Problems with 2005 BMW Z4 STEERING

I was driving the car at approximately 45 mph and the car sterring got stiff. i couldn't control it. the power steering malfunction light came on. i got very concerned and somehow made it home. luckily i was close to home when it happened. the car after turning off and turning back on got normal. the symptom did not come back for 2 days but then came right back on. now i'm scared to drive this car. this is so dangerous and can cause an accident. i did some research and found i'm not the only one with this problem. a lot of other people had the same issue. bmw should fix this issue at no cost and there should be a recal on this. *js

The steering sticks when the cab temp gets high it does not lock complete when i try to correct i will over correct or under correct . this is the most dangerous car i have ever driven. *tr

While driving in warm weather steering has tight spots left and right when moving steering wheel, causing car not stay straight on road. very dangers while driving. *tr

Steering seems to stick, i just bought the car the same day and was driving it several hundred miles home. it felt like the car was in a rut, and i had to jerk the wheel to "unstick: it . it was scary. it happened several times during the trip, and has happened since then. *tr

When are you going to issue a full recall for the bmw sticky steering issue! for years people have been complaining on socials media and the nhtsa that this is a very real issue and yet no recall! i have the issue. i can say at times in hot weather my car is almost uncontrollable. it is all i can do to keep my steering to go the way it is supposed to go without jerking and over correcting. i have had the car since 2013. i am the second owner. everytime the temp gets above 80 the steering starts getting jerky and sticks. just go to facebook. bimmer forums. everyone who owns a z4 is having these same issues. it is extremely expensive to fix. bmw dealerships want to charge nearly 2000 for my 2005 bmw when this is a known issue. unless you force bmw to be accountable people are going to get killed.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 bmw z4. while driving 10 mph, the steering wheel seized without warning. the failure recurred numerous times. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the eps failed and needed to be repaired. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 69,773.

The steering seems to stick and force is needed to move in either direction. *tr

I bought a 2005 bmw z4 2.5i in 2013 and it only had 19,000 mi. on it. at about 22,000 miles i started noticing that the steering would stick, but i thought it might be my tires out of alignment, i then put a new set of tires on the front and had it checked and it made no difference in the problem. my car now has 30400 miles on it and the problem has just recently gotten much worse, i'm now afraid to drive the car. after reading about the number of people with the same problem, i'm hoping we can get a recall on a serious problem. *js

This steering in this vehicle is downright dangerous! i purchased the car used 6 months ago in the winter and only drive it a few times. as i've been driving more in the nicer weather, the steering started to "stick" causing me to oversteer. i am terrified to even drive this car on the highway because it gets worse as you increase speed and because of the unpredictability of the steering mechanism. the steering problem intensifies in hot weather. it nearly impossible to stay within your lane on a road with slight curves. i brought the car to bmw service center and was told the steering column needed to be replaced at a cost of $3500. i came online to do some research only to find hundreds of other people with the same exact problem. bmw must be aware of this potentially fatal flaw in their vehicle. i don't understand why there was not a recall issued. my fear it that one day the steering is going to lock completely. until we try to get a better estimate on the price of the steering column replacement we will not be driving this vehicle. please look into this, it is an accident waiting to happen. *tr

Sticky steering starts in spring, continues in summer, ends in fall. must be temperature related. a recall needs to be made!

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 bmw z4. the contact stated that while traveling 35 mph, the power steering assist malfunctioned and prevented the vehicle from moving. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 95,000. the current mileage was 120,000.

The car had been sitting outside in approx. 85 degree weather for about 2-3 hours. my wife and mother in law were driving done the highway. she initially noted that the steering felt "sticky" or "different". a few moments later while traveling at approx. 55mph the steering failed to respond or more accurately felt stuck. she was unable to turn the steering wheel and the car started to move to the right side of the road toward the guard rail. after slowing the vehicle and continuously trying to turn the wheel it finally responded. she pulled off the road and sat for a few moments to regain composure and check vehicle. there was nothing outwardly apparent, no flats, nothing under car, nothing wedged in engine compartment or underneath car. she exited the highway and drove slowly back to the house. the car did exhibit signs of "sticking" again, but did not lock up. a quick search on the internet has revealed this is a very common complaint on the z4. this is a very serious safety concern and now my wife is afraid to drive the car. *tr

Steering "sticks" in hot weather. for example, when going around a slight curve, you turn the steering wheel and when you loosen your grip on the wheel to allow the steering to go back towards center, the steering wheel stays in the same position and you have to use force to get it back towards center. this problem became noticeable last summer and has occurred again recently as spring temperatures are getting higher. most noticeable after driving the car home from work in late afternoon after it has been sitting in uncovered parking lot. problem seems to be more pronounced now than it was last summer. in looking at various bmw forums on the web, this particular problem is very widespread, known to be a problem by bmw, and very dangerous. amazing there have been no recalls. *tr

Steering started to seem stiff or sticky on occasion at various speeds, now occurring much more frequently. the car seems to drift back and forth and one must keep frequently correcting to keep car going straight. more so than you would normally expect and much more for a car of this caliber i would think. it sticks then there is a "dead space" until you catch it to correct it. i think this type of occurrence can be very dangerous. i was checking everything i could to find the issue, i.e. : tire pressure, balance, alignment, bearings etc. to no avail. even tried to locate the power steering fluid reservoir but obviously now i know there is none! one would think that bmw would correct this issue for generally honorable reasons. all it will take is for that steering to stick, the "dead space" to occur and at 70 mph on the freeway no time to correct until you hit the concrete divider and well you can guess the rest. how many could be killed ? especially in heavy traffic? and for a obviously faulty electric motor? i'm sure there are many more people who own these cars and may not know what to do about it. we need you to make this right before someone dies, perhaps this has already happened and its not known and is related to a poor driver or error? be cautious when near a z4 on the highway you or someone you love or know may be the next unwilling victim! just saying. help!!! *tr

First time was on the interstate approximately 65mph. the steering wheel felt like it had tight spots requiring the need for both hands on the wheel. the car seemed to wander left and right and when corrected it was insensitive. it felt like a goose neck bearing that had been over tightened on a bicycle, it had a tight feel, yet it was only in the center position. when making lane changes it felt normal, back to center the feel returned as before. it happened again yesterday on a state highway. the car has the sport mode and in both occurrences it was in sport. i have 60 years of driving experience and many cars have been high performance and sport vehicles. this is a dangerous condition because it is intermittent and requires both hands on the wheel to counter. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 bmw z4. while driving various speeds, the vehicle veered out of its lane independently. the contact had to use excessive force to regain steering control. the failure occurred intermittently. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified. the approximate failure mileage was 60,000.

While driving on the straight highway at a normal speed i noticed the car began to pull to the right. in order to correct, you would have to pull the steering wheel to the left causing the car to sometimes over correct with a jerking sensation and pulling to far to the left. car was taken in for repair. after diagnostics i was told that it was a problem with the steering column electric motor and you could not just replace the motor, but would have to have the entire steering column replaced. i did have the steering column replaced with good results. the new column was ordered by my repairman from bmw. my worry is if the last column was defective, will this one be also. *tr

My 2005 bmw z4 has a steering issue that has affected thousands of similar vehicles. the steering column is faulty and results in loss of stability at speeds between 65-75 mph. the steering "drifts" and is difficult to control the vehicle. steering also "sticks" and requires force to turn. there is much talk about a recall being forced onto bmw for their faulty steering column. please move this forward for the thousands of drivers bmw has put at risk by not acknowledging and correcting this problem for their drivers. *tr

Car is very dangerous to drive when car is warm and driven at highway speed. the car acts as if the steering is sticking or locking up> you have to pull on the steering wheel hard to left or right to get the wheels to turn. you must be very care and keep your mind on what you are doing at all times or you could be in crash. *tr

Driving straight at 55 mph and could not turn steering wheel left or right without a great deal of effort. very dangerous. same concerns as others with this model. will not let my wife drive. something needs to be done as these cars will crash and hurt someone. please e-mail with some sort of a plan in place please. *tr

First a description of the problem: 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 the 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

After the car runs for a little, the steering gets very sticky. it's very challenging to steer properly and when trying to negotiate turns, i must jolt the wheel to move passed the stickiness, resulting in an over correction. there is no way to safely drive, maneuver or control the steering. very dangerous. *tr

When car is sitting in sun for the day the steering gets stuck in position will not center while driving at highway speeds feels like something is holding it in place. went to dealer to see if it has a recall none at this time looked into the matter on line there are lots of other problems with other cars and years what is going to be done about this before life is lost ! *tr

Steering seems to lock in a position, or at least stop. i then have to use extra force to get to go past the lock / stop point. and then after a little more time the situation repeats itself again. the problem is that not every time that i use the car does it do it, about 25% of the time. i am concerned that it may sometime lock in position and then there will be an accident. there must be a fix easier than a steering rack replacement, which was recommended by one shop....updated 10/01/15*bf updated 12/04/2017*cn

The steering gets very sticky on warm days, above 75 degrees fahrenheit. it restricts the steering to the point that it is hard to turn the wheel. this problem is definitively a safety issue. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 bmw z4. the contact stated that while driving 40 mph, the power steering failed and the steering wheel tightened. the vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 38,000. updated 10/31/13*lj the consumer stated the steering wheel was sticky and it extreme effort to drive the vehicle. the dealer informed him, the entire steering component needed to be replaced. the consumer stated the steering incident happened after the vehicle was parked for 4 hours in 85 degree weather. updated 11/12/13

After car sat outside all day at work in 75 degree temp steering was notchy and sticky during the entire 20 min drive home. after the car cooled down in the garage steering was normal during drive later that night. this happens every time the car gets warm from sitting in the sun. there is no excuse for this and is extremely unsafe as the steering does not function properly. besides who wants a convertible you can only drive in cold weather?? *tr

Steering became sticky when trying to do minor corrections. it is very difficult to keep car straight without exerting considerable force in both left and right directions. problem is worse when outside temperature is above 80f and steering is "normal "when car is cold. subsequently, steering wheel does not easily return to center, occasionally car will pull in either direction, not sure when it will go left and when right. dealer wants to replace steering column for $3500. replacement is oem part so no dealer guarantee that replacement will not perform the same way. *tr

The electric power steering on the car is dangerous. the steering is erratic and very twitchy. the problem is noticeable at lower speeds but at highway speeds it is dangerous to drive the car. the steering wheel starts out stiff, like an old car without power steering, but then the electric motor suddenly provides too much power assistance. the electric assist results in a sharper turn than you need and therefore requires immediate correction. it consistently does this; it is not a one-time thing. it requires constant attention, with both hands on the wheel at all times. this makes the car both mentally and physically exhausting to drive on the highway. driving at lower speeds is annoying but at highway speeds it is dangerous. the correction and subsequent overcorrection problem makes the car drive down the highway like a snake. it is difficult to keep the car in the correct lane. the rougher the pavement the more difficult it is to drive the car. there have been a few times where the overcorrection has resulted in accidentally veering out of the correct lane. fortunately, no accident has occurred yet. please feel free to contact me and come drive the car to see for yourself. it only has 55,000 miles on it and based on the other complaints this is a systemic problem with the 2005 bmw z4. *js

Steering jerks to the point of being unsafe. at highway speeds the car will drift. when you correct, it jerks either right or left. a few times almost veering into the next lane of traffic. brought into bmw of ft. myers. *tr they said i needed a new steering column. $3,487.60 plus $153.44 to calibrate, plus tax. very, very disapointed in bmw not having a recall on this. it is a serious safety issue aside from speding a lot of money to purchase a "quality????" car.

Original owner new 2005 z4 bmw 18475 miles steering sticks while driving feels like it may not come back when you turn wheel kind of like flat spot on column hard to explain. *tr

While driving, car tends to "dart" back and forth. this issue tends to become more noticable as the day gets warmer. i have read about this same issue and would like to know if there is a recall on this issue. *tr

Steering wheel sticks, mostly when making left turns. bmw is aware of the issue with these vehicles but states "not a safety issue, simply a nuisance" this is not true. when turning to the left, the wheel sticks causing driver to exert more pressure, when the wheel frees, the vehicle veers to the left, occasionally causing the vehicle to cross the center line into oncoming traffic. this is a significant safety issue and ongoing!! *tr

Steering very hard to control and stcks to one side or other. problem occurs after car has been sitting in sun for several hours and 95+ degree heat. i just bought this car in june 2012. steering has a notched feel and will not center. pulls to one side and requires significant pressure to turn, but over corrects and pulls to other side. very dangerous. will not let any of the women in my household drive it because it is so hard to turn in that condition. this is very dangerous! steering returns to normal after a night in my garage, but returns to dangerous condition for drive home after sitting in the sun all day. *tr

Vehicle would run fine in the morning before the day heated up. at noon, the steering wheel would stick and more force than usual had to be applied with both hands to operate the steering wheel. also, there are times the car will jerk left or right upon breaking. if the road is slightly uneven, you have to be prepared in case the car jerks in any direction. i have tried upgrading the vehicles suspension system to no avail. makes the car feel unsafe to drive. i love the car, but i would like these issues to be addressed before somebody gets seriously injured or even killed if it hasn't happened already. *tr

Driving my 2005 bmw z4 has become a non option when the ambient temperature exceeds 85. the steering wheel becomes resistant to turning left, or right from center. and then you have to fight it back to center as it will stay in the turned position. this is a real shame, i don't know if their engineers realize this, but convertibles are for warm weather. i would expect this from a gm or ford product, but not from bmw who touts as being "the ultimate driving machine". this is a very common problem and can not believe it hasn't been issued a recall. *tr

2005 bmw z4. consumer states with vehicle steering *tgw the consumer stated it required extra effort to return the steering wheel to its normal position. it was extremely difficult to drive and sometimes he found himself applying too much effort and the result would be over steering. he also stated the steering problem was much worse during warmer weather. *jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 bmw z4. the contact was driving 35 mph when the steering tightened and seized, causing the contact difficulty in controlling the vehicle. the manufacturer was notified but offered no assistance. the vehicle had not been repaired. the vin was unavailable. the failure and current mileages were 18,500.

I just purchased this car on 5/26/12.driving home, i noticed the steering wheel felt as if it was sticking. upon arriving at home, my husband who had been in front of me on the way home, said i had been weaving. i explained the problem to him and he looked it up online. i have found this week that when the car is cool, the steering is great. it's only after the car has been sitting in the sun and been heated. on cool mornings or evening, the steering is fine...fluid, responsive,just as it should be. but when it has been sitting in the sun, it feels as if the steering wheel sticks randomly. sometimes very hard, sometimes lighter, but it makes steering the car very difficult. as i pulled out of my business yesterday i veered over almost out of control due to it sticking. it is really disturbing and worrisome since there's no way to predict what it will do. *tr

This car has a problem with sticky steering during warm weather. it takes great effort to recenter the steering wheel especially at speeds 40 to 60 mph. this is not a problem isolated to just my car but a wide spread problem that is extremely dangerous. every bmw blog is full of complaints from owners about this issue. there needs to be a recall or at the very least a tsb released so owners can have this safety issue corrected before someone gets hurt. *tr

Steering sticks when outdoor temperatures rise above 60 degrees f. *tr

I don't know if there's been any deaths in this faulty steering problem but i'm not going to let my 16 year old daughter take my bmw z4 out because the steering can be so sticky i'm afraid for her life, bmw should have a recall on the 2003-2005 z4's before somebody gets hurt. come on bmw suck it up!! thanks *tr

Bought the 2005 z-4 bmw used from a dealer in high point nc. drove it and enjoy driving until the warm weather. the steering sticks to a point of being dangerous. to compensate, i steer to the left and car pulls to the left then i bring the steering back towards the center and feel it sticking so i compensate by steering to the right. the whole time down the highway i fear for my life driving this car. i really had to concentrate to keep the car from steering off the road and i'm sure it appears i'm driving erratically to others on the road. the warm weather will soon be here in north carolina and i'm just scared to drive it. the car otherwise is beautiful. but if i'm going to be a repeat customer to the bmw line i need to get this fixed or they should recall it and i don't feel that i should have to pay for this problem and sounds like many many others have had the exact same problem from what my research shows me. please help before someone is killed. seriously i'm scared ! i contacted bmw in ohio and they need me to validate the problem through a dealer which i will do but i have to wait til the weather is warm again. luckily i am employed and will be able to pay the $125.00 diagnostic fee. *tr the consumer also stated every time she rode over a bump in the road, the radio would shut off and then come back on at random times. the dealer was unable to find any loose wires. also, the oil filter housing was leaking and an oil leak separator was sauing air to dispel into the engine. updated ivoq 04/16/13

I know i am repeating what many others have already said, but this sticky steering situation is very dangerous...i hadn't related it to temp sensitivity until reading other posts. this condition spoils all the fun that this brand should have. what ticks me off is the dealer acts like i am the first one to complain. come on , you could get away with that years ago but not now. we must speak up and be heard. as far as i'm concerned this vehicle is a piece of junk the way it is. at highway speeds this car will wear you out trying to overcorrect the steering. my wife is afraid to drive it. this is the first and probably last bmw i'm going to own.first couple of years it was a dream to drive but the last 4 years we have hardly put any miles on it..

My 2005 z4 3.0i has an intermittent steering problem. i never know when it will malfunction or when it will correct itself. it doesn`t seem to be effected by temperature or humidity. road surface or any certain speed,when it binds up it requires both hands on the steering wheel to keep the car under control. it is impossible to drive straight down a freeway, when it wanders to the left i must use excessive effort to turn to the right and it oversteers and i have to bring it back to the left so i just wiggle my way down the road. on a three hour trip, both on freeway and two lane roads, my shoulders and hands were so tired i had to pull off the road and rest and i was only twenty five miles from returning home. sometimes the problem doesn`t occur but i always must be vigilant because when it happens i had better be prepared, it could be so easy to lose control of this car. it is a really nice car if not for this problem. my wish is for bmw to remedy this situation voluntarily or have a nhtsa recall on all (and there are a lot of z4`s with this condition), these cars because this is a glaring safety issue, besides being a real pain to drive. i have tried everything i can think of, like pulling off the road and shutting off the ignition and restarting besides three inspections at a bmw dealership, two of which i paid the going service rate. also a four wheel alignment which didn't help at all. z4 owners need some help from somewhere! *tr

The steering column is defective as was determined by tom williams bmw of birmingham al. i have been on a bmw forum website and this is a very common problem. it resulted in a near accident 3 weeks ago, and a recall needs to be done on these very pricey cars. the price quoted me today was 3100.00$ bmw should be forced to recall and fix this problem. my car only has 55,000 miles on it so it is obviously a defective part! somebody is going to get killed and it was almost me! *js

I traveled to pennsylvania from alabama to buy my z4 that i found on autotrader.com. during my test drive i noticed nothing funny, but on the interstate on my way home i encountered what i can only describe as sticky steering. after research on the internet i found out that this is a very common problem in the 03,04, and 05 models. this is too expensive a car to have a problem like this! hundreds of people and probably thousands of people have this problem as it is obviously a defect in the steering. we will not go away over this problem and something needs to be done before there are accidents and deaths and then lawsuits. you could force a recall and you should do this immediately!!! *tr

Drove from alabama to pa. to buy my z4. test drive was fine but as car warmed up and i got to highway speed i immediately noticed a problem with the steering. i have since found out by going online that 03 to 05 z4's commonly have a problem called sticky steering. you have to force the car to turn. i have written bmw corporate and they instructed me to go to tom williams bmw in birmingham where they confirmed that it needs a new steering column at a cost of $3180. this car has 55,000 miles and obviously is the result of a defect that needs to be recalled. i have all the correspondence with corporate that i would like to forward to you. this problem almost caused me to wreck my car three weeks ago and its just a matter of time until someone gets killed. i know that you have heard of this problem and it is time that something is done. for a $40,000 car to have such a serious problem is just ridiculous. please help us force bmw to resolve this deadly problem! thanks.

Steering sticks while driving. i noticed this several times. i purchased the car used on 11/2/11, it has not been in any accidents. on driving home from purchase, noticed that the steering sticks while turning at times. initially thought this might just be trim parts rubbing on each other, but it takes some significant effort to get the wheel to turn when it is in a stuck position. when the steering sticks at highway speed, it is very dangerous as it requires significant turning effort to move past the sticking point which could result in oversteer at highway speeds. *tr

I have an issue with 'sticky' steering on my 2005 bmw z4. it seems to be worse in warmer weather but is there at all times while driving. i have noticed that while driving on a straight road where not much turning of the steering wheel is required there is a 'sticking' in the wheel that causes me to have to jerk the wheel slightly to continue a smooth drive. the date list of this incident is the last time it occurred but it happens every time i drive the car. *tr