2003 BMW Z4 Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW Z4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AS THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION OR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE VIN DID NOT QUALIFY FOR REPAIRS UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 04V247000 (AIR BAGS). THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 50,000 .

THE STEERING MECHANISM AND WHEEL SEEM TO STICK. THE STEERING WHEEL DOES NOT TRAVEL SMOOTHLY WITHIN THE NORMAL STEERING RANGE. WHEN THE CAR IS BEING DRIVEN ON A STRAIGHT LINE... SUDDENLY, YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO KEEP THE CAR GOING STRAIGHT, WHICH CAUSES THE DRIVER TO ATTEMPT TO CORRECT AND TYPICALLY CAUSES THE CAR TO MOVE ERRATICALLY FROM SIDE TO SIDE TO KEEP THE CAR CENTER ON THE DRIVING LANE. DRIVING THE CAR UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS HAS BECOME A BATTLE TO KEEP THE CAR STRAIGHT ON THE ROAD. OVER CORRECTIONS ARE INEVITABLE AND THIS CAN CAUSE LOSS OF CONTROL AND ACCIDENTS/COLLISIONS. *TR

IN HOT WEATHER THE POWER STEERING GETS EXTREMELY STICKY AND WHEN MAKING A TURN SUCH AS ON AN EXIT RAMP THE STEERING WHEEL HAS TO BE PULLED TO RETURN IT TO THE STRAIGHT POSITION WHICH RAISES THE DISTINCT POSSIBILITY THAT THE CAR COULD GO RIGHT OFF THE RAMP IF NOT CAUGHT. THIS PROBLEM ALSO CAUSES SWERVING WHEN MAKING SMALL STEERING CORRECTIONS ON THE HIGHWAY, THE CAR CAN SWERVE INTO ANOTHER LANE. DEALERS ARE UNWILLING TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE AND THE ON-LINE Z 4 FORUM INDICATES THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM APPARENTLY DUE TO DESIGN FLAWS. *TR

I HAD THE STEERING ON THIS VEHICLE GET WORSE ON THE INTERSTATE AFTER I FILED THE FIRST COMPLAINT. I CONTACTED BMW USA AND TOOK IT TO THE BMW DEALER. I WAS TOLD BY BMW USA THAT MY PROBLEM WAS THE DEFECT THAT THEY WERE AWARE OF. HOWEVER, THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY WILL NOT REPAIR ANY OF THESE VEHICLES UNLESS THERE IS A RECALL. IS IT GOING TO TAKE A FEW MORE FATAL CRASHES FOR THE SOMEONE TO STEP UP AND FORCE THIS MANUFACTURER TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM? EVEN THOUGH I AM THE SECOND OWNER OF THIS CAR, IT WAS PURCHASED IN FLORIDA WHERE YOU ARE SUPPOSE TO ENJOY A CONVERTIBLE. HOWEVER, THIS FAILURE OCCURS AT TEMPERATURES ABOVE 77 DEGREES. NOW THAT I KNOW OF THIS PROBLEM, HOW CAN I PASS IT ON TO ANOTHER WHO MIGHT NOT BE AN EXPERIENCED DRIVER AND JOIN BMW IN BEING THE INSTRUMENT OF THEIR DEATH. *TR

WHEN TRAVELING ON A HIGHWAY, THE CAR STEERING IS VERY HARD TO HOLD STRAIGHT, VEERING FROM LEFT TO RIGHT. I ONLY HAVE 32,000 MILES ON THE CAR AND IT STILL HAPPENS. SERVICE REPS VERIFY THAT ALL STEERING COMPONENTS ARE WITHIN SPECIFICATIONS. *TR

1.VEHICLE UNSAFE TO DRIVE; UNABLE TO MAINTAIN STEERING OR KEEP VEHICLE ON THE ROAD SAFELY. 2.VIBRATIONS WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE 3.MANUAL GEAR BOX; SHIFTING THROUGH GEARS NOT SMOOTH, NOT ENGAGING SMOOTHLY 4.WATER LEAKING INSIDE OF VEHICLE TRUNK AND REAR SEAT AREAS. VEHICLE TRUNK AREA WAS SATURATED WITH WATER AFTER RAINING; FILLING WATER OVER THE BATTERY BOX AND CARPETS, SHORTING OUT ELECTRONICS. 5.OUTSIDE OF VEHICLE; PLASTIC COMPONENTS EARLY DETERIORATION; FRONT WINDSHIELD WIPER AREA BLACK PLASTIC COWL AND ANTENNA. INSIDE OF VEHICLE BLACK PLASTIC COVER FOR CONVERTIBLE TOP 6.RAIN SENSOR INOP 7.DOOR LOCKS INOP/INTERMITTENT 8.WINDOWS REGULATORS PLASTIC BROKEN. *TR

MY STEERING WHEEL LIGHT GOES ON THEN THE CAR HANDLING BECOMES VERY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. THE PROBLEM STARTED ONE DAY ON THE HIGHWAY. THE WHEEL WAS SUDDENLY HARD. THIS PROBLEM HAPPENS SEVERAL TIMES A DAY: WHEN I START THE CAR AND AT ANY RANDOM TIME WHILE I'M DRIVING. I HAVE TO RESTART THE CAR IN ORDER TO GET THE POWER STEERING BACK (BEFORE THE NEXT FAILURE). THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS SINCE NOTHING IS TELLING ME WHEN THE NEXT ISSUE IS GOING TO HAPPEN. I'M ALWAYS SCARED TO MAKE A TURN OR TO CHANGE LANES. *TT

BMW Z4 DEVELOPED A NOTCHY OR STICKY FEEL AS I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. IT FEELS LIKE THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKS IN PLACE AND EXTRA EFFORT IS REQUIRED TO TURN THE WHEEL. THERE IS NO WARNING BEFORE THIS OCCURS. PROBLEM WAS VERY SPORADIC AT FIRST BUT SEEMS TO BE GETTING WORSE AS I MY DRIVING TIME INCREASES. *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY 2003 BMW Z4 ON THE HIGHWAY GOING ROUGHLY 65MPH WHEN I NOTICED THE STEERING BECAME VERY NOTCHY AND STIFF, THE CAR FELT AS IF THE STEERING WHEEL WAS STICKING AND NOT TURNING TO CENTER FREELY. DRIVING LIKE THIS THE CAR IS DIFFICULT TO KEEP IN YOUR LANE, A VERY SCARY FEELING WHEN DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THE STEERING PROBLEM CONTINUED UNTIL I RETURNED HOME AND WAS STILL NOTICEABLE AT CITY SPEEDS, WHEEL STILL STICKING AROUND TURNS AND NOT RETURNING TO CENTER POSITION AFTER COMPLETING A TURN. THE PROBLEM OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES SINCE THEN,NOT GIVING ME A GOOD SENSE OF SECURITY WHEN DRIVING. THIS PROBLEM ONLY STARTS TO HAPPEN AFTER OR WHILE DRIVING AT SPEEDS ABOVE 60MPH. I'M CONTACTING YOU BECAUSE I HAVE READ NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS OF BMW Z4 OWNERS HAVING SIMILAR SAFELY PROBLEMS. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF ANYTHING DEVELOPS REGARDING A RECALL OF ANY FAULTY STEERING EQUIPMENT ON THIS VEHICLE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW Z4. THE CONTACT WAS EXITING A RESIDENTIAL DRIVEWAY WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED. THE CONTACT TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND ON TO GET THE POWER STEERING TO RESET. THE POWER STEERING ASSIST LASTED FOR A FEW MINUTES BEFORE FAILED AGAIN. THE CONTACT STATED THE FAILURE RECURRED SPORADICALLY AND WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN AND ELECTRONIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 31,000.