2003 BMW Z4 Complaints

TAKATA RECALL. I'M HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY BMW Z4 2003 THE STEERING WHEEL IS GETTING NOTCHY AND SOMETIMES IT GETS STUCK IN THE LEFT OR RIGHT POSITION. I REPLACED THE STEERING COLUMN AND IT STILL DOING THE SAME THING. NEED HELP.

STEERING WHEEL STICKS WHEN THE AMBIENT TEMPERATURE GETS ABOVE 80 DEGREES. THE STEERING WHEEL GETS HARD TO TURN AND TURN BACK STRAIGHT. THIS HAPPENS WHEN THE VEHICLE IS MOVING AT SPEEDS HIGHER THEM 10 MPH. THE VEHICLE BECOME UNSAFE TO DRIVE. *TR

WHEN DRIVING THE STEERING IS STICKY ESPECIALLY WHEN IT IS HOT OUT. IT IS HARD TO KEEP THE CAR STRAIGHT WITHOUT CONSTANTLY MOVING THE WHEEL RIGHT AND LEFT AND YOU CAN FEEL THE GAP IN THE MOVE. YOU FEEL A SKIP IN THE MOVE. IT MAKES IT FEEL LIKE THE CAR IS GOING TO JUMP TO FAR RIGHT OR LEFT. IT HAS BEEN DOING THIS THE LAST 3 YEARS I HAVE OWNED THE CAR. MY TIRES ARE NEW AND WELL BALANCED SO IT IS NOT THE TIRES. IT DID THIS WITH THE OLD TIRES AND NOW CONTINUES TO DO IT. YOU ARE WELCOME TO COME AND DRIVE IT. THIS HAPPENS WHEN IN MOTION AND TRYING TO DRIVE STRAIGHT AHEAD. WHEN MAKING A REASONABLE TURN IT IS FINE.

WHEN OPERATING VEHICLE AFTER ABOUT 2 HOURS, NORMALLY IN HOT WEATHER, THE STEERING GETS STICKY AND FEELS CATCHY. THE VEHICLE IS MOVING, AT ANY SPEED WHEN THIS HAPPENS. AFTER LETTING SIT FOR A COUPLE HOURS IT IS FINE. DRIVE FOR ANOTHER FEW HOURS AND IT HAPPENS AGAIN, REPEATABLE. HAPPENS GOING STRAIGHT, TURNING IS FINE.

MY CAR IS EVERY LOW MILLAGE (13,000) AND HAS ALWAYS BEEN STORED IN A GARAGE AND WELL CARED FOR. WHEN I TURNED THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG OFF THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. IT WOULD NOT GO OFF WHEN I TURN THE AIRBAG BACK ON. THE BMW DEALERSHIP SAID THERE IS A PROCESSOR IN THAT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND IT IS A $1400 REPAIR. I FOUND A NHTSA RECALL # 04V247000 FOR THE 2003 Z4 THAT SEEMS TO BE THE SAME ISSUE. BMW DOES NOT SHOW MY VIN NUMBER UNDER THAT RECALL. WHAT SHOULD I DO?

MY NAME IS [XXX] , I JUST RECENTLY OWN A 2003 BMW Z4. IT IS ABOUT 65K CLEAN TITLE. I HAVE JUST NOTICE SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THE STEERING. I RESEARCHED THIS ON MULTIPLE FORUMS AND IT APPEARS THAT THERE ARE NUMEROUS EXAMPLES OF SIMILAR PROBLEMS. MOST RELATE TO ISSUES IN HOT TEMPERATURES AND TO SPEED. PROBLEM WAS VERY NOTICEABLE LAST EVENING AT 70 DEGREES. HERE ARE THE SYMPTOMS... AT LOW SPEEDS (UNDER 20MPH) STEERING IS VERY LIGHT AND SMOOTH, NO ISSUES AT ALL. AS SPEED INCREASES, THE STEERING GETS HEAVIER (AS IT SHOULD) BUT DEVELOPS A "DETENT" AT STRAIGHT CENTER. THE FASTER THE SPEED, THE MORE EFFORT NEEDED TO OVERCOME THE DETENT RESISTANCE, TO THE POINT THAT IT BECOMES EASY TO OVERSTEER THE CAR. THIS CAN BE REAL SCARY DURING AVOIDANCE MANEUVERS AND QUICK LANE CHANGES. THE HOT WEATHER JUST MAKES IT WORSE. FROM WHAT I KNOW FROM RESEARCH, THE WAY TO FIX THIS IS DO REPLACE THE WHOLE STEERING COLUMN. I M SINCERE ASKING FOR HELP. I CAN'T AFFORD TO HAVE IT CHANGE ON MY OWN WHEN IS IT MORE LIKE BMW' ENGINEER PROBLEMS. I HOPE YOU GUYS CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT BEFORE IT GET TOO SERIOUS. THANKS IN ADVANCE. PLEASE CALL OR CONTACT ME THROUGH MY EMAIL AT [XXX] OR MY NUMBERS AT [XXX]. (BEST TO CALL ME) INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

THE STEERING STICKS OFTEN ON THE OPEN HIGHWAY FORCING ME TO OVERCOMPENSATE TO STEER THE CAR. CONSTANTLY FIGHTING THE STEERING WHEEL TO ADJUST THE DIRECTION THE CAR IF GOING. NOTICED THE PROBLEM DURING WARM/HOT TEMPERATURES OUTSIDE. UNSAFE CONDITION AND VERY UNCOMFORTABLE DRIVING THE CAR. CONDITION CAUSING THE PROBLEM IS UNKNOWN.

SINCE PURCHASING THIS CAR 2 YRS AGO. THE STEERING GETS "STICKY". IT IS HARD TO CENTER AND HARD TO MOVE THE STEERING WHEEL THEN IT OVER ADJUSTS. MANY PEOPLE HAVE THIS ISSUE AND I CAN'T EVEN DRIVE IT WHEN IT IS ABOVE 80, IT IS VERY DANGEROUS AND ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTROL. HUGE SAFETY ISSUE

STEERING IS SHIFTY AT ALL SPEEDS AND STICKS REQUIRING EXTRA FORCE TO REDIRECT IT MAKING THE POSSIBILITY OF CROSSING INTO OTHER LANES OR ONCOMING TRAFFIC A RISK. MAKES GROANING NOISE IN SLOW SPEED TURNS.

STEERING WHEEL STICKS AND RESULTS IN ERRATIC DRIVING TO MOVE IT FROM THE STUCK POSITION. HAPPENS IN CITY AND THE HIGHWAY.