2004 BMW Z4 Complaints

I HAVE A HEAT-RELATED STEERING PROBLEM WITH MY CAR THAT HAS BEEN NOTED ON OTHER BMW Z4S. NORMALLY THE CAR HANDLES QUITE NICELY AND IS VERY RESPONSIVE. HOWEVER, WHENEVER THE CAR HAS BEEN SITTING AT A HIGH AMBIENT TEMPERATURE (HIGH 80S OR ABOVE), WHEN DRIVEN, THE STEERING WHEEL IS VERY NON-RESPONSIVE-STICKY AND DOESN'T TRACK BACK TO CENTER. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN SINCE SO MUCH FORCE IS REQUIRED ON SUCH A SMALL CAR TO MAKE WHAT SHOULD BE MINOR CORRECTIONS WHILE DRIVING THAT SEVERAL TIMES I'VE ALMOST ENDED TURNING INTO AN ADJACENT LANE ON THE FREEWAY WHILE TRYING TO DRIVE A STRAIGHT LINE. I AM VERY HESITANT TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE ON WARM DAYS (WHICH MEANS MOST DAYS HERE IN THE SOUTH) DUE TO MY CONCERNS ABOUT A POSSIBLE ACCIDENT DUE TO THE DEFECT. UNFORTUNATELY I DO NEED TO USE MY CAR. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN KNOWN FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND HAS BEEN REPORTED TO BMW ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. DESPITE THIS, MY DEALER PROFESSES CONFUSION ABOUT WHAT COULD BE HAPPENING AND HAS TOLD ME THAT WHEN THE CAR HAS BEEN TAKEN FOR A TEST RUN (NOT ON THE FREEWAY AND NOT DURING A WARM DAY), IT'S HANDLED FINE. MEANWHILE, I'M LEFT DRIVING WHAT CAN ONLY BE CONSIDERED A DANGEROUSLY DEFECTIVE CAR THAT COULD QUITE EASILY CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT WHEN DRIVEN UNDER NORMAL, EVEN CAREFUL, CONDITIONS. *TR

WHEN AMBIENT TEMPERATURES ARE HIGH (E.G. >85-90F) (COMPOUNDED BY CAR BEING IN DIRECT SUNLIGHT), THE STEERING BECOMES DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. SPECIFICALLY, NORMAL STEERING WHEEL INPUT TRANSLATES INTO ERRATIC, JERKY MOVEMENTS ON THE ROAD. THE STEERING WHEEL WILL NOT RETURN TO CENTER AND THE CAR GENERALLY IS DIFFICULT TO CONTROL (I.E. MAINTAIN A STRAIGHT COURSE, REQUIRING CONSTANT AND EXAGGERATED STEERING WHEEL INPUT). THIS CONDITION IS TRANSIENT (I.E. STEERING RETURNS TO NORMAL WHEN THE AMBIENT TEMPERATURE DROPS); HOWEVER, DRIVING WHEN THE STEERING IS COMPROMISED AS DESCRIBED ABOVE IS UNNERVING AND WITHOUT A DOUBT INCREASES THE RISK OF AN ACCIDENT OCCURRING DUE TO A POTENTIAL LOSS OF DRIVER CONTROL (E.G. ON WET ROADS, MULTI-LANE HIGHWAY TRAFFIC). WHEN THIS OCCURRED A SECOND TIME, I IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE CAR TO THE BMW DEALERSHIP TO REPORT IT. THE BMW DEALERSHIP SUBSEQUENTLY CONFIRMED THE PROBLEM AS DESCRIBED ABOVE AND DIAGNOSED A FAILED STEERING COLUMN UNIT. BMW NA HAS OFFERED TO PAY FOR 50% OF THE REPAIR WITH THE OTHER 50% BEING OWNER'S RESPONSIBILITY (CAR WAS APPROX. 2.5 MONTHS OUT OF WARRANTY). JUDGING FROM THE PROPORTION OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS FILED WITH NHTSA ON THE Z4, THIS ISSUE DOESN'T APPEAR TO BE ISOLATED AND WARRANTS FURTHER INVESTIGATION. *TR

IN WARM WEATHER ABOUT 75 AND UP STEERING GETS STICKY AND CANNOT CORRECT SMOOTHLY.*TR

I BOUGHT A BMW Z4 USED IN AUGUST 2007 WITH NO NOTICEABLE PROBLEMS. THIS YEAR (2008), THERE HAVE BEEN A FEW HEAT WAVES IN JUNE AND JULY IN NY AND I NOTICED THAT IF THE CAR SITS OUT IN THE SUN FOR A FEW HOURS, THE STEERING BECOMES STICKY, JERKY AND HARD TO CONTROL. AFTER BEING IN THE SHADE TO COOL DOWN THE STEER BECOMES SMOOTH, CONTROLLED AND NORMAL. I'VE STARTED RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE AND HAVE FOUND MANY ONLINE FORUMS WITH OWNER COMMENTS COMPLAINING ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM. THERE APPEARS TO BE A FIX FROM BMW BUT MY CAR IS NOW OFF WARRANTY AND WILL ENTAIL ME PAYING FOR THESE REPAIRS OUT OF POCKET. THIS APPEARS TO ME TO BE A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AND MANUFACTURERS DEFECT WHICH SHOULD HAVE BEEN FIXED UNDER A RECALL (EITHER MANDATORY OR VOLUNTARY) LONG BEFORE I PURCHASED THE CAR IN '07. I HOPE THE NHTSA IS AWARE OF THIS SERIOUS PROBLEM AND CAN TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION TO HAVE IT CORRECTED BY BMW. THANK YOU. *TR

I OWN A BMW Z4, AND IT IS MY SECOND ONE I OWN, AND IT HAS A STICKY STEERING COLUMN THAT ACTS UP IN HOT WEATHER, AND IT CREATES FOR VERY UNSAFE STEERING. I HAVE HAD MY ENTIRE STEERING RACK REPLACED IN MY LAST Z4, AND NOW MY SECOND CAR IS DOING THE SAME THING, BUT BMW OF FREMONT CANT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *TR

MY BMW Z4 WHICH IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY HAS DEFECTIVE HEADLIGHTS AND THE DEALER REFUSES TO REPAIR THEM. BMW USED AN INFERIOR TYPE OF PLASTIC WHICH IS CLOUDING OVER AND PREVENTING THE HEADLIGHTS FROM WORKING CORRECTLY. PLEASE RECALL THESE VEHICLES SO THAT BMW WILL REPAIR THE LIGHTS AND MAKE IT SAFE TO DRIVE AT NIGHT AGAIN. *TR

UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS AT MODERATE SPEEDS, THE STEERING HAS A TENDENCY TO LOCK UP EITHER TOWARDS THE RIGHT AND LEFT CAUSING THE CAR TO VEER OUT OF THE LANE SPONTANEOUSLY. THERE IS NO RETURN OF THE STEERING WHEEL TO CENTER AND CONSTANT PRESSURE IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION IS REQUIRED TO AVOID COLLISION WITH ADJACENT VEHICLES. THIS OCCURS ON SLIGHT CURVES ON THE ROAD AND OCCASIONALLY ON STRAIGHT ROADS UNDER ALL WEATHER CONDITIONS.

STEERING PROBLEM AT 45+MPH WITH VEHICLE, STEERING IS VERY STICKY GOING STRAIGHT, CONSTANT CORRECTIONS CAUSE OVER STEERING, STEERING WHEEL DOES NOT RETURN TO NEUTRAL POSITION ON CURVES LEADING TO DANGEROUS CONDITIONS, TESTED TO 75 + MPH, GETS WORSE AT HIGHER SPEEDS OF FREEWAY DRIVING. JUST TOOK POSSESSION OF USED VEHICLE UNDER WARRANTY. *TR

THE STEERING LOCKS UP IN HOT WEATHER FORCING ME TO OVER COMPENSATE WHEN DRIVING. ONCE THE CAR COOLS DOWN STEERING FEEDBACK RETURNS TO NORMAL. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW Z4. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED WITHOUT WARNING. THE STEERING BECAME UNLOCKED AFTER THE STEERING WHEEL WAS PULLED, HOWEVER, IT CAUSED THE CONTACT TO OVER STEER. THE WEATHER WAS 90 DEGREES AT THE TIME OF FAILURE. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE OR REPAIR THE FAILURE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 17,400.