2004 BMW Z4 Complaints

THE STEERING ON THIS VEHICLE SEEMS TO STICK AT TIMES AND YOU HAVE TO JERK IT BACK TO CENTER TO KEEP IT IN LINE ON THE ROAD. ONCE IT STARTS, IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME. I AM REAL CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF DRIVING SINCE IT IS HARD SOMETIMES TO JERK IT BACK IN LINE OR STRAIGHT. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR MANY MONTHS NOW AND I AM VERY CONCERNED AND DON'T DRIVE IT AS MUCH NOW. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW Z4. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE DEALER DETERMINED THAT THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000. UPDATED 10/07/14*LJ UPDATED 3/23/2015 *JS

STEERING STICKS WHEN TEMPERATURE IS WARM. WHEN DRIVING HAVE TO PULL STEERING BACK TO CENTER WHEN STEERING EITHER LEFT OR RIGHT. USUALLY OCCURS ONCE TEMP IS ABOVE 75 DEGREES. DIFFICULT TO KEEP CAR ON ROAD, HAVE HAD MULTIPLE INSTANCES WHEN ALMOST WENT OFF THE ROAD. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND HAVE LIMITED MY DRIVING OF THIS VEHICLE DUE TO THE DANGER. *TR

WHILE DRIVING MY CAR I LOST CONTROL OF THE POWER STEERING AND IT FELT LIKE MY STEERING LOCKED. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I TURNED OFF THE CAR AND WAITED A BIT AFTER CHECKING UNDER THE HOOD TO SEE THAT I HAD GOOD POWER STEERING FLUID AND THE BELTS WERE GOOD. I TURNED ON THE CAR AGAIN AND STILL HAD NO POWER STEERING. SINCE I WAS NOT FAR FROM HOME I CAREFULLY DROVE HOME FIGHTING MY STEERING ALL THE WAY. I CALLED MY LOCAL BMW DEALER THE FOLLOWING DAY AND THEY SAID THEY WERE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND THE REPAIR WAS EXTREMELY COSTLY. I DID NOT REALIZE HOW AWARE THEY WERE UNTIL I FURTHER RESEARCHED THE ISSUE ON THE INTERNET AND WAS TOTALLY SHOCKED TO SEE HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS CONCERNING THE SAME EXACT ISSUE. COMPLAINTS THAT HAVE BEEN GOING ON FOR YEARS. I SAW REPORTS OF MULTIPLE ACCIDENTS. I CAN NOT BELIEVE THAT A RECALL WAS NEVER ISSUED ON THIS ITEM. IT IS ABSOLUTELY MIND BOGGLING THAT SUCH A DEFECT IS LEFT TO THE CONSUMER TO PAY WHEN IT IS CLEARLY A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. DOES A DEATH HAVE TO INCUR FOR A RECALL? AREN'T PREVENTATIVE MEASURES JUST AS IMPORTANT FROM THE NHTSA TO HELP AVOID FUTURE ACCIDENTS AND POSSIBLE INJURIES? *TR

THE STEERING WHEEL "STICKS" AT VARIOUS AND UNPREDICTABLE TIMES. IT WILL STICK AND RESIST GOING INTO A CURVE, THEN HOLD THE CAR IN THE CURVE AND NEED TO BE UNSTUCK TO BRING THE CAR OUT OF THE CURVE. THE STICKING IS NOT EXAGGERATED OR IMPOSSIBLE TO CORRECT, BUT SOME SMALL AMOUNT OF PRESSURE IS REQUIRED TO UNSTICK THE WHEEL FROM ITS DIRECTIONAL COURSE. BECAUSE IT HAPPENS AT UNPREDICTABLE TIMES IT IS UNSETTLING AND FEELS VERY UNSAFE ON CURVES OR WHEN MAKING LANE CHANGES. I'VE BROUGHT THE PROBLEM TO THE ATTENTION OF THE BMW DEALERSHIP ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS BUT THEY CLAIMED THEY COULDN'T DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM ON SEVERAL VISITS. ON THE MOST RECENT VISIT THE DEALERSHIP CONCEDED THE FAULTY STEERING COLUMN, BUT ARGUES THAT THE AGE OF THE VEHICLE MAKES IT INELIGIBLE FOR WARRANTY COVERAGE. I BELIEVE THAT FAULTY STEERING COLUMNS ARE A DOCUMENTED PROBLEM ON Z4 ROADSTERS FROM 2003 - 2005. THE CAR CURRENTLY HAS 22,500 MILES ON IT. CLASSIFYING THE PROBLEM AS RESULTING FROM AGE OR WEAR IS IRRESPONSIBLE. THE STEERING COLUMN WAS DESIGNED OR MANUFACTURED WITH THIS FAULT, AND BMW SHOULD CORRECT THE PROBLEM AT ITS EXPENSE BEFORE NEEDING TO RECORD ACCIDENTS OR INJURIES. *JS

MY PASSENGER-SIDE AIRBAG LITERALLY "EXPLODED" AS I WAS WALKING UP TO MY CAR THIS MORNING. OF COURSE, I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT WAS WHAT IT WAS UNTIL I UNLOCKED MY CAR AND OPENED THE DOOR. THE AIRBAG WAS EXPOSED AND THERE WAS "SMOKE" IN THE CAR. IT APPEARS WHAT HAPPENED IS THE EXACT REASON GIVEN FOR RECALLING THE 3 SERIES VEHICLES DUE TO THE TAKATA AIRBAG PROBLEM, THE REASON GIVEN ARE INCIDENTS SUCH AS THIS OCCUR IN FLORIDA AND PUERTO RICO DUE TO THE HIGH HEAT AND HUMIDITY. SEE USA TODAY ARTICLE: HTTP://WWW.USATODAY.COM/STORY/MONEY/CARS/2014/07/16/BMW-TAKATA-SHRAPNEL-NHTSA-RECALL/12729929/ !....UPDATED 07/31/14 *BF

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW Z4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000. UPDATED 09/02/14*LJ UPDATED 09/17/2014 *JS

ON DAYS OVER 75 DEGREES F, DURING HIGHWAY DRIVING, IF I TURN THE STEERING WHEEL SLIGHTLY AND RELEASE IT, STEERING DOES NOT RETURN TO TOP DEAD CENTER. INSTEAD, THE Z4 CONTINUES TO TURN ON IT'S OWN UNTIL I STEER THE CAR BACK TO A STRAIGHT LINE. THE STEERING WHEEL DOES NOT RETURN TO THE STRAIGHT-AHEAD POSITION WHEN I RELEASE IT. A GREAT DEAL OF STRENGTH IS REQUIRED TO STEER AT ALL WHEN THIS HAPPENS. POWER ASSIST DOES NOT SEEM TO WORK OVER 75F AND THE STEERING FEEL IS NOTCHY. ON COOL DAYS, THE STEERING IS FINE. THIS STEERING FAILURE HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR SEVERAL YEARS, IT IS GETTING WORSE AND IS NO LONGER SAFE. THE DEALER IS NOT HELPFUL. IT IS A US CAR AND I LIVE IN CANADA. I THOUGHT YOU WOULD WANT TO KNOW BECAUSE THERE IS A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS IN FORUMS. THE CARS ARE NOT SAFE TO DRIVE ON HOT DAYS. INTERIM SOLUTION IS: DON'T DRIVE MY Z4 ROADSTER ON HOT DAYS?! SO MUCH FOR THE ULTIMATE DRIVING MACHINE. *TR

IN WARM WEATHER HAS A STICKY STEERING PROBLEM AS IT SEEMS TO STICK WHEN YOU TRY AND TURN THE WHEEL. AND THAN RELEASES WITH PRESSURE AND THAN YOU OVER STEER. HAVE SEEN MANY PEOPLE HAVING SAME PROBLEM. ONLY TIME BEFORE THIS CAUSES AND ACCIDENT. *TR

JUST PURCHASED THIS CAR FROM A PRIVATE OWNER. DIDN'T NOTICE BUT THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR WILL NOT UNLOCK BY EITHER USING THE KEY FOB OR THE CENTRAL LOCKING/UNLOCKING SWITCH INSIDE. DID A GOOGLE SEARCH AND FOUND THAT THE GM-5 BOARD NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. I ALSO HEARD THAT THIS GM-5 CAN CAUSE FAILURE ON OTHER FUNCTIONS WITH THE CAR - WIPERS, LIGHTS ETC. THE CAR IS 10 YEARS OLD BUT ONLY HAS 36,000 MILES ON IT. THIS PART SHOULD NOT FAIL SO QUICKLY. *TR