2004 BMW Z4 Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW Z4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT UPON ENTERING HER VEHICLE AND STARTING IT, SHE WAS UNABLE TO SHIFT THE VEHICLE INTO ANY GEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT SHE WOULD NEED TO REPLACE THE AUTOMATIC MANUAL TRANSMISSION. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED YET THE FAILURE RECURRED WITHIN 32,000 MILES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO ASSIST WITH REPAIRS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 41,900.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW Z4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH AND TRYING TO MAKE A TURN, IT SUDDENLY BECAME DIFFICULT TO STEER. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER WHO COULD NOT DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED FOR THE POWER STEERING. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 28,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

2004 BMW Z4 - REGARDLESS OF THE CONDITIONS, THE STEERING WHEEL IS "NOTCHY" OR STICKY WHILE DRIVING STRAIGHT DOWN THE ROAD. NATURALLY, WHEN DRIVING DOWN A ROAD, YOU ARE REQUIRED TO MAKE MINOR ROTATIONAL MOVEMENTS WITH THE STEERING WHEEL TO REMAIN IN A DRIVING LANE. IN ORDER TO KEEP THE VEHICLE IN THE LANE WITH THIS STICKY STEERING WHEEL, EXTRA FORCE IS REQUIRED TO ROTATE THE STEERING WHEEL, CAUSING THE DRIVER TO SWERVE SLIGHTLY. THIS PROBLEM IS A MAJOR CONCERN AS SOMETIMES IT BECOMES PROBLEMATIC AND DANGEROUS WHEN THE WHEEL STICKS AROUND TURNS AND NARROWS LANES. DEALERSHIP STATES THIS IS "NORMAL" AND HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED. *TR

2004 BMW Z4 'STICKY STEERING'; FOLLOW UP TO EARLIER COMPLAINT, IN RESPONSE TO BMW LETTER OF 9/24. BMW DESCRIBES THE CONDITION AS A GRADUAL INCREASE IN STEERING EFFORT NOTICEABLE WHEN THE CAR IS FIRST DRIVEN OFF, AND NOT A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN EFFORT. THIS IS INCORRECT. NOT A GRADUAL INCREASE IN EFFORT, BUT AN UNEXPECTED 'CATCH' THAT OCCURS, FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN CHANGING LANES. *TR

A YEAR OR SO AGO I NOTICED THE STEERING ON MY BMW Z4 WOULD GET "NOTCHY" AND FEEL "STICKY" AT THE END OF THE DAY. EVENTUALLY I WAS ABLE TO RECOGNIZE THE PROBLEM WOULD OCCUR WHEN PARKED OUTSIDE IN DIRECT SUNLIGHT. I FOUND IT ODD THIS WOULD BE BROUGHT ON BY TIME IN THE SUN, BUT AFTER SOME RESEARCH ONLINE DISCOVERED MANY PEOPLE WITH SIMILAR COMPLAINTS. UNFORTUNATELY IT APPEARED EXPERIENCES WITH BMW SERVICE VARIED, AND SINCE MY CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY A "FIX" WOULD BE A REPLACEMENT OF THE STEERING COLUMN AT THE TUNE OF 3-4 THOUSAND DOLLARS. WHEN I HEARD THIS ISSUE WAS UNDER INVESTIGATION I DECIDED TO WAIT FOR A DECISION AS IT SEEMED LIKELY SUCH ISSUES WITH STEERING WOULD BE ADDRESSED. I HAVE FOLLOWED THE CASE CLOSELY AND HAVE BEEN READING BMW'S RESPONSES TO NHTSA. SEVERAL OF THEIR ARGUMENTS AGAINST ADDRESSING THIS ARE ESPECIALLY DISTURBING. BMW APPEARS TO RECOGNIZE THE ISSUE, BUT CLAIMS THE EFFECT IS "MINOR". I AM NOT AN EXPERT AND CANNOT SAY WHETHER IT PRESENTS RISK, BUT AS A DRIVER I CAN TELL YOU ANY STEERING EFFECTS ARE DISTURBING AND DISTRACTING. BMW CLAIMS THE EFFECT ONLY OCCURS DURING SPECIFIC/LIMITED CONDITIONS - HIGH AMBIENT TEMPERATURES AND DIRECT SUNLIGHT. WHAT REALLY UPSETS ME ABOUT THIS STATEMENT IS THAT IT'S A CONVERTIBLE SPORTS CAR MARKETED FOR THESE CONDITIONS, SO WHILE THEY MAY BE "SPECIFIC AND LIMITED", THEY ARE PRIMARY CONDITIONS FOR THIS CAR. FINALLY, BMW CLAIMS THIS IS NOT AN ISSUE OF SAFETY, BUT ONE OF QUALITY. FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, THERE ARE SOME SUBSYSTEMS WHERE QUALITY SHOULD NOT BE COMPROMISED, AND STEERING SHOULD BE CONSIDERED ONE OF THESE. I DO BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE, AND ANXIOUSLY AWAIT NHTSA FINDINGS IN HOPES I CAN HAVE THIS SAFETY ISSUE ADDRESSED BY BMW. I SINCERELY HOPE THIS ISSUE IS NOT SWEPT UNDER THE RUG AND THE MANUFACTURER TAKES RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE QUALITY AND SAFETY OF THEIR AUTOMOBILES. *TR

WHEN DRIVING IN HOT WEATHER, THE STEERING WHEEL GET VERY STICKY AND NEED EXTENSIVE FORCE TO BE MANEUVER. I WENT TO MY DEALER AND THEY SAID THEY NEED TO CHANGE THE EPS AND THAT ITS NOT COVER SINCE IT HAPPENED 1 MONTH AFTER THE END OF THE WARRANTEE. ITS SEEM THAT A LOT OF OWNER HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM BUT THEIR IS STILL NO RECALL FROM BMW. I NOW LIVE IN CANADA BUT MY CAR IS FROM THE STATE AND I AM FILLING A COMPLAINT SO THAT BMW WOULD BE FORCE TO ACT ON THIS DANGEROUS PROBLEM.

WHEN CAR SITS OUT IN THE HOT SUN 100 DEGREES OR BETTER FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME, IS DIFFICULT. STEERING WHEEL STAYS IN A TUNING POSITION AND DOES NOT RETURN TO CENTER, IT STICKS IN WHATEVER TURN YOU PUT IT IN. YOU MUST MANUALLY FORCE THE STEERING WHEEL BACK TO CENTER. JUST TODAY 10/26/2010 ALL OF THE WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON AND POWER STEERING COMPLETELY FAILED WHILE DRIVING AND THE CAR WOULD NOT CHANGE GEARS. *TR

THE STEERING WHEEL STICKS, IT FEELS LIKE IT IS BINDING WHICH REQUIRED INCREASED STEERING EFFORT THAT MADE IT DIFFICULT TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE BECAUSE IT SEEMS TO OVER-STEER WHEN MAKING HARD AND ABRUPT STEERING WHEEL MOVEMENTS. THE FAILURE IS MORE NOTICEABLE AT HIGHER VEHICLE SPEEDS (HIGHWAY SPEEDS) AND IN WARM/HOT WEATHER (85 F). *TR

2004 BMW Z4 - STEERING PROBLEM: I JUST RECENTLY MOVED TO SOUTH FLORIDA FROM DENVER AND NOW HAVE NOTCHY/STICKY STEERING WHEN DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS (60 MPH) WHEN IT IS WARM (70 DEGREES). MAKING SMALL CORRECTIONS REQUIRES A LARGE INPUT CAUSING THE CAR TO GO OUTSIDE OF IT'S LANE. HAVE HAD SEVERAL VERY CLOSE CALLS. TOOK THE CAR TO DEALER, BMW SOUTH IN SOUTH MIAMI AND THEY WANT TO REPLACE THE STEERING COLUMN FOR $3,200. THIS PROBLEM IS A MATTER OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND SOON A DRIVER OR THE PUBLIC WILL BE HURT OR KILLED. BMW NEEDS TO STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT AND MAKE THE STEERING SAFE OR THE NHTSA NEEDS TO DIRECT THEM TO RECALL THE CARS TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. *TR

ON WARMER DAYS (80+ F), MY 2004 BMW Z4 STEERING WILL STICK IN ONE POSITION WHILE DRIVING, REQUIRING EXCESSIVE FORCE TO UNSTICK. THIS IS ESPECIALLY NOTICEABLE AT HIGHER SPEEDS (45+ MPH) WHERE SMALLER MOVEMENTS ARE REQUIRED, AND THE TENDENCY IS TO OVER CORRECT WHEN THE STICKS OCCUR. *TR