2004 BMW Z4 Complaints

I HAVE A 2004 BMW Z4 2.51 VIN NUMBER [XXX] - THE ELECTRONIC STEERING EPS HAS COMPLETELY FAILED, AND IS INOPERABLE. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE, ON MANY MANY CARS, AND AFTER CONTACTING BMW NORTH AMERICA, THEY SAID THE ONLY SOLUTION IS TO HAVE A BMW DEALER REPLACE THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN (THEIR ENGINEERING PROBLEM) AT A COST OF $4000. I TOLD THEM THIS WAS UNACCEPTABLE. I HAVE BEEN TO MANY MECHANICS AND THEY HAVE NO ANSWERS FOR THIS PROBLEM OTHER THEN GOING TO BMW IT IS FAILED 90% OF THE TIME, AND IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER AT TIMES MY ODB2 READER READS THE SYSTEM INFORMATION AS SW-V5.2 SS200381 PART NUMBER 6763764 CODING INDEX 03 DIAGNOSIS INDEX 04E1 VARIANT INDEX 474A HARDWARE NUMBER 01 DATE DD.MM.YYYY 10.12.2003 ERROR 610FEEPROM, NO RISK INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

STEERING WHEEL BINDS AND IS DIFFICULT TO TURN WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED. IT HAPPENS MOSTLY WHEN THE CAR IS WARM FROM THE SUN OR AFTER IT WARMS UP FROM DRIVING. THE STEERING WHEEL HAS TO BE FORCED TO TURN TO OVERCOME THE NOTCHY LOCKUP CONDITION. THE CAR THEN VEERS OFF TRACK. THE STEERING NEVER RETURNS TO CENTER SO THE CAR CONTINUOUSLY WANDERS BACK AND FORTH. INTERNET SEARCHES PRODUCE MANY VEHICLES WITH THIS ISSUE, BUT NO RECALL HAS BEEN PERFORMED. THIS IS A GROSS SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD BE CORRECTED BY THE MANUFACTURER PRIOR TO DEATHS CAUSED BY THIS SAFETY ISSUE.

STEERING STICKS NORMALLY IN A STRAIGHT LINE DRIVING SITUATION. ONE HAS TO APPLY FORCE TO UNSTICK STEERING.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW Z4. WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH, THE EPS LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 88,000. UPDATED 02/26/16*LJ UPDATED 02/29/16.*JB

THE CAR HAS A DANGEROUS STICKY STEERING PROBLEM. VERY NOTCHY STEERING, DIFFICULT TO KEEP ON THE ROAD. MANY COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN FILED.

FOR ABOUT THE LAST FIVE THOUSAND MILES, MY STEERING HAS DEVELOPED THE DANGEROUS STEERING CONDITION( DESCRIBED BY LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF OWNERS IN BLOGS AND VARIOUS POSTINGS-JUST DO A SEARCH FOR "Z4 STEERING PROBLEM") THAT EXISTS IN 2003-2005 BMW Z4 ROADSTERS. AT FIRST, THE PROBLEM OCCURRED ONLY ON VERY HOT DAYS (AS DESCRIBED MY MANY OTHERS). NOW, IT AFFECTS ALL ASPECTS OF DRIVING, MAKING THE VEHICLE VERY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. STEERING REQUIRES CONSTANT CORRECTION FROM LEFT TO RIGHT AND DOES NOT RETURN TO CENTER. I HAVE REPLACED TIRES TWICE AND HAD SEVERAL ALIGNMENTS WITH NO EFFECT. IF EVER THERE WAS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT WOULD WARRANT A RECALL THIS IS IT. THE DEAD STEERING DESCRIBED IS MOST EVIDENT AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS (50-70MPH)

REPORTED THIS PROBLEM TO YOU IN 2006--ODI 10496814- STICKY STEERING-WHICH CAN CAUSE THE DRIVER TO JERK THE WHEEL HARD AND LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE- I HAVE READ THERE ARE WELL OVER 100 COMPLAINTS ON THIS PROBLEM- BMW HAS, SOME AT MY COST, REPLACED THE STEERING COLUMN TWICE AND NOW WHAT TO DO THE 3RD TIME, AT MY COST. THIS WOULD MAKE FOUR COLUMNS, COUNTING THE ORIGINAL ONE, AND THIS CAR ONLY HAS 14,000 MILES. THERE A BIG PROBLEM WITH THERE ENGINEERING ON THIS PROBLEM. MY UNDERSTANDING, THERE IS A UNSEALED BEARING INSIDE THE COLUMN THAT FAILS. YOU CANNOT REPLACE THE BEARING-BMW DOES NOT LIST THIS AS A PART. IT IS ABOUT TIME THAT NHTSA FIND A FIX FOR THIS PROBLEM BEFORE SOMEBODY IS HURT OR KILLED. IN 2010 THE USA REPORTED OVER 107 COMPLAINTS AND ONE CRASH.

THE STEERING SYSTEM (EPS) IS MAKING THE STEERING VERY "NOTCHY" "STICKING" AND MAKES THE CAR VERY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. I'VE READ FORUMS THAT SAY THE PROBLEM YEARS ARE FROM 2003 - 2005 BUT BMW WILL NOT ADMIT THERE IS A PROBLEM THEREFORE NO RECALLS WERE MADE. NOW I CAN'T EVEN SELL THE CAR BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM

AFTER CRANKING MY 2004 Z4 IN THE DRIVE WAY, MY WIFE IN THE CAR WITH ME AT THE TIME, THE DRIVERS SIDE AIRBAG WENT OFF FOR NO REASON. HAD JUST PUT THE CAR INTO REVERSE TO BACK IT UP AND THEN "POW" SOUNDED LIKE A GUNSHOT GOING OFF. I LOOKED OVER TO SEE MY WIFE PANICKED AS SHE WAS STUNNED THAT THIS WENT OFF RIGHT IN HER FACE. IT SCUFFED HER ARM A BIT AND GOT THE POWDER RESIDUE IN HER FACE. THIS CAR HAS BEEN DRIVEN VERY LITTLE, ONLY ABOUT 6000 MILES A YEAR ROUGHLY. THIS KIND OF THING SHOULD NOT HAPPEN. THE CAR HAD NOT EVEN MOVED IT WAS JUST PUT INTO REVERSE AND THEN IT UNEXPECTANTLY EXPLODED. I HAD PREVIOUSLY TAKEN THE CAR IN TO CHECK ON A RECALL THEY HAD ON SOME VEHICLES FOR THE AIRBAG MAT IN THE PASSENGER SIDE, WAS TOLD THAT MY MODEL WAS NOT EFFECTED. I THINK THAT MAY HAVE BEEN A LIE, AND IF WAS NOT A LIE THEN IT CLEARLY SHOULD HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN THE RECALL.

STEERING STICKS AND ALMOST CAUSE ACCIDENT. CAR IS LIKE NEW AND IT A SHAME I CANT ENJOY CAR BECAUSE STEERING ISSUE WITH BMW Z4 STEERING. I CANT AFFORD THE DEALER PRICE TO FIX A CAR DEFECT.