2003 BMW Z4 Complaints

I AM FILLING THIS COMPLAINT DO TO MY CAR STARTED TO FILL UNSAFE WILL NOT STAY CENTER AND CONTINUES TO PULL ON BOTH DIRECTIONS ITS A STRUGGLE TO KEEP THE CAR ON THE ROAD KNOWING THAT AT ANY MOMENT WILL TROW YOU TO EITHER SIDE PLEASE REVIEW MY CLAIM. *TR

I BOUGHT THE 2003 BMW Z4 3.0 L. IN SEPTEMBER OF 2012. I LIVE AND DRIVE THE CAR IN PORTLAND OREGON WHERE THE WHETHER IS RATHER MODERATE IN THE SUMMER MONTHS BUT WHEN THE TEMPERATURE REACHES ABOVE 90 F THE STEERING GETS SO TIGHT THAT AT HIGHWAY SPEED ESPECIALLY I HAVE TO FIGHT THE STEERING WHEEL TO KEEP THE CAR ON TRACK. STEERING GETS SO TIGHT DUE TO OUTSIDE TEMPERATURES THAT DRIVING BECOMES SCARY AND UNSAFE. WHEN THE WEATHER IS PREDICTED WITH TEMPERATURES 90 F. AND ABOVE I CHOOSE TO DRIVE MY OLD BMW 528 WHICH IS THE TRUE ULTIMATE DRIVING MACHINE. SAFE AND RELIABLE. BMW MUST RECOGNIZE AND ADMIT THE ENGINEERING FLAW BUILT IN THE Z4 BMW AND RECALL BEFORE SERIOUS FATAL ACCIDENTS HAPPEN! PLEASE CONTACT ME FOR ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

STEERING BECOME - NOTCHY/STICKY. THIS MAKES SMALL STEERING CORRECTIONS VERY DIFFICULT DURING HIGHWAY DRIVING. THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE TEMPERATURE RELATED IN MY CASE. WITH COLDER THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURES, THE BEHAVIOR IS DELAYED UNTIL THE A LONGER DRIVING DURATION HAS OCCURRED. THIS PROBLEM WAS EVIDENT WITHIN ONE YEAR OF MY PURCHASE. I DID NOT NOTICE IT VERY OFTEN, SINCE I WAS ONLY DRIVING TO AND FROM MY WORK, LOW MILEAGE AND SHORT TIMES. AS I HAVE NOW BEEN DRIVING THE CAR MORE OFTEN, I HAVE FOUND THIS PROBLEM EVIDENT ON ALL TRIP. I HAVE REPORTED THIS TO THE BMW DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR (NEW). THEY INFORMED ME THAT I WOULD NEED A COMPLETE STEERING COLUMN REPLACEMENT AT MY EXPENSE (APPROXIMATELY $4000). THE ALSO SUGGESTED THAT I CONTACT BMW CUSTOMER SERVICE. I DID AND BASICALLY GOT A NULL RESPONSE. THE CAR HAS ALWAYS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED, NO ACCIDENTS, PARKED IN A GARAGE AND HAS LESS THAN 57000 MILES. THE WARRANTY OF COURSE HAS EXPIRED. I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT THE SOLUTION TO MY PROBLEM IS DUE TO ANY TYPE OF NORMAL WEAR AND AGE. I HAVE ALSO FOUND THAT THERE ARE NOW NUMEROUS REPORTS OF THE SAME STEERING ISSUE. THE CAR IS DRIVABLE, HOWEVER WITH EXTREME CAUTION AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THE ISSUE IS CONTROL OF THE CAR AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS - WHEN CHANGING LANES OR EVEN ATTEMPTING TO MAINTAIN A STRAIGHT PATH WITHIN THE LANES. AS THE TEMPERATURES INCREASE IN LONGER DRIVES, THE STEERING DIFFICULTY BECOMES WORSE. WHEN THE PROBLEMS STARTS, THE SMALLEST CONTROL CORRECTIONS FOR THE STEERING IS MORE THAN 5 DEGREES. THIS CAUSES A LARGE EFFECT ON THE CARS PATH AND MAKING IT NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO DRIVE IN A STRAIGHT LINE WHEN ATTEMPTING TO STAY IN THE DRIVING LANE. I WOULD LIKE BMW TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM AT THEIR EXPENSE. IN MY VIEW, THIS IS A DESIGN DEFECT INTRODUCED BY BMW. *TR

VEHICLE WAS PARKED ON THE LOT SOMEONE HEARD A LOUD POP NOISE AND NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM INTERIOR OF VEHICLE, FOUND PASSENGER SIDE DASH AIR BAG HAD BEEN DEPLOYED THIS VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND LOCKED WITH KEYS INSIDE THE BUILDING. *TR

BASICALLY THE STEERING BECOMES STIFF IN WARM WEATHER. THE STIFFNESS OCCURS IN MY CAR AFTER A HALF AN HOUR OR SO OF DRIVING AT TEMPERATURES OVER ABOUT 75 TO 80 DEGREES. I BELIEVE IT'S DANGEROUS, ESPECIALLY WHEN CHANGING LANES ON THE HIGHWAY AT SPEED DURING HEAVY TRAFFIC, AND AM VERY SURPRISED THAT THERE HASN'T BEEN A RECALL SO FAR. IT ALSO TAKES MOST OF THE PLEASURE OUT OF DRIVING IN WARM WEATHER WITH THE TOP DOWN, WHICH IS THE REASON I BOUGHT THE Z4 IN THE FIRST PLACE. *TR

STEERING IS STICKY DURING WARMER WEATHER AND STICKS ON CENTER AND IS DIFFICULT TO TURN FROM CENTER. *TR

STEERING WHEEL SOMETIMES IS "STICKING" WHILE DRIVING MAKING TURNING A LITTLE MORE LABORED THAN NORMAL. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW Z4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR DOOR HANDLES FAILED TO FUNCTION AND THE DOOR WOULD NOT RELEASE OPEN. THE CONTACT EXITED THE VEHICLE FROM THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE DOOR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND REPAIRED TWICE. THE FAILURE RECURRED AND THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED FOR MOST RECENT FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 57,618. *TR

SAME PROBLEM AS ALL OTHER 2003 BMW Z4 STEERING COMPLAINTS. VEHICLE STARTED STICKING WHEN MAKING EVEN SLIGHT STEERING ADJUSTMENTS. ALWAYS STARTS THIS ABOUT 5 MINUTES INTO A DRIVE. HAS CONTINUED TO THIS DATE IN MARCH 2014 BUT NOW IN ADDITION TO STICKING GET A LOUD SQUEAL WHEN TURNING WHEEL WHILE DRIVING. *TR

THE PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR IS "STICKY" STEERING. IT OCCURS MOSTLY AT HIGH SPEEDS IN HOT WEATHER. MANY BMW FORUMS OUT LINE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE 2003 Z4. IT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TO BE TRAVELING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED AND HAVE THE STEERING BECOME SO STIFF YOU CAN HARDLY STEER THE CAR. BMW WILL NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM EVEN THOUGH MANY PEOPLE HAVE COMPLAINED. I AM SURE YOU HAVE RECEIVED SIMILAR COMPLAINTS AND I HOPE WILL DO SOMETHING TO FORCE BMW TO CORRECT THIS ENGINEERING DEFECT AND REPAIR THOSE CARS WHICH ARE AFFECTED.