Page 9 of 9 · complaints 401–411 of 411

2004 BMW Z4 complaints

Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2004 record →

Steering
Filed Apr 28, 200842,954 milesCA

STEERING STICKS IN HIGH TEMP. *TR

Steering › Electric Power Assist System
Filed Apr 22, 200840 milesNY

THE STEERING LOCKS UP IN HOT WEATHER FORCING ME TO OVER COMPENSATE WHEN DRIVING. ONCE THE CAR COOLS DOWN STEERING FEEDBACK RETURNS TO NORMAL. *TR

Steering › Steering Wheel/Handle Bar
Filed Sep 26, 200717,400 milesVA

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW Z4. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED WITHOUT WARNING. THE STEERING BECAME UNLOCKED AFTER THE STEERING WHEEL WAS PULLED, HOWEVER, IT CAUSED THE CONTACT TO OVER STEER. THE WEATHER WAS 90 DEGREES AT THE TIME OF FAILURE. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE OR REPAIR THE FAILURE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 17,400.

Steering › Electric Power Assist System
Filed Jul 11, 20063,600 milesNY

WHEN THE CAR SITS IN DIRECT SUNLIGHT FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME THE STEERING BECOMES DIFFICULT TO CONTROL WITH NO CENTER BALANCE. THE ONLY WAY TO CORRECT THIS ISSUE IS TO PARK THE CAR IN THE SHADE AND WAIT FOR THE STEERING TO RETURN TO NORMAL. *JB

Steering
Filed May 23, 200626,000 milesTX

WHEN TEMPERATURES ARE ABOVE 80F THE STEERING STICKS AND REQUIRES MORE INPUT TO OVERCOME THE RESISTANCE. ONCE IT OVERCOMES THE RESISTANCE IT OVER CORRECTS SO THAT YOU HAVE A ZIG ZAG DRIVING PATTERN. I WAS TOLD BMW IS AWARE BUT THERE IS NO FIX ALTHOUGH ONLINE MESSAGE BOARDS STATE MANY HAVE HAD THEIR CARS REPAIRED. *NM

Steering › Electric Power Assist System
Filed Nov 21, 200518,000 milesWA

WHILE DRIVING WITH TOP DOWN IN COLD WEATHER WITH HEAT ON HIGH, STEERING BECAME STICKY/NOTCHY. I COULDN'T MAKE SMOOTH STEERING CORRECTIONS, ONLY COURSE ONES. AFTER CAR WAS ALLOWED TO COOL OVERNIGHT, PROBLEM WENT AWAY. *JB

Steering › Electric Power Assist System
Filed Nov 21, 200513,000 milesNC

IN HOT WEATHER OR AFTER VEHICLE HAS BEEN LEFT IN SUN FOR A FEW HOURS STEERING BECOMES STICKY AND JERKY. MUST APPLY EXCESSIVE FORCE AND CONSTANTLY OVERCORRECT TO KEEP CAR ON COURSE. EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO ENTER AND EXIT SLIGHT TURNS, CHANGE LANES, ETC. *JB

Steering › Electric Power Assist System
Filed Aug 24, 20055,300 milesMA

MY BMW Z4 YR. 2004 DURING HOT WEATHER SEEMS TO HAVE A STEERING PROBLEM. YHE STEERING STICKS AND FEEL NOTCHY, ON THE HIGHWAY IT ALMOST CAUSED A ACCIDENT DUE TO TRY ING TO STEER AND OVER COMPINSATING. THANK YOU

Steering › Electric Power Assist System
Filed Jul 1, 20051,775 milesNY

IN VERY HOT HOT WEATHER THE STEERING BECOMES DANGEROUSLY OFF-CENTER.

Steering › Electric Power Assist System
Filed May 2, 20051,000 milesFL

PROBLEM: EPS STEERING GETS VERY STICKY AFTER CAR HAS SAT IN DIRECT SUNLIGHT FOR A FEW HOURS. MINOR STEERING CORRECTIONS ARE NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE. PROBLEM CLEARS UP AFTER CAR HAS BEEN GARAGED FOR A COUPLE HOURS AND ALLOWED TO COOL. THIS PROBLEM MAKES THE CAR FEEL VERY UNSAFE TO DRIVE. I AM CONSTANTLY WORRIED IT MIGHT FAIL ENTIRELY AT SOME POINT -- HOPEFULLY NOT WHILE I AM DRIVING IT. PROBLEM WAS FIRST NOTICED AT THE END OF SUMMER LAST YEAR (2004). CAR WAS PURCHASED IN JULY. THIS YEAR, IT HAS BEGUN ALREADY (SINCE MID-APRIL 2005).

Visibility
Filed Feb 25, 2004CA

POOR VISABILITY OUT OF CONVERTIBLE CONCELLED DURING TEST DRIVE. CAR HAS LIMITED SIGHT ON RIGHT WITH TOP UP. *AK

Reading these

NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Full record for the 2004 BMW Z4 → · Every Z4 year → · How the figures are calculated →