NEEDED TO OVERCOME RESISTANCE IN STEERING WHEEL ROTATION, VERY HEAVY CENTER DETENT. CAR SWERVES VIOLENTLY WHEN EXTRA FORCE ON WHEEL IS USED TO OVERCOME RESISTANCE IN STEERING WHEEL ROTATION. UNABLE TO MAKE COMMON MINOR ADJUSTMENTS, RESULTANT OVERSTEERING CAUSES ERRATIC MOVEMENTS. CAR NEARLY GONE OFF ROAD SEVERAL TIMES. HEAT RELATED. HAPPENS WHEN CAR CABIN TEMPERATURE ELEVATED BY SUNSHINE OR EXTENDED DRIVES/USE. >=2.5HRS. CAR IS UNSAFE. BMW ACKNOWLEDGES CAUSE RELATED TO STEERING COLUMN/GEARS BUT REFUSES TO RECALL/FIX. PLEASE HELP BEFORE MORE ARE KILLED.

THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN ONGOING SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR USED IN OCTOBER OF 2005. I REPORTED TO DEALER AND SEVERAL MECHANICS SINCE THEN, THAT THE STEERING STICKS WHEN CAR IS HOT OR ON A HOT DAY AFTER DRIVING A SHORT DISTANCE. THEY ALL INDICATED THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE AFTER INSPECTION. THIS CONTINUES TO PLAGUE MY VEHICLE AND CAUSES ME TO KEEP THE CAR UNDER WRAPS ON HOT DAYS (WHICH IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE IN FLORIDA) BECAUSE IF I START TO ADJUST STEERING AS I DRIVE, THE WHEEL APPEARS TO LOCK AND CONTINUE IN THAT DIRECTION. I HAVE TO FORCE IT TO KEEP IT STRAIGHT. IT'S A NUISANCE AND A SAFETY HAZARD AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN FIXED WHEN I INITIALLY REPORTED THE ISSUE BECAUSE IT'S CLEAR THAT BMW IS WELL AWARE OF THIS ISSUE. SHAME ON THEM. I HAVE OWNED 4 BMW'S AND THE Z4 IS THE ONLY ONE WITH THAT PARTICULAR ISSUE. I LOVE THE VEHICLES BUT AM SADDENED THAT I CAN'T TAKE MY Z OUT FOR A NICE SUMMER DRIVE FOR FEAR OF GETTING INTO AN ACCIDENT.