Problems with 2004 BMW Z4 STEERING

When driving at highway speeds and more so when the temp is warm or steering column has warmed up the steering becomes "sticky", in that it takes an effort to overcome the spot it is in as opposed to smoothly moving/steering left or right. it is uncomfortable to steer with one hand (6 spd manual transmission) as it feels like you are going to over correct the steering when trying to make minor adjustments to maintain driving down the center of your lane. especially when driving in heavy freeway traffic! i35w minneapolis, mn

1)it keeps pulling to the left, or to the right. it requires constant adjustments so that i could keep the car aligned, or centered. 2)i experience sudden jerks to the left, or to the right when the road surface is slightingly uneven. i can never predict which way the car pulls me. i struggle a lot to keep the steering centered when stopping at any red lights. 3) sometimes, the steering feels like it is stuck. after review online, this seems to be a very common problem.

Sticking steering when warm while driving

When going straight particularly at highway speeds, but other times as well, the steering is "sticky". the wheel wants to remain in the same position and it requires some extra effort to move left or right.

The vehicle has intermittent loss of power steering which makes it very difficult to drive, steer and control when in motion. i was able to avoid serious accidents by literally crawling along the side of the road with flashers on so other drivers would stay clear. this has happened on more than one occasion.

I have 2004 bmw z4 and have been experiencing "sticky" steering. it is especially unnerving when driving on highways. it appears to be a very common problem with this model. it is difficult to drive. i am deathly afraid the stickiness of the steering will cause to to over correct and cause an accident.

I have a bmw 2004 z4 with only 21000 miles. i started to developer a steering problem,. while driving the steering becomes difficult and choppy.hard to remain centered on the road and the wheel is unresponsive. i looked online and found many other owners with the same problem. i called corporate bmw . they do not acknowledge a problem exists. on line and on your site it shows hundreds with the same problem. someone is going to get hurt or die. bmw should own up to the problem and fix it.

Steering sticks while driving. happens at different speeds. takes effort to "free up the steering wheel" very annoying and dangerous.

Bought this car in may 2016 with 58000 miles. almost 2 yrs later and less then 5000 more miles, steering is sticky! we bought an extra warranty, so we took it to an authorized bmw mechanic. he told us that the steering column is bad. and since it seems to be a common problem the warranty won't cover it. they want $4000.00 to repair it. hundreds of complaints on this problem and bmw won't issue a recall!

My 2004 bmw z4 with fewer than 50,000 accummulated miles has been experiencing significant "sticking/dedent" steering problems under highway driving conditions that result in unsafe steering responsiveness. this problem appears to be common to us and european bmw z4 model years 2003 through 2005 and has been extensively reported on the internet and to bmw itself. bmw technicians have indicated that the problem can render a vehicle "unsafe to drive" and have further indicated that the problem can only be corrected by replacing the electric power steering unit at a cost of several thousand dollars. the prevalence of this identical problem in hundreds, if not thousands of bmw z4s clearly points to an engineering design flaw. even so, bmw refuses to take resposibility for this problem and have rejected any assistance to bmw z4 owners who have sought such assistance. considering the significant negative impact that this steering control problem may have on safe vehicle operation, the manufacturer should be forced to undertake a recall of all the vehicles affected by this manufacturing defect.

Takata recall.....steering notches and locks....unsafe to drive....when car is is in warm weather the steering is very sticky

The steering sticks at all speeds and turning radius to the point you can barely control the steering with both hands. the only repair solution is the replacement of the entire steering column at parts $3-4,000 & labor $1-2,000 it's a life threatening hazard and should be recalled vs bmw waiting for a huge class action law suit! the vehicle has only approximately 65k miles way too soon for catastrophic failure of a major mechanical system widely known and suffered by bmw enthusiasts ' not "the ultimate driving machine!"

The electric steering is notchy- it seems to fixate in the center and gets hard to steer from the center position. it happens mostly when we are on the open road going over 35 miles per hour. it seems to get stuck in the middle- and you get the feeling that it is stuck there. it is hard to move the steering wheel away from the center which results in over steer and over correction. i have taken it to the sewickley pa bmw dealer and they said there is nothing wrong but it seems to be getting worse. the car only has 60,000 miles on it. it is hard to keep the wheel straight when this happens and i have read online that others have also had this problem.

When temperatures are about 75-80 degrees, the steering will "stick" when making minor corrections while driving. apparently this is a common issue with this bmw make and model. there are 57000 miles on vehicle. it is not noticeable in cooler ambient temperatures.

Sticking manly when hot out side but also with the heater on, at hi way speeds it takes more effort to make small corrections needed to keep the car in the lane.

While driving, the steering wheel sticks in position. it will break loose with very little force. but very irritating. i feel it is a safety concern.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 bmw z4. while driving approximately 45 mph, the steering wheel seized. the steering unlocked on its own after fifteen minutes of driving. the contact also stated that the vehicle was purchased from an individual back in april of 2018 and the failure occurred ever since. the vehicle was taken to bmw of chattanooga (6806 e brainerd road, chattanooga, tn 37421) where it was diagnosed that the steering column needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 60,000.

Steering jerky just purchased a used bmw 2004 z4 only 50,000 miles and drove fine for a few days then it got real hot outside and now the steering is jerking me around. feels like when i try to keep the car in the lines i am having to fight the steering wheel. upon researching the problem seems this is a very common dangerous problem and this needs to be recalled. this is going to cause an accident. very dangerous to have to fight to keep the car in the lines of the road. bmw wants to charge to replace the whole column at 3800.00 . appears they recalled 2006-2007 bmw other models for this same thing. the 2003-2004 z4 should also be recalled.

Driving on interstate 70 in md went to go around a bend in road steering wheel didn't want to turn. i had to jerk the wheel to make the bend thus making me almost hit car beside me. from what i have read this is a known problem by bmw but in 14 years no recall is insane. i am now scared to drive this thing out on a highway again.how many people have to die for this to get fixed

While driving the steering 'sticks' and requires considerable force to overcome to stay on the road. several near incidents when it finally un sticks and goes to far in the other direction.. accident waiting to happen. this problem has been going on for quite some time and just keep getting worse.

In the spring of 2018 the power steering started to fail becoming stuck, notchy and quickly terrifying to drive. the lack of response, over correction once engaged, overall jumpiness and unpredictability caused me to stop highway driving immediately. non highway driving ceased within days for the same reasons and it has been in the shop since waiting for a used steering column to become available for $800 instead of $3500 plus install. i bought the car in 2011 with 110,000 miles and it failed at 130,000. my understanding is the engine should be good for another 100,000 easily. this steering failure appears to be common in this car with many garage kept low mileage cars yet to be impacted.

Steering feels detented, won't return to center and is difficult to manage on a curving road. very "sticky". many testimonials on the internet relating to this issue. must be a known problem.

Steering vehicle is not easy to stay straight and in lane. does not feel like in control of car. tires are ok and had alignment. very noticeable on highway.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 bmw z4. while driving 70 mph, the steering wheel failed and became stuck. the vehicle was taken to a local dealer (bmw of san diego, ar 5090 kearny mesa rd, san diego, ca 92111) where it was diagnosed that the steering column needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified and did not assist. the failure mileage was 92,000.

Sticky steering at higher straight-line speeds unsafe to drive!

The vehicle has 62,000 miles. the steering is very sticky. it seems to "notch" making it harder to move the wheel. this problem is worse in warmer temperatures.

Anytime ambient temperature is over 80 degrees. excessive force is required to maintain steering control of vehicle. vehicle is unsafe to drive.

Steering is "sticky" and can cause me to swerve out of my lane while driving.

Steering is unstable. car keeps pulling to the left or to the right. it requires constant adjustments so that i could keep the car aligned, or centered on the road, especially on the highway.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 bmw z4. while driving approximately 70 mph, the steering wheel became stuck in the middle. the contact overpowered the steering wheel to the right lane. the contact stated that the failure only occurred when the weather was really hot in the summer months. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the steering column failed and needed replacement. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 104,000.

The steering sticks left then to the right. car is very hard to drive safely. the car sits in the garage most of time because of this. help!!

While driving at highway speeds the steering becomes stiff and sticky causing decreased responsiveness on control of the vehicle. as a result it takes extra effort on traveling in a straight line. once the sticking is released could cause the driver to overcompensate the steering in one direction or another. i feel this is a major safety concern that needs immediate attention.

The steering wheel sticks while driving. takes a lot of force to align the car with the road. this is very dangerous. the dealer quoted 4000 to fix

In hot temperatures or after driving continuous for awhile, the steering becomes hard to steer like their is a hitch when turning the wheel or a force working against you. car only has 40000 miles and was serviced every 5000 miles. took to local bmw dealer and was told it was the rack with repair being $1500. was not told this was under investigation for a recall. in motion when happens and appears to be dangerous. has happened numerous times

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 bmw z4. while driving 25 mph, the steering wheel seized. the failure recurred numerous times. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed, but not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 111,000.

The steering gets jerky in warmer weather making the car extremely difficult to handle. the steering almost appears to have gotten stuck in a notch on the column and forces the driver to put extra force into turning the wheel to correct it. the problem seems to occur when driving at highway speeds and when the temps are above 80. when driving at slower speeds this doesn't appear to happen. in doing some research online this issue appears to happen with most 2003-2005 z4s without any resolution. the cars should be recalled and fixed.

Steering sticks and requires force to alter steering path. this problem is most noticeable in warmer conditions. i purchased my z4 with only 64,000 miles from a private seller. issue with steering was not disclosed and was not noticed during test drive. however, i have since researched this problem on line and have learned that this problem is well known and an issued for many bmw z4 owners prior to 2006. this a huge safety concern for me, and should be for bmw as well. i am fairly certain that i am not the first person to report this issue but to my knowledge, not much has been done to address the issue. please advise as to what has been done to date to correct this issue, and what are my options to get this resolved for me personally. sincerely, [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

The steering wheel seems to have a catch in it when driving and you turn the steering wheel either right or left. when you driving and are going from lane to lane or around a curve it will stick. this could cause the driver to jerk the steering wheel and cause the car to go off the road or into the path of another vehicle .looked the problem up on the bmw form and there were over 120 other steering complaints on this same year and model of car. there should be a recall to repair this problem before there is a bad accident.

In hot weather, the car steering gets "sticky" or hard to make smooth little adjustments when travelling on highways going straight. it's mostly noticeable when travelling on 55mph or higher roads, but somewhat in town too. it makes travelling in the middle of your own lane harder, more likely to wander before you increase your effort on the steering wheel. when in cold weather, the electric power steering is excellent and very easy to keep the car exactly on track with ease. when i read the reports on the bmw club sites and forums, i find that this a very common problem with bmw z4's of the 2003 to later versions. please institute a recall before people get hurt of killed, thanks.

The steering is very sticky and binds up frequently, especially in warm weather. it can be difficult to control in low and high speeds and could put you in another lane and could cause an accident. this is a known manufacturing defect and the only resolution is to change the whole steering column in which bmw does not want to pay for. this is a highway safely issue and should be fixed by doing a recall. most z4s have this problem. i have contacted bmw about this issue. they want me to pay for the replacement when this should have been recalled.

Sticky steering during warm weather. can either stick where you have to force it to turn and follow highway road or becomes sloppy and weaves from side to side within lane. neither should be happening with this expensive car. this is a known problem with many complaints, bmw needs to step up and take responsibility before deaths and damage occur. this problem started in 2011,intermittent problem, granted there are more miles on this car and five years, the problem has not gone anywhere, it's still here.recall these cars

In warmer weather, the steering becomes "sticky". it seems to be more prevalent while driving on the highway. very difficult to correct the steering while driving. it's not smooth as it should be. very dangerous and not fun to drive! i've read a lot of complaints regarding this same issue. just google it! sounds like a very common problem. *tr

When driving in warm weather, the steering becomes stiff. when driving down the highway the wheel sticks in the center. you have to force the wheel to turn. then after you turn the wheel you have to force the wheel back to center, having to be careful not to over correct and entering the lane next you. i am understanding that many other bmw consumers are having the same issue. it is very dangerous.

Steering wheel binds and is difficult to turn while driving at any speed. it happens mostly when the car is warm from the sun or after it warms up from driving. the steering wheel has to be forced to turn to overcome the notchy lockup condition. the car then veers off track. the steering never returns to center so the car continuously wanders back and forth. internet searches produce many vehicles with this issue, but no recall has been performed. this is a gross safety issue and should be corrected by the manufacturer prior to deaths caused by this safety issue.

Steering is sticky and notchy at hidhway speeds. unnoticeable at low speeds, but at highway speeds, it hard to keep the car in your lane. sticks,then over turns bait , causing an over correction to return. turning feel no hay as if it was clicking from one notch to another. i don't feel safe driving this car on the highway. the dealer has diagnosed this to be the steering column, which needs to be replace at the cost of $4600.00. i feel this is a very dangerous situation which needs to be addressed.

I have a 2004 bmw z4 2.51 vin number [xxx] - the electronic steering eps has completely failed, and is inoperable. this is a known issue, on many many cars, and after contacting bmw north america, they said the only solution is to have a bmw dealer replace the entire steering column (their engineering problem) at a cost of $4000. i told them this was unacceptable. i have been to many mechanics and they have no answers for this problem other then going to bmw it is failed 90% of the time, and impossible to steer at times my odb2 reader reads the system information as sw-v5.2 ss200381 part number 6763764 coding index 03 diagnosis index 04e1 variant index 474a hardware number 01 date dd.mm.yyyy 10.12.2003 error 610feeprom, no risk information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Steering wheel binds and is difficult to turn while driving at any speed. it happens mostly when the car is warm from the sun or after it warms up from driving. the steering wheel has to be forced to turn to overcome the notchy lockup condition. the car then veers off track. the steering never returns to center so the car continuously wanders back and forth. internet searches produce many vehicles with this issue, but no recall has been performed. this is a gross safety issue and should be corrected by the manufacturer prior to deaths caused by this safety issue.

My car has the commonly reported problem with the electronic power steering unit. i bought the car used in april 2015 from stevens creek bmw. the power steering worked fine. i began to encounter problems in early 2016. the steering began to tighten up and would not allow the wheels to self straighten upon acceleration. i first learned of the problem when entering a freeway from an on ramp. the steering, instead of allowing me to ease gently into a traffic lane, wanted to continue to pull me left into the center divider. i was able to yank the wheel and avoid an accident. i then researched and learned about the common power steering issue and learned that a grease fitting into the steering column could help. i then learned that my vehicle had already been fitted with such a grease fitting. additional grease then alleviated the problem temporarily. eventually additional grease became less effective and i learned to drive with steering that was stiff and prone to stickiness. recently (december 2017), the power steering began to entirely shut off intermittently. it shuts off and then turns on again after restarting the car. the car is therefore no longer drivable for safety reasons. i've learned that the power steering unit needs to be replaced entirely with a part cost of $3,400. given the broad based occurrence of this issue on 2003-2005 (and even some 2006) cars, this must be seen as a serious product safety defect worthy of a recall by bmw.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 bmw z4. while driving 10 mph, the eps light illuminated and the steering wheel became difficult to turn. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer or repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 88,000. updated 02/26/16*lj updated 02/29/16.*jb

Reported this problem to you in 2006--odi 10496814- sticky steering-which can cause the driver to jerk the wheel hard and lose control of the vehicle- i have read there are well over 100 complaints on this problem- bmw has, some at my cost, replaced the steering column twice and now what to do the 3rd time, at my cost. this would make four columns, counting the original one, and this car only has 14,000 miles. there a big problem with there engineering on this problem. my understanding, there is a unsealed bearing inside the column that fails. you cannot replace the bearing-bmw does not list this as a part. it is about time that nhtsa find a fix for this problem before somebody is hurt or killed. in 2010 the usa reported over 107 complaints and one crash.