2004 BMW Z4 Complaints

THE CAR EXPERIENCES STICKY STEERING ALMOST ALL THE TIME NOW. IT IS MOST PRONOUNCED WHEN TEMPERATURES ARE HIGHER. THERE IS DIFFICULTY KEEPING THE CAR IN IT'S OWN LANE. IT HAS NOT RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT, BUT REQUIRES AN INORDINATE AMOUNT THE FOCUS AND CONTROL TO KEEP THE CAR MOVING IN THE CORRECT DIRECTION. THERE IS ONLY 47,000 MILES ON THIS CAR AND I DO NOT THINK SOMETHING LIKE THIS SHOULD BE LEFT UNREPAIRED BY BMW. IT HAS BEEN GETTING WORSE AS TIME GOES ON.

AS I AM DRIVING THIS CAR MY STEERING IS STICKING AND JERKING AS I TURN FROM LEFT TO RIGHT AND BACK AGAIN. IT IS HARD TO TURN AND NOT SMOOTH AS IT USED TO BE. THIS PROBLEM OCCURS AT HIGH SPEED, LOW SPEED AND ON ALL ROAD SURFACES. I CHANGED THE TIRES HOPING THAT WOULD ADDRESS THE PROBLEM, HOWEVER IT DID NOT HELP. IT SHOULD NOT OPERATE THIS WAY AND IT SEEMS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. I SEE THAT MANY OWNERS HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS ONGOING SAFETY PROBLEM, PLEASE ADVISE. *TR

THE TRACKING OF THE STEERING STICKS CAR WAS SERVICE LAST FALL FULL INSPECTION. BUSHINGS WERE REPLACED. SHOP FOREMAN COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. THE CAR WAS STORED ALL WINTER CLIMATE-CONTROLLED GARAGE. I TOOK THE CAR OUT YESTERDAY AND THE STICKY-NESS AND CONTROL OF THE CAR ARE DIFFICULT. I DECIDED TO SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND 355 COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE. SAW ON SOME THREADS THAT BMW IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. BUT NEVER HAS BEEN ADDRESSED. AS A CONSUMER TAXPAYER AND DOCTOR I AM AMAZED THAT THE NHTSA HAS NOT INVESTIGATED OR ISSUED A RECALL. THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM. THIS CAR HS LESS THAN 41,000 MILES ON IT. THIS CAUSES THE DRIVER TO CORRECT STEERING CONSTANTLY THE CAR WANTS TO PULL IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS AND VERY DIFFICULT TO CORRECT. THIS EVENT OCCURS WHILE DRIVING ON A STRAIGHT PATH. I HAVE OWNED AT LEAST 15 DIFFERENT AUTOMOBILES DRIVEN COUNTLESS OTHERS AND THIS IS NOT HOW A CAR SHOULD RESPOND. I WAS ASTOUNDED TO SEE ALL THE PREVIOUS COMPLAINTS. WHAT IS GOING TO BE DONE? I PLAN ON CONTACTING THE BMW SERVICE DEPARTMENT THIS WEEK. IN THE MEANTIME I HOPE YOU TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY BEFORE SOMEONE GETS INJURED. MY GUESS IS SOMEONE ALREADY HAS. WHOEVER IS READING THIS PLEASE TAKE IT SERIOUSLY. BELOW I MARKED THE DATE OF YESTERDAY. PLEASE BE REMINDED THIS HAS HAPPENED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS LAST FALL. AS WELL AS TO 355 OTHER DRIVERS. THANK YOU, DR. [XXX] REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) *CC

I HAD THIS CAR BUILT AND I AM THE ONLY OWNER AND DRIVER. I HAVE HAD A PERSONAL MECHANIC TAKE METICULOUS CARE OF IT OVER THE YEARS AND THE CAR IS STORED FOR APPROXIMATELY 6 MONTHS/YEAR BECAUSE I DO NOT DRIVE IT IN THE SNOW, AND FRANKLY, HARDLY DRIVE IT EVEN WHEN RAINING. HOWEVER, IT NEVER FAILS THAT EACH YEAR SOME WARNING LIGHT GOES ON FOR NO APPARENT REASON. LAST FALL IT WAS THE ABS LIGHT AND THE BRAKE LIGHT. MY MECHANIC PUT THE CAR ON THE COMPUTER, AND FOUND NO ISSUES. NOW AGAIN, THIS SPRING IT STARTED OUT AS NOT BEING ON, BUT WITHIN 5- 25 MINUTES (VARIES EACH TIME WHEN I START THE CAR UP AND DRIVE) THOSE TWO LIGHTS COME ON. EVERY YEAR THERE SEEMS TO BE NEW LIGHTS THAT COME ON FOR NO APPARENT REASON. I HAVEN'T DRIVEN THE CAR MORE THAN A FEW TIMES BEFORE A LIGHT COMES ON. IT'S COST ME SO MUCH IN DIAGNOSTIC TIME. ALSO ANOTHER PROBLEM IS THAT OFTEN THE RADIO DOESN'T TURN ON. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, THE SCREEN ALSO DOES NOT POP UP. I HAVE TO STOP THE CAR, TURN IT OFF AND THEN RESTART. MOST TIMES THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM SEEMS TO 'RESTART' ITSELF SO THAT THE RADIO TURNS ON AND THE SCREEN POPS UP. THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IN THIS CAR HAS NEVER BEEN RIGHT. *TR

WHEN THE CAR IS WARMED UP THE STEERING IS STICKY AND PREVENTS YOU FROM STEERING CORRECTLY AND/OR OVER-CORRECT YOUR STEERING. MULTIPLE MECHANICS HAVE LOOKED AT THIS AND THE FACTORY LUBE USED TO GREASE THE STEERING COLUMN COMPONENTS IS INADEQUATE. HOWEVER, THE ONLY WAY TO FIX IT IS TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN ($4-5K FOR PARTS AND LABOR). THE STEERING COLUMN COULD FAIL AT ANY TIME AND CAUSE THE CAR TO LOSE STEERING CAPABILITIES, VERY DANGEROUS, ESPECIALLY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. APPARENTLY BMW IS AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND HAS RECALLED 2006-2008 MODEL YEARS BUT NOT 2003-2005.

STEERING FEELS LIKE IT LOCKS UP TEMPORARILY OR STICKS WHEN DRIVING. WHEN THE WHEELS IS IN A POSITION, LIKE NORMAL DRIVING IN A STRAIGHT LINE, ANY MOVEMENT OF THE WHEEL IS MET WITH RESISTANCE, REQUIRING A LOT OF FORCE TO INITIATE ANY MOVEMENT. BECAUSE OF THIS I CAN'T EVEN LET MY WIFE DRIVE THE CAR ANYMORE. IT IS VERY UNSETTLING WHEN DRIVING AND I TRULY FEEL LIKE THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE. BECAUSE OF THE EXCESSIVE FOR NEEDED TO INITIATE STEERING WHEEL ROTATION, THE RESULT IS UNWANTED LANE MOVEMENT AND POTENTIALLY UNWANTED LANE DEPARTURE. MY RESEARCH INDICATES THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM. MY CAR HAS LESS THAN 85K MILES AND IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION OTHERWISE. BMW NEEDS TO STAND BEHIND THIS INCREASINGLY HAZARDOUS DESIGN FLAW AND FIX THIS CAR. I OWN THREE BMWS AND VERY PLEASED WITH THEIR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF OTHER KNOWN ISSUES. THIS STEERING ISSUE IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND CORRECTIVE ACTION IS NEEDED. THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW. PLEASE MAKE YOUR BEST EFFORT TO HAVE BMW INITIATE CORRECTIVE ACTION. THANK YOU AND PLEASE KNOW YOUR WORK IS APPRECIATED. *TR

THE STEERING IS HARD TO CONTROL WHILE DRIVING. ALMOST LOCKING UP OR VERY STICKY SENSATION TO IT. HAPPENS VERY REGULARLY.

I PREVIOUSLY FILED A REPORT ABOUT THE ELECTRONIC STEERING WHEEL COLUMN, POOR STEERING, STICKING PRIOR TO HAVING IT FIXED ON THIS DATE. I HAD NOT FOUND THE PAPERWORK FOR IT UNTIL AFTER I SUBMITTED THE REPORT. THE TRACKING # 11300634.

I HAD THIS CAR BUILT AND AM THE ONLY OWNER. INITIALLY, STILL UNDER WARRANTY, THE CAR NEEDED A NEW CONVERTIBLE TOP. AFTER THAT, FOR YEARS, I HAD A 'STICKING' WHEN I WOULD STEER THE CAR MAKING THE CAR VERY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL OR TURN. THIS DETERRED ME FROM DRIVING THE CAR AS MUCH AS I WANTED, AND CERTAINLY FROM TAKING IT ON ANY DISTANCE TRIPS....BASICALLY ENJOYING THE CAR. INITIALLY I THOUGHT THE CAR MAY NEED NEW TIRES OR AN ALIGNMENT, BUT IT WAS DIAGNOSED AS THE ELECTRONIC STEERING COLUMN. FROM READING BMW CHATS AND FORUMS, I FOUND THIS WAS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM. I TRIED TO CONTACT BMW DIRECTLY, BUT TO NO AVAIL. I FINALLY HAD TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS MYSELF, COSTING OVER $3000. THE OTHER PROBLEM THAT HAS CONTINUED IS THE ABS BRAKE LIGHT WILL ILLUMINATE FOR NO APPARENT REASON. I HAVE HAD MY MECHANIC LOOK AT IT, BUT CAN'T SEEM TO FIND A DEFINITIVE CAUSE. OFTEN WHEN THE CAR IS TURNED OFF, AND THEN RESTARTED, THE LIGHT GOES OFF...BUT WILL SOMETIMES, NOT ALL THE TIME, COME BACK ON AGAIN, BOTH AT HIGHER SPEEDS AND ALSO DURING CITY, LOW SPEED DRIVING. I BABY THIS CAR SO MUCH, ONLY DRIVE IT SEASONALLY, AND IT SEEMS TO SPEND MORE TIME IN THE SHOP BEING REPAIRED OR MAINTAINED. I THINK IT WAS A 'LEMON' FROM THE ONSET. BMW WAS NEGLIGENT IN HELPING COVER SOME EXPENSES THAT MANY OTHERS HAVE REPORTED!

POWER STEERING IS INTERMITTENT. ALMOST NEVER WORKS WHEN FIRST STARTED BUT AFTER DRIVING FOR 20-30 MINUTES, IF I TURN THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON AGAIN, IT WORKS AND THE DASH LIGHT GOES OUT. I CAN EVEN DO IT WHILE DRIVING, SHIFTING TO NEUTRAL, TURN CAR OFF AND THEN BACK ON AND THE POWER STEERING COMES BACK ON. VERY FRUSTRATING TO DRIVE LIKE THIS ... AND DANGEROUS TOO!