When it is hot outside the steering becomes rough, awkward, and potentially dangerous. It happens at speeds greater than 30 MPH. The steering wheel will become "stuck" in a certain position and requires greater than normal force to move from that position. Using greater force to move the steering wheel from the "stuck" position creates the potential for over-steering.
2003 BMW Z4 steering complaints
Page 6 of 13: complaints 131 to 160 of 342, newest first, as owners wrote them.
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.
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 was driving on the interstate at a moderate speed. When attempting to change lanes the steering became "sticky" and it was difficult to turn the steering wheel. This has happened multiple times since this incident. It appears to be worse when the weather is hot. In reading various bmw forums I found that this is a common problem with the 2003 z4's and the federal safety agency has or is conducting an investigation. I understand bmw has corrected the problem on later models. This really creates a dangerous driving situation and I am fearful of driving this car. Is there any action being taken by the federal safety agency or bmw? I have contacted bmw but they will not acknowledge that there is a problem.
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! [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
I'm having a safety issue with the steering being sticky. It is especially problematic at higher speeds and requires reasonable force to correct. This, in turn, causes over-steering constantly making the car very dangerous to drive on the highway. Car is low mileage: under 36,000.
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.
The steering sticks meaning it becomes unresponsive and requires extra effort on my part to move it again. I have to continue to move it else it sticks and I lose control for about a second. Very scary at high speeds. Basically if going in a straight line and I want to turn it is not smooth and I have to almost fight with it to turn.
Chronic problem with the steering being sticky when the weather is warm or when the car sits in the hot sun. The steering wheel when held steady driving down the road seems to stick in an exact position and if the weather is very warm the stickiness is such that when the car needs steering correction to stay in the driving lane that significant pressure is required to unstick the position of the steering direction. Once the driver's pressure causes the steering wheel to become unstuck the wheel will suddenly veer in the direction the pressure was applied, ie. Toward oncoming traffic or towards the ditch until the driver can quickly counteract the sudden release of the unstuck steering wheel. When the weather is particularly warm the car is no longer safe to drive for fear of loss of control. This car was purchased new from the local bmw dealership and driven almost exclusively by my wife since new.
I bought my used bmw z 4 three years ago from a private party with 13,500 miles. Car is in showroom condition but when the temperature rises and the car sits in the sun, I have issues with the steering wheel sticking and locking. I find myself constantly fighting the steering wheel in hot weather and have no confidence in the steering capability of my vehicle. My last episode was last week when the temperature was in the 80's and the car sat out in the sun all day while I was at work. This car has under 19,000 miles on it and I find it unacceptable that bmw will not address this issue and do a recall immediately to address this common problem. I hope it doesn't take a fatality to occur before a recall is issued for this steering malfunction.
Steering got stuck, and car slid left to right.
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 federal safety agency 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.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 bmw z4. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 MPH, the steering wheel exhibited a jerking motion when attempting a turn. The contact applied force to the steering wheel in order to continue driving. The failure occurred only in hotter weather temperatures. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 36,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 bmw z4. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the steering became sticky and impacted the drivers ability to control the vehicle. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was taken to a dealer for diagnosis but the technician could not replicate the failure. The vehicle had not been repaired. The VIN was unavailable. The failure and current mileage was 79,650.
At ambient temperatures above 75 deg the steering gets stiff and feels sticky. After making a turn the wheels do not return to the center position on their own but require driver to turn steering wheel back to center. Driving in a straight line requires constant correction because the steering binds and causes the driver to oversteering in order to overcome the stiffness.
Steering wheel sticks (still does as of march 30, 2013) and vehicle becomes hard to steer and control, especially when the weather is hot.
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!
The steering feels 'sticky'. Driving at roadspeed, esp on interstate where you're trying to maintain straight line, when you need to make slight steering adjustments, the steering sticks and when you give it enough effort to 'unstick' it, your car moves erratically. Basically, when it 'unsticks' it causes the driver to over-correct and oversteer. It does this when the car has been sitting in the sun on warm days, I.e outside ambient temps over 80 degrees f.
Power steering broke down. I read a lot of complaints online trying to research what kind of experiences other owners had and there are too many issues with steering with these cars to be ignored. Thank god that my power steering stopped working at a low speed, but what would happen if I was traveling at 70 MPH? I had "sticky" steering in this car for years but this took it to another level. This issue should have been recalled.
Steering wheel goes back & forth on its own at highway speeds. Very scary ! Not safe! Feels like there is no control. I paid a lot of money for the ultimate driving machine that I am afraid to drive.
Steering wheel goes back & forth on its own at highway speeds. Very scary ! Not safe! Feels like there is no control. I payed a lot of money for the ultimate driving machine that I am afraid to drive.
Steering wheel sticks then releases causing loss of control.
Driving south on santa barbara attempted to turn right onto davis blvd. As I was turning the steering stuck. That surprised me and almost lost control. It took a heavy effort to correct the direction of the car.this problem seems to occur at high ambient temperatures.
The power steering becomes dangerous when the car is exposed to heat 80+ degrees/sun. The steering wheel "sticks" in certain spots and is hard to move. It will randomly stop "sticking" giving an unexpected push in any given direction. Looks to be a frequent complaint. Car is unsafe to drive in the heat.
Bmw z4 steering - no power steering, causes difficulty in managing & steering car.
There is a catch or binding feeling in the steering after the car has been driven a while and is at full operating temperature (gets worse when warm). I noticed this after having driven it a few miles; it feels like the car wants to track on its own as if it was following a rut in the road even though it is on smooth pavement and the wheel has to be forced back in the a straight line. It happened to me as I entered an intersection and the steering stuck, turning me into the on-coming lane. I worry that this may happen when my wife is driving and result in an accident if it were to tighten up unexpectedly.
On my drive home from work, after the car had been parked outside, I experienced "sticky steering." just like the complaints from investigation pe10020 and countless internet posts over the past decade, the steering wheel movement was stuck in place and required extra force, then it would release unexpectedly causing me to over-correct. Worse than just heavy steering is the fact that it needs extra force to get the steering wheel "unstuck" but then the assist kicks in and you're over-compensating which causes zig-zagging. It was almost impossible to maintain my lane on the interstate and at one point I dropped two wheels on the shoulder. I have now contacted bmw corporate and they tell me they're being generous by replacing the known-faulty steering rack -- so long as I pay $1,000+ in labor. I think this is outrageous. It is wrong that this known defect costs the consumer any money to replace. Bmw should cover parts and labor. They know this part is faulty, everyone I've talked to says "oh, the z4, yeah I've seen this steering problem on lots of them" but they're quick to remind me that it was not an official recall so they aren't obligated to do anything. This is a safety issue and should be the basis for a mandatory recall (you know, like the one they are doing on current models with similar power steering failures!).
Sticky steering causes over steering.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 bmw z4. While driving approximately 45 MPH, the steering wheel exhibited excessive play which caused the vehicle to travel out of its lane. The failure recurred whenever the vehicle was in operation. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated the vehicle operated normally. There was a front end wheel alignment performed and all four tires were balanced. The failure continued after the repair. The contact planned to have the vehicle inspected by a different mechanic. The manufacturer was notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 54,000.
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