2004 BMW Z4 Complaints

AFTER THE CAR HAD SET OUT IN THE SUN ON A HOT DAY, STEERING WAS VERY STIFF. I COULD NOT STEER FLUIDLY. IF I TRIED TO SLIGHTLY ADJUST THE WHEEL TO THE RIGHT, THE WHEEL WOULD NOT MOVE. I WOULD APPLY MORE AND MORE PRESSURE UNTIL IT WOULD FINALLY MOVE. BUT SINCE I WAS APPLYING SO MUCH FORCE IT WOULD JUMP PASSED THE DESIRED POINT. THIS WOULD CAUSE ME TO HAVE TO CORRECT TO THE LEFT WHERE THE CYCLE BEGINS AGAIN. KEEPING THE CAR IN THE LANE IS NOW VERY DIFFICULT. *TR

STEERING HAS A "NOTCHED" OR "STICKY" FEEL TO IT WHEN TRAVELING ON HIGHWAYS AT SPEEDS AROUND 50MPH AND HIGHER. WHEN THE NEED TO TURN ARISES AND THE STEERING WHEEL "STICKS" IN THE 'NOTCH", IT REQUIRES EXTRA EFFORT TO GET THE WHEEL OUT OF THE NOTCH, CAUSING "OVER STEER" WITH DIFFICULT RECOVERY. I WON'T LET MY WIFE DRIVE THE Z-4 AS I FEEL THIS IS A DANGEROUS CHARACTERISTIC THAT COULD RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT. MY DEALER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE SITUATION BUT WAS "UNABLE TO DUPLICATE" THE FAULT; (PRIOR TO MY WARRANTY RUNNING OUT). ON THE FOLLOWING SERVICE, WITH MY RENEWED COMPLAINT, THE DEALER WAS ABLE TO DUPLICATE AND IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM. MY BMW WARRANTY WAS EXPIRED, BUT I HAD PURCHASED AN "EXTENDED WARRANTY", HOWEVER THE "STEERING" PROBLEM WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE NEW WARRANTY. THE COST FOR REPAIR WAS IN EXCESS OF $3000.00! I HAVE PARKED THE CAR EXCEPT FOR LOCAL SLOW SPEED, COOL DAY RIDES. I UNDERSTAND THAT THE NHTSA HAS LOOKED INTO THE PROBLEM. I HAVE NOT HEARD ANYTHING FROM MY BMW DEALER YET. ??? A COMPUTERIZED "BRAKE SENSOR" LIGHT HAS BEEN ON FOR MANY YEARS AND HAS BEEN UNABLE TO BE REMEDIED. THE DEALER CHECKED THE BRAKES AND THEY ARE FINE, JUST CAN'T GET THE "SENSOR LIGHT" TO STAY OUT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW Z4. WHILE TRAVELING 65 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD CONTINUALLY OVER STEER AND WOULD BECOME STUCK IN POSITION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 94,000, AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 46,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW Z4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATED SPORADICALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 50,000.

THE Z4 HAS AN POWER STEERING PROBLEM THAT SEEMS TO HAVE ISSUES AT HIGHER SPEEDS AND TEMPERATURES WHERE THERE SEEMS TO BE A LOSS OF POWER STEERING WHERE THERE IS A SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED EFFORT TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. I FEEL EXTREMELY UNSAFE DRIVING THE CAR AND DON'T FEEL LIKE I HAVE CONTROL OF THE STEERING AND HAVE A LOT OF TROUBLE KEEPING THE CAR IN THE LANE. SOMETIMES THE STEERING FEELS LIKE IT IS STUCK. I THINK THAT THE CAR IS VERY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE AND I AM NOW AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR SINCE I AM A WOMAN AND MAY NOT HAVE THE PROPER UPPER BODY STRENGTH TO CONTROL THE CAR! *TR

BROUGHT MY CAR OUT OF STORAGE FOR THE YEAR. WHILE DRIVING IT WOULD PULL BOTH TO THE RIGHT AND TO THE LEFT DEPENDING ON LANE CHOICE. STEERING WHEEL FEELS LIKE IT IS CLICKING FROM ONE POSITION TO ANOTHER. CONSTANT STEERING INPUT REQUIRED TO KEEP IT IN A STRAIGHT LINE. ALIGNMENT IS FINE, TIRES ARE PROPERLY INFLATED AND BALANCED. IT'S LIKE THE STEERING WHEEL IS SLIPPING FROM ONE POSITION TO ANOTHER WITHOUT MOVING IT. *TR

ON FIRST HOT DAY OF THE YEAR (85 DEGREES F), THE CAR WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. IT FELT LIKE THE STEERING WHEEL WAS "STICKING". IT TOOK EXTRA EFFORT TO MOVE THE STEERING WHEEL, CAUSING THE CAR TO TURN MORE THAN DESIRED. I FEEL THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. *KB

AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE (A 2004 BMW Z4 WITH ONLY 34500 MILES) ON THE WAY HOME I NOTICED A "STICKING" IN THE STEERING WHEEL AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS (APPROXIMATELY 1ST WEEK OF FEBRUARY 2012). WHICH OF COURSE WAS VERY DISAPPOINTING BEING THAT I HAD ONLY OWNED THE CAR FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES. BUT CONSIDERING THE MILEAGE AND AGE OF THE CAR I HOPED IT WAS BECAUSE THE CAR HAD BEEN SITTING FOR SOMETIME. I WAS WRONG IT IS BECOMING MORE AND MORE OF A PROBLEM. AFTER VERY LITTLE RESEARCH I'VE FOUND THAT THIS IS APPARENTLY A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE CARS. APPARENTLY IT IS DUE TO EXPANSION OF A GEAR IN THE STEERING COLUMN DUE TO HEAT. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED. I FELT I HAD FOUND A GOOD CAR CONSIDERING THE VERY LOW MILEAGE. I'VE FOUND THAT MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD TO HAVE THEIR STEERING COLUMNS REPLACED AT A COST OF OVER 3000 DOLLARS! THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE ON A CAR WITH ONLY 35,000 MILES ON IT! THIS IS DEFINITELY DANGEROUS! FOR THE STEERING WHEEL TO "STICK" AND REQUIRE SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED EFFORT TO TURN IS A SERIOUS DANGER! THE DANGER OF OVER CORRECTION IS UNDENIABLE. AFTER A RECENT SHORT TRIP DOWN THE HIGHWAY MY FOREARMS WERE VERY FATIGUED AFTER TRYING TO KEEP THIS CAR ON COURSE FOR JUST A FEW MILES.I JUST WONDER HOW MANY WRECKS HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY THIS DEFECT. I FIND IT VERY HARD TO BELIEVE THAT A COMPANY OF BMW'S STATURE WOULD NOT BE DOING EVERYTHING WITHIN ITS POWER TO CORRECT THIS DANGEROUS DEFECT IMMEDIATELY. I GUESS SOMEONE WILL HAVE TO GET HURT FIRST. INSTEAD OF BEING PROACTIVE AND PREVENTING SUCH A DISASTER. OR MAYBE THEY'RE JUST MAKING TOO MUCH MONEY SELLING NEW STEERING COLUMNS TO PEOPLE WHO ARE UNAWARE OF THE DEFECT. SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE! *TR

I HAVE THE "Z4 STICKY STEERING" PROBLEM WHICH IS WIDELY DOCUMENTED ON THE INTERNET. STEERING IS OK WHEN COLD OR AT LOW SPEEDS AND OCCURS ONLY WHEN TEMPERATURE IS OVER 75 DEGREES F AND AT SPEEDS OVER 45 MPH. THE STEERING WHEEL FIRMLY RESISTS TURNING (STICKS) AND, WHEN ENOUGH FORCE IS APPLIED, FINALLY RELEASES AND TURNS UNTIL ANOTHER STICKY ZONE CREATES RESISTANCE. THIS MAKES SLIGHT STEERING CORRECTIONS IMPOSSIBLE AND RESULTS IN A ZIG ZAG RATHER THAT STRAIGHT LINE PATH DOWN THE ROAD. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE SINCE THE EFFORT LEVEL IS MUCH TOO HIGH FOR DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED AND COMPROMISES THE ABILITY TO PREDICTABLY CONTROL THE VEHICLE. THE EFFORT LEVEL TO OVERCOME THE STICKINESS IN THE STEERING WHEEL ROTATION IS COMPARABLE TO THAT REQUIRED FOR PARALLEL PARKING OF AN OLD NON POWER STEERING VEHICLE. MY WIFE IS AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR ON THE HIGHWAY. I HAVE HAD OTHER CARS RECALLED FOR MUCH LESS SIGNIFICANT ISSUES THAN THIS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW Z4. WHILE TRAVELING 65 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD SWAY FROM RIGHT TO LEFT WHICH MADE IT DIFFICULT TO REMAIN DRIVING IN THE SAME LANE OR IN A STRAIGHT LINE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 84,000.