Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING - ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | |||||
| SIB-32-04-07 | 06/01/2010 | 10036979 | Ready | 04/25/2011 | |
| SIB-32-04-07 | 06/01/2010 | 10036979 | Bmw: a new technical process has been created for bmw to identify causes of steering complaints with a wide range of models. *rm | 04/25/2011 | |
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | |||||
| SIB-32-04-07 | 06/01/2010 | 10036979 | Ready | 04/25/2011 | |
| SIB-32-04-07 | 06/01/2010 | 10036979 | Bmw: a new technical process has been created for bmw to identify causes of steering complaints with a wide range of models. *rm | 04/25/2011 | |
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING | ||||||
| PE10020 | BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC | 06/28/2010 | 06/28/2011 | Sticky Steering | ||
| Odi has evaluated the sticky steering condition, which included reviews of complaints and warranty claims, interviews and surveys of owners of complaint vehicles, road tests of complaint vehicles, and a review of bmw's engineering and test data.odi found the sticky steering condition does not result in a significant steering effort, thus the impact on the driver's ability to control the vehicle does not appear to be significant.a safety-related defect trend has not been identified at this time and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.accordingly, this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that no safety-related defect exists.the agency will monitor the issue and reserves the right to take future action if warranted by the circumstances.see the attached report for additional information.in addition, during this investigation, odi became aware of allegations of failure or loss of electric power-assisted steering on the subject vehicles.as a result, odi is separately reviewing this issue to determine whether additional agency action is needed. | ||||||
| STEERING - COLUMN | ||||||
| PE10020 | BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC | 06/28/2010 | 06/28/2011 | Sticky Steering | ||
| Odi has evaluated the sticky steering condition, which included reviews of complaints and warranty claims, interviews and surveys of owners of complaint vehicles, road tests of complaint vehicles, and a review of bmw's engineering and test data.odi found the sticky steering condition does not result in a significant steering effort, thus the impact on the driver's ability to control the vehicle does not appear to be significant.a safety-related defect trend has not been identified at this time and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.accordingly, this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that no safety-related defect exists.the agency will monitor the issue and reserves the right to take future action if warranted by the circumstances.see the attached report for additional information.in addition, during this investigation, odi became aware of allegations of failure or loss of electric power-assisted steering on the subject vehicles.as a result, odi is separately reviewing this issue to determine whether additional agency action is needed. | ||||||
| STEERING - ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | ||||||
| PE10020 | BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC | 06/28/2010 | 06/28/2011 | Sticky Steering | ||
| Odi has evaluated the sticky steering condition, which included reviews of complaints and warranty claims, interviews and surveys of owners of complaint vehicles, road tests of complaint vehicles, and a review of bmw's engineering and test data.odi found the sticky steering condition does not result in a significant steering effort, thus the impact on the driver's ability to control the vehicle does not appear to be significant.a safety-related defect trend has not been identified at this time and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.accordingly, this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that no safety-related defect exists.the agency will monitor the issue and reserves the right to take future action if warranted by the circumstances.see the attached report for additional information.in addition, during this investigation, odi became aware of allegations of failure or loss of electric power-assisted steering on the subject vehicles.as a result, odi is separately reviewing this issue to determine whether additional agency action is needed. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING | |||
| 12/14/2012 | 16000 | 1 | |
| 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. *tr 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. | |||
| 12/14/2012 | 16000 | ||
| 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. | |||
| 07/25/2012 | 74580 | 1 | |
| Vehicle would run fine in the morning before the day heated up. at noon, the steering wheel would stick and more force than usual had to be applied with both hands to operate the steering wheel. also, there are times the car will jerk left or right upon breaking. if the road is slightly uneven, you have to be prepared in case the car jerks in any direction. i have tried upgrading the vehicles suspension system to no avail. makes the car feel unsafe to drive. i love the car, but i would like these issues to be addressed before somebody gets seriously injured or even killed if it hasn't happened already. *tr | |||
| 07/25/2012 | 74580 | ||
| Vehicle would run fine in the morning before the day heated up. at noon, the steering wheel would stick and more force than usual had to be applied with both hands to operate the steering wheel. also, there are times the car will jerk left or right upon breaking. if the road is slightly uneven, you have to be prepared in case the car jerks in any direction. i have tried upgrading the vehicles suspension system to no avail. makes the car feel unsafe to drive. i love the car, but i would like these issues to be addressed before somebody gets seriously injured or even killed if it hasn't happened already. | |||
| 11/04/2012 | 18475 | 1 | |
| 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. *tr | |||
| 11/04/2012 | 18475 | ||
| Original owner new 2005 z4 bmw 18475 milies 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 | |||
| 09/04/2012 | 72634 | 1 | |
| While driving, car tends to dart back and forth. this issue tends to become more noticable as the day gets warmer. i have read about this same issue and would like to know if there is a recall on this issue. *tr | |||
| 09/04/2012 | 72634 | ||
| While driving, car tends to dart back and forth. this issue tends to become more noticable as the day gets warmer. i have read about this same issue and would like to know if there is a recall on this issue. | |||
| 03/14/2012 | 53457 | 1 | |
| My 2005 z4 3.0i has an intermittent steering problem. i never know when it will malfunction or when it will correct itself. it doesn`t seem to be effected by temperature or humidity. road surface or any certain speed,when it binds up it requires both hands on the steering wheel to keep the car under control. it is impossible to drive straight down a freeway, when it wanders to the left i must use excessive effort to turn to the right and it oversteers and i have to bring it back to the left so i just wiggle my way down the road. on a three hour trip, both on freeway and two lane roads, my shoulders and hands were so tired i had to pull off the road and rest and i was only twenty five miles from returning home. sometimes the problem doesn`t occur but i always must be vigilant because when it happens i had better be prepared, it could be so easy to lose control of this car. it is a really nice car if not for this problem. my wish is for bmw to remedy this situation voluntarily or have a nhtsa recall on all (and there are a lot of z4`s with this condition), these cars because this is a glaring safety issue, besides being a real pain to drive. i have tried everything i can think of, like pulling off the road and shutting off the ignition and restarting besides three inspections at a bmw dealership, two of which i paid the going service rate. also a four wheel alignment which didn't help at all. z4 owners need some help from somewhere! *tr | |||
| 03/14/2012 | 53457 | ||
| My 2005 z4 3.oi has an intermittent steering problem. i never know when it will malfunction or when it will correct itself. it doesn`t seem to be effected by tempature or humidity. road surface or any certain speed,when it binds up it requires both hands on the steering wheel to keep the car under control. it is impossible to drive straight down a freeway, when it wanders to the left i must use excessive effort to turn to the right and it oversteers and i have to bring it back to the left so i just wiggle my way down the road. on a three hour trip, both on freeway and two lane roads, my shoulders and hands were so tired i had to pull off the road and rest and i was only twenty five miles from returning home. sometimes the problem doesn`t occure but i always must be vigilant because when it happens i had better be prepared, it could be so easy to lose control of this car. it is a really nice car if not for this problem. my wish is for bmw to remedy this situation voluntarily or have a nhtsa recall on all (and there are a lot of z4`s with this condition), these cars because this is a glaring safety issue, besides being a real pain to drive. i have tried everyting i can think of, like pulling off the road and shutting off the ignition and restarting besides three inspections at a bmw dealership, two of which i paid the going service rate. also a four wheel alignment which didn`t help at all. z4 owners need some help from somewhere! | |||
| 07/01/2012 | 18500 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2005 bmw z4. the contact was driving 35 mph when the steering tightened and seized, causing the contact difficulty in controlling the vehicle. the manufacturer was notified but offered no assistance. the vehicle had not been repaired. the vin was unavailable. the failure and current mileages were 18,500. kmj | |||
| 07/01/2012 | 18500 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2005 bmw z4. the contact stated while driving 35 mph the steering tightened and began to stick making controlling the vehicle very difficult. the manufacturer was notified but offered no assistance. the vehicle had not been repaired. the vin was unavailable. the failure and current mileages were 18,500. dt | |||
| 07/30/2012 | 67300 | 1 | |
| Steering very hard to control and stcks to one side or other. problem occurs after car has been sitting in sun for several hours and 95+ degree heat. i just bought this car in june 2012. steering has a notched feel and will not center. pulls to one side and requires significant pressure to turn, but over corrects and pulls to other side. very dangerous. will not let any of the women in my household drive it because it is so hard to turn in that condition. this is very dangerous! steering returns to normal after a night in my garage, but returns to dangerous condition for drive home after sitting in the sun all day. *tr | |||
| 07/30/2012 | 67300 | ||
| Steering very hard to control and stcks to one side or other. problem occurs after car has been sitting in sun for several hours and 95+ degree heat. i just bought this car in june 2012. steering has a notched feel and will not center. pulls to one side and requires significant pressure to turn, but over corrects and pulls to other side. very dangerous. will not let any of the women in my household drive it because it is so hard to turn in that condition. this is very dangerous! steering returns to normal after a night in my garage, but returns to dangerous condition for drive home after sitting in the sun all day. | |||
| 07/02/2012 | 1 | 09/01/2011 | |
| 2005 bmw z4. consumer states with vehicle steering *tgw the consumer stated it required extra effort to return the steering wheel to its normal position. it was extremely difficult to drive and sometimes he found himself applying too much effort and the result would be over steering. he also stated the steering problem was much worse during warmer weather. *jb | |||
| 07/30/2012 | 67300 | ||
| Steering very hard to control and stcks to one side or other. problem occurs after car has been sitting in sun for several hours and 95+ degree heat. i just bought this car in june 2012. steering has a notched feel and will not center. pulls to one side and requires significant pressure to turn, but over corrects and pulls to other side. very dangerous. will not let any of the women in my household drive it because it is so hard to turn in that condition. this is very dangerous! steering returns to normal after a night in my garage, but returns to dangerous condition for drive home after sitting in the sun all day. | |||
| 07/02/2012 | 1 | 09/01/2011 | |
| 2005 bmw z4. consumer states with vehicle steering *tgw the consumer stated it required extra effort to return the steering wheel to its normal position. it was extremely difficult to drive and sometimes he found himself applying too much effort and the result would be over steering. he also stated the steering problem was much worse during warmer weather. *jb | |||
| 07/04/2009 | 20500 | 1 | |
| When you drive the car for a distance in hot weather the steering gets hard and sticks. i am afraid to drive it on the highway because of that in hot weather. the dealer said there was nothing wrong with it. *tr | |||
| 07/04/2009 | 20500 | ||
| When you drive the car for a distance in hot weather the steering get's hard and sticks. i am afraid to drive it on the highway because of that in hot weather. the dealer said there was nothing wrong with it. | |||
| 06/10/2008 | 8000 | 1 | |
| Steering sticks when hot, has become much worse than when first identified and reported to bmw. my first reports were during the free year 3 and year 4 services and in the warranty period. now when driving down a straight road, the car will not go straight and swerves from side to side in its lane. my fear is that the steering will get so hard that it may side swipe an vehicle in the next lane. my bmw dealer has verified the problem but bmw refuses to fix it. *tr | |||
| 06/10/2008 | 8000 | ||
| Steering sticks when hot, has become much worse than when first identified and reported to bmw. my first reports were during the free year 3 and year 4 services and in the warranty period. now when driving down a straight road, the car will not go straight and swerves from side to side in its lane. my fear is that the steering will get so hard that it may side swipe an vehicle in the next lane. my bmw dealer has verified the problem but bmw refuses to fix it | |||
| 05/25/2012 | 40000 | ||
| This car has a problem with sticky steering during warm weather. it takes great effort to recenter the steering wheel especially at speeds 40 to 60 mph. this is not a problem isolated to just my car but a wide spread problem that is extremely dangerous. every bmw blog is full of complaints from owners about this issue. there needs to be a recall or at the very least a tsb released so owners can have this safety issue corrected before someone gets hurt. | |||
| 05/26/2012 | 55000 | ||
| 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. | |||
| 05/25/2012 | 40000 | ||
| This car has a problem with sticky steering during warm weather. it takes great effort to recenter the steering wheel especially at speeds 40 to 60 mph. this is not a problem isolated to just my car but a wide spread problem that is extremely dangerous. every bmw blog is full of complaints from owners about this issue. there needs to be a recall or at the very least a tsb released so owners can have this safety issue corrected before someone gets hurt. | |||
| 05/26/2012 | 55000 | ||
| 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. | |||
| 05/04/2012 | 47000 | ||
| I don't know if there's been any deaths in this faulty steering problem but i'm not going to let my 16 year old daughter take my bmw z4 out because the steering can be so sticky i'm afraid for her life, bmw should have a recall on the 2003-2005 z4's before somebody gets hurt. come on bmw suck it up!! thanks | |||
| 05/05/2012 | |||
| Steering sticks when outdoor temperatures rise above 60 degrees f. | |||
| 05/04/2012 | 47000 | ||
| I don't know if there's been any deaths in this faulty steering problem but i'm not going to let my 16 year old daughter take my bmw z4 out because the steering can be so sticky i'm afraid for her life, bmw should have a recall on the 2003-2005 z4's before somebody gets hurt. come on bmw suck it up!! thanks | |||
| 05/05/2012 | |||
| Steering sticks when outdoor temperatures rise above 60 degrees f. | |||
| 05/04/2012 | 47000 | ||
| I don't know if there's been any deaths in this faulty steering problem but i'm not going to let my 16 year old daughter take my bmw z4 out because the steering can be so sticky i'm afraid for her life, bmw should have a recall on the 2003-2005 z4's before somebody gets hurt. come on bmw suck it up!! thanks | |||
| 05/05/2012 | |||
| Steering sticks when outdoor temperatures rise above 60 degrees f. | |||
| 05/04/2012 | 47000 | ||
| I don't know if there's been any deaths in this faulty steering problem but i'm not going to let my 16 year old daughter take my bmw z4 out because the steering can be so sticky i'm afraid for her life, bmw should have a recall on the 2003-2005 z4's before somebody gets hurt. come on bmw suck it up!! thanks | |||
| 05/05/2012 | |||
| Steering sticks when outdoor temperatures rise above 60 degrees f. | |||
| 05/04/2012 | 47000 | ||
| I don't know if there's been any deaths in this faulty steering problem but i'm not going to let my 16 year old daughter take my bmw z4 out because the steering can be so sticky i'm afraid for her life, bmw should have a recall on the 2003-2005 z4's before somebody gets hurt. come on bmw suck it up!! thanks | |||
| 05/05/2012 | |||
| Steering sticks when outdoor temperatures rise above 60 degrees f. | |||
| 07/04/2011 | 63000 | ||
| The steering started sticking on my z4 bmw last july and is getting worse. the car was bought last march with 62000 miles now has about 66000 miles and the problem is getting worse. bmw needs to fix this. | |||
| 01/12/2012 | 50000 | 1 | |
| Drove from alabama to pa. to buy my z4. test drive was fine but as car warmed up and i got to highway speed i immediately noticed a problem with the steering. i have since found out by going online that 03 to 05 z4's commonly have a problem called sticky steering. you have to force the car to turn. i have written bmw corporate and they instructed me to go to tom williams bmw in birmingham where they confirmed that it needs a new steering column at a cost of $3180. this car has 55,000 miles and obviously is the result of a defect that needs to be recalled. i have all the correspondence with corporate that i would like to forward to you. this problem almost caused me to wreck my car three weeks ago and its just a matter of time until someone gets killed. i know that you have heard of this problem and it is time that something is done. for a $40,000 car to have such a serious problem is just ridiculous. please help us force bmw to resolve this deadly problem! thanks. | |||
| 01/19/2012 | 50000 | ||
| The steering column is defective as was determined by tom williams bmw of birmingham al. i have been on a bmw forum website and this is a very common problem. it resulted in a near accident 3 weeks ago, and a recall needs to be done on these very pricey cars. the price quoted me today was 3100.00$ bmw should be forced to recall and fix this problem. my car only has 55,000 miles on it so it is obviously a defective part! somebody is gonna get killed and it was almost me! | |||
| 01/12/2012 | 50000 | ||
| I traveled to pennsylvania from alabama to buy my z4 that i found on autotrader.com. during my test drive i noticed nothing funny, but on the interstate on my way home i encountered what i can only describe as sticky steering. after research on the internet i found out that this is a very common problem in the 03,04, and 05 models. this is too expensive a car to have a problem like this! hundreds of people and probably thousands of people have this problem as it is obviously a defect in the steering. we will not go away over this problem and something needs to be done before there are accidents and deaths and then lawsuits. you could force a recall and you should do this immediately!!! | |||
| 11/02/2011 | 69000 | ||
| Steering sticks while driving. i noticed this several times. i purchased the car used on 11/2/11, it has not been in any accidents. on driving home from purchase, noticed that the steering sticks while turning at times. initially thought this might just be trim parts rubbing on each other, but it takes some significant effort to get the wheel to turn when it is in a stuck position. when the steering sticks at highway speed, it is very dangerous as it requires significant turning effort to move past the sticking point which could result in oversteer at highway speeds. | |||
| 07/27/2011 | 75500 | ||
| I bought the z in july, during the dealer test drive it handled great. the test was about 20 minutes long. after we picked up the car on my first trip home , about 35 miles ,on a hot summer afternoon , i noticed the steering seamed to freeze up and would need extra effort to make a steering correction. once you turned off center it would feel ok until you needed to make another steering adjustment. we took it back to the dealer and they sent it down the street to a very reputable bmw dealer who test drove the z and reported back no problem . there is a steering problem and it is a very serious one. while driving the speed limit one must always anticipate the problem , if you forget, you could have an accident by over steering while using extra pressure on the steering wheel to correct your direction. | |||
| 05/30/2011 | 29000 | ||
| Steering sticks and will not return to neutral without over correcting. appears to happen at any speed after the car is hot or has been sitting in sun for awhile. no accidents but have come close to going into other lane or off the road while correcting | |||
| 01/08/2011 | 32000 | ||
| 2005 bmw z4 32000 miles steering sticks while driving.very difficult to keep vehicle going in a straight line.very dangerous | |||
| 08/25/2011 | 33000 | ||
| I have an issue with 'sticky' steering on my 2005 bmw z4. it seems to be worse in warmer weather but is there at all times while driving. i have noticed that while driving on a straight road where not much turning of the steering wheel is required there is a 'sticking' in the wheel that causes me to have to jerk the wheel slightly to continue a smooth drive. the date list of this incident is the last time it occurred but it happens every time i drive the car. | |||
| 01/08/2011 | 32000 | ||
| 2005 bmw z4 32000 miles steering sticks while driving.very difficult to keep vehicle going in a straight line.very dangerous | |||
| 08/25/2011 | 33000 | ||
| I have an issue with 'sticky' steering on my 2005 bmw z4. it seems to be worse in warmer weather but is there at all times while driving. i have noticed that while driving on a straight road where not much turning of the steering wheel is required there is a 'sticking' in the wheel that causes me to have to jerk the wheel slightly to continue a smooth drive. the date list of this incident is the last time it occurred but it happens every time i drive the car. | |||
| 01/08/2011 | 32000 | ||
| 2005 bmw z4 32000 miles steering sticks while driving.very difficult to keep vehicle going in a straight line.very dangerous | |||
| 08/25/2011 | 33000 | ||
| I have an issue with 'sticky' steering on my 2005 bmw z4. it seems to be worse in warmer weather but is there at all times while driving. i have noticed that while driving on a straight road where not much turning of the steering wheel is required there is a 'sticking' in the wheel that causes me to have to jerk the wheel slightly to continue a smooth drive. the date list of this incident is the last time it occurred but it happens every time i drive the car. | |||
| 08/10/2011 | 43750 | ||
| My 2005 bmw z4 3.0 roadster has developed a possible issue with the electric steering system. at highway speeds the steeering exhibits a notchy feel where there seems to be insufficient power to assist the steering when input is applied to the steering wheel. as yet i have not been able to account for any other mecanical issue for the vehicle which has 43k miles and brand new michelin tires. the new tires didn't correct the issue and the front end components and allignment are in excellent condition. while researching this issue i found that the nhtsa has been investigating this issue for potential recall. my concern is that will lead to complete failure of the system and loss of control of the vehicle which could cause a crash. the smug dealer said that a new steering column would be $3400! will this be the same defective parts or has the system been upgraded after my 2005 was built? i see the problems are with 03 to 05 z4's. | |||
| 08/01/2011 | |||
| I have a problem with the steering on this car, the steering wheel sticks left and right and needs force to compensate to keep the car on the road !! i took the car to bmw service and they said the car was ok! i went home and checked the internet and there loads of complaints ! ! and nhtsa wants to recall these car 300,000 units please recall these cars it is a serious problem my car has 13,000 miles and i can't even sell with this condition and bmw won' do anything about it !!!!!! | |||
| 07/31/2011 | 35000 | ||
| 2005 bmw z4 with sticking steering problems. very dangerous to drive. you have to make constant corrections to the steering wheel. have noticed many other owners with the same problem. i wish to see a recall from bmw before anyone gets killed or disabled. thank you | |||
| 07/28/2011 | 20000 | ||
| Steering problem. hot weather the steering wheel seems to freeze in a position, takes extra effort to make steering corrections. once the steering begins changing, the friction force deminishes to a normal force, resulting in an over correction in direction. at highway speeds this results in very dangerous swaying and swerving of the vehicle. this car is very dangerous to drive at highway speeds because of this steering problem. i have lived with this as long as i've owned this vehicle. the recent heat wave has brought on the condition as stong as ever before. today i decided to use the internet to see if other car owners were reporting similar problems with this model car. i just read that nhtsa has dismissed several similar complaints. i invite you to come test drive my car, and tell me it is safe to drive. | |||
| 07/31/2011 | 35000 | ||
| 2005 bmw z4 with sticking steering problems. very dangerous to drive. you have to make constant corrections to the steering wheel. have noticed many other owners with the same problem. i wish to see a recall from bmw before anyone gets killed or disabled. thank you | |||
| 07/28/2011 | 20000 | ||
| Steering problem. hot weather the steering wheel seems to freeze in a position, takes extra effort to make steering corrections. once the steering begins changing, the friction force deminishes to a normal force, resulting in an over correction in direction. at highway speeds this results in very dangerous swaying and swerving of the vehicle. this car is very dangerous to drive at highway speeds because of this steering problem. i have lived with this as long as i've owned this vehicle. the recent heat wave has brought on the condition as stong as ever before. today i decided to use the internet to see if other car owners were reporting similar problems with this model car. i just read that nhtsa has dismissed several similar complaints. i invite you to come test drive my car, and tell me it is safe to drive. | |||
| 04/09/2009 | 1200 | ||
| 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. | |||
| 07/28/2011 | 20000 | ||
| Steering problem. hot weather the steering wheel seems to freeze in a position, takes extra effort to make steering corrections. once the steering begins changing, the friction force deminishes to a normal force, resulting in an over correction in direction. at highway speeds this results in very dangerous swaying and swerving of the vehicle. this car is very dangerous to drive at highway speeds because of this steering problem. i have lived with this as long as i've owned this vehicle. the recent heat wave has brought on the condition as stong as ever before. today i decided to use the internet to see if other car owners were reporting similar problems with this model car. i just read that nhtsa has dismissed several similar complaints. i invite you to come test drive my car, and tell me it is safe to drive. | |||
| 04/09/2009 | 1200 | ||
| 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. | |||
| 07/18/2011 | 11700 | ||
| Steering stickyness. steering intermittently becomes harder, then releases. it feels like the power steering fails temporarily, causing the driver to apply more force to the turn. then without warning, the power steering re-engages ,and the car wil lturn more rapidly. | |||
| 07/01/2010 | 8000 | ||
| Tl - the contact owns a 2005 bmw z4. the contact stated that while driving the steering wheel was not responsive. the contact mentioned that he had to applied pressure in order to have the vehicle respond. the vehicle was not taken to dealer. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 8,000 and current mileage was 10,500. pm | |||
| 07/18/2011 | 11700 | ||
| Steering stickyness. steering intermittently becomes harder, then releases. it feels like the power steering fails temporarily, causing the driver to apply more force to the turn. then without warning, the power steering re-engages ,and the car wil lturn more rapidly. | |||
| 07/01/2010 | 8000 | ||
| Tl - the contact owns a 2005 bmw z4. the contact stated that while driving the steering wheel was not responsive. the contact mentioned that he had to applied pressure in order to have the vehicle respond. the vehicle was not taken to dealer. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 8,000 and current mileage was 10,500. pm | |||
| 07/18/2011 | 11700 | ||
| Steering stickyness. steering intermittently becomes harder, then releases. it feels like the power steering fails temporarily, causing the driver to apply more force to the turn. then without warning, the power steering re-engages ,and the car wil lturn more rapidly. | |||
| 07/01/2010 | 8000 | ||
| Tl - the contact owns a 2005 bmw z4. the contact stated that while driving the steering wheel was not responsive. the contact mentioned that he had to applied pressure in order to have the vehicle respond. the vehicle was not taken to dealer. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 8,000 and current mileage was 10,500. pm | |||
| 07/09/2011 | 69000 | ||
| Steering malfunctions when vehicle is hot (ambient temp 80-90 degrees). the steering wheel force required to turn increases dramatically. also steering wheel will not default to center when turned (even in a curve). when wheel is turned only way to have it return to 0 is to turn it back the other way. car does not track straight and controlling at highway speeds is nearly impossible. in cool temps there is no problem as steering functions normally. loss of control seems quite likely at high speeds. | |||
| 03/27/2011 | 65000 | ||
| The steering appears to stick when temps reach 70 & above and is most noticeable when driving at 60+ speeds. the steering wants to lock up (stick or catch)and become jerky when driving and is difficult to maneuver slight turns to keep vehicle in a straight line. | |||
| 07/09/2011 | 69000 | ||
| Steering malfunctions when vehicle is hot (ambient temp 80-90 degrees). the steering wheel force required to turn increases dramatically. also steering wheel will not default to center when turned (even in a curve). when wheel is turned only way to have it return to 0 is to turn it back the other way. car does not track straight and controlling at highway speeds is nearly impossible. in cool temps there is no problem as steering functions normally. loss of control seems quite likely at high speeds. | |||
| 03/27/2011 | 65000 | ||
| The steering appears to stick when temps reach 70 & above and is most noticeable when driving at 60+ speeds. the steering wants to lock up (stick or catch)and become jerky when driving and is difficult to maneuver slight turns to keep vehicle in a straight line. | |||
| 07/09/2011 | 69000 | ||
| Steering malfunctions when vehicle is hot (ambient temp 80-90 degrees). the steering wheel force required to turn increases dramatically. also steering wheel will not default to center when turned (even in a curve). when wheel is turned only way to have it return to 0 is to turn it back the other way. car does not track straight and controlling at highway speeds is nearly impossible. in cool temps there is no problem as steering functions normally. loss of control seems quite likely at high speeds. | |||
| 03/27/2011 | 65000 | ||
| The steering appears to stick when temps reach 70 & above and is most noticeable when driving at 60+ speeds. the steering wants to lock up (stick or catch)and become jerky when driving and is difficult to maneuver slight turns to keep vehicle in a straight line. | |||
| 07/06/2011 | 9000 | ||
| 2005 bmw e85 with only 9,000 miles. driving in straight line, steering wheel has unusual amount of 'play' where no wheel direction change will occur. when exceeding the 'play' an amount of resistance is encountered followed by an abrupt wheel direction change. at 40 mph car will suddenly move 1-2 feet in lane. vehicle requires constant, jerking correction. this condition has existed since purchase of the vehicle 2 months ago but is much worse on hot days such as the current 85 degree weather. in a close clearance situations at higher speeds or very hot days, this could become very dangerous regardless of driver experience or diligence. given the large number of complaints, i wonder if it will require serious injury or death to address this issue. | |||
| 07/09/2011 | 69000 | ||
| Steering malfunctions when vehicle is hot (ambient temp 80-90 degrees). the steering wheel force required to turn increases dramatically. also steering wheel will not default to center when turned (even in a curve). when wheel is turned only way to have it return to 0 is to turn it back the other way. car does not track straight and controlling at highway speeds is nearly impossible. in cool temps there is no problem as steering functions normally. loss of control seems quite likely at high speeds. | |||
| 03/27/2011 | 65000 | ||
| The steering appears to stick when temps reach 70 & above and is most noticeable when driving at 60+ speeds. the steering wants to lock up (stick or catch)and become jerky when driving and is difficult to maneuver slight turns to keep vehicle in a straight line. | |||
| 07/06/2011 | 9000 | ||
| 2005 bmw e85 with only 9,000 miles. driving in straight line, steering wheel has unusual amount of 'play' where no wheel direction change will occur. when exceeding the 'play' an amount of resistance is encountered followed by an abrupt wheel direction change. at 40 mph car will suddenly move 1-2 feet in lane. vehicle requires constant, jerking correction. this condition has existed since purchase of the vehicle 2 months ago but is much worse on hot days such as the current 85 degree weather. in a close clearance situations at higher speeds or very hot days, this could become very dangerous regardless of driver experience or diligence. given the large number of complaints, i wonder if it will require serious injury or death to address this issue. | |||
| 06/21/2011 | 77000 | ||
| The steering seems to stick and release suddenly when turning the steering wheel. this has been occurring for a while. there has not been a complete loss of steering to date but the issue does seem worse on some days. | |||
| 06/18/2011 | 54000 | ||
| I have a 2005 bmw z4 3.0i with electric power steering. the steering sticks when i drive it. i have read that this issue has turned into major problems with other owners. i just want to say that i have the initial steering issue too. | |||
| 06/21/2011 | 77000 | ||
| The steering seems to stick and release suddenly when turning the steering wheel. this has been occurring for a while. there has not been a complete loss of steering to date but the issue does seem worse on some days. | |||
| 06/18/2011 | 54000 | ||
| I have a 2005 bmw z4 3.0i with electric power steering. the steering sticks when i drive it. i have read that this issue has turned into major problems with other owners. i just want to say that i have the initial steering issue too. | |||
| 06/21/2011 | 77000 | ||
| The steering seems to stick and release suddenly when turning the steering wheel. this has been occurring for a while. there has not been a complete loss of steering to date but the issue does seem worse on some days. | |||
| 06/18/2011 | 54000 | ||
| I have a 2005 bmw z4 3.0i with electric power steering. the steering sticks when i drive it. i have read that this issue has turned into major problems with other owners. i just want to say that i have the initial steering issue too. | |||
| 06/01/2009 | 42000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2005 bmw z4. the contact stated that in warmer temperatures, the steering wheel would locks abnormally, then release, followed by a jerking of the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the electronic steering column was defective and needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the contact stated that the vehicle was no longer under warranty and was not repaired. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was 42,000 and the current mileage was 66,000. | |||
| 06/01/2009 | 42000 | ||
| Tl - the contact owns a 2005 bmw z4. the contact stated that when the weather gets hot the steering wheel locks up and all of a sudden releases and jerk. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the electric steering column was defective and it needed to be replaced. the dealer did not offered any assistance since the vehicle was not under warranty. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle identification number was not available. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 42,000 and current mileage was 66,000. pm | |||
| 05/13/2011 | 55000 | ||
| Steering sticks at moderate to high outdoor temperature. requires excessive pressure to turn off center and also then back to center. feels as if it turns in notches instead of smoothly. this causes the steering to jerk from one side to the other as you are simply making small steering corrections. this creates a dangerous driving condition. | |||
| 05/18/2011 | 62000 | ||
| Steering on my 05 bmw z4 sticks and jerks and causes me to run off the road. dealer says nothing wrong despite all these complaints im finding online. too scared to drive car | |||
| 05/22/2010 | 21000 | ||
| I purchased my 2005 bmw z4 3.0i last year in the middle of winter. interesting time to sell a car with a major steering defect that is temperature dependent. as the ambient temperature increases the ability to steer and control my 2005 bmw z4 becomes more dangerous. at highway speeds on a day above 75 degrees the wheel appears to be stuck. when it finally does move the result is rapid lane shifting, not safe to drive while doing this. in fact i am uncomfortable driving the vehicle on hot days and leave it home, the steering is not predicitable. spoke with my bmw dealer who states they have not heard of this problem. this seems unusual given the number of complaints i can find on line. this event occurs each and every day where the ambient temperature gets above 75 and will not correct itself until the car cools down. clearly a temperature related issue. | |||
| 03/15/2011 | 100000 | ||
| My 2005 bmw z4 have steering wheels issues. gps navigation system don't work | |||
| 03/25/2011 | 47754 | ||
| Steering on my 05 bmw z4 gets erratic or sticks is hard to steer when running at highway speeds. trying to make a small correction results in the steering wheel jerking then more force is required to overcome this problem. this results in over correction which makes the car jerk from side to side | |||
| 02/25/2011 | 59800 | ||
| 2005 bmw z4. after driving the vehicle for around 300+ miles the steering start to stick, making holding the car in your lane very difficult. we purchased the vehicle in oct. or nov. of 2010 and it had approx. 56000 miles on the odometer. i first noticed the problem in dec. when we went to fla. and last week when we traveled to s.c. | |||
| 10/18/2010 | 23500 | ||
| Intermittent failure of power steering at high speeds (above 75 deg f). steering becomes sluggish and loss of control of vehicle may occur. severe over/under steer of vehicle under these conditions have occurred on separate occasions. | |||
| 08/01/2008 | |||
| I have major problems with the steering wheel of my 2005 bmw z4 3i, purchased as a certified pre-owned car from a bmw dealer. it had about 11k miles on it. since then i have been experiencing this problem described below. i have not had any accident with it, but this is a complaint that there may me a safety issue with the steering wheel of the car. 1)it keeps pulling to the left, or to the right especially at lowers speeds say below 60 mi/hr. it requires constant adjustments so that i could keep the car aligned, or centered while driving. 2) the car pulls me to the left, or to the right suddenly when the road surface is slightingly uneven, especially in lower speeds. i can never predict which way the car pulls me. it can be very struggling to keep the steering under control when stopping at any red lights because of these sudden jerks in the steering, or pulls in the steering wheel. 3) sometimes, the steering feels like it is stuck, or locked in a way that i feel like i could not control it. this usually happens when the weather is hot, or at higher humidity. 4) i took the car to the dealer two years ago when i still had the warranty, and then they replaced the steering column and alignment was made after the replacement. however, the symptoms did not go away at all. i took the car to another dealer; i was told that it just required an alignment which was already done after the replacement of the steering column. so, there should not be an alignment relate problem. if the only problem was the alignment problem, the car should have pulled either to the left, or to the right, not to the both directions. 5) i believe if any elderly person, or someone with slower reflex, tries to drive this car with such problems may end up having a catastrophic crash. mainly because, the driver must pay lots of attention to keep the car centered, or the steering under control. otherwise, at any second you may find yourself somewhere off the road. | |||
| 07/10/2010 | 25700 | ||
| The steering on my 05 bmw z4 gets choppy or sticks or very hard to steer when running at highway speeds and city speeds. this problem occurs every time i drive the car. this is a safety hazard . if steering locks bad news nothing has been done to correct the problem because of the cost the dealer wants to repair it. i don't drive the vehicle much because of fear of steering locking up and causing an accident, vehicle only has 25,833 miles on it. | |||
| 09/01/2010 | 31422 | ||
| 2005 bmw z4 steering sticks in hot weather. very dangerous. returned from summer trip and felt the problem repeatedly. now afraid to drive the car in hot weather | |||
| 09/15/2010 | 18000 | ||
| I just bought a used 2005 bmw z4. the vehicle seemed to pull to one side before i bought it so i had the dealer do an alignment as a condition of sale. the car drove fine the first couple of times i drove it, but now off and on it sticks either pulling to the left or to the right. in other words, the wheel won't return to center. | |||
| 08/30/2010 | 35000 | ||
| Repeating problem. the steering on my 2005 bmw z4 3.0 will occasionally stick when driving at highway speeds. the linear feedback disappears and i can move the steering wheel but the car doesn't react initially. then it will suddenly give and catch up to where i had the steering wheel. this is alarming as often it will cause an over correction which could eventually lead to an accident. | |||
| 09/15/2010 | 18000 | ||
| I just bought a used 2005 bmw z4. the vehicle seemed to pull to one side before i bought it so i had the dealer do an alignment as a condition of sale. the car drove fine the first couple of times i drove it, but now off and on it sticks either pulling to the left or to the right. in other words, the wheel won't return to center. | |||
| 08/30/2010 | 35000 | ||
| Repeating problem. the steering on my 2005 bmw z4 3.0 will occasionally stick when driving at highway speeds. the linear feedback disappears and i can move the steering wheel but the car doesn't react initially. then it will suddenly give and catch up to where i had the steering wheel. this is alarming as often it will cause an over correction which could eventually lead to an accident. | |||
| 08/26/2010 | 6000 | ||
| The steering wheel on my 2005 bmw z4 3.9 liter 6mt tends to stick when the outdoor temperature is high. this reduces the smooth motion that is typically displayed by a steering wheel. the stickiness makes it very hard to maintain the car in a straight line and causes a delay in response to steering wheel input. i read online that many other people are having the same problems. | |||
| 02/18/2010 | 17000 | 1 | |
| While driving, the steering wheel will set in a spot - does not matter if you are in a turn, or in a straight line, the effort to move the wheel from the spot is very difficult. like trying to pull two magnets apart - that kind of effort - strong magnets. this a safety hazard as the steering does not function in a linear predictable manner. *tr | |||
| 11/01/2009 | 35100 | 3 | |
| I have a 2005 bmw 3.0 w/auto transmission. my car has had two recurring issues from time to time starting with the electric power steering light engaging with the power steering going dead at idle or at corners. the other problem is that my car has stalled with the car shutting down thrice on i-95 and on local roads. needless to say, it was a life and death situation twice with my girlfriend swearing never to drive the car again. how it happens? at speeds of 40mph or less, eps, abs, brake, dtc comes on and off with the navigation screen opening and closing. then abuptly at slow speeds, the car just shuts off. remedy: pull over, off the car and on it back again and go. | |||
| 09/26/2009 | 25133 | 1 | |
| On warm days (> 75 degrees) and when sitting in hot sun for period of time, steering will stick or feel notchy when driving. while gently turning it feels as if the steering goes through gates and gets hung up when turning. steering input feels mushy in comparison to cooler days. i have taken to dealer on two occasions and they cannot duplicate. i do not like driving my car on warmer days even though that is when the car is meant to be driven. *tr | |||
| 06/25/2009 | 37000 | 1 | |
| The steering on my bmw z4 2005 model sticks to the point of being unsafe on warm days. it is very sluggish to respond followed by erratic overcompensation. if the temperature is cool (<80-85 degrees) there is no detected problem. we can leave in the morning after the car being garage and it handles like a dream- 2 hours later after being driven in or sitting in the hot sun the steering is like its in mud. whether taking an exit or simply changing lanes on the interstate. it is unsafe and should require immediate investigation. *tr | |||
| 06/13/2009 | 300000 | 1 | |
| Steering on my vehicle becomes stuck and unresponsive in heat above approx 85 degrees. it overcompensates in corners regardless of how sharp, a simple on/off ramp becomes a tightwalk. it is very scary and unnerving to the point of not wanting to drive on what would otherwise be a perfect top down day. even changing lanes on the interstate is fearful as it acts as if the tires are in mud and then quickly overcorrection. it is very dangerous. *tr | |||
| 08/24/2009 | 40800 | 1 | |
| Recently purchased 2005 bmw z4, 40800 miles, exhibits erratic steering control when outside temp exceeds 85 degrees. the steering wheel responds as if its last position has a grove or notch requiring excessive force to correct or set a new direction. the result is the car lurches down the road from side to side. the worst is in gradual turns, the steering wheel does not feed back to straight as the car continues any arc once set ... the car tries to drive itself off the road. discovery or this feature is very disappointing and can be quite scary. the dealers refusal to address the problem is proving very disappointing also. there should be a mandatory recall and correction of this obvious safety defect common to '03-'05 z4's. *tr | |||
| 07/28/2008 | 18490 | 1 | 07/11/2005 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2005 bmw z4. while driving between 40-65 mph, the steering wheel would not turn right or left. when the wheel is released, it overturns and forces the driver to struggle to maintain control of the vehicle. the failure has occurred approximately 7-8 times. the dealer could not duplicate the failure. the failure only occurs at high temperatures, such as 80's and 90's. they dealer stated that the updated software program failed. the program was installed and the vehicle rebooted. the failure recurred on another hot day. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and they replaced the electronic power steering at the contact's expense. the failure mileage was 18,490 and current mileage was 23,177. updated 09/23/09 *bf the consumer stated the steering binds on days when temperatures exceed 85 degrees. when the steering does release, it comes with excessive force. it was difficult to keep the vehicle in the lane. the steering wheel does not return to the center position without additional effort. updated 09/29/09.*jb | |||
| 06/25/2009 | 14000 | 1 | |
| My bmw z4 2005 2.5 automatic has developed a sticky steering when is hot. it is very dangerous, over-correcting and under-correcting .the steering act like if don't have a dead center.you feel like something is tearing the car. when you make a very wide curve the steering stay put in that particular direction. it feel very unsafe and is very exhausting in long trips. *tr | |||
| 09/16/2008 | 12000 | 1 | |
| Bmw 2005 z4 3.0 - sticky electronic steering that causes steering over reaction when it unsticks. occurs after vehicle is sitting the sun on a hot day during the summer. almost caused a crash during the last occurrence. bmw just advised there was noting wrong with the steering as there were no faults. this is the third time it has happened. *tr | |||
| 04/10/2009 | 42000 | 1 | |
| Steering sticks at times when driving on the highway. *tr | |||
| 09/19/2008 | 17004 | 1 | |
| Sticky steering on warm days or cooler days with the heater on. i need to use more force than usual to move steering wheel to negotiate lane changes or curves on highway. i need to steer the car straight after turning off center. the problem is intermittent but still unnerving. *tr | |||