Problems with 2004 BMW Z4 STEERING

Power steering sticks on hot days typically above 80 degrees. problem usually occurs on the highway at speeds above 50 mph but has happened at lower speeds as well. it takes excessive force to release the sticking which results in overcorrection. this has created a dangerous situation on several occasions. after much research it appears that this is a significant issue in 2004 z4's. i don't understand why bmw hasn't voluntarily had a recall or why nhtsa hasn't demanded one. this is a dangerous situation identified by many z4 owners. *tr

the steering wheel sticks, it feels like it is binding which required increased steering effort that made it difficult to control the vehicle because it seems to over-steer when making hard and abrupt steering wheel movements. the failure is more noticeable at higher vehicle speeds (highway speeds) and in warm/hot weather (85 f). *tr

On days over 75 degrees f, during highway driving, if i turn the steering wheel slightly and release it, steering does not return to top dead center. instead, the z4 continues to turn on it's own until i steer the car back to a straight line. the steering wheel does not return to the straight-ahead position when i release it. a great deal of strength is required to steer at all when this happens. power assist does not seem to work over 75f and the steering feel is notchy. on cool days, the steering is fine. this steering failure has been going on for several years, it is getting worse and is no longer safe. the dealer is not helpful. it is a us car and i live in canada. i thought you would want to know because there is a lot of discussion about this in forums. the cars are not safe to drive on hot days. interim solution is: don't drive my z4 roadster on hot days?! so much for the ultimate driving machine. *tr

2004 bmw z4. my power steering is "sticking" as per the pe 10-020 investigation. very disconcerting when effort is needed to "break it loose" to turn the wheels. results in a "jerk" of the car in the direction of the turn. *tr

Only in hot weather the steering becomes very hard and sticky and requires increased force to turn the steering wheel. the bmw dealer claims they cannot find an "internal bulletin" #4515500-02, released on 05/05/06. it's almost impossible to stay in your lane, and two hands are needed to control the vehicle when this defect acts up after sitting in the sun or hot weather. this is not noticeable until you have reached speeds of 30 mph or over at which time you are pretty much committed to fight the steering. this becomes very scary and dangerous. bmw is aware of this problem and claims it's not a "safety issue". i brought my car to the dealer because of this problem and they say i need a steering rack for over $4000.00. the "bulletin" says they need to replace the eps column with a modified one which was available since weeks 17 and 18 of 2006. unfortunately, i bought my car used and was never informed of the steering dangers. it took some time to research this problem and yet, bmw is not willing to fix this defect. *tr

When my z4 has been sitting in direct sun for a while the steering becomes sticky. making it very difficult to drive. causing the car to swerve into other lanes. bmw have quoted 3500 to replace the steering column, i'm currently negotiating with them to reduce this cost. *tr

2004 bmw z4 'sticky steering'; follow up to earlier complaint, in response to bmw letter of 9/24. bmw describes the condition as a gradual increase in steering effort noticeable when the car is first driven off, and not a significant increase in effort. this is incorrect. not a gradual increase in effort, but an unexpected 'catch' that occurs, for example, when changing lanes. *tr

2004 z4 steering sticks at unpredictable times causing several near miss incidents due to loss of control of the vehicle. i must yank the wheel hard to turn the steering wheel. happens at low and high rates of speed. *tr

Sticky steering in warm weather. *tr

The steering sticks while driving. very scary so i don't drive the car for more than 4 or 5 mile trips. won't take it on a highway anymore, since i have no confidence in the steering. i was told that the tires had broken bands and that might have been what i was feeling, so i replaced all four tires but the problem continued. i wouldn't be able to afford to replace the steering column and whatever else might be necessary. the tires were a huge expense. i can't very well sell the car, since i don't feel it is safe. please help. too many people have the same complaint, for this to be expected and acceptable.

I own a bmw z4 and recently heard the news of possible steering problems. i am experiencing these problems now. my car has 26000 miles and the steering seems to stick and release as i turn through gradual turns. the feeling is very noticeable. *tr

I recently purchased the z4 used with ~60k miles. as the weather has warmed up in nj recently i have noticed the steering become sticky. the warmer it is the more prevalent the problem. when the steering locks it is necessary to jerk the wheel to break the lock resulting in an over correction. it is difficult to keep the car centered in the lane and i'm worried this will result in a serious accident. *tr

In warm weather (> 75 degs f)steering becomes stiff. difficult to keep car on straight track. steering will not self-center. safety concern at highway speeds. *tr

After the car sits in the hot sun (anywhere above 75 degrees) the steering starts binding/locking up at all speeds. although it seems to be worse when driving at hwy speeds. when driving around a slight curve the steering does not return to center as it should nor is it easy to get the car to straighten back out. i have to force it back to center which usually ends up causing me to over correct and move close to or in the other lane. i first noticed the problem last summer, but since i only drive the car on weekends i didn't pay much attention to it last summer. it was fine during the winter, but got significantly worse when it got warm this year. i took my car to bmw of nashville and was told that the problem was the steering column and that it needed to be replaced. (i'm currently waiting on the replacement column to come in and be replaced) after doing some research about the problem i've found that there are hundreds of other z4 owners that have experienced the same problem and bmwna has not acknowledged that there is a problem. i contacted bmwna myself and although they didn't acknowledge there was a problem, they did offer me a 10% discount on the $3900.00 repair. i believe this is a factory defect in the car and that they all should be recalled before someone gets killed if there haven't already been fatal accidents. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 bmw z4. while traveling at speeds of 25 mph, the steering wheel became increasingly difficult to steer. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the contact was informed that the rack and pinion would need to be replaced. there were no prior warnings. the current and failure mileages were 32,000.

Beginning early in 2010, we began to notice that the steering, particularly at speed, was 'sticky'; eg, it would take more force to turn the wheel and then it would break free of the sticky and turn. it behaves as though it sticks when the wheel isn't being turned, but then moves freely once it turns. the result is erratic steering, particularly in a highway situation where small corrections are needed. in traffic, on a multilane highway, this behavior causes the car to be hard to keep smoothly in lane; there were several times that the rumble strip was encountered due to overcorrecting the steering. warmer temperatures tend to make the problem worse. i have read on numerous bmw forums of others having very similar problems with this with this vintage of z4; apparently the only solution is to replace a $2500 steering unit if the dealer can be convinced there actually is a problem. i have jacked the vehicle up and 'felt' the steering with the car 'off', but the switch on to release the wheel lock, and that stiction (my physics background is showing) was somewhat evident (to a much smaller level than experienced in normal driving on a warm day) even with no load on the steering and at a normal room temperature. this is a very serious safety issue and i hesitate to drive the vehicle in this condition.

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 bmw z4. the contact stated that while driving approximately 45 mph and trying to make a turn, it suddenly became difficult to steer. the vehicle was inspected by a dealer who could not diagnose the problem. the vehicle had not been repaired for the power steering. the failure mileage was approximately 28,000. the vin was unavailable.

My vehicle is a bmw z4, 2004 approx. 43,000 miles. at highway speeds, only occasionally at lower speed, the steering binds when i attempt to turn into another lane. the degree of binding varies, i have not encountered a positive lock; i always have been able to force the steering free to execute the turn. the incident date is merely the most recent. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 bmw z4. while driving at approximately 55 mph, the contact noticed that the steering wheel stuck when driving above 50 mph. the failure occurred daily if the temperature was above 65 degrees. it was difficult to keep the vehicle centered. the vehicle was at an authorized dealership at the time of the complaint and the dealer suggested that the entire steering column be replaced. the contact called the manufacturer who stated that they were unaware of that particular problem. the failure mileage was approximately 42,500. the current mileage was approximately 43,000.

Steering seems to lock in a position. takes effort to move wheel to a neutral position. happens when the vehicle has been warmed. does not occur when first driven. *tr

While driving the car the steering starts to lock up and its hard to make the go in a straight line. the car steering sticks like tires are in a strong groove. takes a significant pull to bring back to center. this could cause a accident due to steering defect. *tr

2004 bmw z4. electric power steering on warm days will become chunky or notchy in feeling and requires excessive effort to steer the car. this can cause more steering input than is required and when the steering catches up the car can react more than intended. very dangerous and needs to be recalled even for multiple owner cars. *tr

2004 bmw z4 purchased brand new off the showroom floor. practically from the beginning, noticed unusual handling of the steering under high temperatures. living in tampa, fl this presents a continual problem. i've owned z 3's and z 4's since 2001. sitting in hot temps, driving with heater thermostat on high, causes the steering to "notch"....or steer erratically. presented this to reeves on several occasions with no results. since there have been no fires, no accidents, no deaths, bmw and reeves choose to do nothing. i concur with the other 44 "complaints" listed on this report. apparently one or two have been successful. in light of the toyota situation, bmw needs to be held accountable for their design flaws. to my knowledge there has been no class action. i intend to start one. *tr

Bmw z4 2004 sticking steering. the steering gets knotchy, sticky, or locking when trying to make micro-steering adjustments while driving at highway speeds(60-70). the problem exists when the ambient outside temp is greater than 60 degrees. the steering locks and has to be budged to change steering direciton. it gets worse with hotter weather. this is a big safety issue and with all the other reported claims of the same issue, this should be looked at for a recall. bmw diagnosed the problem to being the eps module being defective and said the whole steering column will need to be replaced. this is a $3400 fix. the car has ~46k miles. i would not expect steering to break within 46k miles and reading over other complaints this is a much wider issue than this one z4. please investigate this issue due to the safety implications.

When the steering wheel is centered while driving, it takes some effort to make a steering adjustment such as keeping the car centered in the driving lane. the steering wheel seems to be stuck and to over come this one must over-steer the car and then bring it back to center. some times this results in an abrupt over turn and causes the car to almost lurch out of the driving lane. *tr

Sticky steering similar to other complaints listed in this database. more evident in hot weather, but has begun happening in cold weather. steering "sticks" in one location making it difficult to change the cars track. steering does not return to center by itself. a dangerous and tiring driving condition. *tr

While driving at approx 65 mph on interstate 95 in south florida the steering bound, (tightened) making it difficult to maintain good control of the vehicle. this problem seems to be persistent in hotter temperatures while less evident when the car is cooler. *tr

Steering feels "sticky" similar to other reports filed, previous odi case number 10288772 reported 06/30/09. on 11 november 09 mileage 82,745, electrical power steering (eps) failed completely, warning light on dash, car still drivable without power steering for limited distance to dealer. cause found to be code 611c3 failed eps unit. repair was steering column replacement & reprogramming iaw sib32-06-05. all previous problems are gone, car steers like brand new, didn't know what i'd been missing. repair cost was $50 deductible under extended bmw factory warranty, no idea of actual retail cost. *tr

I am stuck with a 2004 z4 with the sticky steering syndrome. after it is warmed up the steering sticks in position and is difficult to move from point to point. we had been driving for 50 or 60 miles with the top down and the heater on so the engine was warmed up. that is when the issue first appeared and we almost had a head on accident on highway 101 south of cannon beach, oregon. the syndrome seems to appear only after the car is warmed up. we bought the z4 one year ago at about 37000 miles and the current mileage is 42667. bmw regional management has decided not to support any reduction of their $3259.00 charge to replace the steering mechanism which is supposed to fix the problem. the sticky steering syndrome is well known as a safety hazard on the nhtsa site and elsewhere on the web yet nothing has been done about it to this date. this looks like another toyota like safety issue. is the nhtsa listening or does someone need to die before a recall is issued? *tr

Steering of the car seems to bind, that is, after turning the steering wheel to either to left or right, it does not return to center in a smooth or linear fashion, as if the power assist is inconsistent. although my car has not been examined,other owners of the same make and model report the same experience. replacing the eps unit does not seem to help, nor does replacement of the steering column. this inconsistent steering response could be a safety hazard. *tr

Vehicle becomes difficult to steer. steering becomes sticky at temperatures above 75 degrees f., and is jerky and difficult to steer. bmw dealership state it was the tires. i have replaced the tires and there was no change. *tr

Steering is "sticky" and has momentary failures when turning steering wheel at high outside temperatures (over 80f). continuous failures as steering wheel is turned. dealership denies knowing of problem, or cannot duplicate failures. this an extreme hazard. luckily no accidents yet. *tr

My 2004 bmw z4 is experiencing a problem with the steering becoming sticky when the car has been outside in the sun in summer weather. the steering locks in a position such that it takes extra pressure to turn the wheel. when sufficient pressure is applied to break out of the sticky position, it results in a sudden jerk in the steering, like an overcorrection. at highway speeds, this issue is eventually going to cause a high speed accident, possibly a fatality. this is not an isolated incident; it is a widely reported problem. if one googles "sticky steering z4" there are thousands of hits returned. yet bmw has yet to acknowledge this problem.

2004 bmw z4 steering wheel binds while driving after the auto has sat in direct sunlight for several hours or the ambient temperature is above 85 degrees. once the car is allowed to cool in the shade or through extended driving, the steering will return to normal. this condition causes the car to be unsafe at highway speeds. i have reported this condition several times to my local bmw dealership. they told me it could be the tires 'sticking' to the road. this condition warrants a recall. the steering is not safe when it is hot. *tr

When ambient temperatures are above approximately 85 degrees, the electronic power steering will produce abnormal resistance requiring considerable force to return to center. this makes it difficult to steer the car at high speeds. this is a safety issue requiring further nhtsa investigation. *tr

While traveling on the highway at a normal rate of speed, the steering wheel sticks, making it difficult to maintain control in a corner. this has been an ongoing problem for the past two years. the last incident nearly resulted in a crash with another vehicle. i nearly struck the guardrail while the steering would not respond properly. i took it to a mechanic, they said they can't find anything wrong, saying the vehicle behaves this way, because it's electronic steering? i have researched this on the internet and many z4 owners are experiencing the same problems. this is a extreme safety issue. *tr

In warm weather, at highway speeds the power steering sticks and the wheel does not return to the neutral position on it's own. at times the wheel seems to turn on it's own and you must constantly have a firm grip on the steering wheel ready to correct any unwanted movement. *tr

When driving the power steering gets hard like it will going lock up when driving. *tr

I have a 2004 bmw z4 and it experiences the same 'sticky' steering in hot temperatures that are described on this forum url http://bimmer.roadfly.com/bmw/forums/e85/5246978-1.html. the bottom line is that when it gets hot outside, the steering feels like it locks for a moment when you are driving down the road. this has happened on numerous occasions. while it has not caused an accident, i believe that it has the potential to cause an accident.

2004 bmw z4 purchased used in july 2009 with approximately 69000 miles. noticed immediately that when driving the vehicle in temps above 75 ambient, or when vehicle has been sitting in sun for extended periods, steering becomes very "sticky" or notchy when making slight turns such as lane changes or slight curves. steering seems to want to stick wherever the driver puts it and needs to have pressure applied to break the position. appears to be a common complaint with a bmw known fix being a complete replace of the steering column. vehicle is out of warranty and the fix too expensive. this seems to me to be a serious safety concern and should be covered under recall regardless of mileage. email sent with bmwna was never responded to. *cn

2004 bmw z4-steering sticks or catches at center when turning wheel while car is in motion. causes vehicle to swerve. problem is intermittent. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 bmw z4. it becomes difficult for the contact to control the steering wheel when the weather is cold; therefore; he doesn't drive the vehicle during the winter months. the dealers diagnosis confirmed that the steering column needed to be replaced at an estimate cost of $3,000. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was 42,000 and the current mileage was 52,000.

2004 bmw z4 (e85) 3.0i manual with sport package - steering becomes sluggish and hard to initiate a turn - only occurs after radiant heat is applied (ie.....left in the sun for an hour) - does not change if sport suspension is engaged - humidity is not relevant, only direct sunlight - guess is a bushing/bearing heating up in the rack assembly - happens during summer months if left in direct sunlight - directly related to ambient temperature (80 degrees less noticeable than 100 degrees) - at 100 degrees outside temperature and in direct sunlight for an hour, some people may not be able to turn the steering wheel at all (safety hazard) - dealer reported summer 2009 and they said "symptoms not reproducible" - contacted bmw usa and they made a note, but advised of no recall. *tr

2004 bmw z4 with 26k miles. when outside temperature is inthe 90s or above, the steering, particularly on the highway, develops a notchy or stickiness that does not allow you to track straight. causes you to jerk the wheel back and forth to maintain a straight of way. there are many other similar complaints on this component for 2003-04 model years. independent bmw mechanic has inspected my vehicle and states that the control module/electric motor/steering column has failed and needs replacement. he stated that there appears to be a trend on this. *tr

2004 bmw z4 current mileage 81k bought used with 35k in 2008. beginning in summer 2008, steering feels "sticky" in slow turns to right/left such as on /off ramp. with different tires, symptoms eased, but still evident, especially at ambient temps 70 deg f or above. at 71k car in for service including this complaint. dealer noted "binding/noisy lower column joint" & replaced lower section of steering column joint "per sib 32 03 06", but problem persists. problem not as severe as that noted in some other complaints on line but similar in persistence and annoyance. *tr

While driving the car on a sunny, summer day, the steering wheel has "tension" and "stickiness" while trying to rotate it. this causes abrupt and imprecise steering corrections due to the stickiness causing jerky steering. *tr this defect makes it difficult to retain a straight driving path, and makes it difficult to stay within a lane on the local roads and highways. the steering alignment also becomes out of a straight line, thus coming out of "center", and further making it more difficult to maintain a safe driving course.

When air temperature is greater than approximately 80 degrees f, the steering on my 2004 bmw z4 becomes "sticky" requiring a much higher level of effort to make steering adjustments. initially this higher level of effort is applied with no change in vehicle direction and then with additional effort vehicle direction changes significantly requiring re-correction to keep vehicle in lane and/or on the road. *tr

My car was parked in an an area that was not in the shade lot for several hours. the air temp. was about 80. when i drove off i could feel that the steering was not reacting to my input as it had in the cool morning. the steering was jerky and would not track as i turned the steering wheel, but lagged a few moments. i had an 80 mile drive where i had to turn the wheel in a zig-zag manner to keep the car tracking in the direction i wanted to go. when the car cooled off overnight the steering returned to normal. this is not the first time this has happened. it does not feel safe. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 bmw z4. the contact stated while driving 40 mph the power steering failed and the vehicle became difficult to maneuver. the vehicle was taken to a dealer for diagnosis and the steering column was replaced. six months after the vehicle was repaired the failure recurred. the recent failure was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 48,000. updated 6/25/13*cn updated 7/1/13 *cn the consumer stated the steering would not return to center by itself. updated

Steering issues. *tr