2004 BMW Z4 Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW Z4. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL STUCK WHEN DRIVING ABOVE 50 MPH. THE FAILURE OCCURRED DAILY IF THE TEMPERATURE WAS ABOVE 65 DEGREES. IT WAS DIFFICULT TO KEEP THE VEHICLE CENTERED. THE VEHICLE WAS AT AN AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT AND THE DEALER SUGGESTED THAT THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO STATED THAT THEY WERE UNAWARE OF THAT PARTICULAR PROBLEM. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 42,500. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 43,000.

I HAVE A 2004 BMW Z4 AND IT EXPERIENCES THE SAME 'STICKY' STEERING IN HOT TEMPERATURES THAT ARE DESCRIBED ON THIS FORUM URL HTTP://BIMMER.ROADFLY.COM/BMW/FORUMS/E85/5246978-1.HTML. THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT WHEN IT GETS HOT OUTSIDE, THE STEERING FEELS LIKE IT LOCKS FOR A MOMENT WHEN YOU ARE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. WHILE IT HAS NOT CAUSED AN ACCIDENT, I BELIEVE THAT IT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE AN ACCIDENT.

MY 2004 BMW Z4 IS EXPERIENCING A PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING BECOMING STICKY WHEN THE CAR HAS BEEN OUTSIDE IN THE SUN IN SUMMER WEATHER. THE STEERING LOCKS IN A POSITION SUCH THAT IT TAKES EXTRA PRESSURE TO TURN THE WHEEL. WHEN SUFFICIENT PRESSURE IS APPLIED TO BREAK OUT OF THE STICKY POSITION, IT RESULTS IN A SUDDEN JERK IN THE STEERING, LIKE AN OVERCORRECTION. AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, THIS ISSUE IS EVENTUALLY GOING TO CAUSE A HIGH SPEED ACCIDENT, POSSIBLY A FATALITY. THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT; IT IS A WIDELY REPORTED PROBLEM. IF ONE GOOGLES "STICKY STEERING Z4" THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF HITS RETURNED. YET BMW HAS YET TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS PROBLEM.

BMW Z4 2004 STICKING STEERING. THE STEERING GETS KNOTCHY, STICKY, OR LOCKING WHEN TRYING TO MAKE MICRO-STEERING ADJUSTMENTS WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS(60-70). THE PROBLEM EXISTS WHEN THE AMBIENT OUTSIDE TEMP IS GREATER THAN 60 DEGREES. THE STEERING LOCKS AND HAS TO BE BUDGED TO CHANGE STEERING DIRECITON. IT GETS WORSE WITH HOTTER WEATHER. THIS IS A BIG SAFETY ISSUE AND WITH ALL THE OTHER REPORTED CLAIMS OF THE SAME ISSUE, THIS SHOULD BE LOOKED AT FOR A RECALL. BMW DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM TO BEING THE EPS MODULE BEING DEFECTIVE AND SAID THE WHOLE STEERING COLUMN WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED. THIS IS A $3400 FIX. THE CAR HAS ~46K MILES. I WOULD NOT EXPECT STEERING TO BREAK WITHIN 46K MILES AND READING OVER OTHER COMPLAINTS THIS IS A MUCH WIDER ISSUE THAN THIS ONE Z4. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS ISSUE DUE TO THE SAFETY IMPLICATIONS.

2004 BMW Z4 (E85) 3.0I MANUAL WITH SPORT PACKAGE - STEERING BECOMES SLUGGISH AND HARD TO INITIATE A TURN - ONLY OCCURS AFTER RADIANT HEAT IS APPLIED (IE.....LEFT IN THE SUN FOR AN HOUR) - DOES NOT CHANGE IF SPORT SUSPENSION IS ENGAGED - HUMIDITY IS NOT RELEVANT, ONLY DIRECT SUNLIGHT - GUESS IS A BUSHING/BEARING HEATING UP IN THE RACK ASSEMBLY - HAPPENS DURING SUMMER MONTHS IF LEFT IN DIRECT SUNLIGHT - DIRECTLY RELATED TO AMBIENT TEMPERATURE (80 DEGREES LESS NOTICEABLE THAN 100 DEGREES) - AT 100 DEGREES OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE AND IN DIRECT SUNLIGHT FOR AN HOUR, SOME PEOPLE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL AT ALL (SAFETY HAZARD) - DEALER REPORTED SUMMER 2009 AND THEY SAID "SYMPTOMS NOT REPRODUCIBLE" - CONTACTED BMW USA AND THEY MADE A NOTE, BUT ADVISED OF NO RECALL. *TR

WHILE DRIVING THE CAR THE STEERING STARTS TO LOCK UP AND ITS HARD TO MAKE THE GO IN A STRAIGHT LINE. THE CAR STEERING STICKS LIKE TIRES ARE IN A STRONG GROOVE. TAKES A SIGNIFICANT PULL TO BRING BACK TO CENTER. THIS COULD CAUSE A ACCIDENT DUE TO STEERING DEFECT. *TR

2004 BMW Z4 PURCHASED BRAND NEW OFF THE SHOWROOM FLOOR. PRACTICALLY FROM THE BEGINNING, NOTICED UNUSUAL HANDLING OF THE STEERING UNDER HIGH TEMPERATURES. LIVING IN TAMPA, FL THIS PRESENTS A CONTINUAL PROBLEM. I'VE OWNED Z 3'S AND Z 4'S SINCE 2001. SITTING IN HOT TEMPS, DRIVING WITH HEATER THERMOSTAT ON HIGH, CAUSES THE STEERING TO "NOTCH"....OR STEER ERRATICALLY. PRESENTED THIS TO REEVES ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WITH NO RESULTS. SINCE THERE HAVE BEEN NO FIRES, NO ACCIDENTS, NO DEATHS, BMW AND REEVES CHOOSE TO DO NOTHING. I CONCUR WITH THE OTHER 44 "COMPLAINTS" LISTED ON THIS REPORT. APPARENTLY ONE OR TWO HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL. IN LIGHT OF THE TOYOTA SITUATION, BMW NEEDS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR DESIGN FLAWS. TO MY KNOWLEDGE THERE HAS BEEN NO CLASS ACTION. I INTEND TO START ONE. *TR

2004 BMW Z4 PURCHASED USED IN JULY 2009 WITH APPROXIMATELY 69000 MILES. NOTICED IMMEDIATELY THAT WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE IN TEMPS ABOVE 75 AMBIENT, OR WHEN VEHICLE HAS BEEN SITTING IN SUN FOR EXTENDED PERIODS, STEERING BECOMES VERY "STICKY" OR NOTCHY WHEN MAKING SLIGHT TURNS SUCH AS LANE CHANGES OR SLIGHT CURVES. STEERING SEEMS TO WANT TO STICK WHEREVER THE DRIVER PUTS IT AND NEEDS TO HAVE PRESSURE APPLIED TO BREAK THE POSITION. APPEARS TO BE A COMMON COMPLAINT WITH A BMW KNOWN FIX BEING A COMPLETE REPLACE OF THE STEERING COLUMN. VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THE FIX TOO EXPENSIVE. THIS SEEMS TO ME TO BE A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN AND SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER RECALL REGARDLESS OF MILEAGE. EMAIL SENT WITH BMWNA WAS NEVER RESPONDED TO. *CN

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW Z4. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 75 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS. THE "AIR BAG" WARNING WARNING LIGHT INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE WARNING INDICATOR REMAINED ILLUMINATED UNTIL THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THE PASSENGER SEAT AND AIR BAG SENSOR REQUIRED REPLACEMENT. THERE WAS A RECALL UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 08V384000 (AIR BAGS:FRONTAL). HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS EXCLUDED FROM THE RECALL DEFECT. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED FOR MALFUNCTION. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 41,400. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW Z4. IT BECOMES DIFFICULT FOR THE CONTACT TO CONTROL THE STEERING WHEEL WHEN THE WEATHER IS COLD; THEREFORE; HE DOESN'T DRIVE THE VEHICLE DURING THE WINTER MONTHS. THE DEALERS DIAGNOSIS CONFIRMED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT AN ESTIMATE COST OF $3,000. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 42,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 52,000.