Steering wheel sticks and results in erratic driving to move it from the stuck position. Happens in city and the highway.
2003 BMW Z4 steering complaints
Page 4 of 13: complaints 71 to 100 of 342, newest first, as owners wrote them.
I purchased the car used on april 2, 2016 and noticed the condition on the first warm day (75f or higher) on or around may2, 2016. The car exhibits sticky steering during warm weather. This condition makes the steering feel as though something is sticking while driving at all speeds but is more noticeable at highway speeds. It makes it hard to go straight down the road because the steering feels "notchy".
Steering sticks after temperature gets warmer. Will almost over steer on curves or narrow roads. Harder to steer at higher speeds. When first started steering feels pretty normal, but gets harder to steer the further you go. Will not my family members drive, could be very dangerous. Happens in all weather conditions wet or dry.
This car has been exhibiting sticky steering when temperatures are above 70-75 degrees. It has been going on for a while, and I attributed it to tire pressures etc. Having now experienced it more severly I did some research and have discovered that this is a known issue with this type of car. This is a safety hazard since the ability to safely adjust the steering when this happens is limited, and the car can easily oversteer and cause unexpected lane changes. It is surprising that there is no recall for this issue. There are a number of references to this issue in online forums such as these: https://www.bmwcca.org/forum/index.php?threads/sticking-steering-unsolved-mystery.5921/ http://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?1055032-sticky-steering
Power steering completely failed. Car is very difficult to drive creating an unsafe condition. Car has 23,256 miles. I stored the car from october 10, 2015 until march 27, 2016. Took the car out on easter sunday for about 10 miles, car ran fine. Pulled it out of the garage on march 29, 2016 and steering assist failed completely. Did not drive the car on the road. Called my local bmw dealer and scheduled a service appointment for april 14, 2016.
The federal safety agency fines bmw $40 million for failing to meet safety requirements the federal safety agency 53-15 monday, december 21, 2015 contact: [xxx] , [email protected] fine is auto company's second since 2012 washington ' the u.s. Department of transportation's the federal safety agency has imposed a $40 million civil penalty and a series of performance requirements to automaker bmw north america for a series of violations of the motor vehicle safety act and the federal safety agency regulations. ******************************************************************************************************************************** the federal safety agency needs to do a recall on the issue of sticky steering. For bmw to say it is just a nuisance steering is totally not true. With your latest fine for bmw you know bmw response to this issue is just another smoke screen of the issue. If steering of a vehicle is not a safety issue then the federal safety agency needs to elevated what is safety. Their will be serious accidents and deaths then law suits that should have never been and only a recall can solve this issue with the steering. Thank you. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).'
Steering becomes very sticky when outside temperatures become hot. Vehicle seems unsafe when on highway and lane changes are difficult to make as steering does not return to center position !
My z4 has about 70,000 miles on it and I just got it back in 6/20015 and I noticed when steering there is a sorta sticking problem with it and it kind a want to drift side to side ? Now the steering indicator light comes on and its like a old type standard steering car. And when restarted it works for a little while and then all of a sudden it does it all over again. This would be a real problem for a older person if this would happen , may cause a sever accident . I did some internet research and I don't think this is a solo event for me. I did ask my local dealer and they said there was no recall on this car. As far as I can tell I am the 2nd owner ?
While driving on the interstate and in the city, my bmw z4's steering wheel gets stuck, pulls to the left & right and needs hard force to release it. I've almost wrecked several times because of this! I'm afraid to drive the car because it's too dangerous. After much research on this issue, I've found out that thousands of bmw z4 owners have the exact same problem.
Suddenly unable to steer. When moving it was very hard to steer. When stopped at a red light it was again unable to steer. But again was very hard to steer when moving as well. Steering light came on. Problem is intermittent. Getting worse. Turn off and restart engine and the problem goes away for a short while then returns. Seems to be a very dangerous issue.
After sitting in hot direct sun for over two hours, the steering on the car is difficult to manage. The steering gets extremely loose and you have to hold tightly to the steering wheel to keep the car from swerving. There is no issue on a cool day, nor is there an issue on a hot day if the car is parked in the shade. This has been happening for the last 3 years to my 2003 z4. The car is garage kept and stored in the winter. It has never been in the rain or snow and is well-maintained. As of september 2015, the car only has 12,000 miles, so it should not be a wear and tear issue. There have been over 300 complaints filed about this issue since 2003. The investigation done in 2010 was closed in 2011, and yet hundreds of complaints remain unanswered. It should be confirmed whether or not the investigation included testing the cars after they have been in the direct sun on a hot day for several hours. If the testing was not completed under those circumstances, the test would be flawed and the investigation should be reopened. It is unacceptable that hundreds of people all have the exact same issue, and a safety issue, and nothing is being done about this.
Steering becomes very sticky and jerky in hot weather. Steering is so bad it is not safe to drive when weather is hot. This is been an on going issue and reported before but nothing gets done about a recall. I don't understand when steering isn't a factor for recall by nthsa. Bmw lawyers apparently out smarted the nthsa. I invited any hthsa official to come drive my 2003 z4 and put his life at risk. Bmw north america will not do anything about the issue until nthsa issue a recall.
Getting into the car after shopping it was suddenly unable to steer. When moving it was very hard to steer. When stopped at a red light it was again unable to steer. But again was very hard to steer when moving. I've been having problems for years with the steering sticking when driving but this is a very different issue. I can't drive the car like this.
Sticky or jerking steering while driving bmw 2003 z4, first attempt was to take the car to authorized bmw dealer in july 2013 , mileage 27,756. Suggested result was to replace entire steering column. 2nd attempt to resolve problem, april 2014 mileage 28,844. Lubricate upper steering wheel bearing. 3rd attempt, may2015, mileage 31,098. Installed grease fitting into steering column. Now at 32,000 miles car is unsafe to drive. Bmw needs to recognize this issue with z4 models from 2003 -june 2006 production.
When driving at any speed and turning into curves the return steering sticks requiring force to overcome the stick. When the stick is overcome it causes an oversteer condition and requires rapid correction. This is intermittent although with a high rate of occurence.
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.
This issue has been ongoing since I purchased the car used in october of 2005. I reported to dealer and several mechanics since then, that the steering sticks when car is hot or on a hot day after driving a short distance. They all indicated there was nothing wrong with the vehicle after inspection. This continues to plague my vehicle and causes me to keep the car under wraps on hot days (which is almost impossible in florida) because if I start to adjust steering as I drive, the wheel appears to lock and continue in that direction. I have to force it to keep it straight. It's a nuisance and a safety hazard and should have been fixed when I initially reported the issue because it's clear that bmw is well aware of this issue. Shame on them. I have owned 4 bmw's and the z4 is the only one with that particular issue. I love the vehicles but am saddened that I can't take my z out for a nice summer drive for fear of getting into an accident.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 bmw z4. The contact stated that the steering on the vehicle experienced issues once the engine had been running awhile. The steering became very stiff and it was difficult to turn. The contact stated that there were no leaks, noises, or warning lights coming from the vehicle when the failure occurred. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 45,000. Ma 10/14 updated 10/19/2017
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.
On warm days the steering seems to be sticky. Its not a fluid as it is when car is in cooler weather. After some research there appears to be multiple issues with 2003-2005 model bmw z4 with electric power steering. After multiple complaints I see this was never recalled.
Power steering disengaged while driving with eps light illuminating.
Steering wheel will stick in the center position when hot outside. This causes an over correction when trying to turn the vehicle which could lead to a loss of control of the vehicle.
The power steering quit I lost the power steering at approximately 40 MPH it was more difficult to steer. When it was taken to the dealer I was informed they had been replacing them free of charge on a case by case basis, but I was out of luck because I was not the original owner. The girl I spoke with said she would talk to her supervisor and see if they could help. I was never contacted back. If my wife had been driving the car at the time the pump failed it definitely could have been a possible accident.
While driving at highway speeds on a hot day, the steering wheel sticks in the straight ahead position. When you notice this and use the steering wheel to correct it feels a locked. This is very disconcerting at highway speeds due to the fact that in inordinate amount of pressure is required to get the steering wheel to respond. When it does respond, because of the amount of force being used, it causes a change of course that could take you into another lane. Researching this problem has LED me to find that not only does bmw know of the problem they refuse any action and put the $3500 bill squarely on the owner. In my mind this is clearly a safety issue that needs to be addressed with the recall.
Steering locks up.. If shut off and restarted several times it releases.. Went to get gas.. Shut off.. Started.. Same thing with addition of air bag light going on.. Shut off several more times to get going but air bag light stayed on.
Steering locks up.. If shut off and restarted several times it releases.. Went to get gas.. Shut off.. Started.. Same thing with addition of air bag light going on.. Shut off several more times to get going but air bag light stayed on.
I would like to add to your 245 complaints about the steering problem in this vehicle. The steering wheel sticks causing you to have to pull the wheel to straighten it and is worse when the vehicle gets up to temperature. It is not an isolated incident, it happens every time. I have not been able to drive the car for two years due to this problem. This is a safety issue and will cause a fatality if it is not corrected. I have read that the federal safety agency calls this a "nuisance". It is not a nuisance it is a serious safety issue caused by the car manufacturer. I have been a mechanic for 45 years and I have dissected the steering column and the issue is the top bearing in the electric steering column. It is an open bearing and it should have been a sealed bearing. The lower bearing and the medium bearing are fine. The issue is you can't find this bearing anywhere; dealers tell you the fix is to replace the entire electric steering column at a cost of $3,000 to $3,600. Shame on bmw! I join the others who have filed complaints in asking you to please issue a recall for this problem. Thank you.
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.
Car steering hard to center , steering sticks to the right or the left , when temperature out side is above 80 degrees or when you drive a long ways and the car begins to produce heat.very hard to drive or take a long trip in.very dangerous to drive.
Steering got tight, hard to steer, but car was controllable. Turned wheel and I needed to turn it back to center, it would not return itself.
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