2011 BMW Z4 Steering Problems

ON 3 APRIL 2026 I WAS DRIVING MY 2011 BMW Z4 SDRIVE 30I E89 N52K (MANUAL TRANSMISSION) THAT HAS 31,000 MILES ON IT, SUDDENLY A STEERING ASSISTANCE MALFUNCTION TROUBLE LIGHT APPEARED AND I LOST ALL ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING. THIS SUDDEN LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT!! THEN SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING CONTROL RETURNED. ON APRIL 4 I LOST THE STEERING CONTROL AGAIN AND TOOK IT TO A BMW REPAIR SHOP. THEY CONFIRMED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE EPS (ELECTRIC POWER STEERING CONTROL). UPON INVESTIGATION, A SPECIFIC RECALL EXISTS FOR 2012 BMW Z4 REGARDING THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING (EPS) SYSTEM. (NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN #12V302000: ELECTRIC POWER STEERING CONTROL MODULE.) THE RECALL CAMPAIGN NOTES THAT, AFTER THE ENGINE IS SHUT OFF AND THEN RESTARTED, THE EPS MODULE MAY FUNCTION PROPERLY. IN THAT CASE, THE WARNING SYMBOL IN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WILL NO LONGER APPEAR, AND THE AUDIBLE WARNING WILL NOT ACTIVATE. HOWEVER THE CONDITION MAY OCCUR AGAIN. THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT IS OCCURRING WITH MY CAR AND YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN IT WILL OCCUR. THE CAMPAIGN COVERS 2012 Z4'S AND COVERED SOME CARS MANUFACTURED IN LATE 2011. HOWEVER, THE VIN FOR MY 2011 BMW Z4 SDRIVE 30I E89 N52K (MANUAL TRANSMISSION) IS WBALM5C58BE162421 AND IT WAS MANUFACTURED IN 04/2010. THE EPS IN MY 2011 BMW Z4 IS EXACTLY THE SAME AS THE EPS THAT IS COVERED IN THE NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN #12V302000: ELECTRIC POWER STEERING CONTROL MODULE.) CLEARLY MY 2011 BMW Z4 SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THIS CAMPAIGN WHICH REQUIRES A 4 HR REPAIR BY A CERTIFIED BMW DEALER AND REPLACEMENT OF THE EPS UNIT. FOR Z4 MODELS THE TECHNICIANS ARE TO REFER TO REPAIR INSTRUCTION 32 13 370, "REMOVING AND INSTALLING (REPLACING) ELECTRIC STEERING BOX (EPS)." E89 STEERING GEAR PART # 32 10 6 855 888. PLUS FOLLOWING PARTS: ASA BOLT (#32 10 6 773 068); HEX NUT (#33 32 6 768 884); TORX BOLT (#32 30 6 778 609); COMBINATION NUT (#33 30 6 787 062). ALL ABOVE REFERENCED PARTS WERE LISTED IN THE RECALL CAMPAIGN. !

NHTSA ID

11729687

Incident

Apr 2, 2026

Electrical power steering system failed, warning light came on. Vehicle suddenly became very difficult to impossible to steer. Failed to negotiate a turn and nearly hit a tree. I have an appointment set with an independent service dealer near me, but I’m afraid to drive it there, so I may have it towed. The warning light came on just moments before the initial failure.

NHTSA ID

11658036

Incident

Apr 24, 2025

Steering assist failed almost resulting in head on collision. Failure is serious and likely to cause fatalities

NHTSA ID

11650357

Incident

Mar 24, 2025

Power steering is intermittent where assist goes from working to not working changing the effort required to turn the wheel. When power assist goes off it is difficult to steer the car.

NHTSA ID

11621433

Incident

Aug 2, 2024

Electric power assist intermittently fails without warning making steering impossible. Similar to 2012 z4 recall

NHTSA ID

11607157

Incident

Aug 1, 2024

The contact owns a 2011 BMW Z4. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact stated that the steering was locked in a slight left turn and he had to apply the brakes to keep the vehicle on the road. The contact was able to pull off to the left side of the highway. The contact stated that a yellow steering wheel warning light was illuminated, and a warning bell was chiming. The contact turned the vehicle off and upon restarting the power steering functionality returned. The contact stated that as soon as he exited the highway, the failure occurred again and has persisted. The contact researched and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V302000 (Steering) however, the model year was not included. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

NHTSA ID

11462141

Incident

Apr 20, 2022

Mileage

70,000 mi

Vehicle has less than 50,000 miles and already having steering malfunction alerts. Steering randomly stops working and unable to turn vehicle.

NHTSA ID

11422827

Incident

Jun 14, 2021

Mileage

49,999 mi

CAR HAS A STEERING PROBLEM THAT GOES IN AND OUT. WHILE DRIVING THE STEERING WHEEL WILL SHAKE WHEN NOT MOVING.

NHTSA ID

11366211

Incident

Oct 2, 2020

Mileage

75,000 mi

ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING HAS INTERMITTENT FAULTS/ERRORS DUE TO A MANUFACTURING DEFECT, RESULTING IN COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER STEERING. BMW ACKNOWLEDGED THIS ISSUE AND DID A RECALL IN 2012 FOR 2012 MODEL YEAR Z4'S - NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 12V302000. THE SCOPE OF THE PROBLEM IS WELL BEYOND THE 162 VEHICLES THAT WERE ADDRESSED WITH THE RECALL IN 2012.

NHTSA ID

11309349

Incident

Feb 15, 2020

Mileage

41,000 mi

EPS FAILED WHILE DRIVING ON STATE HIGHWAY. POWER STEERING ALARM CAME ON AND STEERING BECAME VERY STIFF AND HARD TO STEER. PULLED OFF THE ROAD AND TURNED CAR OFF AND BACK ON. FAULT RESET BUT THE ALARM OCASSIONALLY STILL SOUNDED. TOOK TO BMW SERVICE, CHECKED OUT AND SAID THE EPS BOX NEEDED REPLACED. DEALER SERVICED CAR AND CONTINUED TO DRIVE CAR FOR FIVE MONTHS. THIS TIME STEERING FAILED AGAIN WHILE DRIVING , BUT THE STEERING RETURNED. HEADED TO HOME AND STEERING AGAIN FAILED AND ALARM CAME ON. STEERING NOW IS STIFF AND CANNOT DRIVE. THERE WAS A RECALL (12V3002000) NOV 2011 THROUGH 2012 WAS RECALLED. MY CAR MFG IN OCT. 2011. SO BMW SAID OUR CAR WAS NOT COVERED. I FEEL BMW SHOULD LOOK AT EARLIER CARS AS THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. IF MY WIFE WOULD HAVE BEEN DRIVING THE CAR WHEN THIS FAILED SHE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO OVERCOME THE STEERING FAILURE. FIRST FAILURE AT 74,000 MILES.

NHTSA ID

11162541

Incident

Dec 17, 2018

Mileage

73,000 mi

FAILED EPS MODULE WHILE DRIVING. ON THE HIGHWAY GOING ABOUT 60MPH ON A 90 DEGREE DAY. EPS WARNING LIGHT (ALONG WITH PARKING AND ESC LIGHTS) POPPED UP AND STEERING FROZE. AFTER SOME FORCE COULD GET STEERING TO MOVE... SLOWED DOWN AND GOT OFF HIGHWAY. LUCKILY WAS ONLY GOING STRAIGHT AND WAS NOT PASSING OR IN A TURN, VERY DANGEROUS AND SCARY. AFTER TURNING THE CAR OFF/ON - ALL WARNING LIGHTS EXCEPT EPS STEERING RESET. CAR POWER ASSISTED STEERING NOW RANDOMLY GOES ON/OFF. DEALER STATED THERE IS AN OPEN RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE BUT ONLY FOR THE 2012 MODEL YEAR. WELL IT APPEARS THE SAME ISSUE IS ALSO ON THE 2011 AND IT ALMOST KILLED ME. LUCKILY I WAS GOING STRAIGHT AND NOT PASSING OR IN A TURN. DEALER ALSO MENTIONED THE FAILED MODULE IS NOT A REPARABLE BMW PART AND THE ENTIRE STEERING ASSEMBLY NEEDS TO BE REPLACED... SO A VERY EXPENSIVE INVASIVE PROCEDURE TO REPLACE A PART THAT CAN FAIL AGAIN ON A HOT DAY. VOLTAGE ISSUE APPARENTLY WAS FIXED IN THE 2012 MODEL YEAR BUT NOT ON THE 2011. NHTSA SHOULD REVIEW THE RECALL 12V302000 AS THE 2011 MODEL YEAR APPARENTLY ALSO HAS THIS SAME ISSUE AS LUCKILY I JUST LIVED THROUGH IT.

NHTSA ID

11013144

Incident

Jul 25, 2017

Mileage

29,950 mi

ELECTRIC POWER STEERING FAILED. STEERING SYSTEM FAILURE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. THE STEERING WHEEL BEGAN TO SHAKE, AND THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD TURN A FEW DEGREES WITH POWER ASSISTANCE AND AS I CONTINUED TO TURN THE WHEEL POWER ASSIST WENT AWAY REQUIRING EXCESSIVE EFFORT TO TURN. THIS FIRST APPEARED ON START UP AS I WAS DRIVING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY. *TR

NHTSA ID

10919839

Incident

Oct 13, 2016

Mileage

32,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 BMW Z4. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE POWER STEERING SEIZED AND MADE THE VEHICLE DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE POWER STEERING MECHANISM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 12V302000 (STEERING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 34,000.

NHTSA ID

10898049

Incident

Aug 16, 2016

Mileage

34,000 mi