Problems with 2003 BMW Z4 STEERING

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

Suddenly unable to steer. when moving it was very hard to steer. when stopped at a red light it was again unable to steer. but again was very hard to steer when moving as well. steering light came on. problem is intermittent. getting worse. turn off and restart engine and the problem goes away for a short while then returns. seems to be a very dangerous issue.

Getting into the car after shopping it was suddenly unable to steer. when moving it was very hard to steer. when stopped at a red light it was again unable to steer. but again was very hard to steer when moving. i've been having problems for years with the steering sticking when driving but this is a very different issue. i can't drive the car like this.

Steering becomes very sticky and jerky in hot weather. steering is so bad it is not safe to drive when weather is hot. this is been an on going issue and reported before but nothing gets done about a recall. i don't understand when steering isn't a factor for recall by nthsa. bmw lawyers apparently out smarted the nthsa. i invited any hthsa official to come drive my 2003 z4 and put his life at risk. bmw north america will not do anything about the issue until nthsa issue a recall.

Power steering disengaged while driving with eps light illuminating.

On warm days the steering seems to be sticky. its not a fluid as it is when car is in cooler weather. after some research there appears to be multiple issues with 2003-2005 model bmw z4 with electric power steering. after multiple complaints i see this was never recalled.

Sticky or jerking steering while driving bmw 2003 z4, first attempt was to take the car to authorized bmw dealer in july 2013 , mileage 27,756. suggested result was to replace entire steering column. 2nd attempt to resolve problem, april 2014 mileage 28,844. lubricate upper steering wheel bearing. 3rd attempt, may2015, mileage 31,098. installed grease fitting into steering column. now at 32,000 miles car is unsafe to drive. bmw needs to recognize this issue with z4 models from 2003 -june 2006 production.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 bmw z4. the contact stated that the steering on the vehicle experienced issues once the engine had been running awhile. the steering became very stiff and it was difficult to turn. the contact stated that there were no leaks, noises, or warning lights coming from the vehicle when the failure occurred. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the failure mileage was 45,000. ma 10/14 updated 10/19/2017*cn

While driving at highway speeds on a hot day, the steering wheel sticks in the straight ahead position. when you notice this and use the steering wheel to correct it feels a locked. this is very disconcerting at highway speeds due to the fact that in inordinate amount of pressure is required to get the steering wheel to respond. when it does respond, because of the amount of force being used, it causes a change of course that could take you into another lane. researching this problem has led me to find that not only does bmw know of the problem they refuse any action and put the $3500 bill squarely on the owner. in my mind this is clearly a safety issue that needs to be addressed with the recall. *tr

Steering wheel will stick in the center position when hot outside. this causes an over correction when trying to turn the vehicle which could lead to a loss of control of the vehicle. *tr

Steering locks up.. if shut off and restarted several times it releases.. went to get gas.. shut off.. started.. same thing with addition of air bag light going on.. shut off several more times to get going but air bag light stayed on. *tr

Steering locks up.. if shut off and restarted several times it releases.. went to get gas.. shut off.. started.. same thing with addition of air bag light going on.. shut off several more times to get going but air bag light stayed on. *tr

After driving the car for about an hour, with outside temperature around 95, the steering response of the car became very sticky or notchy. if you were to turn the wheel a few degrees as required by exiting off a highway exit ramp the wheel would not return to center. with slight additional force it did. with general driving the wheel required more force to turn to overcome the "sticky or notchy" sensation felt through out the steering wheel. very unsafe feeling. *tr

When the car gets hot (summer hot) the steering gets notchy in that when you put the car in a slight turn, like changing lanes or going around a slight corner, the steering literally sticks in that position causing the driver to apply opposite pressure to "break" the wheel loose from the turn followed by another stick wherever the wheel is brought back to. problem is that it causes massive oversteering issues at high speed. extremely dangerous at highway speeds! bmw knows about it and released multiple pumas (one of which is 4515500-06 - equivalent of a tsb) but has not done a recall. *tr

Car steering hard to center , steering sticks to the right or the left , when temperature out side is above 80 degrees or when you drive a long ways and the car begins to produce heat.very hard to drive or take a long trip in.very dangerous to drive. *tr

I am filling this complaint do to my car started to fill unsafe will not stay center and continues to pull on both directions its a struggle to keep the car on the road knowing that at any moment will trow you to either side please review my claim. *tr

Steering got tight, hard to steer, but car was controllable. turned wheel and i needed to turn it back to center, it would not return itself. *tr

When driving at any speed and turning into curves the return steering sticks requiring force to overcome the stick. when the stick is overcome it causes an oversteer condition and requires rapid correction. this is intermittent although with a high rate of occurence.

During hot temperatures when making turns in the z4 the steering wheel does not smoothly rotate, it is knotchy and sometimes suddenly pulls towards a certain direction while going into or out of a turn. this behavior is very dangerous and can result in an unwanted maneuver at high speed. considering this is a sports car people tend to go on spirited drives that are not forgiving to such steering wheel pull in unwanted directions. *tr

The power steering quit i lost the power steering at approximately 40 mph it was more difficult to steer. when it was taken to the dealer i was informed they had been replacing them free of charge on a case by case basis, but i was out of luck because i was not the original owner. the girl i spoke with said she would talk to her supervisor and see if they could help. i was never contacted back. if my wife had been driving the car at the time the pump failed it definitely could have been a possible accident. *tr

Lost of power steering. *tr

Steering wheel sticks and results in erratic driving to move it from the stuck position. happens in city and the highway.

When steering sharply or turning the wheel frequently like to parallel park for example, the electrical suddenly completely shuts down in my car. the car's power completely dies and i lose ability to steer. sometimes this is while making a quick turn with oncoming traffic approaching quickly. i must stop turning, wait for the power to turn back on, and resume driving as soon as possible. this is very dangerous and i am scared to drive my car. *tr

The steering pulls erratically in both directions and becomes stuck. it requires constant attention to correct the erratic behavior of the steering. it has suddenly pulled in each direction at different times and i have had to pull back hard to avoid crossing into traffic or sideswiping the car next to me. this is not tires or rutted roads causing this. it is an extremely unsafe defect in the steering column of the bmw z4. please push for a recall.. the bearing in the column is unsealed and not able to be lubricated so it dries out and causes these issues. *tr

I have had my 2003 bmw z4 for seven years. the steering has a tight place at dead center. it takes extra force to turn left or right until you pass center. it is real tricky on a curved road. i only drive it on special days; but, i noticed it really started sticking bad this summer. i do not have $3200 to fix a dealer related problem . i am making this report on behalf of myself and the additional complaints that i have read about since this problem has become dangerous for me as well as for all z4 owners. i trust and hope bmw stands up and does something to get this problem fixed. i love my z4. it use to be fun to drive. it is has become a bit scary to drive and a great worry for me when my wife takes it out i hate filling this form out; but, i feel that it is necessary or nothing will get done. if your having this problem ; also, i pray that you join in and fill out your complaint before someone is killed or seriously hurt thanks, d. in texas. *tr

When driving in a straight line the car handles as it should. however, when an adjustment needs to be made to move the car to the right or the left the steering wheel will lock up until enough force is used to jerk it free. when this is done the car oversteers to the right or left. as the problem is getting worse the car is jerking more violently to the right or left when the steering wheel finally lets the steering adjust to the right or left. taking the car to the bmw dealership, they diagnosed the problem as the entire steering mechanism including the electric motor assist will have to be replaced. fields bmw in lakeland, florida is the dealership that i took my car to have the problem diagnosed for $85.00. when i bought this car from furman chevrolet in tampa, they cleverly forgot to write it into the contract even though i complained about the small hangup of the steering wheel at that time and they assured me that they would fix it. now i am going to take what i consider a very unsafe car back out onto the highway and have to drive a piece of junk for the next 10 years unless there is a recall for their poor engineering or, worse yet, lousy parts. i have found that the bmw emblem at $35.00 is a hot seller and that the cup holders at $55,00 each are in great demand as it seems bmw can't engineer those to last either. i can hardly wait for the next failure. no wonder they had no z4s on the lot for resale. i imagine they are staying as far away from these as possible as they must know they are cute cars, but really just junk! *tr

Two years ago in the summer, i drove my car back on the highway and the steering wheel was very hard to move. it was a sticky steering situation. the weather was also very hot. this problem has continued even when i am driving slowly. the weather temperature seems to be the critical factor. yesterday, i drove the car and it steered perfectly. the temperature was in the 70s. today, it drove fine in the a.m. but in the pm when the temperature reached above 80, the steering was "sticky" again. i have found many posts on line describing this identical problem. the car is a 2004 bmw z4. this problem has happened within the last 2 years but the difference between the drive handling yesterday and today was very obvious. *tr

Same problem as all other 2003 bmw z4 steering complaints. vehicle started sticking when making even slight steering adjustments. always starts this about 5 minutes into a drive. has continued to this date in march 2014 but now in addition to sticking get a loud squeal when turning wheel while driving. *tr

This is for a 2003 bmw z4 with just over 25,000 miles. as soon as i began driving on an access road and then a county road, i noticed the vehicle was not going in a straight line even though i was not turning the wheel. there was some play in the steering and the wheel felt stiffer than normal with a sticky feeling a few degrees left or right. as i drove down this straight road, the car continued to pull towards one side or the other and controlling it became very difficult. from behind, it would appear as though i was swerving while trying to control the vehicle. i felt like i could lose control of the vehicle so i drove as slowly as possible to the dealership. i explain the situation to the administrative staff and they took the car in for inspection the next day. the following day i received a call from the head mechanic to ask more questions. again i provided more details about how the vehicle felt while driving and they requested permission to road test it. at first they thought the issue was related to wheel alignment, but upon further testing they realized it was more than that. the sticky steering column appears to have been damaged, the motor drive for the power steering. i was quoted $3,176 to replace. i spoke with the head mechanic, and expressed my displeasure with what appears to be a qa or design issue with this car and the fact i found hundreds of other reports and investigations launched into this exact problem with the z4. in my opinion this manufacturing defect should be reason enough for a recall given the hazardous conditions created by the malfunction of a relatively new/unused part. bmw's insistence that i cover the cost of this part is also unreasonable, as i doubt they can attribute this malfunction to typical wear and tear given the light use of this vehicle. *tr

This vehicle has electric steering and it works intermittently and you have to fight the wheel to stay in your lane. very dangerous ! *tr

Apparently there is a bearing inside of the steering column and it is not a sealed bearing (poor design). the grease leaks out of it and it becomes very difficult to steer and dangerous. the bearing is not replaceable so you have to replace the entire steering column at a cost of $3,000 to $4,000. the warmer the temperature the harder the steering. i won't even let my wife drive the car for fear she will have an accident. i even have trouble keeping it on the road at times. *tr

Steering wheel sometimes is "sticking" while driving making turning a little more labored than normal. *tr

I purchased this car used and have had problems with the steering since buying it 5 years ago. had it at a bmw repair store they have informed me the steering column will need to be replaced for $ 3000 plus. after doing some research this is a common problem with this bmw. why has bmw not issued a recall? this could be a severe problem that could cause accidents and death while you are driving! [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

I'm having a safety issue with the steering being sticky. it is especially problematic at higher speeds and requires reasonable force to correct. this, in turn, causes over-steering constantly making the car very dangerous to drive on the highway. car is low mileage: under 36,000. *tr

My steering column turns similar to the fan control switch on the z4 from detent to detent and not smoothly like a volume control on a radio. if you reach forward to the fan control console and turn it you will note that it does not turn smoothly it goes from stop to stop to stop about every 5 degrees. each stop is called a detent. so as you turn the knob it starts in a detent then as you turn it clicks into the next detent and stops then you have to twist a bit harder till it clicks into the next detent. that is how my steering column acts when it is hot outside. it clicks into one detent and that position may not keep you driving straight down the road. you try to correct it and it will not turn unless you push extra hard then it goes past the point that would keep you going straight down he road into the next detent and you are progressively headed off the other side of the road. as you try to correct it by turning back, it will not smoothly turn back, it resists till you push extra hard then it goes past the point that would keep you going straight and stops in the next detent and now you are headed off the road in the other direction. *tr

When it is hot outside the steering becomes rough, awkward, and potentially dangerous. it happens at speeds greater than 30 mph. the steering wheel will become "stuck" in a certain position and requires greater than normal force to move from that position. using greater force to move the steering wheel from the "stuck" position creates the potential for over-steering. *tr

I was driving on the interstate at a moderate speed. when attempting to change lanes the steering became "sticky" and it was difficult to turn the steering wheel. this has happened multiple times since this incident. it appears to be worse when the weather is hot. in reading various bmw forums i found that this is a common problem with the 2003 z4's and the nhtsa has or is conducting an investigation. i understand bmw has corrected the problem on later models. this really creates a dangerous driving situation and i am fearful of driving this car. is there any action being taken by the nhtsa or bmw? i have contacted bmw but they will not acknowledge that there is a problem. *tr

While driving down the highway around town, i noticed the steering becoming"sticky". it was hard to keep the car in my lane. this continued for a couple of weeks and i took the car to a bmw repair shop and was given the news that i need a new steering column with power assist and that it was going to cost about $3800. needless to say, it is not something that you can ignore. after seeing all the problems with power steering assist i am dumbfounded as to why bmw has not brought this to owners attention. the repair costs are astronomical!!! this is ridiculous. bmw should make owners aware of the potential problem and fix it. this will definitely be my first and last bmw.!!!!!!! *tr

Steering wheel rotation inhibited, would not turn smoothly, extra force needed to overcome resistance in steering wheel rotation, very heavy center detent. car swerves violently when extra force on wheel is used to overcome resistance in steering wheel rotation. unable to make common minor adjustments, resultant oversteering causes erratic movements. car nearly gone off road several times. heat related. happens when car cabin temperature elevated by sunshine or extended drives/use. >=2.5hrs. car is unsafe. bmw acknowledges cause related to steering column/gears but refuses to recall/fix. please help before more are killed.

Steering got stuck, and car slid left to right. *tr

I bought the 2003 bmw z4 3.0 l. in september of 2012. i live and drive the car in portland oregon where the whether is rather moderate in the summer months but when the temperature reaches above 90 f the steering gets so tight that at highway speed especially i have to fight the steering wheel to keep the car on track. steering gets so tight due to outside temperatures that driving becomes scary and unsafe. when the weather is predicted with temperatures 90 f. and above i choose to drive my old bmw 528 which is the true ultimate driving machine. safe and reliable. bmw must recognize and admit the engineering flaw built in the z4 bmw and recall before serious fatal accidents happen! please contact me for additional questions. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

The steering in the z4 starts to get "sticky" when the temperature outside gets hot (~ >85 deg f). it doesn't return back to center on it's own and it feels like there are dead spots in the steering where you have to force the wheel back to make it move. it doesn't happen when the weather is cool - the wheel turns and returns to center normally. it only seems to happen in hot weather. *tr

I bought my used bmw z 4 three years ago from a private party with 13,500 miles. car is in showroom condition but when the temperature rises and the car sits in the sun, i have issues with the steering wheel sticking and locking. i find myself constantly fighting the steering wheel in hot weather and have no confidence in the steering capability of my vehicle. my last episode was last week when the temperature was in the 80's and the car sat out in the sun all day while i was at work. this car has under 19,000 miles on it and i find it unacceptable that bmw will not address this issue and do a recall immediately to address this common problem. i hope it doesn't take a fatality to occur before a recall is issued for this steering malfunction. *tr

The steering sticks meaning it becomes unresponsive and requires extra effort on my part to move it again. i have to continue to move it else it sticks and i lose control for about a second. very scary at high speeds. basically if going in a straight line and i want to turn it is not smooth and i have to almost fight with it to turn. *tr

Steering has become loose to the point where it is hard to keep the car on the road and find that over corrections are happening. was told must replace the steering column at a cost of $3200.00. it is a widely reported problem that bmw should fix. it is a safety issue. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 bmw z4. the contact stated that while driving approximately 45 mph, the steering wheel exhibited a jerking motion when attempting a turn. the contact applied force to the steering wheel in order to continue driving. the failure occurred only in hotter weather temperatures. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 36,000.

When the car get warm up the steering begins to stick in on place. this makes a pleasure car seem more like a nightmare and it is very unsafe. their needs to be a recall on this model immediately. i have seen hundreds of complaints on this very same issue on the internet. if they don't do something soon there is going to be a accident and then they'll be dealing with lawsuit at that point. *tr

I have a 2003 bmw z4 2.5i i recently purchased. i noticed the "sticky" steering for the first time the night i purchased it. after searching the internet i discovered that hundreds of z4 owners have this serious steering issue. the steering is not so bad in cool weather, but warmer temperatures have an adverse effect on keeping the car on the road. i have had this issue numerous times in the 1 month that i have owned the car. yesterday i almost lost control going down the highway on a curve driving at the posted speed limit. z4 owners are afraid to drive the car due to this sticky steering issue. i didn't have to look hard on the internet to find that this issue wide-spread and has been grossly ignored. i was also surprised at the number of affected cars, with no action by bmw or our government. what are the powers at be waiting for? a death because of the steering issue. the car needs a recall for a replacement steering column or a bulletin to simply bring the car to a dealer for a replacement at no cost to the owner. bmw is aware of the faulty steering columns. why has this not been fixed yet? please do something! *tr

Power steering broke down. i read a lot of complaints online trying to research what kind of experiences other owners had and there are too many issues with steering with these cars to be ignored. thank god that my power steering stopped working at a low speed, but what would happen if i was traveling at 70 mph? i had "sticky" steering in this car for years but this took it to another level. this issue should have been recalled. *tr

Steering wheel sticks then releases causing loss of control. *tr