2003 BMW Z4 Complaints

FROM DAY ONE I HAD AIRBAG PROBLEM FOR THE PASSENGER SIDE. AIR BAG NEVER WORKED. BMW HAD RECALL AND EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR 10 YEARS, BUT THEY DON'T ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY STEERING COLUMN HAS PROBLEMS TOO

WHEN THE CAR WARMS UP OR HAS BEEN IN THE WARM SUN THE STEERING STICKS. THIS CREATES A DANGEROUS ISSUE WHERE THE STEERING WHEEL WILL POP OVER RATHER THAN SMOOTHLY TURNING. THE PROBLEM CREATES AND OVERSTEERING THAT IS VERY DANGEROUS AT HIGHWAY SPREED AND IN TRAVERSING CORNERS.

CONVERTIBLE TOP MOTOR IS PLACED IN A BAD LOCATION BY THE MANUFACTURER CAUSING ROOF PUMP MOTOR TO CEASE AND STOP WORKING. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE THE TOP SHOULD BE ABLE TO BE PUT UP DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER. MY CONVERTIBLE ROOF WON'T GO UP OR DOWN RIGHT NOW. HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ONLINE AND BMW WANTS TO CHARGE OVER $2,000 TO PERFORM REPAIRS GAUGING CUSTOMERS FOR THEIR FAULTY DESIGNS.

AFTER THE CAR WAS PARKED IN THE SUN FOR 4 HOURS, THE CAR WAS HARD TO STEER. THE STEERING WAS STICKY AND MADE IT FEEL UNSAFE TO DRIVE. WE RESEARCHED ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR THIS YEAR/MODEL BMW Z4.

TAKATA RECALL. BMW SENT RECALL NOTICE FOR AIRBAG BEFORE EXPIRATION DATE. I CALLED BMW AND THEY GAVE ME A EXPIRATION DATE TO TAKE CAR TO DEALERSHIP TO HAVE REPAIRED. I TOOK THE CAR TO A NEW SEWELL BMW DEALERSHIP IN GRAPEVINE TX, USA BEFORE THE EXPIRE DATE GIVEN BY BMW. THEY ASKED IF THE AIRBAG LIGHT WAS DISPLAYED. I REPLIED IT WAS RESET YEARS BEFORE AND HASN'T BEEN DISPLAYED SINCE. SEWELL SAID THEY WOULD NOT LOOK AT REPLACING AIRBAG WITHOUT PAYING FOR DIAGNOSTIC AND AIRBAG UP FRONT. I KNOW IT HASN'T BEEN REPLACED, BUT HAD TO DECLINE FOR UPFRONT COSTS WITH UNKNOWN REIMBURSEMENT. SEWELL PULLED UP THE VIN DETAILS ON MY CAR. NO AIRBAG REPLACEMENT. I'M SURE THE REPLACEMENT DATE HAS EXPIRED BY A YEAR. . . BUT I TRIED. JUST GOT A BIG 'NOT INTERESTED' BY THE BMW DEALERSHIP IN GRAPEVINE, TX. (P.S. WAS REMINDED BY THE MORGAN FREEMAN TAKATA AIRBAG COMMERCIAL ON A&E TV CHANNEL AIRING 8/9/19)

I JUST PURCHASED THIS 2003 Z4 FROM A DEALER ABOUT A MONTH AGO. WHEN I TEST DROVE IT, IT DROVE FINE AND THE STEERING WAS SMOOTH AS YOU'D EXPECT. IT WAS A LITTLE CHILLY AS IT WAS STILL IN THE MORNING. BY AFTERNOON, DURING MY 6HR DRIVE HOME FROM THE DEALER, IT GOT HOT OUTSIDE, AS IT IS SUMMER AND ALL, AND THE STEERING STARTED TO BECOME VERY JERKY, CAUSING ME TO SWERVE BACK AND FORTH IN THE LANES. IT HAS NOW BECOME A DANGEROUS CAR. THE INITIAL DEALER FROM WHOM I PURCHASED FROM PLAYED DUMB AND SAID THEY WERE UNAWARE OF ANY PROBLEMS. BEFORE BUYING THIS CAR, WHICH HAS 57K MI ON IT, I DID MY RESEARCH. SEEMED LIKE NO MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH IT. NOT UNTIL AFTER I PURCHASED IT, AND SPECIFICALLY SEARCHED 'STEERING PROBLEMS' DID I DISCOVER THIS HAD BEEN A BMW DESIGN FLAW FROM THE BEGINNING AND COUNTLESS PEOPLE HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH THIS ALMOST FROM THE GET GO. NO RECALL HAD BEEN MADE, AND NOW I'M STUCK WITH A DANGEROUS CAR. GOING FORWARD, I HAVE NOTIFIED FRIENDS AND FAMILY, THAT SHOULD I GET KILLED BECAUSE OF THIS DEFECT, START LITIGATION AGAINST BMW, AS THIS IS NOW DOCUMENTED BY MYSELF, AS WELL AS COUNTLESS OTHERS.

OVER THE PAST COUPLE YEARS I'VE NOTICED STICKY STEERING BUT AM JUST REPORTING NOW. AT MOST SPEEDS I'VE HAD THE STEERING STICK AND NOT RETURN TO NEUTRAL. OFTEN NEEDING TO REACT OR OVERCORRECT. I'VE NOTICED AN INCREASE IN OCCURRENCE AND SEVERITY THE WARMER THE AMBIENT TEMP IS. WHEN STEERING AROUND A CURVE THE STEERING WHEEL DOESN'T WANT TO COME BACK TO NEUTRAL WITHOUT CORRECTIVE ACTION. THIS AFTERNOON THE AMBIENT TEMP WAS ABOUT 90F AND WITH OCCURED AT EVERY MOVEMENT OF THE STEERING WHEEL. I FEAR THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE THE CAUSE OF AN ACCIDENT AND REALLY TAKES AWAY FROM THE ENJOYMENT OF DRIVING THIS CAR. I'VE READ MANY COMPLAINTS ON THIS SITE AND ALL OVER THE INTERNET DESCRIBING THE SAME ISSUE. OTHER REPORTS I'VE READ STATE THAT THE DEALERS RECOMMENDED REPAIR IS REPLACEMENT OF THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN AT A COST OF $3000-$4000.

RIGID STEERING WITH OVER CORRECTION, USUALLY DURING WARM WEATHER. IF GOING AT HIGHWAY/FREEWAY SPEED, EASY TO LOOSE CONTROL AND MAY CAUSE MAJOR INJURY. EXPERIENCED THIS TODAY DRIVING SPEED LIMIT OF 70 MPH AND DECIDED TO SOUND OFF. I HOPE BMW IS NOT WAITING TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM UNTIL SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPENS. MANY OTHER OWNERS OF SAME MODEL CAR, AND POSSIBLY ALL, ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM BUT NOT COMPLAINING. IT TOOK TODAY'S EXPERIENCE FOR ME TO WRITE.

FOR SEVERAL YEARS MY Z4 HAS HAD STEERING STICKING ISSUES. I THOUGHT IT WAS A PROBLEM WITH MY CAR UNTIL I JOINED A NATIONAL BMW Z4 OWNERS CLUB AND DISCOVERED THAT THE YEARS 2003 THROUGH 2005 ALL HAVE THIS ISSUE WHEN THE WEATHER IS VERY WARM . THE STEERING WILL BE AFFECTED AND WILL BE DIFFICULTY TO MANAGE STEERING ON THE HIGHWAYS. I WAS TOLD BMW IS AWARE AND OPTED TO IGNORE. MY GRANDAUGHTER DROVE MY CAR IN NEW YORK AND THE TEMPERATURE WAS OVER 80 DEGREES AND SHE OVERSTEERED AND ALMOST WENT OFF THE HIGHWAY DUE TO OVERSTEERING AND ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT ON THE EXPRESSWAY. SHE WILL NOT DRIVE MY CAR NOW DUE TO THIS ISSUE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND THIS CARS MUST BE RECALLED AND REPAIRED. NUMEROUS OWNERS HAVE COMPLAINED AND NO RECALL HAS BEEN IMPLEMENTED. HOW CAN WE PROCEED TO REPAIR THIS WITHOUT AN EXPENSE THAT THAT IS MORE THAN THE CAR'S WORTH AND NOT RELATED TO MISUSE. I HAVE DONE A SURVEY AND THE SYMPTOMS ARE ALWAYS THE SAME. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS SAFETY ISSUE AND ADVISE MY HOW TO SHARE WITH MY FELLOW BMW Z4 OWNERS HOW TO PROCEED AS IT APPEARS IT IS A SAFELY ISSUE AND DUE TO DEFICITS WITH MANUFACTURING OF OUR VEHICLES. I AFFECTS THE STEERING AND WILL PASS INSPECTION AS THE CAR IS NOT ALWAYS DRIVEN IN HOT WEATHER AT SPEEDS TO NOTICE THE DEFECT. I THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR LOOKING INTO THIS ISSUE THAT COULD AFFECT OTHER DRIVERS ON THE ROAD AND THEIR SAFETY.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW Z4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG INDICATOR WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO TAYLOR BMW (4180 WASHINGTON RD, EVANS, GA 30809, (706) 868-6400) AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED; THEREFORE, THE CONTACT WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR COSTS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND ALSO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. THE CONTACT LATER RECEIVED A LETTER FROM THE MANUFACTURER STATING THAT THEY WERE EXTENDING THE WARRANTY TO 15 YEARS WITH UNLIMITED MILEAGE. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER BACK AND WAS ADVISED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER WANTED TO CHARGE A DIAGNOSTIC FEE AND THE CONTACT REFUSED. THE DEALER CALLED THE MANUFACTURER, BUT THE CONTACT NEVER HEARD BACK FROM THE DEALER. ON APRIL 26, 2019, THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER TO GET AN UPDATE AND WAS INFORMED THAT HE WOULD BE CALLED BACK. THE CONTACT HAD NOT RECEIVED A RETURN CALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000. *BF CONSUMER STATED DEALER IS NOT HONORING THE WARRANTY. 'PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).'*JB