2003 BMW Z4 Complaints

I PURCHASED THE CAR USED ON APRIL 2, 2016 AND NOTICED THE CONDITION ON THE FIRST WARM DAY (75F OR HIGHER) ON OR AROUND MAY2, 2016. THE CAR EXHIBITS STICKY STEERING DURING WARM WEATHER. THIS CONDITION MAKES THE STEERING FEEL AS THOUGH SOMETHING IS STICKING WHILE DRIVING AT ALL SPEEDS BUT IS MORE NOTICEABLE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. IT MAKES IT HARD TO GO STRAIGHT DOWN THE ROAD BECAUSE THE STEERING FEELS "NOTCHY".

STEERING STICKS AFTER TEMPERATURE GETS WARMER. WILL ALMOST OVER STEER ON CURVES OR NARROW ROADS. HARDER TO STEER AT HIGHER SPEEDS. WHEN FIRST STARTED STEERING FEELS PRETTY NORMAL, BUT GETS HARDER TO STEER THE FURTHER YOU GO. WILL NOT MY FAMILY MEMBERS DRIVE, COULD BE VERY DANGEROUS. HAPPENS IN ALL WEATHER CONDITIONS WET OR DRY.

THIS CAR HAS BEEN EXHIBITING STICKY STEERING WHEN TEMPERATURES ARE ABOVE 70-75 DEGREES. IT HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR A WHILE, AND I ATTRIBUTED IT TO TIRE PRESSURES ETC. HAVING NOW EXPERIENCED IT MORE SEVERLY I DID SOME RESEARCH AND HAVE DISCOVERED THAT THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THIS TYPE OF CAR. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD SINCE THE ABILITY TO SAFELY ADJUST THE STEERING WHEN THIS HAPPENS IS LIMITED, AND THE CAR CAN EASILY OVERSTEER AND CAUSE UNEXPECTED LANE CHANGES. IT IS SURPRISING THAT THERE IS NO RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF REFERENCES TO THIS ISSUE IN ONLINE FORUMS SUCH AS THESE: HTTPS://WWW.BMWCCA.ORG/FORUM/INDEX.PHP?THREADS/STICKING-STEERING-UNSOLVED-MYSTERY.5921/ HTTP://WWW.BIMMERFORUMS.COM/FORUM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?1055032-STICKY-STEERING

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW Z4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 20 MPH, VARIOUS WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO ACCELERATE INDEPENDENTLY WITHOUT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BEING DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO VEER SIDE TO SIDE AND AS A RESULT, AN ONCOMING VEHICLE ON THE LEFT LANE CRASHED INTO THE CONTACT'S REAR DRIVER SIDE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT DID NOT SUSTAIN ANY INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A JUNKYARD. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 143,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

POWER STEERING COMPLETELY FAILED. CAR IS VERY DIFFICULT TO DRIVE CREATING AN UNSAFE CONDITION. CAR HAS 23,256 MILES. I STORED THE CAR FROM OCTOBER 10, 2015 UNTIL MARCH 27, 2016. TOOK THE CAR OUT ON EASTER SUNDAY FOR ABOUT 10 MILES, CAR RAN FINE. PULLED IT OUT OF THE GARAGE ON MARCH 29, 2016 AND STEERING ASSIST FAILED COMPLETELY. DID NOT DRIVE THE CAR ON THE ROAD. CALLED MY LOCAL BMW DEALER AND SCHEDULED A SERVICE APPOINTMENT FOR APRIL 14, 2016.

NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION FINES BMW $40 MILLION FOR FAILING TO MEET SAFETY REQUIREMENTS NHTSA 53-15 MONDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2015 CONTACT: [XXX] , [email protected] FINE IS AUTO COMPANY'S SECOND SINCE 2012 WASHINGTON ' THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION'S NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION HAS IMPOSED A $40 MILLION CIVIL PENALTY AND A SERIES OF PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS TO AUTOMAKER BMW NORTH AMERICA FOR A SERIES OF VIOLATIONS OF THE MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY ACT AND NHTSA REGULATIONS. ******************************************************************************************************************************** NHTSA NEEDS TO DO A RECALL ON THE ISSUE OF STICKY STEERING. FOR BMW TO SAY IT IS JUST A NUISANCE STEERING IS TOTALLY NOT TRUE. WITH YOUR LATEST FINE FOR BMW YOU KNOW BMW RESPONSE TO THIS ISSUE IS JUST ANOTHER SMOKE SCREEN OF THE ISSUE. IF STEERING OF A VEHICLE IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE THEN THE NHTSA NEEDS TO ELEVATED WHAT IS SAFETY. THEIR WILL BE SERIOUS ACCIDENTS AND DEATHS THEN LAW SUITS THAT SHOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN AND ONLY A RECALL CAN SOLVE THIS ISSUE WITH THE STEERING. THANK YOU. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).' *TR

STEERING BECOMES VERY STICKY WHEN OUTSIDE TEMPERATURES BECOME HOT. VEHICLE SEEMS UNSAFE WHEN ON HIGHWAY AND LANE CHANGES ARE DIFFICULT TO MAKE AS STEERING DOES NOT RETURN TO CENTER POSITION !

MY Z4 HAS ABOUT 70,000 MILES ON IT AND I JUST GOT IT BACK IN 6/20015 AND I NOTICED WHEN STEERING THERE IS A SORTA STICKING PROBLEM WITH IT AND IT KIND A WANT TO DRIFT SIDE TO SIDE ? NOW THE STEERING INDICATOR LIGHT COMES ON AND ITS LIKE A OLD TYPE STANDARD STEERING CAR. AND WHEN RESTARTED IT WORKS FOR A LITTLE WHILE AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN IT DOES IT ALL OVER AGAIN. THIS WOULD BE A REAL PROBLEM FOR A OLDER PERSON IF THIS WOULD HAPPEN , MAY CAUSE A SEVER ACCIDENT . I DID SOME INTERNET RESEARCH AND I DON'T THINK THIS IS A SOLO EVENT FOR ME. I DID ASK MY LOCAL DEALER AND THEY SAID THERE WAS NO RECALL ON THIS CAR. AS FAR AS I CAN TELL I AM THE 2ND OWNER ?

WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AND IN THE CITY, MY BMW Z4'S STEERING WHEEL GETS STUCK, PULLS TO THE LEFT & RIGHT AND NEEDS HARD FORCE TO RELEASE IT. I'VE ALMOST WRECKED SEVERAL TIMES BECAUSE OF THIS! I'M AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR BECAUSE IT'S TOO DANGEROUS. AFTER MUCH RESEARCH ON THIS ISSUE, I'VE FOUND OUT THAT THOUSANDS OF BMW Z4 OWNERS HAVE THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM.

PASSENGER DOOR LOCK WILL NOT UNLOCK WITH THE KEY FOB OR THE INTERIOR SWITCH. ALL OTHER LOCKS RESPOND APPROPRIATELY. THE DOOR WILL OPEN MANUALLY WITH THE INTERIOR HANDLE. I REPLACED THE LOCK ACTUATOR WITH NO IMPROVEMENT. I AM NOW TRYING TO REPLACE THE ELECTRICAL RELAY. THE DATE BELOW IS APPROXIMATE. I AM THE ORIGINAL PURCHASER. I HAVE NOT BEEN HAPPY WITH BMW SERVICE DEPARTMENT.