2004 BMW Z4 Complaints

STICKY STEERING PROBLEM, THIS WAS REPLACED IN 2006 UNDER WARRANTY BY BMW, AT ABOUT 2000 MILES. NOW FEB,2013 I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. I HAVE LESS THAN 12000 MILES ON VEHICLE. I FEEL THIS IS UNSAFE BECAUSE IT WILL CAUSE YOU TO JERK THE WHEEL THINK YOU NEED TO STEER HARD. *TR

THE STEERING WHEEL GETS STUCK WHILE DRIVING AND CAR DOESN'T STAY IN LANE INFACT NEEDS CONSTANT SIGNIFICANT ADJUSTMENTS TO KEEP IT FROM ACCIDENTALLY GETTING INTO ANOTHER LANE. THE ISSUE HAS OCCURRED MULTIPLE TIMES AND WAS AN INCONVENIENCE SO I DIDN'T PAY A LOT OF ATTENTION BUT IT'S MORE LIKE A SAFETY ISSUE NOW WITH CONTROLLING THE CAR BECOMING MORE AND MORE DIFFICULT ON FREEWAYS. NHTSA HAS IDENTIFIED THIS ISSUE PE10020 AS NOT SIGNIFICANT AND I SINCERELY HOPE THEY INVESTIGATE IT FURTHER AND TAKE SOME SERIOUS ACTION BEFORE IT CAUSES IRREPARABLE LOSS. BMW NEEDS TO OWN UP TO A MANUFACTURING DEFECT AS ITS NOT WEAR AND TEAR AND FIX THIS. *TR

WHILE DRIVING THE STEERING LIGHT COMES ON AND THE STEERING LOCKS IN PLACE. WHEN U TRY TO FORCE IT THE CAR STALLS OUT AND THE STEERING STAYS LOCKED .. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS!!! *TR

FOR SOME TIME MY BMW Z4 2004 HAS BEEN HAVING A "NOTCHY" FEEL TO THE STEERING. TODAY IT CAME TO A HEAD AS THE STEERING COMPLETELY LOCKED ON ME. I WAS 2 BLOCKS FROM HOME AFTER JUST EXITING A MAIN HIGH WAY I DRIVE EVERY DAY TO AND FROM WORK. I AM SO LUCKY I WAS ALREADY OFF THE MAIN ROAD OR A MAJOR ACCIDENT WOULD HAVE HAPPEND. NO STEERING, COMPLETELY LOCKED. I HAVE DONE MANY INTERNET SEARCHES AND APARENTLY I'M ONE OF MANY THAT HAVE HAD THIS ISSUE. FIX THE ISSUE BMW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *TR

I RECENTLY BOUGHT THIS CAR AND THE DEALER TALKED ABOUT A STEERING ISSUE WITH THE Z4 MODELS WHERE THEY DON'T FEEL LIKE THE STEERING WILL CENTER. I DIDN'T HAVE A CHANCE TO PUT MILES ON THE CAR UNTIL TODAY WHERE I FOUND OUT WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT AND HAD TIME TO RESEARCH IT. THIS IS A VERY WELL KNOWN ISSUE AND IT LOOKS LIKE YOU HAVE INVESTIGATED IT PREVIOUSLY BUT IT STILL IS A VERY REAL PROBLEM AND MAKES THE CAR UNSAFE TO DRIVE. WHILE DRIVING AFTER THE CAR IS WARMED UP THE STEERING WILL FEEL AS THOUGH IT STICKS AS YOU TRY TO DRIVE A STRAIGHT LINE. AT AROUND 40+MPH THE CAR WILL PULL RIGHT OR LEFT WITH THE STEERING NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO ADJUST TO CENTER. YOU CAN HAVE THE CAR PULLING TO ONE SIDE, SAY TRAVELING AT 60MPH, IT WILL PULL YOU TO THE RIGHT AT A RATE OF 2 FEET FOR EVERY SECOND. YOU HAVE TO NUDGE THE STEERING WHEEL AS IT IS NOT FLUID (FEELS LIKE IT IS STUCK) BACK TO THE LEFT AND THEN IT WILL PULL LEFT AT THE SAME RATE. IT IS A BATTLE OF CONSTANT ADJUSTMENT TO FIGHT IN TRYING TO CENTER THE CAR. IF YOU HAVE TRAFFIC AROUND YOU IT COULD BE AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. I REQUEST THAT THIS ISSUE IS RE-OPENED AS A SAFETY RECALL. I HAVE REVIEWED THE INFORMATION YOU RECEIVED FROM BMW REGARDING STEERING WARRANTY CLAIMS AND WITH JUST OVER 12,000 BMW Z4'S PRODUCED AND NEARLY 10% (1,1XX) OF THEM HAVING A FILED CLAIM REGARDING STEERING ISSUES, ONE WOULD SEE THAT THIS IS A MAJOR FLAW. WARRANTY WORK IS NOT ALWAYS REQUESTED, THUS WHY THERE ARE STILL MORE ON THE STREET THAT NEED HIGH COST REPAIRS AND CAUSING UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITIONS FOR THE DRIVER/PASSENGER AS WELL AS SURROUNDING VEHICLES. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW Z4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT HAD TO WIGGLE THE STEERING WHEEL BACK AND FORTH IN ORDER TO CORRECT THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WAS ADVISED THAT THE STEERING POWER ASSIST FOR THE STEERING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 31,000. UPDATED 12/11/12*LJ UPDATED 12/12/12

WHILE DRIVING AT NORMAL SPEED THE STEERING BECAME STICKY AND MADE IT DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE CAR. MINOR STEERING ADJUSTMENTS ARE NEAR IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT JERKING THE CAR FROM SIDE TO SIDE. THIS CAR IS EXTREMELY UNSAFE TO DRIVE WITH THIS CONDITION. *TR

I HAVE A 2004 Z4 THAT I PURCHASED LAST AUGUST USED. I RARELY DROVE THE CAR AND KEPT IT MAINLY FOR LEISURE UNTIL THIS PAST JULY. THIS JULY, ON THE DRIVE FROM WARNER ROBINS, GA TO HILTON HEAD, SC, I NOTICED THE STEERING WOULD STICK AND I HAD TO USE FORCE TO GET IT BACK ALIGNED WITH THE ROAD. SINCE THAT TIME EACH DAY WHEN I LEAVE WORK AFTER THE CAR HAS BEEN PARKED ALL DAY IN THE HEAT IT DOES THE SAME THING. ITS ALMOST AS IF THE CAR IS TRACKING. NORMALLY MY SPEED DOES NOT EXCEED 40 MPH. I HAVE HAD THE TIRES CHECKED, THEY ARE NEW RUN FLAT TIRES, NO PROBLEM, I HAVE HAD IT ALIGNED AND I AM STILL HAVING PROBLEMS WITH STEERING WHEN TEMPERATURES EXCEED 85 DEGREES. IT DOES NOT DO THIS IN THE MORNING WHEN THE TEMPERATURE IS BELOW 80. IT IS SOMETIMES SO HARD TO STEER THAT IT CREATES A HAZARD AS I HAVE TO FIGHT TO CORRECT AND THAN IT PULLS RADICALLY TO THE RIGHT TO OVERCORRECT. THIS HAS AT TIMES PUT ME IN A VERY HAZARDOUS AND DANGEROUS CONDITION WITH TRAFFIC. *TR

AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT WHILE VEHICLE IN MOTION. 9/27/2012 APPROX. 6:20PM HAD ONE OF THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAGS DEPLOY WITHOUT WARNING WHILE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN. NO ACCIDENT INVOLVED, NO STRIKING CURB, NO POTHOLE...NOTHING UNTOWARD. BMW DEALER NOW HAS VEHICLE TO DETERMINE CAUSE OF MALFUNCTION. I HAVE REQUESTED THAT BMW NORTH AMERICA HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE INSPECT THE VEHICLE TO ASSIST IN DETERMINING CAUSE OF THIS MALFUNCTION AND TO PASS ALONG HIS FINDINGS TO THE APPROPRIATE INDIVIDUALS AT BMW. HAD ONE OF THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAGS MALFUNCTIONED AND DEPLOYED WHILE THIS VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN, THE RESULTS COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN CATASTROPHIC! *TR

I BOUGHT THIS CAR BRAND NEW. IT CURRENTLY HAS ONLY 39K MILES ON IT RIGHT NOW (2012) SO ONE CAN EASILY SEE THAT I DRIVE THE CAR ONLY FOR LEISURE/PLEASURE. I LIVE IN UPSTATE NY SO CAN ONLY DRIVE THE CAR SEASONALLY. I INITIALLY THOUGHT THE STICKING/NOTCHING WAS DUE TO THE POOR RUN-FLAT TIRES (WHICH ALWAYS SEEMED TO SET OFF THE DASHBOARD SENSOR THAT THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH AIR IN THEM AND THEN PERHAPS AN ALIGNMENT ISSUE. THIS IS MY FIRST BMW, SO I THOUGHT THAT IT MIGHT BE ATTRIBUTED TO BEING MORE DIFFICULT TO CONTROL (EVEN AT LOWER SPEEDS LIKE 35-40MPH) BECAUSE IT WAS A PERFORMANCE CAR. I COMPLAINED TO THE DEALER BUT THEY CLAIMED THEY HAD "NEVER HEARD OF SUCH A PROBLEM," AND IT "WASN'T HAPPENING" FOR THEM. SO YET ANOTHER YEAR WOULD PASS AND THE CAR WOULD BE STORED FOR THE WINTER. WITH SUCH LIMITED TIME TO DRIVE THE CAR, I OVERLOOKED THE "NOTCHING" OF THE STEERING.... UNTIL THIS YEAR WHEN THERE WERE NO MORE POSSIBLE EXCUSES! I REPLACED ALL 4 RUN FLAT TIRES WITH ALL-SEASON RADIALS, HAD THE CAR COMPLETELY ALIGNED, CONVINCED THAT THIS WOULD SOLVE MY PROBLEM. I WAS VERY WRONG! I WAS AND AM SHOCKED THAT BMW WOULD ALLOW 14+ PAGES OF COMPLAINTS DATING BACK TO 2005 WITHOUT DOING A RECALL ON THIS MATTER!! DOES A LIFE OR LIVES HAVE TO BE DESTROYED DUE TO SOMETHING CATASTROPHIC HAPPENING WITH THE STEERING BEFORE BMW TAKES ACTION? THIS IS THE SUPPOSED "ULTIMATE DRIVING MACHINE" THAT I DREAMED OF HAVING FOR DECADES. I'M OUTRAGED TO LEARN THAT THE PRESTIGIOUS BMW COMPANY DOES NOT SEEM TO CARE MUCH ABOUT ITS CUSTOMERS SAFETY AND WELL BEING. I WOULD LIKE TO BE CONTACTED BY NHTSA AS WELL AS BMW AND WILL CONTINUE TO PURSUE THIS MATTER UNTIL I AND ALL OF US THAT ARE EXPERIENCING THESE PROBLEMS ARE GIVEN THE RECALL AND RESOLUTION TO THE MECHANICAL PROBLEM THAT WE DESERVE. *TR