2004 BMW Z4 Complaints

I HAVE A STICKY STEERING PROBLEM ON MY '04 Z4. I TOOK MY Z4 TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO SPECIALIZES IN BMW'S, I ASKED HIM TO LOOK AT THE STEERING PROBLEM. HE TOOK THE STEERING COLUMN APART AND FOUND A BEARING THAT IS ANYTHING BUT GOOD ENGINEERING. THERE IS A BEARING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STEERING COLUMN THAT IS NOT SEALED. WITH TIME AND WITH HEAT THE LUBRICANT GETS DRY AND CAKES UP. HE TOLD ME THIS IS WHAT IS MAKING THE STEERING STICKY. HE CLEANED OUT THE BEARING AND PUT IN NEW LUBRICANT AND MY Z IS FUN TO DRIVE AGAIN. NOW FOR THE BAD NEWS: HE TOLD ME IT IS A TEMPORARY FIX, THE RESULT OF LOUSING ENGINEERING/DESIGN. THE BEARING IS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STEERING COLUMN. IT IS NOT A SEALED BEARING. THE BEARING IS NOT REPLACEABLE. BMW DOES NOT LIST IT AS A PART - YOU HAVE TO BUY THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN ASSEMBLY (PARTS AND LABOR OVER $3500). I HAVE READ HUNDREDS OF BLOGS ON THIS SUBJECT IN WHICH OTHER Z-4 OWNERS ARE HAVING THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM. SEVERAL THINGS THAT I NOTICED WHILE READING THESE BLOGS: ANYONE THAT CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP WERE TOLD THAT THEY HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THE PROBLEM BEFORE. IT IS FUNNY THAT EACH BLOG STATED THE EXACT SAME STATEMENT FROM THE DEALERSHIPS. THE SECOND THING WAS THAT THEY RECOMMENDED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN BE REPLACED. IF THEY HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM BEFORE THEN HOW CAN THEY ASSUME THAT REPLACING THE STEERING COLUMN IS THE CORRECT REPAIR FOR THE PROBLEM, BMW SHOULD STEP UP AND TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS PROBLEM AND RECALL ALL Z-4?S BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED, OR SERIOUSLY INJURED. BMW CANNOT DENY THE EXISTENCE OF THIS PROBLEM. *TR

THE STEERING ON THE CAR BECOMES 'NOTCHY' AND 'TWITCHY' ESPECIALLY AT HIGHER SPEEDS AND WARM WEATHER. THE STEERING WHEEL WILL INTERMITTENTLY STOP RESPONDING TO INPUT FOR A SHORT RANGE OF INPUT, THEN SUDDENLY START WORKING AFTER A LIMITED RANGE. WHILE DRIVING AT HIGH SPEEDS IN A STRAIGHT LINE, THE STEERING WILL SUDDENLY PULL TO ONE SIDE REQUIRING THAT THE STEERING WHEEL IS HELD STRAIGHT VERY FIRM OR THE CAR WILL LUNGE TO THE SIDE. THE ISSUE WAS DIAGNOSED BY TWO DIFFERENT BMW REPAIR SHOPS. BOTH CONCLUDED THE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING IS FAILING AND THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. ESTIMATED REPAIR COST IS JUST UNDER $4,000. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW Z4. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED THE ENGINE WAS IN OPERATION AND THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG INADVERTENTLY DEPLOYED WITH AN ILLUMINATION OF THE PASSENGER'S SIDE WARNING INDICATOR. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE MALFUNCTION WAS CONTRIBUTED TO WATER LEAKING INTO THE AIR BAG SENSOR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE VEHICLE CURRENTLY REMAINED AT THE DEALER FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 67,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

THE VEHICLE TUGS ON UNEVEN ROAD OR WHEN TURNING N HIGHWAYS AT HIGH SPEED. IT IS DIFFICULT TO KEEP THE CAR STEERING STRAIGHT. JUST BOUGHT THIS AS A USED VEHICLE WITH NO CRASH HISTORY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW Z4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED AND THE STEERING WHEEL COULD NOT BE TURNED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO STATED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE WAS REPORTED TO THE MANUFACTURER. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 62,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW Z4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE WOULD PULL FROM SIDE TO SIDE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE WOULD ONLY OCCUR DURING EXTREMELY HIGH TEMPERATURES. THE DEALER ADVISED THAT THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT DID NOT TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER FOR A FULL DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 37,000. UPDATED 7/26/13 *CN

THE STEERING WOULD TAKE A "SET" MEANING IT WOULD TAKE EFFORT TO MOVE THE WHEEL. THE TEMP THAT DAY WAS ABOVE 80 DEGREES (THIS HAS BEEN ONGOING WITH THIS VEHICLE). NO SMOOTH MOTION TO COMPENSATE FOR STEERING ADJUSTMENT. CONTINUAL COMPENSATION WITH BOTH HANDS AS NOT TO OVER CORRECT. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION AND BMW NEEDS TO ADDRESS IT ASAP. *TR

DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WHEN THE TEMPERATURE WAS ABOVE NINETY DEGREES THE STEERING BECAME 'CATCHY' MEANING WHEN I TRIED TO DO NORMAL CORRECTIONS IT WOULD 'STICK' LIKE IT WAS STUCK IN SOME KIND OF GROOVE, REQUIRING ME 'FORCE' IT PAST THE STICKING POINT, WHICH WOULD RESULT IN AN OVER CORRECTION, WHICH IN TURN WOULD REQUIRE ME TO CORRECT IN THE OTHER DIRECTION - RESULTING IN A WEAVING IN THE LANE. THE ISSUE CONTINUED AND ON OCCASION, SEEMINGLY RELATED TO TEMPERATURE, WAS BAD ENOUGH TO FORCE ME OFF THE HIGHWAY AND ON TO SURFACE ROADS WHERE THE SPEED WAS LESS. I MENTIONED IT TO THE DEALER AND HE SAID HE COLD NOT REPEAT THE PROBLEM. THIS OCCURS EVERY YEAR WHEN IT GETS HOT AND THE LAST TIME I WAS AT THE DEALER HE SAID THE ELECTRONIC ASSIST STEERING IN THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $4,000. I RESEARCHED THIS PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET AND IT SEEMS THERE ARE QUITE A FEW OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE SAME ISSUE WITH THE STEERING WITH THIS CAR AND OTHER Z4'S FROM 2003 ON, SOME WITH MILEAGE LESS THAN THE 29,000 MILES I HAD ON MY VEHICLE WHEN IT FIRST OCCURRED. I FIND IT INTERESTING THAT THE DEALER DISCOVERED WHAT THE ISSUE WAS AFTER MY VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. *TR

MY WIFE WAS PASSING THROUGH A TOLL BOOTH WHEN THE STEERING SUDDENLY PULLED TO ONE SIDE, SHE WAS ABLE TO CORRECT AND AVOID HITTING THE CONCRETE BARRIER. THIS ISSUE HAS HAPPENED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS AND IS ALWAYS THE SAME. CAR WILL PULL TO ONE SIDE OR THE OTHER AND YOU HAVE NO CONTROL OVER THE SITUATION. IT HAS HAPPENED ON VARIOUS ROAD SURFACE TYPES FROM SMOOTH TO GROOVED. WE HAVE THE FACTORY TIRES ON THE CAR AND NO MODIFICATIONS TO THE CAR. FRONT END ALIGNMENT IS CORRECT. WE PURCHASED THE CAR USED FROM A DEALER WITH 58,789 MILES IN MAR 2013. *TR

WHEN TEMPERATURE REACHES ABOVE 75 DEGREES, THE STEERING STICKS WHEN DRIVING. IT STICKS TO WHICH IT MAKES IT HARD TO STEER THE WHEEL LEFT AND RIGHT. ALMOST HAD TWO ACCIDENTS ON THE WAY HOME. *TR