2003 BMW Z4 Complaints

BMW Z4 AFTER DRIVING FOR APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES THE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING ICON ILLUMINATES ON DASHBOARD AND YOU LOSE YOUR POWER STEERING THERE AFTER THE PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT DETERMINED BY SPEED. HAVE CONTACTED TWO DEALERS IN THE BOSTON AREA AND THEY STATE NEVER HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM, WENT ON BIMMERPOST AND GOOGLED THE PROBLEM AND FIND IT ON YOUR WEBSITE. CAR IS VIRTUALLY UNDRIVEABLE AS YOU LITERALLY LOSE POWER STEERING CONTROL. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW Z4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING IN HOT WEATHER, THE STEERING WHEEL WAS DIFFICULT TO CENTER, MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO DRIVE. THE FAILURE IS MORE NOTICEABLE WHILE DRIVING AT 70MPH AND HIGHER. WHILE DRIVING IN COOLER WEATHER THE FAILURE DID NOT OCCUR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED BY A DEALER OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 54,527.

2003 Z-4 BMW ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING (EPS) FAILED DURING MOTOR VEHICLE OPERATION WHILE PERFORMING A RIGHT TURN TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 15 TO 20 MILES PER HOUR. THE DRIVER AVOIDED COLLISION WITH OTHER MOTOR VEHICLES MAKING THE TURN AT THE SAME TIME, STATIONARY OBSTACLES (TELEPHONE POLE, STREET SIGNS, CURBS), AND PEDESTRIANS ON THE SIDEWALK BY GAINING CONTROL THROUGH MANUAL EFFORT. THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN MUST BE REPLACED BY A BMW AUTHORIZED REPAIR CENTER AT A COST EXCEEDING $3700 DUE TO THE PROPRIETARY SECURITY CODING FOR THEFT PREVENTION. USED UNITS ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE ONCE THEY HAVE BEEN CODED TO A SPECIFIC VEHICLE. *TR

MY 2003 BMW Z4 SHOULD HAVE INITIALLY BEEN RECALLED FOR DEFECTIVE STEERING. FROM THE FIRST DAY I HAD IT, THE STEERING WOULD PERIODICALLY ACT UP AND MADE THE CAR DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. WHEN I BROUGHT IT IN TO BE FIXED I WAS CHARGED $3001.31 TO ALIGN THE WHEELS, CHANGE THE STEERING RACK, REPLACE A TIRE, TWO WHEELS, AND SOME SUSPENSION COMPONENTS, AND THEN ANOTHER $150 ALIGNMENT. (PERHAPS SOME OF THESE COMPONENTS ACTUALLY NEEDED REPLACEMENT, BUT I HAVE MY DOUBTS.) YOU KNOW WHAT THAT DIDN'T FIX THE STEERING WHICH I FINALLY TRACED TO ACTING UP ON HOT DAYS. AND THE CAR DROVE EXACTLY THE SAME AS IT DID BEFORE THE "REPAIRS." AFTER DOING SOME ON-LINE RESEARCH I DISCOVERED THAT OTHERS HAD THIS PROBLEM AND THAT BMW HAD A SOLUTION ALL ALONG. BUT WAS MY CAR RECALLED AND FIXED? NO. I FOUND THE ACTUAL PART NUMBER OF THE NEW STEERING COLUMN AND I HAD TO INSIST ON A FREE REPAIR EVEN THOUGH IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. THAT FIXED IT FINE, BUT WHY DID I HAVE TO GO THROUGH ALL THIS AND SPEND $3001.31 WHEN BMW KNEW THERE WAS A PROBLEM IN THE 2003 MODEL AND REDESIGNED THE STEERING COLUMN FOR THE SUBSEQUENT MODEL YEARS? MY INITIAL COMPLAIN WAS ON 08/18/06 AT 23023 MILES AND MY SUBSEQUENT COMPLAINT WAS ON 04/28/08 AT 28274 MILES. LINKS TO SIMILAR COMPLAINTS: HTTP://WWW.LEFTLANENEWS.COM/NHTSA-PROBES-BMW-Z4-MAZDA3-OVER-STEERING-ISSUES.HTML HTTP://BIMMER.ROADFLY.COM/BMW/FORUMS/E85/8909755-1.HTML HTTP://BMWCCA.ORG/FORUM/ARCHIVE/INDEX.PHP/T-152.HTML. *TR

2003 BMW Z4 HAS STEERING ISSUE WHEN THE TEMPERATURE IS WARM. THE STEERING COLUMN SEEMS TO LOOK UP AND MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN THE WHEEL. *TR

STEERING PROBLEM WITH 2003 BMW Z4. CONSTANT PROBLEM CAUSING IT TO BE DIFFICULT TO TURN THE WHEEL. BEING REPAIRED TODAY ( 10/14/2010). ELECT. MOTOR ON THE POWER STEERING. *TR

MY BMW Z4, VINXXXXXXXXX, INTERMITTENTLY HAS A NOTCHY FEELING IN THE STEERING AS IF THERE IS A RESTRICTION PREVENTING THE STEERING WHEEL TO BE MOVED TO THE DIRECTION I WANT TO GO. THIS HAS BEEN GOING FOR A HALF A YEAR. NOW I AM INTERMITTENTLY LOOSING THE POWER ASSIST STEERING WITHOUT ANY WARNING. THIS IS VERY UNNERVING WHEN TRAVELING IN HEAVE CITY TRAFFIC. THE BWM DEALER IS NOT TAKING THIS AS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM. THUS FAR NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN SUGGESTED OR PERFORMED. *TR

THE STEERING ON MY BMW Z4 WAS STICKING AND HARD TO TURN. THE STEERING DIDN'T WANT TO RETURN TO CENTER. WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY THROUGH A CURVE, THE STEERING WAS HARD TO TURN, WOULDN'T RETURN BACK TO CENTER AND HAD TO MAKE NUMEROUS ADJUSTMENT TO KEEP THE CAR WITHIN THE LANE. IT WAS VERY UNSETTLING AND COULD EASILY HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIME IN THE PAST AND IT SEEMS TO HAPPEN PREDOMINATELY ON WARM DAYS. *TR

AFTER CAR HAD BEEN SITTING IN THE SUN ON A 90+ DEGREE DAY, MY STEERING BECAME VERY DIFFICULT AND "NOTCHY". WHEEL WOULD NOT RETURN TO CENTER POSITION WHEN I LET GO OF WHEEL. *TR

THE ELECTRIC STEERING ON MY 2003 BMW Z4 WILL STICK AND I MUST JERK THE WHEEL TO GET IT TO TURN BACK WHEN THE CAR IS DRIFTING. MY DEALER SAYS THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT IS CAUSING THIS TO HAPPEN. IT SEEMS TO HAPPEN WHEN THE TEMPERATURE IS ABOVE 80 DEGREES. I FEEL THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION BECAUSE IT CAUSES OVERSTEERING WHEN THE WHEEL HAS TO BE JERKED BACK. *TR