2003 BMW Z4 Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW Z4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND REMAINED LIT, WHICH WAS A SAFETY CONCERN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BERGSTROM BMW (3002 N VICTORY LN, APPLETON, WI) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE AIR BAG CONTROL UNIT WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,698.

CAR SUFFERS FROM STICKY STEERING MAKING IS SO YOU FEEL LIKE YOUR INCAPABLE OF DOING SMOOTH LANE CHANGES.

ON AUGUST 1 OF THIS YEAR I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM BMW STATING THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANCY MAT(OC3) FOR THE SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM (SRS/AIR BAG SYSTEM) . I MADE AN APPOINTMENT FOR THE FOLLOWING WEEK AND WHEN I GOT TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY TOLD ME MY EXTENDED WARRANTY HAD RUN OUT IN MARCH OF THIS YEAR. WHEN I CALLED BMW OF NORTH AMERICA I WAS TOLD THE ONLY WAY TO GET IT FIXED IS AT MY EXPENSE. OVER THE NEXT 2 DAYS I SPOKE TO THEM 3 DIFFERENT TIMES AND THEY WOULD NOT PAY TO FIX A SAFETY PROBLEM THAT WAS IN THE VEHICLE WHEN IT CAME OFF THE FACTORY FLOOR.

SINCE PURCHASING THE CAR NEW IN 2003, AND SINCE, THE STEERING GET VERY "TIGHT" OR "STICKY" MAKING THE CAR ALMOST UNDRIVABLE. IN HPOT WEATHER IF IS WORSE. IT BECOMES VERY HARD TO STEER THE CAR AS IT REQUIRES EXTRA EFFORT TO KEEP IT STRAIGHT OR TURN THE WHEEL SLIGHTLY TO STAY IN A LANE OR TURN. THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF COMMENTS ON THE INTERNET AND BMW SITES WITH THIS KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THE BMW Z4S.

FOLLOW UP TO NHTSA COMPLAINT ID 10353056. RECEIVED LETTER FROM BMW THAT THE AIRBAG REPLACEMENT WARRANTY FOR MY VEHICLE SERIAL NUMBER WAS EXTENDED TO 15 YEARS. RECEIVED LETTER ON 7/31/18, WITH 15 YEAR SERVICE DATE EXPIRED ON 7/11/18. LETTER WAS WORTHLESS, AS THEY WAITED UNTIL THE 15 YEAR EXTENSION HAD EXPIRED BY SEVERAL WEEKS BEFORE SENDING THE NOTIFICATION. THE INABILITY OF THE PASSENGER AIRBAG TO INFLATE IN AN ACCIDENT IS A SERIOUS SAFETY DEFECT THAT CONTINUES TO BE IGNORED FOR MY VEHICLE AS WELL AS OTHERS REPORTED TO THE NHTSA. BMW NEEDS TO BE HELD LIABLE FOR ANY INJURIES RESULTING FROM AN AIRBAG FAILING TO DEPLOY IN AN ACCIDENT.

THE STEERING STICKS AT WARM OUTDOOR TEMPERATURES AND CREATES A DANGEROUS DRIVING CONDITION. I HAVE SEEN OTHER COMPLAINTS SAME AS MINE ONLINE. NO ACCIDENT YET.

I HAVE STEERING PROBLEM ON MY 2003 BMW Z4 2.5I. I BOUGHT IT ONLY A YEAR AGO ON MAY 2018 WITH 58,000 MILES ON IT. DROVE ONLY SEVERAL THOUSAND MILES AND STARTED GETTING THE STEERING PROBLEM. IT KEEPS PULLING EITHER TO THE LEFT OR TO THE RIGHT. I CONSTANTLY STRUGGLE TO MAKE STEERING ADJUSTMENTS SO I CAN DRIVE STRAIGHT. SOMETIMES THE STEERING FEELS LIKE IT IS STUCK. I ALREADY SPENT SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS REPLACING THE FRONT END SUSPENSION BUT IT DID NOT FIX THE STEERING PROBLEM. I SEARCHED ONLINE AND FOUND MANY OTHERS HAVING THE SAME ISSUE IN THE FOLLOWING BLOG: - HTTP://WWW.BMWCOOP.COM/2010/07/06/STEERING-PROBLEMS-FOR-BMW-Z4-IN-THE-U-S/ IS THERE A RECALL IN THE WORKS TO FIX THIS PROBLEM? THANK YOU, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

MY 2003 BMW Z4 HAS VERY TIGHT STEERING WHEN DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AT 65 MPH, AND I NOTICE THE PROBLEM IS MORE COMMON ON WARMER DAYS. LAST WEEK AS I WAS DRIVING ON A WARM DAY, I NOTICED I HAD TO REPEATEDLY PUT SIGNIFICANT EFFORT IN ORDER TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL ON A TURN ON THE FREEWAY, AS THE STEERING WHEEL KEPT STICKING. WHENEVER I'VE APPLIED THIS SIGNIFICANT EFFORT TO GET AROUND THIS ISSUE, THE STEERING UNSTICKS AND THEN TURNS TOO MUCH. ON THAT DAY, I WAS VERY CLOSE TO HITTING THE CAR IN THE LANE NEXT TO ME, CAUSING THE CAR NEXT TO ME TO SWERVE A BIT AS WELL TO AVOID ME. IT WASN'T THE FIRST TIME THAT THIS HAPPENED TO ME WITH THIS CAR, AND IT WAS INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS. I TOOK IT TO A REPAIR SHOP AND THEY SAID IT'S A VERY COMMON ISSUE WITH THIS CAR AND THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. I BELIEVE BMW, WHICH PRIDES ITSELF IN THE QUALITY OF IT'S VEHICLES, SHOULD TAKE THE INITIATIVE TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE, AS IT'S A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN FOR DRIVERS OF THIS VEHICLE. JUST BY DOING A SIMPLE GOOGLE SEARCH, IT'S VERY APPARENT THAT THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH EARLY YEAR Z4'S.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW Z4. WHEN THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE WAS ABOVE 80 DEGREES, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO BE DIAGNOSED; HOWEVER, THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO RETRIEVE A FAULT CODE. THE DEALER (THE BMW STORE, 6131 STEWART RD, CINCINNATI, OH 45227, (513) 271-8700) WAS CONTACTED AND AN APPOINTMENT WAS SCHEDULED FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 42,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW Z4. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED IN HOT WEATHER, APPROXIMATELY 85 DEGREES AND OVER, THE STEERING WHEEL FAILED TO TURN. WHEN IT FINALLY TURNED, IT JERKED WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO LUXURY IMPORTS OF BOWLING GREEN (325 THREE SPRINGS RD, BOWLING GREEN, KY 42104, 270-745-0001) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT A NEW BATTERY WAS NEEDED FOR THE ELECTRIC STEERING. THE TECHNICIAN REPLACED THE BATTERY, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL. THE FAILURE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 21,000.