Steering Column problems of the 2004 BMW Z4 - part 1

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

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

Tl the contact owns a 2004 BMW Z4. While driving approximately 45 mph, the steering wheel seized. The steering unlocked on its own after fifteen minutes of driving. The contact also stated that the vehicle was purchased from an individual back in April of 2018 and the failure occurred ever since. The vehicle was taken to BMW of chattanooga (6806 e brainerd road, chattanooga, TN 37421) where it was diagnosed that the steering column needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 60,000.

Steering jerky just purchased a used BMW 2004 Z4 only 50,000 miles and drove fine for a few days then it got real hot outside and now the steering is jerking me around. Feels like when I try to keep the car in the lines I am having to fight the steering wheel. Upon researching the problem seems this is a very common dangerous problem and this needs to be recalled. This is going to cause an accident. Very dangerous to have to fight to keep the car in the lines of the road. BMW wants to charge to replace the whole column at 3800. 00 . Appears they recalled 2006-2007 BMW other models for this same thing. The 2003-2004 Z4 should also be recalled.

The steering gets jerky in warmer weather making the car extremely difficult to handle. The steering almost appears to have gotten stuck in a notch on the column and forces the driver to put extra force into turning the wheel to correct it. The problem seems to occur when driving at highway speeds and when the temps are above 80. When driving at slower speeds this doesn't appear to happen. In doing some research online this issue appears to happen with most 2003-2005 Z4s without any resolution. The cars should be recalled and fixed.

I have a 2004 BMW Z4 2. 51 VIN number 4usbt33564lr69616 - the electronic steering eps has completely failed, and is inoperable. This is a known issue, on many many cars, and after contacting BMW north America, they said the only solution is to have a BMW dealer replace the entire steering column (their engineering problem) at a cost of $4000. I told them this was unacceptable. I have been to many mechanics and they have no answers for this problem other then going to BMW it is failed 90% of the time, and impossible to steer at times my odb2 reader reads the system information as sw-v5. 2 ss200381 part number 6763764 coding index 03 diagnosis index 04e1 variant index 474a hardware number 01 date dd. Mm. Yyyy 10. 12. 2003 error 610feeprom, no risk.

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

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

When the weather gets warm around at least 80's, the steering becomes very sticky. It can be difficult to control in low and high speeds and can definitely cause an accident. This is a known manufacturing defect and the only fix is to change the whole steering column in which BMW does not want to pay for. This is a highway safely issue and should be fixed by doing a recall. A lot of Z4 has these problem it just in different severity. I have contacted BMW several times about this issue. They want me to pay for the replacement when this should have been recalled.

The contact owns a 2004 BMW Z4. While driving at 55 mph, the steering wheel turned in both directions independently. The contact had to constantly maneuver the steering wheel in order to keep the vehicle in position. The vehicle was taken to a dealer who diagnosed that the steering servo column needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 27,500.

I purchased a 2004 BMW Z4 convertible 2 months ago. For the first month, the car drove perfectly. The last month, the car has become undriveable due to a "sticky steering wheel" and the steering wheel locking (the steering wheel will not move). I have taken it to 2 separate dealerships and they have told me that the steering column needs to be replaced. The car is quite dangerous to drive at the moment and after reading about this issue online, it appears to be an issue in which a factory recall was set to be released.

The contact owns a 2004 BMW Z4. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 45 mph, the steering wheel locked without warning. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The technician stated that the steering column should be replaced, however, the repairs should not be considered a permanent fix since the failure occurs during warm weather conditions. The failure recurred on various occasions. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 68,000. The VIN was not available.

The contact owns a 2004 BMW Z4. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle failed to shift gears. The vehicle was taken to a dealer. The technician diagnosed that the steering column failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 43,000.

The steering column freezes in position and holding the steering it wheel feels like it's being held by a magnet much like a DC motor feels if you try to rotate it. For example after rounding the bend or taking the corner the steering wheel would stay in position and you have to physically turn the steering wheel back to center it's like it's stuck there by magnetic force. I called my BMW dealership and asked the service advisor about this problem. He had no idea what I was talking about then he asked the service forman and was told it's a well known problem and the only fix is to replace the steering column at $3600-4000. If this is a well known problem then why isn't there a recall. And why isn't BMW taking responsibility for a design flaw.

Car has been having sticky steering problems for awhile now. It has gotten worse this summer . When the weather is above 70 or the longer I drive the worse it gets. Problem has gotten so bad that it is not safe to drive any longer. Steering wheel seems to have a flat spot in the middle and causes you to over steer when this happens. Very dangerous. Was told it would be around 3000 dollars to fix?? it is a great car besides that!! to bad it cannot be driven at this time. Just sitting in garage. Would love to have another one but not at the expense of a new steering column.

The steering wheel sticks and it's very hard to keep the car centered. I am told it will need a new steering column and this was an issue BMW had for a couple years on these models.

The steering is the only problem but your web site insists on my selecting at least 3 affected parts. In any case, the steering recently became jerky and notchy while driving. After several days of this, I took it my local foreign car repair specialist and they diagnosed a problem with the electronic power steering. Ultimately, they replaced the entire steering column at a cost to me of $4100. This was a very unsafe condition making my control of steering tenuous at best and one that you have received numerous complaints about.

The steering on the car becomes notchy and twitchy, especially at higher speeds and in warm weather. The steering wheel hangs up like there is a flat spot somewhere in the system. It takes extra physical effort to move the steering off that flat spot. The steering wheel will intermittently stop responding to driver input for a short range. Then suddenly start working again after extra applied pressure on the wheel. When the steering is in the notchy/twitchy condition it will pull to one side. This is not a safe situation because you are constantly correcting the steering to gain control of the car. I have been advised the problem is grease on a bearing in the steering column. The bearing is not sealed and and the grease is exposed to hot temperatures. The problem can be repaired by replacing the bearing with a new improved version, BMW does not offer the bearing on it's part list, but does recommend replacing the steering column at a cost of $4000. 00.

Driving down the highway steering became very sticky, wheel would just jerk back and forth whenever I tried to switch lanes. Brought it to the dealer the next day who said, OH yeah that's just stiff steering. When I explained it more, he fessed up that OH yeah he had heard of that too and it was a power steering issue and not a good thing and dangerous to drive. He said that the whole steering column would have to be replaced, the quoted was $4100 to fix it! after doing some research on line I'm flabbergasted by how many people have had this issue and how many people will have this problem as this is a recreational vehicle for most people and they probably haven't driven it enough yet to find out this will occur. This should be a recall no company should get away with putting out a defective product and making the owners pay for it later.

This has been a continuous problem. I just had the front struts and other front end work done figuring it would fix the problem, it didn't. In researching the problem and talking with other BMW Z4 owners, this happens on all 2003-2005 BMW Z4. There is a problem in the steering column. It will cause an accident, especially when it happens a high speed. When the car has been running awhile (longer than 1 hour, most likely heat related), the steering becomes very, very stiff and feels like the steering wheel is locked, and to move the steering wheel you must exert an extraordinary force to make it move. The problem continues to happens at all speeds until the car sits awhile (cools off). At high speeds this can make you over correct and force you out of your lane. If I ever come up and an object in my lane (I. E. Tire fragment from a truck) and I have to move out the way and there is another vehicle in the next lane, it is very possible I could sideswipe that vehicle and cause an accident. The defect has been corrected in other vehicles by installing a new steering column from earlier year BMW Z4 (2008 or earlier), so it seems that BMW knows of the problem and has corrected the defect. BMW just needs to make it right with all the vehicles effected. I know from research that this has been looked at before (2010 or 2011) by the NHTSA, but no recall was issued. This needs to be reopened and a recall implemented. These are low mileage and well maintained cars, and will still be on the road for a number of years. If this was on any other massed produced car (gm, faulty ignition), there would have definitely been a recall by now. I don't know how to tell you how serious this defect is, but it is dangerous! I will not allow anyone else drive this vehicle. Thank you!.

2004 BMW Z4 purchased used in 2011 with just over 60k miles on the odometer. At just under 70k miles the driver noticed steering seemed stiff and when entering a curve the steering wheel would freeze in locked position until manually corrected upon which time it would feel as if the front wheels were on a patch of black ice momentarily! outside temperature was above 80 degrees. Did a search on this vehicle no accidents. However it was discovered many complaints (242) on this or similar steering problems. I called BMW of north America and spoke to a public relations rep. Who informed me that BMW was unaware of any such problems with this year model steering. I replied that this seems odd since I had just looked at 17 pages of such problems on-line? I scheduled an appointment with my local dealership and asked to speak with an experienced technician concerning the problem. The service manager checked with one of their technicians! he confirmed that he had seen this before and the steering column would have to be replaced. When I purchased this car I also transferred over an extended warranty at a cost of $1,000. 00. So I will only be out my $100. 00 deductible. Parts and labor will be in excess of $4,000k if a dealership tech is aware of such problems with a particular make or model you would surely think that BMW of north America would also be aware of the same such findings! something smells and its not german chocolate cake!.

I previously filed a report about the electronic steering wheel column, poor steering, sticking prior to having it fixed on this date. I had not found the paperwork for it until after I submitted the report. The tracking # 11300634.

The contact owns a 2004 BMW Z4. The contact stated that the steering wheel seized and the steering wheel could not be turned. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who stated that the steering column needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure was reported to the manufacturer. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 60,000. The current mileage was 62,000.

Since I purchased my 2004 BMW Z4 on March 13, 2013 I have experience very annoying and more importantly unsafe issues with my vehicles steering especially at high speeds. At first I thought it could have been the alignment but after doing extensive research online and BMW forums it appears this is a common problem for the e85 (2003-2005) BMW Z4 roadsters. "need a new steering column to fix "sticky steering" prob with the eps @ $3,300. My 2004 Z4 is a "pleasure" car with 17,000 miles. Not a pleasure to fight the steering on the road. " -taken from one of the forums. Fortunately I have another vehicle I drive daily and don't have to commute daily in this vehicle. However when I do drive it it's definitely noticeable not only by me but my passengers, it's scary even. I purchased my car with 69,500 miles which really is quite low considering the year and I am very disappointed to find something that has cost me so much to obtain gives me an uneasy feeling everytime I drive it. Wish I could afford to have the problem fixed but being a college student I simply don't have an extra $3,000+ to spare to spend towards the repair. Anyways hoping enough grievances will be filed and eventually BMW will own up to the problem and be willing to work with its many unhappy customers who are literally hazards on the road due to this "sticky steering" problems at high speeds. Thank you.

Steering wheel / response feels "sticky and notchy" when steering column is hot. Have to fight steering wheel when traveling at high speeds. Does not happen in cooler temps. I have read that this is an internal bearing issue with the steering column. Dangerous!.

Bought used 2004 BMW Z4 in Aug 2012, steering seemed fine, it had 39k miles on it. Now at 44k miles the steering has become notchy, wobbly feeling and the car darts around. Had alignment done in Jan 2013 but still a problem. Looking at the number of complaints filed already, I am not alone. I would be happy to pay out a small amount to fix this but it seems to be a 3k-4k fix from what I've read. BMW needs to recall or else come up with a fix that doesn't involve replacing the whole steering column. What do you say BMW?.

When I am driving at any speed, my steering wheel does not feel as though it is moving smoothly, as I would expect from a precision-engineered BMW. In fact, it sticks to the point that it will not move unless it is jerked forcefully to the left or right. This jerking is not a big problem when I am driving at 20 to 30 miles per hour. However, when I am driving on a highway at 40 or more miles per hour, the sticking of the steering wheel becomes a serious problem because when I jerk the wheel as hard as I have to in order to unstick the steering, the car swerves so dramatically that I could easily lose control of the car and hit another car, especially in rain or other precipitation, and cause property, or worse bodily, damage to others or myself. What I find ridiculous about this is that I am expected to pay $5k to replace the steering column without any guarantee that the replacement part will last any longer than the original part, at which time I will have to pay $5k yet again.

I have a sticky steering problem on my '04 Z4. I took my Z4 to an independent mechanic who specializes in BMW's, I asked him to look at the steering problem. He took the steering column apart and found a bearing that is anything but good engineering. There is a bearing in the middle of the steering column that is not sealed. With time and with heat the lubricant gets dry and cakes up. He told me this is what is making the steering sticky. He cleaned out the bearing and put in new lubricant and my z is fun to drive again. Now for the bad news: he told me it is a temporary fix, the result of lousing engineering/design. The bearing is in the middle of the steering column. It is not a sealed bearing. The bearing is not replaceable. BMW does not list it as a part - you have to buy the entire steering column assembly (parts and labor over $3500). I have read hundreds of blogs on this subject in which other z-4 owners are having the same exact problem. Several things that I noticed while reading these blogs: anyone that contacted the dealership were told that they have never heard of the problem before. It is funny that each blog stated the exact same statement from the dealerships. The second thing was that they recommended that the steering column be replaced. If they have never heard of this problem before then how can they assume that replacing the steering column is the correct repair for the problem, BMW should step up and take responsibility for this problem and recall all z-4?s before someone gets killed, or seriously injured. BMW cannot deny the existence of this problem.

I had this car built and am the only owner. Initially, still under warranty, the car needed a new convertible top. After that, for years, I had a �sticking� when I would steer the car making the car very difficult to control or turn. This deterred me from driving the car as much as I wanted, and certainly from taking it on any distance trips. . . . Basically enjoying the car. Initially I thought the car may need new tires or an alignment, but it was diagnosed as the electronic steering column. From reading BMW chats and forums, I found this was a very common problem. I tried to contact BMW directly, but to no avail. I finally had to pay for the repairs myself, costing over $3000. The other problem that has continued is the abs brake light will illuminate for no apparent reason. I have had my mechanic look at it, but can't seem to find a definitive cause. Often when the car is turned off, and then restarted, the light goes off. . . But will sometimes, not all the time, come back on again, both at higher speeds and also during city, low speed driving. I baby this car so much, only drive it seasonally, and it seems to spend more time in the shop being repaired or maintained. I think it was a �lemon� from the onset. BMW was negligent in helping cover some expenses that many others have reported!.

After purchasing the vehicle (a 2004 BMW Z4 with only 34500 miles) on the way home I noticed a "sticking" in the steering wheel at highway speeds (approximately 1st week of February 2012). Which of course was very disappointing being that I had only owned the car for about 30 minutes. But considering the mileage and age of the car I hoped it was because the car had been sitting for sometime. I was wrong it is becoming more and more of a problem. After very little research I've found that this is apparently a very common problem with these cars. Apparently it is due to expansion of a gear in the steering column due to heat. I am very disappointed. I felt I had found a good car considering the very low mileage. I've found that many people have had to have their steering columns replaced at a cost of over 3000 dollars! this is unbelievable on a car with only 35,000 miles on it! this is definitely dangerous! for the steering wheel to "stick" and require significantly increased effort to turn is a serious danger! the danger of over correction is undeniable. After a recent short trip down the highway my forearms were very fatigued after trying to keep this car on course for just a few miles. I just wonder how many wrecks have been caused by this defect. I find it very hard to believe that a company of BMW's stature would not be doing everything within its power to correct this dangerous defect immediately. I guess someone will have to get hurt first. Instead of being proactive and preventing such a disaster. Or maybe they're just making too much money selling new steering columns to people who are unaware of the defect. Something has to be done!.

My 2004 BMW Z4 3. 0i has difficulty with steering when the temperatures exceed 95 degrees. The car steering is "sticky" for lack of a better description. It is scary to drive home from work after it has been sitting in the sun. From what I have read, this is a failure of the steering column.

Richard dunn writes: I have the same problem. 2004 BMW Z4 with 23,500 miles! dealer iwill replace the steering column for a cost of $3,700! where can I find help in fixing this problem being a senior citizen on limited income the $3,700 repair bill is a problem is there a number to call BMW to issue a complaint thanks 2004 BMW Z4 roadster VIN the problem occurs when the outside temp get into the 90's.

Normal drivng clunking sound in 2004 BMW Z4 steering column 11500 miles. Nothing done todate.

BMW Z4 roadster 23000 miles steering column sticks which has the possible of causing a crash with on comming traffic.

What does it take to fix a 2004 BMW Z4 that has notchy/sticky steering the car has 23000 miles on it it appears to happen when the car is driven for 15-20 miles (is temp a problem) and why isn't there a recall on this problem this problem is very common and costly in the $3500-4000 range the steering column has to be replaced the car was purchased at BMW of chattanooga tenn in April of 2010 now I beleive the car was sold to me with the steering problem it could easy cause a head on crash or you asked this BMW question on 6/24/2011 for $18.