Problems with 2003 BMW Z4 STEERING

After being parked for a few hours in the sun on a hot day (over 80 degrees) the steering sticks. it is most noticeable at highway speeds where it becomes very difficult to make fine adjustments so it is hard to hold the car in a lane. this has occurred multiple times and is a predictable problem when the temperature is high and the car has been parked in the sun. *tr

Sticky steering causes over steering. *tr

Over the course of the last year, the steering in my bmw z-4 has felt like i have to fight to stay on the road. it is jerking & pulling the car off center making it very difficult to drive and feel safe. the steering wheel also "sticks" rather than rotating smoothly when i turn to the left or right. this condition is progressively getting worse, i was driving on the interstate last week at approx. 55 miles/hour and several times the car swerved hard pulling me into the next lane of traffic coming very close to causing an accident. *js

My 2003 bmw z4 automobile has the same problem as numerous other owners of this vehicle have. the steering mechanism "sticks or partially locks when driving. on occasion it tends to pull to the left at most speeds causing concern regarding highway driving. there are numerous examples of the exact same problem from other 2003 z4 owners. in some case there were close calls in averting head on crashes when driving on two lane highways due to the steering pull to the left side. this seems to be a problem unique to the 2003 z4 series which has electronic steering. it apparently gets worse with time. my z4 has less than 21,000 miles. *tt

Chronic problem with the steering being sticky when the weather is warm or when the car sits in the hot sun. the steering wheel when held steady driving down the road seems to stick in an exact position and if the weather is very warm the stickiness is such that when the car needs steering correction to stay in the driving lane that significant pressure is required to unstick the position of the steering direction. once the driver's pressure causes the steering wheel to become unstuck the wheel will suddenly veer in the direction the pressure was applied, ie. toward oncoming traffic or towards the ditch until the driver can quickly counteract the sudden release of the unstuck steering wheel. when the weather is particularly warm the car is no longer safe to drive for fear of loss of control. this car was purchased new from the local bmw dealership and driven almost exclusively by my wife since new. *tr

On this particular occasion, the electric steering binds or gets stuck while in center position and makes it difficult or impairs the ability to change lanes on the highway. on this occasion, i was travling at a relatively low speed and was changing lanes and because of the steering problem i jerked the vehicle and hit a car in the other lane causing minor damage to my vehicle. this problem comes and goes and gets worst in the warm to hot weather. i have contacted bmw in both massachusetts and florida with no help from dealers. my vehicle has 79,000 on it now which isnt a lot of miles for a 2003. *tr

In hot weather the power steering gets extremely sticky and when making a turn such as on an exit ramp the steering wheel has to be pulled to return it to the straight position which raises the distinct possibility that the car could go right off the ramp if not caught. this problem also causes swerving when making small steering corrections on the highway, the car can swerve into another lane. dealers are unwilling to address this issue and the on-line z 4 forum indicates that this is a very common problem apparently due to design flaws. *tr

Bmw z4 roadster, steering wheel play and sticking. *tr

The steering wheel on my car sticks and does not return when i turn a corner. this also happens when i am going straight and try to correct a little bit. if i were to turn the wheel a couple of degrees and let go of the wheel the car would go right into oncoming traffic or go off the road. warmer temperatures seem to make the problem worse. *tr

I own a 2003 bmw z4 that is in excellent condition with has 27,000 miles on it and that i?ve have had since it was new. the car has never driven in winter and kept in a heated garage. i just got the car back from bmw service and repair. when the car was new, every once and a while the steering would get sticky or notchy, and extra force would have to be used to break the steering wheel loose and turn the wheel. it was very intermittent and happened very infrequently when new; however, the last year or so it has gotten much worse and happens whenever the car is driven. i recently took it to a dealer for repair and got it back yesterday. the dealer replaced part of the steering column at a cost of over $3,000.00. it seems to have corrected the problem. i called bmw customer service to see if they would do something and assist with the repair cost and they basically gave me the finger because the car is out of warranty. from reading on-line there is definitely a problem with the steering on these cars, otherwise so many people would not be complaining about the same thing. i don?t understand why bmw won?t admit there is a problem with the steering on these cars and step up to plate when it comes to the repair? these are not inexpensive kias!!! bmw is really hurting their customer relations with the individuals who own these cars. i know that this incident has damaged their reputation with me. my wife owns a ford edge and we were thinking of replacing it with a new x3 next spring. well guess what!!!! *tr

2003 bmw z4 erratic steering when driving. the steering control fluctuates between easy and more difficult in required effort to move wheel. *tr

2003 bmw 2.5l z4 steering locks and requires excessive force to move wheel while driving. problem appears to be worse on hot days. no corrective action to date. *tr

My son and i purchased a used 2003 bmw z4 with only 57,000 miles on it . it had a slight pull to the right so we decided to have an alignment done . the bmw dealership that we took it to said that the alignment was ok and that the electric steering motor was probably going bad. they wanted $ 3,500.00 to repair it. since the pulling to the right was very slight i asked if the car was safe to drive since it my son that will driving the car. they said that the car was safe to drive. after arriving home we did some research and found that this was a common problem with these cars. i called the dealership and spoke with our service adviser and he acted like he was totally unaware of it being a problem and again assured us that the car was safe. on the way home form work my son was driving at highway speeds and had a loss of power steering. the steering had a dead spot at the center position. i then did more research and found that there is an investigation on these cars for the same problem my son is having with his car. i talked to other independent repair shops and they won't even get involved in repairing this because the cars still have problems after being repaired. i then called the bmw dealership and asked him if the problem has been solved or are they just installing a new part that is the same as the old part and will fail again. he said he would get back to me. and surprise he has not. we would not mind so much as to spend $3500.00 to have a potentially deadly problem fixed, but to just have the same problem again it truly unfair. something needs to be done about this. i have found out that they no longer use this type of steering system. i assume that they just want this problem to go away as the cars get older and sold to people like us with no warranty. original owners probably know of the problem and won't mention the problem so not to hurt resale value.

While driving on the interstate i noticed that there seems to be a dead spot or catch in the steering. you turn left or right very much and its like you have to pull harder to get it to turn. by then you have pulled too hard and the car jerks to whichever way you were turning. it does not happen all the time. i can be driving along and forget about it sticking and take a curve and it happens. very unnerving. *tr

Driving my 2003 bmw z4 on a warm day and the steering locked up like it was sticky. almost hit someone it occurs on any warm temp days and any speed i paid to have the software updated and it didn't help. my bmw repair shop thinks it the steering column. has heard of this problem before. *tr

Power steering on 2003 bmw z4 3.01i is "twitchy" / non-responsive at center point causing handling problems for the car. this non-responsive power steering on 2003 bmw z4 contributed to a failure to steer around road debris which damaged the vehicle. *tr

Sticky steering and difficulty maintaining steering when the vehicle has been sitting in the sun parked for several hours. this happens every time these conditions occur ie. afternoon commute. the feeling is unnerving makes you afraid you will hit someone or something if you do not fight back against the wheel. *tr

I have noticed that when the outside temperature is over 90 degrees my steering sticks and you have to jerk the wheel to get it to unstick. it especially noticeable when you are taking a gradual curve and you try to straighten out the car. i have been told it is likely the electronic power steering but have not had it checked. it is so dangerous that i will not drive in hot weather until i get it fixed... i just can't afford several thousand in repair bills. btw, there are only 23,000 miles on the car and i have had it since it was new. *tr

Steering becomes sticky or unresponsive while driving. this especially occurs when the outside temperatures are hot (+75' f). when the condition occurs extra effort is required to correct the problem.

Power steering intermittently goes out while driving the car. car becomes very difficult to steer safely. *tr

The steering binds making it very difficult to make minor corrections to keep the vehicle on course and requiring extra effort to initiate a turn. when the "bind" releases, over-correction occurs, causing the vehicle to swerve. this is my wife's car, and being a rather petite woman, the problem pose an increased safety hazard for her. i first noticed this problem in august, 2010, while on a long highway drive. the car has not been driven over the winter. when i took it out on april 27, 2011, it was a very warm day and the problem seemed worse than i remembered. at one point i swerved into an opposite lane; fortunately there was no oncoming traffic.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 bmw z4. the contact was driving 45 mph when the steering wheel became stiff and locked abnormally. the contact would have to allow the vehicle to cool off before the steering would reset itself. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis ut the technician was unable to diagnose the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 38,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 bmw z4. while driving approximately 55 mph, the contact noticed that the steering wheel began to stick and jerk to the sides on its own. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for a diagnostic test. there was an investigation under nhtsa action number: pe10020 (steering:column steering:electric power assist system) that may be related to the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 33,000.

I had the steering on this vehicle get worse on the interstate after i filed the first complaint. i contacted bmw usa and took it to the bmw dealer. i was told by bmw usa that my problem was the defect that they were aware of. however, they told me that they will not repair any of these vehicles unless there is a recall. is it going to take a few more fatal crashes for the someone to step up and force this manufacturer to correct this problem? even though i am the second owner of this car, it was purchased in florida where you are suppose to enjoy a convertible. however, this failure occurs at temperatures above 77 degrees. now that i know of this problem, how can i pass it on to another who might not be an experienced driver and join bmw in being the instrument of their death. *tr

2003 bmw z4 steering issues, while on the highway i expereience issues with the steering locking up and intensity to change the wheel is greater, resulting in oversteering when it 'breaks free'. dangerous. *tr

Driving in a 70 degreee temperature on the highway, the steering will tend to have a sticky feel to it and tend to push to the right. when you pull back you feel a clicking sensation from the steering wheel. and the cycle start again. the dealer is saying that it is the run flat tires, but i replaed it with a non- run flat tire - same steering issues. they reboot the computer to get rid of this issue, but it is still here. very nervous to drive the car on the highway. the issue seems more apparent when it is warm.

Partial loss of steering while driving the interstate. vehicle started to cross lanes and steering would not lock into center when corrected. thankful that i am an experienced driver. if my daughter would have been driving she would have over corrected and crashed.

I was driving my 2003 bmw z4 on the highway going roughly 65mph when i noticed the steering became very notchy and stiff, the car felt as if the steering wheel was sticking and not turning to center freely. driving like this the car is difficult to keep in your lane, a very scary feeling when driving at highway speeds. the steering problem continued until i returned home and was still noticeable at city speeds, wheel still sticking around turns and not returning to center position after completing a turn. the problem occurred several times since then,not giving me a good sense of security when driving. this problem only starts to happen after or while driving at speeds above 60mph. i'm contacting you because i have read numerous complaints of bmw z4 owners having similar safely problems. please let me know if anything develops regarding a recall of any faulty steering equipment on this vehicle. *tr

While driving my 2003 z4 at moderate (above 45mph) and higher speeds the car becomes difficult to steer in a straight line down the road. this does not appear to happen on perfectly smooth roads. this appears in two ways. on bumpy roads, the car will suddenly jerk to either the left or the right and require aggressive corrections to the steering wheel to keep the car from veering out of it's lane. this sudden jerking to the left or the right occurs without warning, so corrections to the steering wheel to keep the car in its lane can not be made until the car has actually jerked one way or the other. on numerous occasions the car has crossed the center line into the oncoming lane or onto the shoulder of the road before i could react. driving the car at highway speeds (65-70mph) takes constant vigilance and requires slowing down to speeds far below the speed limit (45-50mph) on the roughest of pavement to make me feel i can keep the car under control and in my lane. the second way this car is difficult to steer is when there are rutes worn in the road from heavy traffic. (most highways) when attempting to change lanes, the car will not move to the left or right as input is given to the steering wheel. as more input is given, the car will suddenly jump in the direction of steering input, requiring input in the opposite direction to keep the car from moving over to far and crossing into a lane not intended. this difficulty in steering is detectable when changing lanes is started and the car does not react to the initial steering input. with practice, i have been able to develop the skill to time my corrective input to the steering as the car completes its lane change. even with my getting used to this condition, lane changes are not smooth, but jerky maneuvers instead. this car takes an extra ordinarily high level of skill and alertness to drive safely at moderate to highway speeds and seems outright dangerous to anyone unaware of this condition. *tr

2003 bmw z4. consumer states that the power steering shut off while driving. consumer states that the dealers have told him that they have no knowledge of the nhtsa bulletin. *kb the consumer stated prior the power steering shutting off, the icon illuminated on the dashboard. *jb

I own a 2003 bmw z4 with 27k miles. recently the steering has become sticky and difficult to operate. the dealer states that the vehicle needs a new steering column costing $3300. this is a safety issue and should be the responsibility of the manufacture. *tr

Bmw z4 after driving for approximately 10 minutes the electronic power steering icon illuminates on dashboard and you lose your power steering there after the problem is intermittent determined by speed. have contacted two dealers in the boston area and they state never heard of this problem, went on bimmerpost and googled the problem and find it on your website. car is virtually undriveable as you literally lose power steering control. *tr

2003 bmw z4 has steering issue when the temperature is warm. the steering column seems to look up and makes it very difficult to turn the wheel. *tr

My bmw z4, vinxxxxxxxxx, intermittently has a notchy feeling in the steering as if there is a restriction preventing the steering wheel to be moved to the direction i want to go. this has been going for a half a year. now i am intermittently loosing the power assist steering without any warning. this is very unnerving when traveling in heave city traffic. the bwm dealer is not taking this as a very serious safety problem. thus far no repairs have been suggested or performed. *tr

The steering on my bmw z4 was sticking and hard to turn. the steering didn't want to return to center. while driving on the freeway through a curve, the steering was hard to turn, wouldn't return back to center and had to make numerous adjustment to keep the car within the lane. it was very unsettling and could easily have caused an accident. this has happened several time in the past and it seems to happen predominately on warm days. *tr

Steering sticks or binds when outside air temperature is very warm. *tr

At outside temperatures above approximately 80 degrees, the steering develops a notch or dead space that requires more than average pressure to overcome, thus making the steering jerky and potentially dangerous in an emergency situation. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 bmw z4. while traveling 20 mph and attempting a left turn, the power steering warning light illuminated as the power steering assist simultaneously failed. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer yet the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the current and failure mileage was 66,000.

2003 bmw z4 power steering binds up during high ambient temperatures (over 90 f) especially when the car is left in the sun all day. whenever the steering wheel is not moving it sticks in that position requiring tremendous force to get it to move from that position and turn the car. it will stick going down the road then you have to force it to break loose to correct the car's direction, then it sticks in this new location and you have to break it loose to return the wheel to straight ahead. when you break the steering loose it makes an audible thunk. this behavior causes the car to dive into the next lane or onto the shoulder of the road making it impossible to drive at highway speeds and dangerous to even drive at 35 miles an hour. the bmw service department claims the car has never exhibited this behavior for them, and it will cost $3700 to replace the power steering. *tr

I have been having on problems with the steering on my 2003 bmw z4. when temperatures are high(over 80 degrees). the steering becomes sticky/notchy and basically feels as it the steering wheel is locked in position. the car feels difficult to control and unsafe. the most recent incident was august 31, 2010. *tr

While driving our bmw z4 the steering seems to get locked in to a position which requires more a lot effort than normal to steer. we have to hold the steering wheel tightly with both hands to avoid over steering. i see there are many more people who are having this problem when i googled z4 steering. it is quite prevalent on the bmw forums. *tr

The steering begins to feel sticky. it is hard to make steering corrections during normal driving without jerking the wheel either left of right. this appears to happen most often during warm weather. i noticed it last night during the cool of the evening, however. it was under 60 degrees at the time.

For several months, my 2003 bmw z4 has felt like it was slightly stuck in the center position while driving on the freeway or highway. recently, the steering has failed completely on engine start-up. in other words the car will barely turn. after it happened, i discovered it will work if the ignition is turned off and then re-started. however, the car still sometimes displays the stickiness in the wheel, especially on warmer days. the car will steer but seems to get stuck slightly when the wheel is centered. in searching for a solution online, i discovered that this has been a problem for many cars of this model. *tr

Vehicle is a 2003 bmw z4. i have experienced three steering malfunctions in the past 2 years. each occasion resulted in loss of control with the vehicle swerving across oncoming lanes and back off the shoulder.. most recent 8/12/2010. the dealer indicated they had no knowledge of the problem and without an occurrence probably would not be able to determine parts or service to correct. this happens suddenly with no warning and goes away just as it appeared with no action on my part. this is a deadly issue. i do not understand why this continues to be an issue considering the number of complaints i have since found on the internet as voiced by other owners. *tr

The steering on a 2003 bmw z4 2.5i will "stick" and must be manually forced to allow steering to continue. the first time this happened i nearly drove into a wall because i thought i just needed more force to turn the wheel - however once the wheel is no longer in the "sticking spot" steering is normal, which causes oversteer and accident potential. *tr

I sometimes notice after my 2003 bmw z4 2.5i has been parked, it seems as if the tires and steering wheel are misaligned and the car drives to one side as if one tire was flat. this only has happened at lower speeds soon after i start driving, and eventually seems to go away after the car has been driving for a couple minutes. nothing has been done now to remedy the problem but i plan on giving bmw a call to see what they can do for me. thank you for your time. *tr

2003 bmw z4 roadster has an intermittent sticky steering issue that adversely affects the ability to control the direction of vehicle in traffic. the condition is due to high ambient temperatures or after parking car in hot weather. the steering wheel will not allow the driver to steer a straight line without constant, sudden corrections that require use of the entire lane of traffic. a bicyclist was almost struck by vehicle which prompted this complaint. the failure happens every time the car is driven in weather above 75 degrees f and parked in sun. the condition will dissipate when car is parked in shade or temperatures fall for a prolonged period. bmw dealer servicewriter was contacted and knew nothing about other z4 vehicles with electric steering having this issue. dealer advises replacing the entire steering upper column assembly and the lower rack and pinion with an estimate of $4943.00. owner is exploring options for repair or replacing vehicle with a newer model. *tr

Steering wheel stiffens up and feels as if power steering turns off. happened once, did some research and found it to be a common problem. *tr

My 2003 bmw z4's electric power steering stops working on hot days. the loss of assist get worse as speed increases. yesterday at 97 degrees it was virtually impossible to drive the car. the steering is extremely difficult and when the steering wheel is released, the car does not return to center. *tr

While driving my 2003 bmw z4 during hot weather the steering response is very poor. the car does not seem to want to remain on a straight path and steering is seems to be very heavy. it is almost like the car has a tire that is very low on air pressure. *tr