2004 BMW Z4 Complaints

READING BMW FORUMS I READ THAT OTHER OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM AS ME.. I HAVE A BMW 2004 Z4 WITH 43K MILES AND THE STEERING NOTCHES OR STICKS A LOT AS I DRIVE. THERE SEEMS TO BE A STEERING PROBLEM THAT COULD CAUSE A SERIOUS WRECK. ARE THERE ANY RECALLS ON THE PROBLEM? *TR

WHEN YOU TURN THE STEERING WHEEL RIGHT OR LEFT IT STICKS WHEN YOU TRY TO TURN BACK TO CENTER AND REQUIRES EXTRA EFFORT TO MOVE THE WHEEL. THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO GET WORSE WHEN TEMPERATURES GET WARMER (75 DEGREES OR HIGHER). I'M CONCERNED THAT I MAY NOT BE ABLE TO TURN THE WHEEL IF THIS PROBLEM GETS WORSE AND I'M NOT SURE IF THE CAR IS SAFE ENOUGH TO DRIVE, ESPECIALLY AT HIGHER SPEEDS.

MY 2004 BMW Z4 EXPERIENCES "STICKINESS" IN STEERING. IT HAS 59,000 MILES AND THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN GRADUALLY INCREASING. I HAVE NOT NOTICED ANY DIFFERENCES IN THE STEERING RESPONSE WITH INCREASED AMBIENT HEAT, BUT IT DOES SEEM TO BE WORSE WHEN AT HIGHER SPEEDS. *TR

STEERING EXTREMELY STICKY WHEN CAR TEMPERATURE IS HOT. STEERING WILL NOT SELF CENTER. *TR

I HAVE READ REPORTS THAT NHSTA HAS RECEIVED NUMEROUS REPORTS OF 2003-2004 BMW Z4'S WITH POWERSTEERING ISSUES. MY 2004 Z4 HAS THIS ISSUE AS WELL. THE STEERING SEEMS TO BIND AND THE SEVERITY IS INCREASED AS SPEED INCREASES. WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY ON A RECENT TRIP I HAD TO EXERT A GOOD AMOUNT OF FORCE TO STAY OUT OF THE OTHER LANES. I AM 5'10 - 200 LBS. MY CONCERN IS THAT SLIGHTER PERSONS MAY NOT BE ABLE TO HANDLE THE STEERING PROBLEMS. I FEAR SOMEONE MIGHT BE INJURED IF THE ISSUE IS NOT FIXED IMMEDIATELY. HOPEFULLY A RECALL CAN BE GENERATED BEFORE CASUALTIES OCCOUR. *TR

DRIVING THE CAR ON A RELATIVELY WARM DAY (70 DEGREES) WITH TOP DOWN, THE POWER STEERING BECAME VERY STIFF AND STEERING THE CAR BECAME DIFFICULT. A NOISE WAS ALSO HEARD WHEN TRYING TO STEER THE CAR. 20 MINUTES AFTER THIS THE CHECK TIRE PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. I STOPPED AT A SERVICE STATION TO CHECK TIRE PRESSURE BUT IT WAS FINE. STOPPED, STARTED THE CAR SEVERAL TIMES WITHOUT ANY HELP. NEXT MORNING, THE PROBLEM DISAPPEARED COMPLETELY. I MANUALLY RESET THE TIRE PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT AND SINCE THEN THE PROBLEM HASN'T COME BACK.

IN THE FALL, 2010, MY BMW 2004 Z4 STOPPED AUTOMATICALLY OPENING AND CLOSING THE CONVERTIBLE TOP. ACCORDING TO THE MECHANIC THERE IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THE MOTOR ASSOCIATED WITH IT. THE MAIN MOTOR GETS WATER TRAPPED INSIDE THE PLASTIC HOUSING WHCIH CAUSES THE MOTOR TO FAIL. I NEED TO REPLACE THE MOTOR, AS MANY OTHER OWNERS HAVE. BMW KNOWS OF THIS PROBLEM AND SHOULD DO A RECALL/REPLACEMENT WITH IT'S UPDATED PLASTICE HOUSING OF THE MOTOR. IT WILL COST APPROXIMATELY $3000 TO FIX IT. IT IS A KNOWN DEFECT. *TR

STICKY STEERING WHEN TEMPERATURE IS ELEVATED. WHEN THE CAR IS PARKED IN THE SUN AND WARMS UP, THE STEERING WHEEL BECOMES STICKY LEADING TO AN INCREASED EFFORT TO MOVE THE WHEEL AND MAKES IT EASY TO OVERCORRECT. *TR

I OWN A 2004 BMW Z4. WHILE DRIVING THE CAR LAST EVENING I NOTICED THE STEERING WHEEL FELT LIKE IT WAS STICKING AS I TRIED TO TURN THE WHEEL. I T WAS SO BAD AT ONE POINT THAT I STRUGLED TO STEER THE CAR AROUND A CURVE. WHEN IT STUCK, IT CAUSED ME TO OVERSTEER THROWING MY CAR INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. FORTUNATELY NO CARS WERE COMING AND A DISSASTER WAS AVOIDED. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THIS OCCURED. IT APPEARS TO BE INTERMITTENT. THE BMW DEALER CAN NOT FIND ANY THING WRONG. A SOURCE OF THIS PROBLEM NEEDS TO BE DETERMINED BEFORE PEOPLE GET KILLED. *TR

I HAVE A 2004 BMW Z4 WITH 67,517 MILES. EVER SINCE I HAVE OWNED IT, IT HAS HAD A "TWITCHY" FEEL TO THE STEERING, WHICH I HAVE BEEN TOLD IS DUE TO ELECTRIC STEERING IN THIS VEHICLE. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM HAS BECOME MORE PRONOUNCED LATELY. ANY UNEVENNESS IN THE SURFACE OF THE ROAD WILL CAUSE THE TIRES TO JERK TO ONE SIDE OR THE OTHER, REQUIRING CONSTANT STEERING ADJUSTMENTS TO KEEP THE CAR GOING WHERE YOU WANT IT TO. THE ONLY WAY IT WILL TRACK IN A STRAIGHT LINE IS ON A PERFECTLY SMOOTH ROAD. I HAVE TRIED JACKING UP THE CAR AND FLEXING THE TIRES BACK AND FORTH MANUALLY TO SEE IF THERE IS ANY LOOSENESS IN THE STEERING, BUT I HAVEN'T FOUND ANY. I'M AFRAID THAT ONE DAY I WILL FIND MYSELF ON A REALLY ROUGH ROAD AND BE UNABLE TO CONTROL THE CAR. I HAVE NOTED THAT LOTS OF OTHER Z4 OWNERS HAVE REPORTED STEERING PROBLEMS, SO BMW NEEDS TO ISSUE A RECALL TO ADDRESS IT. *TR