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We found the following complaints for BMW Z4 (2005)

Read complaints for BMW Z4 (2005)

Air bag light stays on when car is running.

6/25/18 bmw worked on my car and supposedly fixed the problem (knee air bag r & r , resistance too low in airbag, replaced airbag, internal module failure, srs b pillar right module) . 12/31/18 air bag light stays on consistently while driving

The contact owned a 2005 bmw z4. While the contact's husband was driving 65 mph, the vehicle hydroplaned and crashed into the rear of the preceding vehicle. The air bag deployed with metal shards and a metal rod going through the hand of the driver. The contact also sustained minor burns on the hand and feet from the gases when the air bag deployed. Medical attention was sought several days after the crash. A police report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed and towed to an independent facility. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 54,000.

Passenger side airbag deployed. Facts:vehicle was parked and not running.key was not in the ignition.the vehicle sustained no impact ' no collision.

2005 bmw z4 roadster.consumer writes in regards to air bag system issues.the consumer stated he recently drove the vehicle, and noticed the air bag light was on.the dealer informed him, bmw had extended the warranty period to 10 years. The consumer assumed, the air bag issue would be covered under the extended warranty. However, he received a call from the dealer, stating they found the problem in the air bag system, which was a wire, but it was not covered under the extended warranty. The dealer stated the cost to replace the wire was $ 1,056.82, plus a charge of $ 141.88 just to find the problem.

On august 7, 2007 i took my car to sterling bmw in newport beach, ca because i noticed the airbag malfunction lights were on along with other electrical issues. After they had inspected my vehicle for three days i was informed that the airbag/electrical problem would not be covered by the bmw factory warranty, and the service department recommended that i file a claim with my insurance carrier. Obviously my insurance company denied the claim, because automobile insurance does not cover loss due to wear and tear, mechanical or electrical breakdown/failure. In addition, sterling bmw charged me $260.00 for the loaner car they provided for the three days while my car was being inspected. Sterling bmw gave me a verbal estimate of approximately $10,000.00 in additional work needed to repair all the electrical/airbag issues. When i took the car to irvine bmw for another estimate, they advised me that they could take care of the problem, however after three days i was again informed that they the airbag/electrical problem would not be covered under the warranty. I moved to california about one year ago and purchased this vehicle on from excalibur imports in studio city, ca on march 28, 2006. Although my previous vehicle was a mercedes benz, i decided to purchase a bmw and benefit from the extraordinary customer service of bmw. This is, in fact, my first experience with bmw. I have always taken excellent care of my car; it has always been garaged, and maintained by bmw dealers. I have always use premium gas to ensure quality of performance and maintenance. To my regret, i have been driving this car for over a year without airbag protection. The nature of my job requires me to commute over 100 miles per day on the freeway. Please be advised that my family and i are extremely worried about the risks that i am taking because of bmw's failure to properly maintain my vehicle. I am a single mother of three and find i am now afraid of driving because of the consequences of an acid.

First the check engine light on, i went to houston momentum bmw dealer to check and they found out that there was a faulty signal from somewhere they were not sure about. They gave me an estimate for than a thousand dollars to find it and repair it. It would cost more if they found out the real problem. I told them this should be under bmw warranty, but they said it wasn't. I refused the work. This case happened few years ago. Now i have air bag light on, i don't know why. I don't dare to go back to dealer to check because i'm afraid they will rip me off again and again. I hope one day i can get rid of bmw and find a more reliable car to drive.

Heater/air conditioner stopped blowing. Took to local shop and found multiple wires melted. Concerned due to fire risk so researched and found this is a major issue with many now recalled bmws-mine is not included in the recalls but it's highly suspicious that i'm having the apparent exact same issue as those vehicles being recalled. I saw white smoke coming from under my hood and smelled a burning odor a few months ago so drove straight home and popped the hood-saw no additional smoke but did smell some residual burning odor but nothing was visible. This happened approximately 2 other times but nothing was ever found and it was assumed it was a spillage or overflow. Wasn't until recently when the heater and a/c stopped blowing that further investigation was done. Thank goodness no fire started. Still scary that we don't know what caused this to happen in the first place and will it happen again especially after it's parked in my attached garage!makes me just want to park it in the driveway away from the house. This really needs to be investigated and look into expanding the current recalls!! seems just too coincidental.

Driving on freeway, going about 72 on a warm day, about 86degees. Felt car slow down, like tires were stuck to pavement and could no longer steer car. Steering wheel became very tight, and car was hard to handle, and hard to turn.

Bought the 2005 z-4 bmw used from a dealer in high point nc. Drove it and enjoy driving until the warm weather. The steering sticks to a point of being dangerous. To compensate, i steer to the left and car pulls to the left then i bring the steering back towards the center and feel it sticking so i compensate by steering to the right. The whole time down the highway i fear for my life driving this car. I really had to concentrate to keep the car from steering off the road and i'm sure it appears i'm driving erratically to others on the road.the warm weather will soon be here in north carolina and i'm just scared to drive it. The car otherwise is beautiful. But if i'm going to be a repeat customer to the bmw line i need to get this fixed or they should recall it and i don't feel that i should have to pay for this problem and sounds like many many others have had the exact same problem from what my research shows me.please help before someone is killed. Seriously i'm scared !i contacted bmw in ohio and they need me to validate the problem through a dealer which i will do but i have to wait til the weather is warm again. Luckily i am employed and will be able to pay the $125.00 diagnostic fee.the consumer also stated every time she rode over a bump in the road, the radio would shut off and then come back on at random times. The dealer was unable to find any loose wires.also, the oil filter housing was leaking and an oil leak separator was sauing air to dispel into the engine. Updated ivoq 04/16/13

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.

The contact owns a 2005 bmw z4. While driving various speeds, the vehicle veered out of its lane independently. The contact had to use excessive force to regain steering control. The failure occurred intermittently. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The approximate failure mileage was 60,000.

The contact owns a 2005 bmw z4. The contact stated that when turning on the vehicle, there was an abnormal noise. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, who diagnosed that the belt tensioner needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 42,800.

Occasionally, when braking and pressing clutch, rpms jump and engine revs up.

The front headlight wiring harness is flaking off and could cause a short and lose your lights at night and cause a accident. There has been no recall and it's happening to all of the bmw cars that had this environmentally friendly insulation. It is a hazard because you can lose both headlights without notice and have a accident. It has been going on for years according to several mechanics i've spoken too. It also is a huge expense to replace.

2005 bmw z43.0ifaulty fuel pumps.i have had 3 fuel pumps replaced on my car and still have the very same problem.my car stalled, the idling drops, the fuel pump makes a loud vibrating rumbling noise.many others are complaining about the same problem, the yrs affected are from 2003 - 2009.

The contact owns a 2005 bmw z4. The contact stated that while a passenger was seated in the front passenger seat, with a seatbelt on, a warning bell would sound in the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was informed that the front passenger seats sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. Approximately one week later, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not taken back to have the failure diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure.the failure mileage was 36,400.

Occasionally, when braking and pressing clutch, rpms jump and engine revs up.

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.

When my bmw z4 2005 has been standing in warm weather it develops a concerning habit. When i start driving i feel resistance in the steering wheel - it needs more force to be turned and to be turned back to straight ahead. It is concerning to feel that the steering feel changes characteristics - with one thought in back of my head: what happens if it chooses to stick all together? depending on the temperature the symptoms will be more or less bad.

Sudden loss of power steering causing the car to be very difficult to control. When reading known issues regarding the bmw z4, this appears to be a very common safety problem. There is a known recall on these vehicles for this problem, however, it does not include my vehicle make, model, year. My vehicle was in motion in heavy city traffic when the steering became sticky, causing the car to pull to the right and ultimately hitting a curb causing damage to the right lower wheel well and door panel. My vehicle is currently sitting in a repair shop waiting on finding a steering column that will not cost $3800 - $4000 to replace.

The contact owns a 2005 bmw z4. While driving 40 mph, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. The failure occurred constantly. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the electric power steering unit failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 40,000.

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.

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.

After car sat outside all day at work in 75 degree temp steering was notchy and sticky during the entire 20 min drive home. After the car cooled down in the garage steering was normal during drive later that night. This happens every time the car gets warm from sitting in the sun. There is no excuse for this and is extremely unsafe as the steering does not function properly. Besides who wants a convertible you can only drive in cold weather??

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.

Steering "stickiness". 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 will turn more rapidly.

The steering sticks in place and you need to jerk the steering wheel to get the car to slightly turn. After jerking the steering wheel, you have now over corrected and must jerk it the opposite direction.the problem is worse when the temperature is higher.in tight confinements or traffic, there is many times not adequate room for the vehicle to dart in various directions because of the sticking steering.

Steering response was sticking while driving. Difficult to drive in a straight line down the road.

After the car runs for a little, the steering gets very sticky. It's very challenging to steer properly and when trying to negotiate turns, i must jolt the wheel to move passed the stickiness, resulting in an over correction. There is no way to safely drive, maneuver or control the steering. Very dangerous.

Steering sticky hard to turn, sometimes pulls to left as your driving highway speeds. Front end is properly aligned. Happens more in hot weather.

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.

On june 28, 2010 i learnt that the nhtsa odi opened investigation pe10020 into safety issues with 2003 to 2005 bmw z4 power steering systems. The description of the problem exactly describes the characteristics of the recurring problem i have been experiencing with my 2005 z4, in that the steering wheel sticks, binds or locks up, and requires increased steering effort resulting in difficulty controlling the vehicle such as the potential to over-steer when making hard and abrupt steering wheel movements. The failures typically occur at higher vehicle speeds (45 mph or greater) and in warm/hot weather (75 f or higher). In my case, this has not resulted in an accident yet, but i) averts driver attention from focusing on the road and surroundings to consciously think about and physically overcome the steering mechanism resistance, and ii) having to over-correct sharply on turns to avoid other vehicles. I have correlated this mostly with driving in higher temperature, where on days over 85f the steering is very stiff, however i would say that as a five time bmw owner, it is stiff/notchy even at 68f.

Driving at highway speed, very hard to keep vehicle in lane due to stiff steering.required heavy torque to move steering wheel, which resulted in abrupt movements in lane and led to deviation into adjacent lanes.situation improved once i got off highway.

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.

I was driving the car at approximately 45 mph and the car sterring got stiff. I couldn't control it. The power steering malfunction light came on. I got very concerned and somehow made it home. Luckily i was close to home when it happened. The car after turning off and turning back on got normal. The symptom did not come back for 2 days but then came right back on. Now i'm scared to drive this car. This is so dangerous and can cause an accident. I did some research and found i'm not the only one with this problem. A lot of other peoplehad the same issue. Bmw should fix this issue at no cost and there should be a recal on this.

Above 30 mph steering sticks and requires greater effort to turn.at any highway speed this requires overcorrection and is very dangerous.this requires immediate attention and removes of thought of "pleasure driving"

Steering sticks on 2005 bmw z4.

Started engine on hot day and had no power steering. Turned off engine and restarted and power steering was back as normal. If this had happened while driving the possibility of an accident are great.

2005 bmw z4 problem with sticky steering. Occasionally the steering will stick when the temperature is warm outside. Car becomes difficult to move off line.

Steering wheel sticks, mostly when making left turns.bmw is aware of the issue with these vehicles but states "not a safety issue, simply a nuisance"this is not true. When turning to the left, the wheel sticks causing driver to exert more pressure, when the wheel frees, the vehicle veers to the left, occasionally causing the vehicle to cross the center line into oncoming traffic. This is a significant safety issue and ongoing!!

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.

My bmw z4 2005 2.5 automatichas 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.

I drove this 2005 bmw z4 without incident while in illinois for the first 53,000 miles. After 53,000 miles i let my son drive the car exclusively while in scottsdale arizona and he continuously experiences unexpected drastic steering pulls to both the left and right sides. Correction of the steering requires both hands on the wheel and is very difficult to correct the sudden and extreme pulling. The steering pulling is not easy to replicate but occurs a few times a week during daily driving. When the steering pulls it is very dangerous and almost causes crashes. I have researched the problem on the internet and it appears this is a design problem very common with 2003-2005 bmw z4s which bmw is aware of but has failed to take any corrective measures.i presently have 63,000 on the car and is driven in the warmer climate of arizona.the steering continues to pull sporadically even though i have replaced all 4 tires with 4 new matching tires.

Steering column experience sudden jerks to the left, or to the right randomly making the car really difficult to drive safely. It's worse when driving on a highway. All tires psi are normal and tires just brand new. Car was aligned to discard everything. Even with many similar issues from other customers bmw is not accepting this failure as one to recall. But when i gets into the dealerships they diagnose that the hole steering column needs to be replaced at my expense. My car has only 86,000 miles and this is been happening since vehicle had 80,000 miles.

My 2005 bmw z4 with 47,000 milesthe steering after driving approx 65 mph on the highway locks up while centered and you have to jerk it to steer straight which causes the power steering to over correctits very dangerous !!! so after doing some research on the internet it seems to be a very common problem so why is there no recall on this car before someone dies?

The steering sticks when the cab temp gets high it does not lockcomplete when i try to correct i will over correct or under correct . This is the most dangerous car i have ever driven.

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.

2005 bmw z4 32000 miles steering sticks while driving.very difficult to keep vehicle going in a straight line.very dangerous.

I experience a loss of power-assisted steering. The steering wheel sticks, binds or locks up, requiring increased steering effort to maintain control and increasing the potential to over-steer the vehicle.

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.

The contact owns a 2005 bmw z4. While driving 10 mph, the steering wheel seized without warning. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the eps failed and needed to be repaired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 69,773.

Steering wheel gets stacked while driving.have to be extremely cautious, and even then at times steering can respond in a very unorthodox way.definitely dangerous, as se too many times car started to shift to either left or right ignoring my intend.if i crash, let this post be evidence that authorities were notified.i understand that this is an issue going way back and makes were never forced to correct this problem. Thank you

The contact owns a 2005 bmw z4. The contact stated that while driving and attempting to change lanes, the steering ceased without warning. Gault auto sport bmw located at (2311 north st, endicott, ny 13760) was contacted by phone. The contact was informed to schedule an appointment to have the vehicle diagnosed which was still pending. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not part of a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 60,300.

Driving straight at 55 mph and could not turn steering wheel left or right without a great deal of effort. Very dangerous. Same concerns as others with this model. Will not let my wife drive. Something needs to be done as these cars will crash and hurt someone. Please e-mail with some sort of a plan in place please.

Owned the vehicle since purchased new in july 2005.warranty expired ~2010.approximately 2014, symptoms started.in the heat -- 80f - 90f degree sunny day -- response of the steering wheel became notchy, as though requiring a push to get the wheel past a notch.after some time the symptom disappeared, until the (black color) car was again heated in hot sun of a 90f day.it seemed incidental.i was no longer commuting and drove the car less in 2015-2019 period, so noticed it less often.2020 was covid-19 so car was barely driven until spring 2021.now in hot summer 2021, the symptom is back and much stronger.again, only after the car has been baked in hot sunlight for some period.both directions (l and r) moving the wheel off centerline, requires pushing past a "notch" type feeling...it is not a smooth turn of the steering wheel.as the car is turning, re-centering the steering wheel also is notchy with the wheel moving in jumpy increments.

Steering "sticks" in hot weather.for example, when going around a slight curve, you turn the steering wheel and when you loosen your grip on the wheel to allow the steering to go back towards center, the steering wheel stays in the same position and you have to use force to get it back towards center.this problem became noticeable last summer and has occurred again recently as spring temperatures are getting higher.most noticeable after driving the car home from work in late afternoon after it has been sitting in uncovered parking lot.problem seems to be more pronounced now than it was last summer.in looking at various bmw forums on the web, this particular problem is very widespread, known to be a problem by bmw, and very dangerous.amazing there have been no recalls.

2005 bmw z4 power steering failure.steering wheel tends to stick in place and not want to turn.started acting this way on july 3, 2010.temperature was about 93 and the problem was noted at many different speeds.was at a restaurant in panama city, fl.came out, started the car and heard strange knocking sounds from the front of the car like someone knocking on wood.pulled out of the restaurant and noticed that the steering didn't want to turn unless additional abnormal pressure were applied to the steering wheel.this was an in-town situation but has continued since.drove the vehicle approximately 70 miles to get back home and could feel the abnormality the rest of the trip which included freeway speeds up to 70mph.have driven the car 3 times since then and the problem still exists as of july 7th, 2010.

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.

When driving at slow speed steering does not seem to be a problem. However, as speed increases(around 45-50 mph), the steering gets heavier (and develops a "stickiness" at straight center which causes an overcorrection when turning slightly. The faster the speed, the more effort needed to overcome the detent resistance, to the point that it becomes easy to oversteer the car. This can be dangerous during any driving at higher speeds. The condition seems to more pronounced as weather temperature increases.

Sticky or notched steering. Feels unsafe. Less than 35000 miles. From what i read a recall should occur. Happens under normal driving conditions. Must be corrected by a bmw recall before serious accidents happen.

The car had been sitting outside in approx. 85 degree weather for about 2-3 hours. My wife and mother in law were driving done the highway. She initially noted that the steering felt "sticky" or "different". A few moments later while traveling at approx. 55mph the steering failed to respond or more accurately felt stuck. She was unable to turn the steering wheel and the car started to move to the right side of the road toward the guard rail. After slowing the vehicle and continuously trying to turn the wheel it finally responded. She pulled off the road and sat for a few moments to regain composure and check vehicle. There was nothing outwardly apparent, no flats, nothing under car, nothing wedged in engine compartment or underneath car. She exited the highway and drove slowly back to the house. The car did exhibit signs of "sticking" again, but did not lock up. A quick search on the internet has revealed this is a very common complaint on the z4. This is a very serious safety concern and now my wife is afraid to drive the car.

Steering seems to lock in a position, or at least stop.i then have to use extra force to get to go past the lock / stop point.and then after a little more time the situation repeats itself again.the problem is that not every time that i use the car does it do it, about 25% of the time.i am concerned that it may sometime lock in position and then there will be an accident.there must be a fix easier than a steering rack replacement, which was recommended by one shop....updated 10/01/15updated 12/04/2017

2005 bmw z4 steering sticks while driving at low or high speed. When parked with steering unlocked you can rotate the steering wheel and feel there is a sticking issue that you have to forcibly push the wheel too far to get it to unstick. This is very scary when driving! consumers should not have to pay to fix this since many owners have this problem. Dealerships want $3500 to fix the issue. I drive a lot for work, going into a turn on the highway at high speeds and your steering it stuck is very dangerous. This happens to me everytime i drive the car.i searched the internet and there are thousands of threads from everyone experiencing the same problem. I only drive this car in the summer so i cannot say if the problem is worse in warm weather. All i can truly say is this happens everytime i drive the car. Whether short trip to store at low city speeds or very high speeds on the highway. Why is the nhtsa ignoring this? steering not working is a huge safety defect! this is not an intermittent problem, it is constant and random so no way to prepare before it happens at 80 mph or 35 mph through city streets with pedestrians and cars everywhere.this has been an issue for as long as i've owned the car and every year it gets worse.

I experience sticking steering that progressively gets worse as i drive my vehicle. My steering tends to stick to the right and will not self align itself until i forceable center the wheel. The same problem occurs turning left but currently it is not as severe. The problem is present on city streets, highways and while turning.

Stiff steering to the left or right.hard to turn.jerks when i put on brakes.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The steering sticks while driving you have to force it to turn causing you to travel back and forth across the lane. This only happens at hwy speeds on very warm days and at slower speeds works normal.

Car's steering stick on center position making normal steering corrections noticeably difficult.an extraordinary amount of force needs to be applied to the steering wheel in order to make the necessary steering correction which can cause an over-correction.once off center, it is then difficult to return the wheel to the neutral position.this has happened repetitively, most often in hot weather.dealer where we bought the car and who does regular maintenance has been unable to replicate the problem, or so they say.bmw usa has been contacted about the problem; and, their response was "take it to the dealer."by what i have read on the internet, i am not the only one experiencing this problem.i am ready to seek advice from my attorney.

First time was on the interstate approximately 65mph. The steering wheel felt like it had tight spots requiring the need for both hands on the wheel. The carseemed to wander left and rightand whencorrected itwas insensitive. It felt like a goose neck bearing that had been over tightened on a bicycle, it had a tight feel, yet it was only in the center position. When making lane changes it felt normal, back to center the feel returned as before. It happened again yesterday on a state highway. The car has the sportmode and in both occurrences it was in sport. I have 60 years of driving experience and many cars have been high performance and sport vehicles. This is a dangerous condition because it is intermittent and requires both hands on the wheel to counter.

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.

When car is sitting in sun for the day the steering gets stuck in position will not center while driving athighway speeds feels like something is holding it in place.went to dealer to see if it has a recall none at this time looked into the matter on line there are lots of other problems with other cars and years what is going to be done aboutthisbefore life is lost !

I bought thez in july, during the dealer test drive it handled great.the test was about 20 minutes long. After we pickedup 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.

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.

I have been experiencing steering problems with the 2005 bmw z4 since july 2007. At speeds over 50 mph and while the outside temperature is over 75 degrees, the steering becomes very stiff. It is almost as if i am driving on train tracks and have difficulty steering right or left. I brought the vehicle to the dealership and was told there was no steering problem.

"takata recall"my steering sticks in a position as i drive down the road and excessive force is needed to break it from the direction it is headed.this occurs under most all driving conditions and is more noticeable on highway driving around 60 mph

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

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.

While driving the steering on the bmw 2005, z4 became difficult to guide or turn. To maneuver the car in a road driving lane, it was often necessary to forcibly turn the steering wheel. When that was done, the car would jerk to the side where the turn was being attempted. This often cause the car to veer into other lanes. It was repaired to avoid an accident and bmw has not recognized this problem as a safety issue. Bmw needs to take responsibility for this problem and issue a safety recall and either pay for therepair or reimburse any z4 car owner who paid to fix the safety problem and avoid an accident.

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.

Steering started to seem stiff or sticky on occasion at various speeds, now occurring much more frequently. The car seems to drift back and forth and one must keep frequently correcting to keep car going straight. More so than you would normally expect and much more for a car of this caliber i would think. It sticks then there is a "dead space" until you catch it to correct it. I think this type of occurrence can be very dangerous. I was checking everything i could to find the issue, i.e. : tire pressure, balance, alignment, bearings etc. To no avail. Even tried to locate the power steering fluid reservoir but obviously now i know there is none! one would think that bmw would correct this issue for generally honorable reasons. All it will take is for that steering to stick, the "dead space" to occur and at 70 mph on the freeway no time to correct until you hit the concrete divider and well you can guess the rest. How many could be killed ? especially in heavy traffic?and for a obviously faulty electric motor? i'm sure there are many more people who own these cars and may not know what to do about it. We need you to make this right before someone dies, perhaps this has already happened and its not known and is related to a poor driver or error? be cautious when near a z4 on the highway you or someone you love or know may be the next unwilling victim! just saying. Help!!!

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

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.

While driving in warm weather steering has tight spots left and right when moving steering wheel, causing carnotstay straight on road.very dangers while driving.

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 saidthe car was ok! i went home and checked the internet and thereloads 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 !!!!!!

2005 bmw z4 with only 54,000 miles has uncontrollable sticky steering when ambient temperatures are elevated.steering feels like it is in a groove and it takes dramatic effort to make a steering correction to stay in a lane. Once corrected the car swerves until you correct again.the car is very unsafe to drive in this condition.review of complaints and available information confirm that this is a bmw issue worthy of a recall. There will be injuries and deaths if this problem is not corrected.the cost of the repair prohibit most people from obtaining dealer assistance to correct the issue.

I bought my 2005 bmw z4 in '08. It barely has 35,000 miles on it. The steering started to stick two years ago. It seems to be at its worst on really hot days. I can pull it out of the garage and it's fine, but once i get to where i'm going and it sits in the sun for a few hours, then it's really difficult to drive. It used to just stick while on turns, but now it is starting to stick while driving straight.i have to turn the wheel back & forth to stay straight and in the lines. I'm afraid one of these days it's going to stick and take me right off the road.i do not understand why there is not a recall on these with so many complaints

Steering problem in warm weather and when car gets warm.

When engine is warm the steering sticks causing the car to drift off center and over steering to correct.

My 2005 bmw z4 3.0 roadster has developed a possible issue with the electric steering system.at highway speeds the steering 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 mechanical 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 alignment 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.

The contact owns a 2005 bmw z4. The contact stated that in warmer temperatures, the steering wheel would lock 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.

While driving on the straight highway at a normal speed i noticed the car began to pull to the right.in order to correct, you would have to pull the steering wheel to the left causing the car to sometimes over correct with a jerking sensation and pulling to far to the left.car was taken in for repair.after diagnostics i was told that it was a problem with the steering column electric motor and you could not just replace the motor, but would have to have the entire steering column replaced.i did have the steering column replaced with good results.the new column was ordered by my repairman from bmw.my worry is if the last column was defective, will this one be also.

When are you going to issue a full recall for the bmw sticky steering issue! for years people have been complaining on socials media and the nhtsa that this is a very real issue and yet no recall! i have the issue.i can say at times in hot weather my car is almost uncontrollable. It is all i can do to keep my steering to go the way it is supposed to go without jerking and over correcting.i have had the car since 2013. I am the second owner.everytime the temp gets above 80 the steering starts getting jerky and sticks. Just go to facebook. Bimmer forums. Everyone who owns a z4 is having these same issues.it is extremely expensive to fix. Bmw dealerships want to charge nearly 2000 for my 2005 bmw when this is a known issue. Unless you force bmw to be accountable people are going to get killed.

I'm experiencing very stiff or stuck steering. It seems to only occur during the summer months, but mainly when my car is left out in the sun at work, the drive home is quite an adventure.keeping the car driving straight is no easy task, trying to make a small correction results in the steering wheel moving a great distance as one has to apply more force to the steering wheel to overcome the "stuckness". This results in a over correction of steering and pushes the car to opposing lanes at the extreme, or otherwise just makes the car jerk from side to side.i've had niello bmw of sacramento look at this, and they found nothing nor admitted this was a problem. As the summer months come around, my steering is going back to it's usual jerkiness.

When driving, the car steering sticks causing me to cross into oncoming traffic. One day this will cause an accident.

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.

Sticky steering starts in spring, continues in summer, ends in fall. Must be temperature related. A recall needs to be made!

Atspeed 25 to 70 and tempertures over 70 the steering wheel gets sticky and locks up. Very hard to turn.the only way to turn it is use both hand and turn it forcefully causing over-turns and running off the road or to oncoming traffic. Updated 12/06/2017

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.

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.

Vehicle steering is sticky, in center position making minor correction have to force the correction causing over correction.driver then has to make another corrections again to bring the car back from the original over correction.this is potentially hazardous.in looking this up on google found that this is a problem for my vehicle year and bmw is aware of the issue, but no recall has been made.it is prevalent in warm weather.

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 problemis proving very disappointing also.there should be a mandatory recall and correction of this obvious safety defect common to '03-'05 z4's.

Steering is no longer smooth or safe, takes 2 hands and even on straight road has to be moved in jerks side to side, as if someone else is holding the wheel and fighting back when you try to turn wheel. Warm is worse and on highway at speed almost impossible to keep straight. On my drive monday had i had to make an evasive move i would not have been able to and would have been in a head on collision.in hawaii it is always over 80 degrees on highway. When first turned on in garage it is not nearly as bad. But after couple minutes it is nearly impossible to maintain chosen direction. Evasive action now impossible and told by dealer that an entire new steering column is required and that this is a very common problem in z4s from 2004-2006. Has only 18,000 miles on it. In flawless shape. In 2012 with 11,442 miles on the car the steering was doing the same thing. My father who bought the car new, the car took it to the dealer who replaced the entire steering column. Thus the car now has 7,000 more miles and again i am told it needs another steering column replacement for $6000. From investigating others who have had the same issue it is the unsealed bearing in the middle of the column that the lubricant dries and hardens onto. That bearing can be dug out, cleaned off and new lubricant applied. But this is only a temporary fix. The lubricant will dry and harden requiring another costly (quoted at $1700) opening and cleaning/lubricating. The 2007 models have had 0 complaints so somewhere along the way bmw fixed the unsealed bearing problem. I am asking for a new steering column with one of the sealed bearing assemblies to be installed by the bmw dealer at their cost.

My 2005 bmw z4 steering seems to drift from side to side of the road and is very difficult to keep in the lane. When you adjust for this ( which is constant) the steer wheel fights you and it seems to be stuck, then breaks lose. Then you go to the other side of the lane. It's worse at higher speeds and i believe this is dangerous due to constant attention required to keep the car tracking down road. In turns, the steering wheel does not return to a center position and it is difficult to get it to return to center position. This is constant on city streets and highways. I have have the car align by bmw and the tire rotated with no change.i believe there is something seriously wrong with the steering system.

Steering has become very stiff and steering wheel does not center after making slight turns. Seems to be worse in hot weather. Have to really concentrate on steering and is becoming dangerous. Appears to be a common problem with the z4 according to blogs. Recall by bmw should be issued.

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.

The contact owns a 2005 bmw z4. The contact stated thatthe steering wheel became unresponsive while driving. The contact mentioned that he had to use extra force in order for the vehicle to respond. The vehicle was not taken to dealer for inspection or repairs. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 8,000 and current mileage was 10,500. Steering wheel is sticky when turning trying to make mirror corrections to steer. This sometimes leads to slight over correction to steering direction. Updated 09/14/2011 *lnupdated 12/05/11

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.

Sticky / notched steering at highway speed. Feels unsafe jerks after about 30 minutes of driving. Just bought this used z-4 in september 2016. Only has 98000 miles service mgr tells me that the only fix is to replace the steering column at a cost of $4300. Issue should be corrected by a bmw recall before a serious accidents happens. Car is unsafe to drive and parked in garage.

Car's steering sticks on center position making normal steering corrections noticeably difficult. An extraordinary amount of force needs to be applied to the steering wheel in order to make the necessary steering correction which can cause an over-correction. Once off center, it is then difficult to return the wheel to the neutral position this can be very dangerous at highway speeds. This always happens in warmer weather or if the car has been outside in the sun for a couple of hours.

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.

2005 bmw z4 steering sticks in hot weather.very dangerous.returned fromsummer trip and felt the problem repeatedly.now afraid to drive the car in hot weather.

The contact owns a 2005 bmw z4.the contact stated that while traveling 35 mph, the power steering assist malfunctioned and prevented the vehicle from moving.the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 95,000. The current mileage was 120,000.

First a description of the problem: 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 the 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.

After parked in hot sun and driving on hot days,steering becomes erratic.sticks and releases when turning.slight turns at highway speed is horrible.slow driving is also bad. This problem has gone on for years.

This steering in this vehicle is downright dangerous! i purchased the car used 6 months ago in the winter and only drive it a few times. As i've been driving more in the nicer weather,the steering started to "stick" causing me to oversteer. I am terrified to even drive this car on the highway because it gets worse as you increase speed and because of the unpredictability of the steering mechanism.the steeringproblem intensifies in hot weather.it nearly impossible to stay within your lane on a road with slight curves.i brought the car to bmw service center and was told the steering column needed to be replaced at a cost of $3500. I came online to do some research only to find hundreds of other people with the same exact problem. Bmw must be aware of this potentially fatal flaw in their vehicle.i don't understand why there was not a recall issued.my fear it that one day the steering is going to lock completely.until we try to get a betterestimate on the price of the steering column replacement we will not be driving this vehicle. Please look into this, it is an accident waiting to happen.

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.

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 upand causing an accident, vehicle only has 25,833miles on it.

Jerking stering

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 going to get killed and it was almost me!

The electric power steering on the car is dangerous.the steering is erratic and very twitchy.the problem is noticeable at lower speeds but at highway speeds it is dangerous to drive the car.the steering wheel starts out stiff, like an old car without power steering, but then the electric motor suddenly provides too much power assistance.the electric assist results in a sharper turn than you need and therefore requires immediate correction.it consistently does this; it is not a one-time thing.it requires constant attention, with both hands on the wheel at all times.this makes the car both mentally and physically exhausting to drive on the highway.driving at lower speeds is annoying but at highway speeds it is dangerous.the correction and subsequent overcorrection problem makes the car drive down the highway like a snake.it is difficult to keep the car in the correct lane.the rougher the pavement the more difficult it is to drive the car.there have been a few times where the overcorrection has resulted in accidentally veering out of the correct lane.fortunately, no accident has occurred yet.please feel free to contact me and come drive the car to see for yourself.it only has 55,000 miles on it and based on the other complaints this is a systemic problem with the 2005 bmw z4.

The contact owns a 2005 bmw z4. The contact stated that the steering wheel was extremely tight. In warmer temperatures,the steering wheel veered to the right or left independently. The contact had to apply force to correct the failure each time it occurred. The vehicle was not included in nhtsa action number: pe10020 (steering). The vehicle was not inspected and diagnosed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided no permanent remedy or recommendation to correct the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 40,000.

My car was parkedwhile i was on the beach for 2 hours when i started my car the power steering was gone i couldn't move the car out of the parking spot.

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.

I just bought a 2005 bmw z4 on 5/31/16 as a gift for my daughter for her accomplishments of setting multiple athletic records at her high school while maintaining a 6.0 gpa.i test drove the car in the city streets and it drove excellent.i liked the car very much and purchased in the city of st. Petersburg florida. Since i live in tampa, florida i had my wife follow me back while i drove the z4 back. The car function perfectly until i got onto the interstate. The second i got up to around 50 miles per hour. I found myself terrified as the steering began to stick at almost dead center, causing the car to shiftdangerously as i overcompensate to keep the car in the lane. My daugher is a bit disappointed, because of my fear to let her drive the car.it seemed so strange that i felt duped by the dealership. I got suspiscious, pulled a carfax and it was clean. I then researched the issue on the internet and found that many people have been experiencing the exact situation.it's an obvious mechanical defect that can contribute to a fatal accident. So why has there not been a recall for this issue? it's puzzling.

Sticky / notched steering. Feels unsafe jerks when temperature is hot or after about 30 minutes of driving. Just bought this used z-4 from bmw dealer 1 week ago. Only has 58000 miles which is low for 2005. Just came back from the dealer and the service agent tells me that the only fix is to replace the steering column at a cost of $4300. Waiting to hear back from dealers management since that is 1/3 of what i bought the car for. I can not afford to pay another $4300 for the dream car i finally got and only driven one week. From what i read and after seeing all the complaints, a recall should occur. Happens under normal driving conditions. Must be corrected by a bmw recall before serious accidents happen.

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 laneroads, 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 nhtsarecall 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!

In warm weather the steering on my bmw z4 is sticky and unresponsive at highway speeds.the steering becomes notchy and i am force to "unstick" the steering wheel by jerking the steering wheel to make minor lane corrections, this over steers the vehicle and i am then forced to unstick the wheel again and jerk the wheel in the opposite direction.this results in dangerously weaving through the lane close to oncoming and passing traffic.the vehicle is dangerous to drive in conditions warmer than 75 degrees fahrenheit.

I would urge you to reopen the case that was closed back in 2010 on the steering on this vehicle. I have experienced very frightening loss of control when the steering wheel is hot and the "stickiness" is at it's worst. Maybe the fact that i live in the south and it gets hotter here is a factor, but it gets so extreme that i can barely hold it in the lane. This year i have hardly driven it because i am afraid to. I don't feel right selling it and passing it off to someone else. I absolutely love the look of the car, but i feel like i was just taken for a large amount of money when we paid for it, because of this situation. At the least, i fear getting a ticket because it looks like a drunk is driving the car when it's weaving like that. At worst, i fear an accident. If the stickiness is accompanied by a bumpy road, the loss of control is substantial. And in answer to the questions below, this is an ongoing situation and it doesn't matter what speed i'm going when it occurs.

I know i am repeating what many others have already said, but this sticky steering situation is very dangerous...i hadn't related it to temp sensitivity until reading other posts. This condition spoils all the fun that this brand should have. What ticks me off is the dealer acts like i am the first one to complain. Come on , you could get away with that years ago but not now. We must speak up and be heard. As far as i'm concerned this vehicle is a piece of junk the way it is. At highway speeds this car will wear you out trying to overcorrect the steering. My wife is afraid to drive it. This is the first and probably last bmw i'm going to own.first couple of years it was a dream to drive but the last 4 years we have hardly put any miles on it..

Steering wheel feels jerky when turned left or right and reaches a point where added force is needed to turn the wheel resulting in sudden moves of the car to the left or right respectively. Ambient temperature appears to affect when this happens, it was 94f today and car was parked in the sun for about five hours. Condition is life threatening and will change how often i will drive this vehicle. This problem is well documented in online forums but i have ot found a recall notice for it yet. My vehicle shows no outstanding recalls but i cannot verify if a recall has been issued for this particular problem and if my vehicle was taken in to address it.

I bought a 2005 bmw z4 about a month ago. The first couple of weeks, everything was fine. However, as the temperature outside rose, i noticed that the steering started sticking, making it hard to drive. For example, yesterday, as i was changing lanes on a local highway, i had trouble changing lanes, and almost hit another car because of the sticking problem.based on what i've heard, i believe this problem is being caused by a defective bearing in the steering column.

Steering binds in center position when driving at speed. Small corrections are hard to make as steering resists & then over corrects. Problem is most noticeableduring hot weather and has progressively become worse overtime .

In hot weather, while driving at any rate of speed, my steering is "sticky" or "notchy". The steering has a sticky place both left and right of center position. I have to jerk it to unstick the steering wheel. This causes an over correction and results in a dangerous weaving motion. I purchased this car earlier in the year and was excited because the mileage is only 36,000. I now understand why it has low mileage. It is terribly hard to stay a straight line in your lane due to this steering condition. I've researched and found numerous complaints. I think bmw needs to step up and correct this dangerous safety issue before someone gets badly hurt.

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 dayduring 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.

I have had a recurring serious problem with the steering input effort, especially when hot outside. The steering seems very heavy and sticks when close to the on-center position, and is very heavy and difficult to return back to the on-center position. It is a problem that has been a concern for my wife and i now for several months. The vehicle has been in and out of service very frequently since april of 2010. It is in service for the forth time now regarding the problem with the steering. The vehicle this time has been in now for almost a month and has not been repaired yet.

Found a used 2005 bmw z4 3.0i with right at 11,200 miles for sale online.car was located approximately 4 hours from home.went and looked at car, took it for short test drive, saw no apparent issues and purchased car.car had been garage kept and was very clean and consistent with such low mileage.proceeded on with journey home.drove a while and started to notice steering felt a bit strange, but wrote it off that i "just wasn't used to the car" and it would simply take a while to get used to it.later, still on my journey home, while driving on the interstate, i came to a gentle left hand bend in the road.i went to add a little correction to the steering wheel and discovered that it simply would not let me turn it.i was driving at normal interstate speeds close to 70 mph.it happens quickly and you don't really know what to do.while trying to slow the vehicle, the natural response is to grab the steering wheel with both hands and try and overcome the resistance.i did this with a substantial amount of force, and the steering wheel did "let go" and let the car turn left.since such force had to be applied to the wheel in order to overcome its resistance, it is very difficult to "catch the wheel" at the proper location and avoid an abrupt and extreme overshoot.extremly tense and dangerous situation!i slowed down, made sure there were no other cars close and operated the steering wheel back and forth some.things seemed to be ok.i continued my journey very cautiously at reduced speeds.once home, i looked online to see what might possibly be wrong and discovered that a multitude of people describe exactly what happened to me with 2003-2005 bmw z4's.it is my sincere hope that this issue can be recalled as i truly believe human lives are in the balance, especially if a garage kept car with less than 12,000 miles is at risk. Thank you.

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 09/23/09the 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.

Have had the car for several years and have noticed a steering issue that seems to be getting worse. I researched this on multiple forums and it appears that there are numerous examples of similar problems. Most relate to issues in hot tempatures, mine is more related to speed. Problem was very noticable last evening at 70 degrees. Here are the symptoms...at low speeds (under 20mph) steering is very light and smooth, no issues at all. As speed increases, the steering gets heavier (as it should) but develops a "detent" at straight center. The faster the speed, the more effort needed to overcome the detent resistance, to the point that it becomes easy to oversteer the car. This can be real scary during avoidance maneuvers and quick lane changes.i have had my car worked on for other service and the mechanic also noticed the issue as it was driven to have the wheels aliened.

Steering sticks when outdoor temperatures rise above 60 degrees f.

Steering seems to stick, i just bought the car the same day and was driving it several hundred miles home. It felt like the car was in a rut, and i had to jerk the wheel to "unstick: it . It was scary. It happened several times during the trip, and has happened since then.

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.

I have the well know sticky steering issue, worse when it is warm outside (above 80f), where the steering sticks in a position and you have to over correct to get it to respond.feels dangerous on the highway.

My 2005 bmw z4 has a steering issue that has affected thousands of similar vehicles.the steering column is faulty and results in loss of stability at speeds between 65-75 mph.the steering "drifts" and is difficult to control the vehicle.steering also "sticks" and requires force to turn.there is much talk about a recall being forced onto bmw for their faulty steering column.please move this forward for the thousands of drivers bmw has put at risk by not acknowledging and correcting this problem for their drivers.

This bmw z4 has 26,000 miles and has faulty steering. The steering wheel will bind up. This leads to forcing the wheel to overcome the resistance. The result is an over correction causing erratic steering. This condition is temperature related and is made worsewhen hot. It is present at all times...while turning or driving or straight ahead. Any loss of steering is a safety issue of importance. This isknown issue with 2003 - 2005 bmw z4's.

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.

I being having problems with the steering is sticking while driving over 35 miles and specially in the evening in hot days. I always have to hold the wheel with two hands because the steering sticks and is harder to turn and it becomes very dangerous. I went to the mechanic and he recommend to replace thesteering: electric power assist system. We tried to ordered via bmw and we were told that is back order and it may take a month or more to get it because many similar cars are having the same problem. It that is the case why there is not a recall?

The steering gets very sticky on warm days, above 75 degrees fahrenheit. It restricts the steering to the point that it is hard to turn the wheel.this problem is definitively a safety issue.

On a hot day while traveling over 40 mph, the steering becomes "sticky"; that is it get stuck in a position and you have to physically jerk the wheel to adjust the steering which is very dangerous at higher speeds.this only happens in warm weather-above 70 degrees fahrenheit.i recently experienced this on i-95 while traveling to philadelphia.i noticed this before and i reported this to bmw of alexandria (now arlington) and they replaced the steering box, lower joint assembly - total cost $1,721 - this was at 69,000 miles.the problem is back and as bad or worse.i have read of this problem on bmw forums where the entire steering column must be replaced at about $4,000.what i don't understand is why this isn't a recall item as it definitely is a safety issue.[xxx]information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).

I bought a 2005 bmw z4 2.5i in 2013 and it only had 19,000 mi. On it.at about 22,000 miles i started noticing that the steering would stick, but i thought it might be my tires out of alignment, i then put a new set of tires on the front and had it checked and it made no difference in the problem.my car now has 30400 miles on it and the problem has just recently gotten much worse, i'm now afraid to drive the car.after reading about the number of people with the same problem, i'm hoping we can get a recall on a serious problem.

Driving my 2005 bmw z4 has become a non option when the ambient temperature exceeds 85. The steering wheel becomes resistant to turning left, or right from center. And then you have to fight it back to center as it will stay in the turned position. This is a real shame, i don't know if their engineers realize this, but convertibles are for warm weather. I would expect this from a gm or ford product, but not from bmw who touts as being "the ultimate driving machine". This is a very common problem and can not believe it hasn't been issued a recall.

The steering seems to stick and force is needed to move in either direction.

Steering doesn't respond properly in high temperatures when in motion.steering feels "notchy" deviating from dead-center, and difficult to properly control the vehicles direction when this occurs.could lead to over-correction and/or loss of control.

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 diminishes 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 strong 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.

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.

Steering became sticky when trying to do minor corrections. It is very difficult to keep car straight without exerting considerable force in both left and rightdirections. Problem is worse when outside temperature is above 80f and steering is "normal "when car is cold. Subsequently, steering wheel does not easily return to center, occasionally car will pull in either direction, not sure when it will go left and when right. Dealer wants to replace steering column for $3500. Replacement is oem part so no dealerguarantee that replacement will not perform the same way.

Car is very dangerous to drive when car is warm and driven at highway speed. The car acts as if the steering is sticking or locking up> you have to pull on the steering wheel hard to left or right to get the wheels to turn. You must be very care and keep your mind on what you are doing at all times or you could be in crash.

I purchased a 2005 bmw z4 in october, 2015.i noticed when steeringthe car there was a sticking point that required extra effort to steer past.upon researching this problem on the internet i found this website and was surprised to find that between 2004 and 2007 there have been 470 complaints for this same problem.i am adding 471.this is an issue that should be corrected by bmw as it can have dangerous implications.

I have a 2005 bmw z4 3.0i and have 'sticky' steering at speeds above ~40mph (mainly highway). On warmer days when the car has been sitting in the sun, going past ~40mph the steering will begin to 'bind' or 'stick' causing me to use excessive force to move the steering wheel. Once the vehicles steering stops 'sticking', the adjustment is too much and can sometimes lead to lane wandering and other unwanted characteristics.

Experienced what appears to be known problem with erratic steering at any speed.design flaw known to both bmw na & reported numerous times to your org based on the numerous complaints at url below:http://www.bmwcoop.com/2010/07/06/steering-problems-for-bmw-z4-in-the-u-s/#comment-87602.problem recurred 3 yrs ago and i simply garaged it & used my subaru.last week had car towed to local service center which acknowledged the problem and alerted me to the numerous websites documenting this design flaw.having car towed to bmw dealership today as i refuse to drive it.but because there has not been a recall which there should be i am on the hook to pay for its design flaw or i can garage it or sell it.btw, car only has 4400 miles on it due in large part to this recurring defect.i cannot believe no one has not been killed or seriously injured due to this defect.after the takata airbag debacle it is my hope that nhtsa takes these numerous customer complaints re:z4 dangerous steering column design flaw seriously & acts quickly.

Stiff steering when the temperature rises. There is resistance turning left or right off center.off ramps seem to be the most dangerous because once i turn right off center the vehicle wants to continue turning right. This has happened every time i've driven this vehicle when the temperature is above 85 degrees.

The contact owns a 2005 bmw z4. The contact stated that while driving 40 mph, the power steering failed and the steering wheel tightened. The vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 38,000. Updated 10/31/13*ljthe consumer stated the steering wheel was sticky and it extreme effort to drive the vehicle. The dealer informed him, the entire steering componentneeded to be replaced. The consumer stated the steering incident happened after the vehicle was parked for 4 hours in 85 degree weather. Updated 11/12/13

After the car is parked out in the sun on a hot day (80f or higher) the car is difficult to steer immediately while in forward motion. The difficulty can be described as trying to turn the steering wheel either left or right requires so much force that once it turns you over steer and need to turn the wheel the other direction to stay within the lanes on the road. Any bend in the road is difficult to keep the car centered in the lane since turning the wheel requires so much force that over steering is continually happening. This condition doesn't appear when the car is cold or parked in a garage on a hot day then driven for 30 minutes. Later though it may start to occur after 30 minutes of driving on a very hot day in the sun as the car get hot.

Steering column experience sudden jerks to the left, or to the rightrandomly making the car really difficult to drive safely. It's worse when driving on a highway. All tires psi are normal and tires just brand new. Car was aligned to discard everything. Even with many similar issues from other customers bmw is not accepting this failure as one to recall. But when i gets into the dealerships they diagnose that the hole steering column needs to be replaced at my expense. My car has only 42,000 miles.

Steering sticks at times when driving on the highway.

My 2005 bmw z4 have steering wheels issues.gps navigation system don't work.

Original owner new 2005 z4 bmw18475 milessteering sticks while drivingfeels like it may not come back when you turn wheelkind of like flat spot on column hard to explain.

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 predictable.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.

2005 bmw z-4 power steering failure 7-5-2010 car has 7,000 miles on it, backed out of driveway ,lost steering.

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.

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

Sticking steering has occurred when temperatures rise, typically above 85f. Steering becomes difficult to detect the way in which the car will react and the level of resistance that will occur and need to be dealt with.

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!!!

2005 bmw z4. Consumer states with vehicle steering *tgwthe 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.

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.

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 66,000 miles and the problem is getting worse.bmw needs to fix this.

After the car is parked in the hot sun all day, the steering of the vehicle gets "stuck". It is hard to steer and stay smooth in the lane because you are struggling to get the steering unstuck at 70mph down the interstate. This is a very serious and dangerous problem that needs to be revisited. My car only has 31k miles on it.

The contact owns a 2005 bmw z4. While operating the vehicle, the steering wheel felt tight and was difficult to turn. The vehicle was taken to apple bmw (2208, 1370 roosevelt ave, york, pa 17404, (717) 845-6689) where it was diagnosed that the entire steering column needed to be replaced. The manufacturer stated that they could not assist since there was no recall and the vehicle was no longer under warranty. The failure occurred ever since the vehicle was purchased. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 63,000.

The contact owns a 2005 bmw z4. While driving 45 mph the power steering became stuck in position and as it was forced to move it made the vehicle lunged. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that they would replace the steering column at the contacts expense. There were no related recalls. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure and current mileages were 26,500.

The contact owns a 2005 bmw z4. The contact stated that while driving over 30 mph, the vehicle would jerk from side to side. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 78,000.

Original owner new 2005 z4 bmw18475 milessteering sticks while drivingfeels like it may not come back when you turn wheelkind of like flat spot on column hard to explain.

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