Steering Is Tight Problems of BMW Z4 - part 2

My 2004 BMW Z4 steering is choppy and sticks even when driving in a straight line. Making normal driving maneuvers to maintain control of the car awkward. Note, this car has less than 36000 miles. I took the car to the BMW dealership and without even taking it into the shop to look under the hood, the maintenance crew told me exactly what was wrong. The upper power steering mechanism is faulty, which BMW has a recalled for certain vins but not ours. Its pretty clear that this is an across the board BMW problem and such a prestigious automobile manufacturer should not have to be coaxed into doing the right thing. So I go on the web to this site and I find 233 complaints for the same problem in just this year alone. What's it going to take for BMW to do a recall and fix the problem.

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Steering is sticking pulls to the left then to the right very difficult to keep car straight on the road sudden jerking of car when turning the steering wheel turns but car doesn't turn with the turn you have to force the turn and then you get pulled in other direction very very unsafe! feels like you're going to be pulled into a crash! these steering columns need recalled and fast!.

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??.

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The steering is very sticky and jolts left and right. I have found through some research to be a common problem among 2003-2005 BMW Z4 owners. It is not safe to be cruising down the highway jolting back and forth.

Steering became somewhat unresponsive while driving at highway speeds. It was as it the steering wheel was sticking. Reducing speed did not seem to help, temp outside was 71 degrees and sunny. Checking web forums, this is a problem with this car. Bought this used approx 4 weeks ago, concerned that if steering continues to function this way, could cause an accident as you try to over compensate for sticking issue.

I recently bought this car and the dealer talked about a steering issue with the Z4 models where they don't feel like the steering will center. I didn't have a chance to put miles on the car until today where I found out what he was talking about and had time to research it. This is a very well known issue and it looks like you have investigated it previously but it still is a very real problem and makes the car unsafe to drive. While driving after the car is warmed up the steering will feel as though it sticks as you try to drive a straight line. At around 40+mph the car will pull right or left with the steering nearly impossible to adjust to center. You can have the car pulling to one side, say traveling at 60mph, it will pull you to the right at a rate of 2 feet for every second. You have to nudge the steering wheel as it is not fluid (feels like it is stuck) back to the left and then it will pull left at the same rate. It is a battle of constant adjustment to fight in trying to center the car. If you have traffic around you it could be an accident waiting to happen. I request that this issue is re-opened as a safety recall. I have reviewed the information you received from BMW regarding steering warranty claims and with just over 12,000 BMW Z4's produced and nearly 10% (1,1xx) of them having a filed claim regarding steering issues, one would see that this is a major flaw. Warranty work is not always requested, thus why there are still more on the street that need high cost repairs and causing unsafe driving conditions for the driver/passenger as well as surrounding vehicles.

Immediately after purchasing this vehicle we noticed difficulty steering the car. The steering is very sticky and eratic. It is actually scary to drive. Has a tendency to veer off and possibly wreck. I just hope it does not take x number of accidents/deaths for the manufactuer (who is aware of the problem) to fix this unacceptible steering problem. My personal research has revealed that there are many many owners of this make and model vehicle have complained to the manufacturer about this exact same problem. If any information is needed or if you wish for me to elaborate, please feel free to email or call me. Thank you.

Date listed is an approximation. . . I bought the vehicle used and during the hot weather the steering felt like it was sticking. Now that I've owned the vehicle for a couple of years I can tell that when the vehicle is left in the hot sun the steering "sticks" which causes it to move erratically. This happens no matter the speed and is very dangerous. Due to the sticking I am very wary driving the car when the weather is hot and the car sits in the sun. I read that there is an investigation into this issue and want to include that my car is experiencing the same issue as listed in the investigation. This is a dangerous defect and the NHTSA should force BMW to fix the problem on the affected vehicles. I should not have to drive a vehicle that enough evidence is available to confirm there is a manufacturer defect.

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Steering sticks when outside temperatures are hot 90deg+. I noticed this condition last year in the summer months every time I drove the car in the heat (n. Texas summer) the car had about 39000mi. On it. The steering wheel literately feels stuck in a position and takes abnormal amount of effort to turn/change direction then it's like it just suddenly releases and causes you to over-steer the car it feels unsafe driving especially in traffic or driving close to a hwy barrier/construction zone etc. . My wife started driving the car today and said the steering felt like it was sticking, and that she had to use considerable force to change direction and the car would dart due to having to overcompensate for the stuck condition, she said it scared her. Best description I can give is to compare the steering to an electrical switch e. G. (fan blower switch) that has a detente or click between the speeds and how it takes additional effort to change from one speed to another. I have been reading the forums and blogs and there are many people experiencing the same problems with 2003-2005 BMW Z4's so I am adding mine to the list. Since this is a safety issue I believe BMW should step up and recall or take care of this apparent design flaw within the steering system. These cars become unsafe to drive when this condition arises.

Power steering did not move smoothly. On hot days the steering binds up. The steering wheel is hard to turn. A definite detent is felt in the steering, this detent requires extra effort to overcome, commonly causing oversteer and a back and forth track down the road. As car rolls down highway the small movements to go straight are unattainable as the steering is hard to turn as areas of higher resistance require extra force upon the steering wheel, and when the resistance is overcome the car steers to far in the desired direction and when a correction is attempted the same situation occurs. When the car is hot and this issue is present it is not possible to drive the car in a smooth straight direction. In attempting to maintain control I have on multiple occasions been nearly or slightly off the roadway and narrowly avoided several accidents.

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.

The vehicle is usually kept in the garage. After sitting in the sun in temperatures exceeding 85 degrees, the car steering was hard to operate. It felt as though the steering was manual -- hard to turn on a curve and hard to turn left and right. This only seems to happen when the car sits outside in hot weather. I have not had the problem checked by my mechanic.

Steering is sticky not allowing steering wheel to return to center. Takes constant pressure to steer and keep centered. Very difficult to keep in center of lane at highway speeds.

I was driving my 2003 BMW Z4 on the highway going roughly 65mph when I noticed the steering became very notchy and stiff, the car felt as if the steering wheel was sticking and not turning to center freely. Drving like this the car is difficult to keep in your lane, a very scary feeling when driving at highway speeds. The steering problem continued until I returned home and was still noticeable at city speeds, wheel still sticking around turns and not returning to center position after completing a turn. The problem occurred several times since then,not giving me a good sence of security when driving. This problem only starts to happen after or while drving at speeds above 60mph. I'm contacting you because I have read numerous complaints of BMW Z4 owners having similar safely problems. Please let me know if anything develops regarding a recall of any faulty steering equipment on this vehicle.

I own a 2004 BMW Z4. While driving the car last evening I noticed the steering wheel felt like it was sticking as I tried to turn the wheel. I t was so bad at one point that I strugled to steer the car around a curve. When it stuck, it caused me to oversteer throwing my car into oncoming traffic. Fortunately no cars were coming and a dissaster was avoided. This is not the first time this occured. It appears to be intermittent. The BMW dealer can not find any thing wrong. A source of this problem needs to be determined before people get killed.

The steering on my BMW Z4 was sticking and hard to turn. The steering didn't want to return to center. While driving on the freeway through a curve, the steering was hard to turn, wouldn't return back to center and had to make numerous adjustment to keep the car within the lane. It was very unsettling and could easily have caused an accident. This has happened several time in the past and it seems to happen predominately on warm days.

2004 BMW Z4, VIN:[xxx], 63000 miles the BMW is having a severe steering problem on hot summer days. Traveling at 70mph on the highway the car can be unsafe to drive. This problem is related to an electric steering. The steering is supposed too tighten some depending on speed and driving conditions. In many cases that I have found in research it gets to tight and makes it difficult to make the minimum of steering corrections. In my case it can make the car move into another lane on the highway from a small correction. I have been told there are similar problems in the Mini cooper, Z4, and 3 series BMW's. I have taken the car to a BMW dealer (sunbelt motors, inc. , meridian, ms) for diagnosis. Their solution is to replace the steering column in the car at a cost of $2600. 00 (parts only) plus labor. I contacted BMW and open a case study with them regarding this matter. The car is out of warranty and they do not feel any responsibility to repair or offer any assistance with the repair. All it takes is a quick google search for: BMW Z4 steering problems to see how many people have been affected by this. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

I have 2004 Z4 BMW the steering is sticky it feels like that is binding and have to use extra effort to control car. At times I have to jerk it back into line. At times it feels like im fighting with it .

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

The steering feels notchy and hard to turn most of the time. At times its hard to maintain the car in the lane that im driving in especially when there are slight curves on the road and it gets worst when taking big curves. I have to slow down to avoid driving in between lanes when cars are on my left and right therefore I am not able to control the car due to the erratic steering and which might cause an accident. The steering at times locks or stays in one spot and its hard to straighten it without forcing it back to the center. One dealer told me that it was normal, I've driven many cars in my life and never felt so unsafe driving a car like I do with this one.

My 2003 BMW Z4 has a major steering problem. There is noise in the steering column area and the steering becomes very stiff and non-responsive at highway speeds. Its like driving a car with a power steering pump that is about to fail. The problem is much worse on hot days or after the car has been driven a lot. I took it to the only BMW dealership around here in indianapolis. They told me they couldn't duplicate the problem in the shop but it sounded like a defective steering column. The cost on a new column is $3500 plus many man-hours of labor charges to install it! I went on line and found out that this is a common problem with Z4s. So, here I sit with a $13,000 car that I can't afford to fix and I'm afraid to drive more than a few miles from home because the steering is so tight/questionable. This is a safety issue and BMW should be made to recall this issue!.

2003 BMW Z4 2. 5i. Steering feels sticky on warm afternoons. Feels like a "dead spot" in the steering gear.

Steering is sticky diring warmer weather and sticks on center and is difficult to turn from center.

Details: steering problem at 45+mph with vehicle, steering is very sticky going straight, constant corrections cause over steering, steering wheel does not return to neutral position on curves leading to dangerous conditions, tested to 75 + mph, gets worse at higher speeds of freeway driving. Just took possession of used vehicle. I think its just luck no body has been killed from running off the road or hitting someone. Please look at all the complaints with the same trouble.

Steering is sticking on my BMW Z4 when the weather is warm. I live in the mountains of north georgia and do not feel safe driving under these conditions. Based on looking at the online information into this problem this seems to be a defect in the Z4. Why would this not be recalled? the dealership immediately asked at what temperature this occurs. The dealership has quoted $3200 to fix the problem. This is not acceptable when it looks as if there are alot of Z4 owners with the same problem. The car is out of warranty and the mileage is low. Please help us who own these cars to get something done before someone gets seriously hurt or even killed.

At highway speeds, my 2005 BMW exhibits stiff and erratic steering as follows: steering wheel is very tight, and does not turn unless inordinate pressure is applied. This makes steering very strange and quick movement is difficult to enact. A recent occurrence was July 24, 2011 on highway 101 in central California. A car pulled out in front of me unexpectedly, and at first the steering would not turn. This delayed my action to steer and forced a more violent movement from me. This then caused my passenger to shift suddenly in her seating, and cut her leg on the dashboard cup holder which had been extended. The malfunction appeared soon after I purchased vehicle. However it is only present at over 40 mph, and is pronounced during hot weather. Most of my use for this vehicle has been for short local trips (only 1800 miles on odometer currently). I now recognize how severe this steering malfunction is, as I have been using the vehicle on the highway more often.

On hot days(>75 f) the steering is very sticky. I feel unsafe to drive, especially on highway, because I'm afraid the car will lock on me. Replacing the entire column is bit too expensive so I limit my driving to colder days only, which doesn't make sense when you have convertible. It seems like many owners of 2003 BMW Z4 have similar issue. I've been hoping for years that BMW will have recall for this problem. This is such a nice car, and at the same time huge disappointment if it comes to performance and lack of response from the BMW to fix the problem.

Steering is sticking badly. Inspected by independent mechanic and told is defective and unsafe. With the vehicle under 20,000 miles the mechanic said is clearly a defect with the electronic steering.

Steering problem at 45+mph with vehicle, steering is very sticky going straight, constant corrections cause over steering, steering wheel does not return to neutral position on curves leading to dangerous conditions, tested to 75 + mph, gets worse at higher speeds of freeway driving. Just took possession of used vehicle under warranty.

The steering sticks and is hard to control. The steering seems to have lobes/sticking points in the steering and sticks at certain points and then lets go making it hard to control. The vehicle is very hard to steer and has jerky catching points as you move the wheel while going down the road.

Car sat in hot sun all day. Entered car to drive home and noticed steering was hard as speed increased upwards to 30 mph. As speed increased steering became very hard, requiring torque on steering wheel. At a stop the steering was normal, wheel could turn as always. At higher speeds up to 55 mph, when car wheels turned, the action was "choppy" or in increments rather than smooth and with the precision car normally had. It almost seemed like heavy weight on front of car. Checked run flat tires. No problem. Parked car at home. Two days later took vehicle to dealer and steering was normal. Dealer recognized a problem. Had same year and model with similar problem occurring daily. Could not duplicate the problem. Told me factory service bulletins said do not replace parts unless problem duplicated! dealer suggested I drive car until problem returned and then bring it in. They would do nothing until they could duplicate problem to perform diagnostic. Dealer not open 24 hours a day, other cars at same dealership with problem. Car was unsafe to drive when problem recurred. According to dealer, manufacturer is aware of problem, has technical bulletin out, but no parts replaced until failure occurs at dealership. Car being parked in sun by dealer to see if problem will duplicate. Car unsafe to drive!!! other cars there, same model and year with same problem.

2004 BMW Z4 3. 0. The steering is sticky when ambient temp over 90 degrees outside. Dealer states no problem. Read the news and saw the NHTSA is investigating. You guys are welcome to drive mine to see the problem in action. When it is hot outside (as it often is in jacksonville, FL) the car is difficult to drive in a straight line because of the "sticky steering. ".

When traveling on a highway, the car steering is very hard to hold straight, veering from left to right. I only have 32,000 miles on the car and it still happens. Service reps verify that all steering components are within specfications.