2003 BMW Z4 Complaints

2003 BMW Z-8. A NUMBER OF OWNERS HAVE REPORTED DAMAGE TO THE ALUMINUM FRAME AT THE SHOCK TOWERS. AS THIS AFFECTS THE SUSPENSION AND STEERING THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR ACCIDENTS RESULTING FROM THIS DAMAGE. BMW HAS BEEN AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM FOR A WHILE AND IS NOT RESPONDING WITH A FIX NOR IS IT NOTIFYING OWNERS OF THIS CONDITION. I BELIEVE BMW HAS A SIMILAR PROBLEM WITH OTHER MODELS. NOTE THAT THE Z8 MODEL IS NOT LISTED IN YOUR DATABASE SO I CHOSE Z4 FROM THE PULL DOWN LIST. *NM

THERE IS A POTENTIAL PROBLEM WITH THE FRONT SHOCK TOWER SUPPORTS AND FRONT CHASSIS ASSEMBLY ON THE BMW Z8. IT IS PRONE TO DEFORMATION OF THE SHOCK TOWERS AND FLEXING OF THE FRONT CHASSIS ASSEMBLY, LEADING TO STEERING PROBLEMS AND ALIGNMENT PROBLEMS. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN KNOWN BY BMW AG IN GERMANY SINCE AT LEAST NOVEMBER 2005, BUT AS OF TODAY, THERE HAS BEEN NO OFFICIAL RESPONSE FROM BMW AG OR BMW IN THE USA TO THE OWNERS OF THIS VEHICLE. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE FRAME / CHASSIS OF THE BMW Z8 IS MADE OF ALUMINUM, AND AS SUCH, CAN UNDERGO A GREATER DEGREE OF FATIGUE. FAILURE SHOULD THERE BE A DEFECT IN THE DESIGN, MATERIALS OR BOTH. THIS DEFECT COULD LEAD OR HAS ALREADY LEAD TO THE FRONT STRUT / SHOCK TOWER ASSEMBLY DEFORMING AT ITS ATTACHMENT POINTS, AND WILL OR COULD LEAD TO A FAILURE OF THE ATTACHMENT, CAUSING A SERIOUS OR FATAL ACCIDENT. THUS FAR, BMW HAS NOT RESPONDED TO COMPLAINTS. THIS WAS A LIMITED PRODUCTION LUXURY SPORTS CAR OF WHICH 5,550 WERE PRODUCED AND ABOUT 2,550 WERE SOLD HERE IN THE USA. BASED ON PRELIMINARY DATA FROM OUR ON-LINE CLUB MEMBERSHIP IT APPEARED THAT AT LEAST 1 IN 3 VEHICLES WERE AFFECTED BY THIS DEFECT. WHAT WE DO NOT KNOW IS WHETHER THE VEHICLE IS OR IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE? BMW IS SILENT AS FAR AS THEIR CUSTOMERS ARE CONSIDERED, AND WE NEED HELP TO INVESTIGATE THIS POTENTIAL SAFETY CONCERN.*AK

WHEN VEHICLE IS IN THE SUN AND HEATS UP THE STEERING BECOMES STICKY, MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN CORRECT ALIGNMENT ON ROADWAY. OVER STEERING OCCURS AND GIVES IMPRESSION OF WEAVING WHILE CROSSING INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. NEAR MISS OF OTHER VEHICLE OCCURRED. THIS STICKING HAS OCCURRED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS EACH SUMMER IN WARM TO HOT WEATHER.*AK

I HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM FOR THE PAST TWO SUMMERS REGARDING THE STEERING WHEN THE CAR SETS IN THE HEAT ALL DAY (EXCEPT THAT IT WAS WORST THIS PAST SUMMER, IT NOW HAPPENS AT ABOUT 85 F, INSTEAD OF 90 F). THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE CAR RESISTS TURNING FROM CENTER AND WHEN IT DOES IT WILL NOT RETURN TO CENTER ON ITS OWN; YOU MUST TURN IT BACK. THIS IS A FAIRLY DANGEROUS PROBLEM IF YOU ARE NOT AWARE OF IT AND DO NOT PAY CLOSE ATTENTION. *NM

GROWING STEERING DIFFICULTIES WITH 2003 BMW Z4 PURCHASED NEW. DEALERSHIP ACKNOWLEDGES THERE IS A PROBLEM AND SAYS BMW IS TRYING TO DETERMINE A FIX (THIS WAS MONTHS AGO). BMW SAYS SORRY - REFER TO DEALERSHIP, I BELIEVE THIS IS A SERIOUS POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD WHICH SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED FOR POSSIBLE RE-CALL. *JB

WHILE DRIVING WEST ON I-70 NEAR EXIT 218 (ELEV 10,300', WEST OF DENVER) MY 2003 BMW Z4 STALLED. AFTER NUMEROUS RESTARTS, I WAS ABLE TO GET IF OFF THE ROAD AND ONTO THE EXIT. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE HAULED TO THE BMW DEALER IN DENVER. THEY REPORTED TO ME THAT A SCREEN ON THE BOTTOM OF THE FUEL PUMP HAD COLLAPSED, CUTTING OFF THE FUEL SUPPLY. THE REPLACED THE PUMP. AT THAT TIME THE CAR HAD ABOUT 5000 MILES ON IT. IN EARLY AUGUST 2005 I WAS DRIVING THE CAR WEST ON US 6, CROSSING SOLDIER SUMMIT (ELEV. 7400'), WEST OF PRICE, UT. AGAIN THE CAR STALLED, ACTING LIKE IT WAS A FAILED FUEL PUMP. AFTER SPENDING ABOUT 20 MINUTES ON THE PHONE WITH THE SALT LAKE CITY BMW DEALERSHIP, I WAS ABLE TO START THE CAR AND DRIVE TO THE DEALERSHIP. AFTER CHECKING OUT THE CAR AT MURRAY MOTORS, THEY THOUGHT THAT THE PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY THE HIGH ALTITUDE AND HIGH TEMPERATURE (IT AS ABOUT 75 DEGREES ON SOLDIER SUMMIT.) SINCE THE CAR HAD NOT HAD PROBLEMS THE PREVIOUS WEEK AT HOME (ELEV. 8050', TEMPERATURES UP TO 90), I QUESTIONED THAT DIAGNOSIS THEY SAID THAT BMW HAD DESIGNED A NEW FUEL PUMP FOR THE CAR, AND BMW AGREED TO INSTALL A NEW ONE, BUT THERE WERE NONE IN SLC. THEY TOLD ME TO DRIVE ON TO PORTLAND, OR, WHERE A NEW ONE WOULD BE INSTALLED. I DROVE TO PORTLAND AND IT WAS INSTALLED. DOES BMW HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE Z4 FUEL PUMP? WE GOT NO RECALL NOTICE. MY WIFE IS HESITANT TO DRIVE THE CAR, IN CASE IT SHOULD STALL IN HEAVY TRAFFIC, AND RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT. IT SEEMS UNUSUAL FOR A CAR TO REPLACE THE FUEL PUMP TWICE IN 40,000 MILES. *NM

I TOOK MY CAR IN TO THE BEVERLY HILLS BMW REGARDING NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NO. 04V247000 AND ASKED THAT THE DEALER/SERVICE CENTER CHECK OUT MY AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT PROCESSORS AS MY VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED IN JUNE OF 2003 AND APPEARS TO BE COVERED UNDER THIS RECALL. THEY REFUSED TO PERFORM THE SERVICE SAYING THAT THEY HAD NO RECORD OF THE RECALL FROM BMW OF NORTH AMERICA. I THEN TELEPHONED BMW OF NORTH AMERICA AND ASKED ABOUT THE RECALL. I SPOKE WITH "JASON" AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS NO RECORD OF THE RECALL ANYWHERE AND THAT BMW WOULD NOT CHECK OUT MY CAR OR THE AIR BAG PROCESSORS. *NM

I PREVIOUSLY SUBMITTED A COMPLAINT WITH CONFIRMATION NUMBER 10135197. SINCE SUBMITTING THAT COMPLAINT, I HAVE BEEN ON BMW RELATED MESSAGE BOARDS AND DISCOVERED THE PROBLEM WITH HIGH TEMPERATURE "STICKING" STEERING ON 2003 BMW Z-4 ROADSTERS IS NOT ONLY WELL KNOWN TO BMW, BUT THEY HAVE COME UP WITH A REPAIR. UNFORTUNATELY, BMW IS NOT RECALLING, NOT NOTIFYING AND THEY ARE INSISTING THAT A CAR OWNER WAIT UNTIL A COMPLETE PART FAILURE THAT CAN BE VERIFIED AT THE DEALER TO TAKE ANY ACTION UNDER THE CAR WARRANTY. THIS PROBLEM COMES AND GOES WITH OUTSIDE HEAT. A DEALERSHIP IS NOT ALWAYS AROUND TO VERIFY THE ISSUE. I HAVE TALKED WITH BMW USA HEADQUARTERS IN NEW JERSEY AND THEY THROW ME BACK TO THE DEALER. IF YOU TOOK WHAT BMW USA SAYS AT FACE VALUE, THEY HAVE NO CONTROL OVER THIS ISSUE. THAT IS NOT TURNING OUT TO BE THE CASE. UNFORTUNATELY, THE DEALER SAYS THEY CANNOT ACT WITHOUT BMW AUTHORIZATION AND THAT REQUIRES THE REPLACEMENT OF A VERIFIABLE FAILED PART. THE DEALER IS CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE. THERE HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT DOUBLE TALK FROM THE PEOPLE IN NEW JERSEY AT BMW HEADQUARTERS. THE INTERNET POSTINGS ON THIS PROBLEM INDICATE HOW SEVERE THE ISSUE IS. THE PROBLEM IS WORLD WIDE ON 2003 Z-4'S. IT OCCURS IN HIGH OUTSIDE TEMPERATURES AND CAN, ACCORDING TO SOME POSTINGS, COME ON WITH NO NOTICE AT HIGH SPEEDS. ONE DRIVER DESCRIBED HOW HE NARROWLY AVERTED PUTTING HIS CAR INTO THE CENTER DIVIDER OF A HIGHWAY. FEEL FREE TO CHECK THESE BOARDS, ONE OF THEM IS "ROADFLY.COM" WHERE A WHOLE THREAD EXISTS TO DISCUSS THIS PROBLEM. ANOTHER IS "Z4UM.COM." APPARENTLY THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN MUST BE REPLACED WITH ONE UPDATED FROM ORIGINAL SPECS. THE PART NUMBER IS 32-30-6-766-486. IT IS DANGEROUS, UNSAFE AND A RISK OF LIFE FOR PEOPLE TO BE DRIVING THESE CARS WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL HANDLING HARDENS AND CONTROL OF THE CAR IS PLACED IN JEOPARDY. BMW SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO RECALL ALL OF THESE CARS AND REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE PART WITH THE IMPROVED ONE. *JB

CAR SAT IN HOT SUN ALL DAY. ENTERED CAR TO DRIVE HOME AND NOTICED STEERING WAS HARD AS SPEED INCREASED UPWARDS TO 30 MPH. AS SPEED INCREASED STEERING BECAME VERY HARD, REQUIRING TORQUE ON STEERING WHEEL. AT A STOP THE STEERING WAS NORMAL, WHEEL COULD TURN AS ALWAYS. AT HIGHER SPEEDS UP TO 55 MPH, WHEN CAR WHEELS TURNED, THE ACTION WAS "CHOPPY" OR IN INCREMENTS RATHER THAN SMOOTH AND WITH THE PRECISION CAR NORMALLY HAD. IT ALMOST SEEMED LIKE HEAVY WEIGHT ON FRONT OF CAR. CHECKED RUN FLAT TIRES. NO PROBLEM. PARKED CAR AT HOME. TWO DAYS LATER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER AND STEERING WAS NORMAL. DEALER RECOGNIZED A PROBLEM. HAD SAME YEAR AND MODEL WITH SIMILAR PROBLEM OCCURRING DAILY. COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. TOLD ME FACTORY SERVICE BULLETINS SAID DO NOT REPLACE PARTS UNLESS PROBLEM DUPLICATED! DEALER SUGGESTED I DRIVE CAR UNTIL PROBLEM RETURNED AND THEN BRING IT IN. THEY WOULD DO NOTHING UNTIL THEY COULD DUPLICATE PROBLEM TO PERFORM DIAGNOSTIC. DEALER NOT OPEN 24 HOURS A DAY, OTHER CARS AT SAME DEALERSHIP WITH PROBLEM. CAR WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE WHEN PROBLEM RECURRED. ACCORDING TO DEALER, MANUFACTURER IS AWARE OF PROBLEM, HAS TECHNICAL BULLETIN OUT, BUT NO PARTS REPLACED UNTIL FAILURE OCCURS AT DEALERSHIP. CAR BEING PARKED IN SUN BY DEALER TO SEE IF PROBLEM WILL DUPLICATE. CAR UNSAFE TO DRIVE!!! OTHER CARS THERE, SAME MODEL AND YEAR WITH SAME PROBLEM. *AK

CAR WAS PARKED UNCOVERED FOR ABOUT EIGHT HOURS EACH DAY DURING A ONE WEEK PERIOD AND UPON RETRIEVAL OF THE VEHICLE STEERING WAS NOTICEABLY MALFUNCTIONING. IT WAS STIFF AND REQUIRED EXCESSIVE PRESSURE TO TURN. A COUPLE OF DAYS IT HAD MORE OF A NOTCHY FEEL AND WOULD TURN IN INCREMENTS WITH ADDITIONAL PRESSURE. *JB