This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
On warm days the steering at higher speed gets hard to steer ; to the point of being unsteady. At lower speeds and cooler temps the hard steering can bs handled but is still troublesome. Need someone to talk to BMW.
2003 BMW Z4 steering I experience sudden jerks in the steering wheel, more so at higher speeds, around 60mph and above.the jerks are unpredictable and can be either to the right or the left. It makes the car really unsafe to be driven at these higher speeds! I believe this is a known problem by BMW and should be a recall issued to correct it! from what I understand it requires a complete steering column replacement and is very costly. BMW should step up and cover this very dangerous steering situation.
I experience sudden jerks to the left, ot to the right when the road surface is sleghtingly uneven. I can never predict which way the car pulls me. I struggle a lot to keep the steering centered when stopping at any red light. Also make a weird sound when a try to turn right
Sticky steering which was diagnosed as caused by a poorly designed bearing in the steering column estimated cost of repair $3500. A wide spread problem dangerous especially at high speed. Power assist is electrical on steering.
- Prescott, AZ, USA
Search CarComplaints.com for these popular complaint phrases...
Sticky steering issue. Known issue among countless other BMW Z4 owners. Presents considerable danger as steering will jerk either left or right for no apparent reason and without warning. Unbelievable that no recall exists for this known defect as it clearly puts drivers and those around them in constant danger.
The contact owns a 2003 BMW Z4. While driving between 4 to 40 mph, the steering lost power without warning. The contact stated that the same failure was experienced several years ago. At that time, the vehicle was taken to kelly BMW (614-471-2277, located at 4050 morse rd, columbus, oh 43230) and repaired. The contact was not informed about the cause of the failure. The dealer and manufacturer were not made aware of the recent failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired again. The failure mileage was 145,000. Consumer stated dealer and manufacture made aware of recent failure. 01/03/19. Dealer made repairs at consumers cost 1/11/19. Eps steering column was replaced.
At 3844 miles in December 2017 I brought my vehicle for standard service at the BMW dealership where I bought it and I mentioned that the steering at times was sticking and it would take force to get it out of the locked position while driving. It was of serious concern. The BMW service consultant told me that it was a steering column problem and required replacement at $5,200. With only 3,844 miles on the vehicle I couldn't understand how it could happen. I am filing an official complaint and believe this should be a recall. The dealer charged me $1,911.96 to replace sensors and faulty steering angle sensor. After the repair there was no difference with the sticking steering problem.
2003 BMW Z4 steering is binding up and difficult to steer. Problem gets worse as the temp increases. Numerous online complaints and no recall. Why? BMW will do nothing, not even a cost replacement of the steering column which seems to fix the issue.
On July 2018 BMW issued an important limited warranty information notice related to this vehicle. BMW would cover repairs to the front passenger seat occupancy for the SRS/air bag system. Unfortunately this warranty repair will not cover my vehicle because the 15 year period does not include my vehicle that was put into service in January 2003. I believe that BMW should cover any 2003 BMW Z4 rather than cutting off those made in the prior 6 months. BMW refuses to cover. The other concern I have relates to the servo motor/electronic steering control unit. Recently this failed and I note that other bmws have had this problem too. I believe your Agency should determine whether or not this warrants a recall too. It is very dangerous to be driving and the power steering ceases to function. People will be killed. In my case the vehicle had been in the shop for unrelated repairs and when I picked it up the power steering was out. The shop had noticed the steering seemed tight and told me the unit needed to be replaced at a cost of $4,000. I was able to drive the vehicle home without incident. I had the battery replaced and the steering is back to normal. Research on the web indicated this is something that has happened with numerous other bmws.
Since purchasing the car new in 2003, and since, the steering get very "tight" or "sticky" making the car almost undrivable. In hpot weather if is worse. It becomes very hard to steer the car as it requires extra effort to keep it straight or turn the wheel slightly to stay in a lane or turn. There are thousands of comments on the internet and BMW sites with this known problem with the BMW Z4S.
The steering sticks at warm outdoor temperatures and creates a dangerous driving condition. I have seen other complaints same as mine online. No accident yet.
I have steering problem on my 2003 BMW Z4 2.5I. I bought it only a year ago on May 2018 with 58,000 miles on it. Drove only several thousand miles and started getting the steering problem. It keeps pulling either to the left or to the right. I constantly struggle to make steering adjustments so I can drive straight. Sometimes the steering feels like it is stuck. I already spent several hundred dollars replacing the front end suspension but it did not fix the steering problem. I searched online and found many others having the same issue in the following blog: - www.bmwcoop.com/2010/07/06/steering-problems-for-BMW-Z4-in-the-U-S/ is there a recall in the works to fix this problem? thank you, [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
My 2003 BMW Z4 has very tight steering when driving on the freeway at 65 mph, and I notice the problem is more common on warmer days. Last week as I was driving on a warm day, I noticed I had to repeatedly put significant effort in order to turn the steering wheel on a turn on the freeway, as the steering wheel kept sticking. Whenever I've applied this significant effort to get around this issue, the steering unsticks and then turns too much. On that day, I was very close to hitting the car in the lane next to me, causing the car next to me to swerve a bit as well to avoid me. It wasn't the first time that this happened to me with this car, and it was incredibly dangerous. I took it to a repair shop and they said it's a very common issue with this car and the entire steering column would have to be replaced. I believe BMW, which prides itself in the quality of it's vehicles, should take the initiative to resolve this issue, as it's a huge safety concern for drivers of this vehicle. Just by doing a simple google search, it's very apparent that this is a common issue with early year Z4's.
The contact owns a 2003 BMW Z4. When the outside temperature was above 80 degrees, the steering wheel seized on several occasions. When the failure occurred, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed; however, the mechanic was unable to retrieve a fault code. The dealer (the BMW store, 6131 stewart rd, cincinnati, oh 45227, (513) 271-8700) was contacted and an appointment was scheduled for diagnostic testing and repairs. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 42,000.
The contact owns a 2003 BMW Z4. While driving at any speed in hot weather, approximately 85 degrees and over, the steering wheel failed to turn. When it finally turned, it jerked without warning. The failure recurred several times. The vehicle was taken to luxury imports of bowling green (325 three springs rd, bowling green, ky 42104, 270-745-0001) where it was diagnosed that a new battery was needed for the electric steering. The technician replaced the battery, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that there was no recall. The failure was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 21,000.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Mission, TX, USA