Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full
Data refreshed
Our database holds 414 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2003 BMW Z4. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Showing 1–25 of 414 · page 1 of 17
This vehicle has a "sticky steering" issue in warm or hot weather, the steering sticks and requires a lot of effort to get the wheel to turn. If I am doing any speeds over 40 mph and keep adjusting the steering, I have almost wrecked the car on more than one occasion. The problem is the electric steering on the early year models of the BMW Z4. Mine is a 2003, the first year the car was on the market.
Steering is binding up, very hard to steer and control. Car starts out running fine after parked in hot weather and restarted it is almost uncontrollable. Looking for corrective action. Only 39,920 miles on car. Would like to use it or sell it, can do neither in current condition. Steering column needed or components
When outside temp is 80degrees or higher it becomes difficult to maintain the vehicle in the correct driving lane due to a stickyness in the steering wheel. I will not allow anyone to drive the vehicle when the temp is over 80 degrees ... sucks to have a convertable that you can't drive in warm weather!
My girlfriend, [XXX] , purchased a used 2003 BMW z4 2.5i. It is pristine with 47K original miles. Always maintained, garaged and never driven in foul weather. I, [XXX] , drove it home for her and noticed the steering to be "sticky". This showed on the highway traveling at 65 MPH. It was very unsettling to feel the car want to track in a direction that i could not control. I used "more force" to pull the steering wheel to get tracking correctly and stay in my travel lane. Lucking I did not overcorrect and lose control or cause and accident. Once it happened it continued to happen the balance of the drive on the highway and back roads. I've owned and driven many different makes and models of vehicles from Dodge, Renault, Toyota, GMC, Chrysler, Volvo, Geo, etc. and never has "steering" been an issue. Once we got home I looked up "sticky steering" issue for the 2003 Z4 and this is a known issue. Driving this BMW was unsettling and unsafe. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Dealer sold me a car and the next day the car no turn on engine and have a full leaking under
The contact owns a 2003 BMW Z4. The contact stated that the coolant warning light illuminated. The contact then stated that she noticed smoke underneath the hood of the vehicle. The contact stated that upon inspecting the vehicle, she noticed a leak on the ground located near the rear passenger’s side tire. Additionally, the contact then stated that while operating the convertible drop top, she heard an abnormal sound in the motor. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 64,000.
Upon starting the car, power steering does not work making car unmanueverable.
The steering in this BMW Z4 gets "sticky" in warm or hot weather. It drives fine in cold weather. The steering has to be constantly corrected as it pulls to the left. It will not track in a straight line and needs constant corrections from side to side to compensate for the problem. If you do not pay close attention and correct the steering input, you will go off the road. On a warmer day after driving for a while I suddenly experienced a unexpected binding of the steering and almost ended up steering into oncoming traffic. This car is not safe to drive. The 2003 model has electric power steering. There are no codes or warning lights. I took the car to the local mechanic and he was easily able to reproduce the issue when he drove it less than 1 mile. This issue not only puts me at risk but others because of the constant correction of the steering to keep a straight. If you drive this car in warm or hot weather distances more than 20 miles then shut if off, then attempt to restart there is no steering at all. Please view the 2 websites listed below from BMW owners. https://automotivesblog.com/e85-e86-bmw-z4-steering-problems-how-to-fix/ https://www.carproblemzoo.com/bmw/z4/steering-problems.php One website had almost 700 complaints with the steering. I dare not let my kids behind the wheel of this car. It is not a question of "if" someone gets killed, but "when." BMW North America would only say there are no recalls. When I asked if there have been issues reported, they declined to give me that information. Please help. It would be interesting to know how many accidents were listed with the steering being the cause of the MVA. I would gladly allow someone with the NHTSA drive this car in warm weather. Then you would see how dangerous the steering is in these vehicles.
Sticky steering steering wheel hard to turn and stops intermittently when outside temperature is hot
DRIVERS DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN. Couldn't get out of the car. Had to get assistance to get out of car.. Had car towed to BMW dealership.. The spent hours trying to get door open. They had to go down through the convertible top to remove the drivers seat in order to get panel off to remove parts to get door to open. This is major safety hazard which should be addressed. See what was repaired below.. MECH MECHANICAL LABOR 22642 COXW 1320.00 1320.00 1 51-21-7-202-143 SYSTEM LATCH, LEFT:512011 241.92 241.92 241.92 1 51-21-7-197-313 CARRIER, OUTSIDE DOOR HANDLE:H51210 202.32 202.32 202.32 12 51-41-8-224-768 CLIP WITH WASHER, NATUR:889520 1.08 1.08 12.96 1 51-48-7-016-655 SOUND INSULATION, DOOR LEFT:H51480 57.68 57.68 57.68 36204 LEFT DOOR LOCK ACTUATOR & OUTSIDE DOOR HANDLE CARRIER FAULTY. 5.50 VERIFY COMPLAINT,FOUND DOOR LOCK ACTUATOR FAULTY & OUTSIDE DOOR HANDLE CARRIER FAULTY,TIME SPENT TO UNLOCK DOOR, R&R DOOR LOCK ACTUATOR & OUTSIDE DOOR HANDLE CARRIER.FUNCTION Total cost of repair - 1877.36
STICKY STEERING AFTER CAR WARMS UP. STEERS LIKE A BOAT. DANGEROUS AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS OR WINDING ROAD.
The contact owns a 2003 BMW Z4. The contact stated while driving at various speeds in hot weather, the steering wheel became difficult to turn and would also jerk the vehicle into the next lane. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to drive to the residence. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the battery to be replaced. The dealer replaced the battery however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 24,000.
During very warm days in the summer the steering wheel tends to stick during turns. It requires extra force to continue to turn the wheel which becomes problematic during a tight turn or on highway on-ramps.
Car has 15,000 miles and always stored in climate controlled garage. Drove it today and within 1/2 mile the electronic power steering failed making it very, very hard to steer. Shut vehicle off and restart and the problem goes away but only for a minute or two and then returns.
I purchased this BMW Z4 from a private seller on Thursday (3/10/22) located in Myrtle Beach, SC. On the way home (187 mile trip), about ¾ of the trip, I was driving about 55 mph on 701 North and the steering felt as if it was sticking to the point where moving the wheel took a effort to unstick it which put me into oncoming traffic in the other lane. I almost was involved in a head-on collision! The vehicle has only 39K miles on it. The previous owner had this issue in April of 2008 and took it to a BMW dealer who advised them that the repair would cost $2,950.00. The previous owner declined the repair because they couldn’t afford it and the dealer told them that BMW will probably issue a recall AS HUNDRES OF Z4 OWNERS HAVE HAD THIS SAME ISSUE. The vehicle also drifts to the left and attempts by the previous owner to have the vehicle aligned to correct this have failed. The vehicle had only 13K on the odometer at the time BMW advised of the faulty steering column.
On hot days the steering becomes sticky like there is a catch. It will also pull to one side or the other making it very dangerous to drive especially on the interstate.
I JUST PURCHASED Z4. DID NOT NOTICE ANY PROBLEM DURING TEST RIDE. ON MY WAY HOME DURING PURCHASE STEERING BECAME AN ISSUE. THE CAR WOULD BE DRIVING FINE THEN WHAT I WOULD A DEAD SPOT WOULD APPEAR. THE STEERING WHEEL WILL SUDDENLY SHIFT LEFT OR RIGHT WHAT SEEMS A FEW INCHES. THIS CAUSES DRIVER (ME) TO COMPENSATE TO AVOID GOING IN DITCH OR CROSSING A LANE OR GETTING INTO AN ACCIDENT. THIS HAPPENED MANY TIMES ON MY 70-MILE TRIP HOME.
THE FIRST ISSUE IS THAT THE POWER STEERING WILL GO OUT DURING NORMAL OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE MAKING THE WHEEL HARD TO TURN. ADDITIONALLY, AT RIGHT ABOUT THE STRAIGHT POSITION OF THE STEERING WHEEL THE STEERING WILL STICK (CONSISTENTLY FIGHTING THE WHEEL TO STAY CENTERED). STAYING STRAIGHT IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE AS YOU CONSTANTLY BATTLE THE RESISTANCE BACK AND FORTH TO KEEP THE VEHICLE MOVING IN A STRAIGHT LINE. IT IS QUITE DISCONCERTING AND HAS ALMOST RESULTED IN ME SIDE SWIPING ONCOMING VEHICLES ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. I HAVE LEARNED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM THAT BMW NEVER ADDRESSED. RESEARCHING THE MATTER I'VE LEARNED THAT A STEERING COLUMN REPLACEMENT AND LABOR WOULD BE IN THE $3000-4500 RANGE AND THE PROBLEM WOULD LIKELY REOCCUR IN THE FUTURE DUE TO FAULTY DESIGN. WORSE, AS MOST PEOPLE IN MY POSITION ARE UNABLE TO PERFORM A REPAIR AT THAT COST, I'VE FOUND NUMEROUS PEOPLE MANIPULATING THEIR STEERING COLUMNS WITH MIXED SUCCESS ULTIMATELY CREATING AN EVEN MORE DANGEROUS POTENTIAL SITUATION. THESE METHODS INCLUDE DRILLING INTO THE STEERING COLUMN AND ADDING GREASES AND LUBRICANTS THAT WERE NOT DESIGNED TO WORK WITH THE VEHICLE. THIS IS A WELL-KNOWN PROBLEM, WITH NO SHORTAGE OF RECORDS AND ACCOUNTS ESTABLISHING THIS ISN'T A "IF IT HAPPENS", BUT WHEN IT HAPPENS. DRIVE A VEHICLE WITH THIS PROBLEM, I DARE YOU, AND TELL ME IT IS NOT A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD. DISAPPOINTED. I'D APPRECIATE IF BMW WOULD REACH OUT TO ME AND REMEDY THE ISSUE. THERE IS NO REASON THAT A STEERING WHEEL, ONE OF THE MOST BASIC AND NECESSARY SYSTEMS ON A CAR TO MAINTAIN CONTROL, SHOULD HAVE BEEN PERMITTED TO BE DEFECTIVE WITH NO REMEDY AT THE COST OF THE MANUFACTURER. THE LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY BY BMW AND "DO IT YOURSELF" REMEDIES WILL UNDOUBTEDLY RESULT IN INJURY OR DEATH IF THEY HAVE NOT ALREADY. BMW SHOULD PROVIDE A FIX FOR THOSE Z4S AFFECTED STILL ON THE ROAD BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED.
I HAVE A 2003 Z4 WITH 25K MILES. THE STEERING WHEEL STICKS WHILE DRIVING MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO STEER. SPOKE WITH A BMW MECHANIC AND WAS INFORMED THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE FOR THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE AND THAT I WILL NEED TO REPLACE THE STEERING COLUMN TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE COST IS $3000. WHY IS THERE NOT A RECALL??
AFTER SOME INVESTIGATION MY Z4 IS DIAGNOSED AS HAVING 'STICKY WHEEL' EVIDENTLY THIS WAS FOUND IN MANY Z4'S IN OR AROUND MY YEAR OF CAR. I WAS SURE THAT I WOULD SEE A RECALL FOR MY PARTICULAR VEHICLE BUT NEVER RECEIVED ONE. MY VEHICLE HAS HAD THE ISSUE FOR MANY YEARS, BUT THE BMW DEALERSHIPS SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM. WHEN I LEARNED OF THIS RASH OF 'STICKY WHEEL' ISSUES WITH MANY Z4'S ... I QUESTIONED BMW. THEIR RESPONSE WAS THAT MY PARTICULAR VEHICLE (BASED ON MY VIN #) WAS NOT RECALLED WHILE OTHERS WERE. I ONLY USE THE CAR AROUND TOWN AT SLOW SPEEDS AS I AM IN FEAR TO USE IT ON THE HIGHWAY. THE PROBLEM OCCURS AT ALL TIMES WHEN STEERING BUT IS WORST AS SPEED INCREASES. I FEAR THAT I COULD EVEN LOSE CONTROL OF THE CAR AT SOME POINT.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW Z4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN THE TO TAYLOR BMW 4180 WASHINGTON RD, EVANS, GA 30809 WHERE A DIAGNOSTIC DETERMINED THAT THE PASSENGER AIR BAG WAS INOPERABLE AND NEEDED TO BE SERVICES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 04V247000 (AIR BAGS). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE HOWEVER, NO ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12,000.
FROM DAY ONE I HAD AIRBAG PROBLEM FOR THE PASSENGER SIDE. AIR BAG NEVER WORKED. BMW HAD RECALL AND EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR 10 YEARS, BUT THEY DON'T ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY STEERING COLUMN HAS PROBLEMS TOO
WHEN THE CAR WARMS UP OR HAS BEEN IN THE WARM SUN THE STEERING STICKS. THIS CREATES A DANGEROUS ISSUE WHERE THE STEERING WHEEL WILL POP OVER RATHER THAN SMOOTHLY TURNING. THE PROBLEM CREATES AND OVERSTEERING THAT IS VERY DANGEROUS AT HIGHWAY SPREED AND IN TRAVERSING CORNERS.
CONVERTIBLE TOP MOTOR IS PLACED IN A BAD LOCATION BY THE MANUFACTURER CAUSING ROOF PUMP MOTOR TO CEASE AND STOP WORKING. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE THE TOP SHOULD BE ABLE TO BE PUT UP DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER. MY CONVERTIBLE ROOF WON'T GO UP OR DOWN RIGHT NOW. HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ONLINE AND BMW WANTS TO CHARGE OVER $2,000 TO PERFORM REPAIRS GAUGING CUSTOMERS FOR THEIR FAULTY DESIGNS.
AFTER THE CAR WAS PARKED IN THE SUN FOR 4 HOURS, THE CAR WAS HARD TO STEER. THE STEERING WAS STICKY AND MADE IT FEEL UNSAFE TO DRIVE. WE RESEARCHED ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR THIS YEAR/MODEL BMW Z4.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
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