2003 BMW Z4 Complaints

I'M HAVING A SAFETY ISSUE WITH THE STEERING BEING STICKY. IT IS ESPECIALLY PROBLEMATIC AT HIGHER SPEEDS AND REQUIRES REASONABLE FORCE TO CORRECT. THIS, IN TURN, CAUSES OVER-STEERING CONSTANTLY MAKING THE CAR VERY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE ON THE HIGHWAY. CAR IS LOW MILEAGE: UNDER 36,000. *TR

MY STEERING COLUMN TURNS SIMILAR TO THE FAN CONTROL SWITCH ON THE Z4 FROM DETENT TO DETENT AND NOT SMOOTHLY LIKE A VOLUME CONTROL ON A RADIO. IF YOU REACH FORWARD TO THE FAN CONTROL CONSOLE AND TURN IT YOU WILL NOTE THAT IT DOES NOT TURN SMOOTHLY IT GOES FROM STOP TO STOP TO STOP ABOUT EVERY 5 DEGREES. EACH STOP IS CALLED A DETENT. SO AS YOU TURN THE KNOB IT STARTS IN A DETENT THEN AS YOU TURN IT CLICKS INTO THE NEXT DETENT AND STOPS THEN YOU HAVE TO TWIST A BIT HARDER TILL IT CLICKS INTO THE NEXT DETENT. THAT IS HOW MY STEERING COLUMN ACTS WHEN IT IS HOT OUTSIDE. IT CLICKS INTO ONE DETENT AND THAT POSITION MAY NOT KEEP YOU DRIVING STRAIGHT DOWN THE ROAD. YOU TRY TO CORRECT IT AND IT WILL NOT TURN UNLESS YOU PUSH EXTRA HARD THEN IT GOES PAST THE POINT THAT WOULD KEEP YOU GOING STRAIGHT DOWN HE ROAD INTO THE NEXT DETENT AND YOU ARE PROGRESSIVELY HEADED OFF THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROAD. AS YOU TRY TO CORRECT IT BY TURNING BACK, IT WILL NOT SMOOTHLY TURN BACK, IT RESISTS TILL YOU PUSH EXTRA HARD THEN IT GOES PAST THE POINT THAT WOULD KEEP YOU GOING STRAIGHT AND STOPS IN THE NEXT DETENT AND NOW YOU ARE HEADED OFF THE ROAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION. *TR

THE STEERING STICKS MEANING IT BECOMES UNRESPONSIVE AND REQUIRES EXTRA EFFORT ON MY PART TO MOVE IT AGAIN. I HAVE TO CONTINUE TO MOVE IT ELSE IT STICKS AND I LOSE CONTROL FOR ABOUT A SECOND. VERY SCARY AT HIGH SPEEDS. BASICALLY IF GOING IN A STRAIGHT LINE AND I WANT TO TURN IT IS NOT SMOOTH AND I HAVE TO ALMOST FIGHT WITH IT TO TURN. *TR

CHRONIC PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING BEING STICKY WHEN THE WEATHER IS WARM OR WHEN THE CAR SITS IN THE HOT SUN. THE STEERING WHEEL WHEN HELD STEADY DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD SEEMS TO STICK IN AN EXACT POSITION AND IF THE WEATHER IS VERY WARM THE STICKINESS IS SUCH THAT WHEN THE CAR NEEDS STEERING CORRECTION TO STAY IN THE DRIVING LANE THAT SIGNIFICANT PRESSURE IS REQUIRED TO UNSTICK THE POSITION OF THE STEERING DIRECTION. ONCE THE DRIVER'S PRESSURE CAUSES THE STEERING WHEEL TO BECOME UNSTUCK THE WHEEL WILL SUDDENLY VEER IN THE DIRECTION THE PRESSURE WAS APPLIED, IE. TOWARD ONCOMING TRAFFIC OR TOWARDS THE DITCH UNTIL THE DRIVER CAN QUICKLY COUNTERACT THE SUDDEN RELEASE OF THE UNSTUCK STEERING WHEEL. WHEN THE WEATHER IS PARTICULARLY WARM THE CAR IS NO LONGER SAFE TO DRIVE FOR FEAR OF LOSS OF CONTROL. THIS CAR WAS PURCHASED NEW FROM THE LOCAL BMW DEALERSHIP AND DRIVEN ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY BY MY WIFE SINCE NEW. *TR

I BOUGHT MY USED BMW Z 4 THREE YEARS AGO FROM A PRIVATE PARTY WITH 13,500 MILES. CAR IS IN SHOWROOM CONDITION BUT WHEN THE TEMPERATURE RISES AND THE CAR SITS IN THE SUN, I HAVE ISSUES WITH THE STEERING WHEEL STICKING AND LOCKING. I FIND MYSELF CONSTANTLY FIGHTING THE STEERING WHEEL IN HOT WEATHER AND HAVE NO CONFIDENCE IN THE STEERING CAPABILITY OF MY VEHICLE. MY LAST EPISODE WAS LAST WEEK WHEN THE TEMPERATURE WAS IN THE 80'S AND THE CAR SAT OUT IN THE SUN ALL DAY WHILE I WAS AT WORK. THIS CAR HAS UNDER 19,000 MILES ON IT AND I FIND IT UNACCEPTABLE THAT BMW WILL NOT ADDRESS THIS ISSUE AND DO A RECALL IMMEDIATELY TO ADDRESS THIS COMMON PROBLEM. I HOPE IT DOESN'T TAKE A FATALITY TO OCCUR BEFORE A RECALL IS ISSUED FOR THIS STEERING MALFUNCTION. *TR

DATE LISTED IS AN APPROXIMATION... I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE USED AND DURING THE HOT WEATHER THE STEERING FELT LIKE IT WAS STICKING. NOW THAT I'VE OWNED THE VEHICLE FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS I CAN TELL THAT WHEN THE VEHICLE IS LEFT IN THE HOT SUN THE STEERING "STICKS" WHICH CAUSES IT TO MOVE ERRATICALLY. THIS HAPPENS NO MATTER THE SPEED AND IS VERY DANGEROUS. DUE TO THE STICKING I AM VERY WARY DRIVING THE CAR WHEN THE WEATHER IS HOT AND THE CAR SITS IN THE SUN. I READ THAT THERE IS AN INVESTIGATION INTO THIS ISSUE AND WANT TO INCLUDE THAT MY CAR IS EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUE AS LISTED IN THE INVESTIGATION. THIS IS A DANGEROUS DEFECT AND THE NHTSA SHOULD FORCE BMW TO FIX THE PROBLEM ON THE AFFECTED VEHICLES. I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO DRIVE A VEHICLE THAT ENOUGH EVIDENCE IS AVAILABLE TO CONFIRM THERE IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW Z4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL EXHIBITED A JERKING MOTION WHEN ATTEMPTING A TURN. THE CONTACT APPLIED FORCE TO THE STEERING WHEEL IN ORDER TO CONTINUE DRIVING. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ONLY IN HOTTER WEATHER TEMPERATURES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 36,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW Z4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE STEERING BECAME STICKY AND IMPACTED THE DRIVERS ABILITY TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS BUT THE TECHNICIAN COULD NOT REPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 79,650.

AT AMBIENT TEMPERATURES ABOVE 75 DEG THE STEERING GETS STIFF AND FEELS STICKY. AFTER MAKING A TURN THE WHEELS DO NOT RETURN TO THE CENTER POSITION ON THEIR OWN BUT REQUIRE DRIVER TO TURN STEERING WHEEL BACK TO CENTER. DRIVING IN A STRAIGHT LINE REQUIRES CONSTANT CORRECTION BECAUSE THE STEERING BINDS AND CAUSES THE DRIVER TO OVERSTEERING IN ORDER TO OVERCOME THE STIFFNESS. *TR

ALL SENSORS LIT UP AND WILL NOT GO OFF: TIRE PRESSURE, TRACTION CONTROL, BRAKE, AIR PRESSURE, AIRBAG, ETC. SENSORS. *TR