Steering Column Problems of BMW Z4 - part 2

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.

See all problems of the 2004 BMW Z4 🔎.

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 bwm service center and was told the sterring 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.

See all problems of the 2005 BMW Z4 🔎.

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.

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.

The steering pulls erratically in both directions and becomes stuck. It requires constant attention to correct the erratic behavior of the steering. It has suddenly pulled in each direction at different times and I have had to pull back hard to avoid crossing into traffic or sideswiping the car next to me. This is not tires or rutted roads causing this. It is an extremely unsafe defect in the steering column of the BMW Z4. Please push for a recall. . The bearing in the column is unsealed and not able to be lubricated so it dries out and causes these issues.

See all problems of the 2003 BMW Z4 🔎.

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.

This is for a 2003 BMW Z4 with just over 25,000 miles. As soon as I began driving on an access road and then a county road, I noticed the vehicle was not going in a straight line even though I was not turning the wheel. There was some play in the steering and the wheel felt stiffer than normal with a sticky feeling a few degrees left or right. As I drove down this straight road, the car continued to pull towards one side or the other and controlling it became very difficult. From behind, it would appear as though I was swerving while trying to control the vehicle. I felt like I could lose control of the vehicle so I drove as slowly as possible to the dealership. I explain the situation to the administrative staff and they took the car in for inspection the next day. The following day I received a call from the head mechanic to ask more questions. Again I provided more details about how the vehicle felt while driving and they requested permission to road test it. At first they thought the issue was related to wheel alignment, but upon further testing they realized it was more than that. The sticky steering column appears to have been damaged, the motor drive for the power steering. I was quoted $3,176 to replace. I spoke with the head mechanic, and expressed my displeasure with what appears to be a qa or design issue with this car and the fact I found hundreds of other reports and investigations launched into this exact problem with the Z4. In my opinion this manufacturing defect should be reason enough for a recall given the hazardous conditions created by the malfunction of a relatively new/unused part. BMW's insistence that I cover the cost of this part is also unreasonable, as I doubt they can attribute this malfunction to typical wear and tear given the light use of this vehicle.

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 exra hard then it goes past the point that would keep you going straight downt he road into the next detent and you are progressively headed off the other side of the road. As you try to correct it by turning back, it will not smoothly turn back, it resists till you push extra hard then it goes past the point that would keep you going straight and stops in the next detent and now you are headed off the road in the other direction.

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.

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

I purchased this car used and have had problems with the steering since buying it 5 years ago. Had it at a BMW repair store they have informed me the steering column will need to be replaced for $ 3000 plus. After doing some research this is a common problem with this BMW. Why has BMW not issued a recall? this could be a severe problem that could cause accidents and death while you are driving! tammy mai.

My steering column turns similar to the fan control switch on the Z4 from detent to detent and not smoothly like a volume control on a radio. If you reach forward to the fan control console and turn it you will note that it does not turn smoothly it goes from stop to stop to stop about every 5 degrees. Each stop is called a detent. So as you turn the knob it starts in a detent then as you turn it clicks into the next detent and stops then you have to twist a bit harder till it clicks into the next detent. That is how my steering column acts when it is hot outside. It clicks into one detent and that position may not keep you driving straight down the road. You try to correct it and it will not turn unless you push extra hard then it goes past the point that would keep you going straight down he road into the next detent and you are progressively headed off the other side of the road. As you try to correct it by turning back, it will not smoothly turn back, it resists till you push extra hard then it goes past the point that would keep you going straight and stops in the next detent and now you are headed off the road in the other direction.

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!.

After starting up the car (but during ignition, the key slipped in my fingers causing a missed start, I therefore had to turn the key again to get engine to turn over. ) and driving from my driveway, there was a complete failure of the steering assist which caused extremely difficult steering/cornering. I pulled over, thinking it had to do with the missed start, turned off the engine and restarted it; still no power assist. Took it to the dealer, they were able to do a computer reset which restored power assist, but told me they could not say if or when it would happen again. I could opt for complete steering column replacement at a cost of $3500! ive owned the car for 5 months and maybe put 400 miles on it? this is too dangerous a thing to let go, I don't think this is safe. This should be recalled.

See all problems of the 2008 BMW Z4 🔎.

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

Steering wheel rotation inhibited, would not turn smoothly, extra force needed to overcome resistance in steering wheel rotation, very heavy center detent. Car swerves violently when extra force on wheel is used to overcome resistance in steering wheel rotation. Unable to make common minor adjustments, resultant oversteering causes erratic movements. Car nearly gone off road several times. Heat related. Happens when car cabin temperature elevated by sunshine or extended drives/use. >=2. 5hrs. Car is unsafe. BMW acknowledges cause related to steering column/gears but refuses to recall/fix. Please help before more are killed.

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!.

Steering has become loose to the point where it is hard to keep the car on the road and find that over corrections are happening. Was told must replace the steering column at a cost of $3200. 00. It is a widely reported problem that BMW should fix. It is a safety issue.

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 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.

I have a 2003 BMW Z4 2. 5i I recently purchased. I noticed the "sticky" steering for the first time the night I purchased it. After searching the internet I discovered that hundreds of Z4 owners have this serious steering issue. The steering is not so bad in cool weather, but warmer temperatures have an adverse effect on keeping the car on the road. I have had this issue numerous times in the 1 month that I have owned the car. Yesterday I almost lost control going down the highway on a curve driving at the posted speed limit. Z4 owners are afraid to drive the car due to this sticky steering issue. I didn't have to look hard on the internet to find that this issue wide-spread and has been grossly ignored. I was also surprised at the number of affected cars, with no action by BMW or our government. What are the powers at be waiting for? a death because of the steering issue. The car needs a recall for a replacement steering column or a bulletin to simply bring the car to a dealer for a replacement at no cost to the owner. BMW is aware of the faulty steering columns. Why has this not been fixed yet? please do something!.

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?.

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. 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.

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.

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.

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've lost control of my steering in grave circumstances and the wheel sticks, where it reaches a point where I cannot control the vehicle whatsoever. The vehicle barely has 47,000 miles on it. While driving 30mph last fall, the steering wheel began to stick and I could not steer the vehicle. I had to apply a great deal of force to get the steering to respond. There is a continous clicking, almost like a "clunk" sound, from the steering column and the steering simply does not respond well and I feel extremely unsafe. The local BMW dealer says that the entire steering column will need to be replaced, which will cost me over $3,000. I parked the car for winter and recently pulled it back out and the problem continues to persist.

See all problems of the 2007 BMW Z4 🔎.

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!.

Dps failure. Light stays on and steering is impossible. Dealer said 3,000. 00 to replace steering column.

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!.