NHTSA Complaint #10148964 — 2003 BMW Z4

THERE IS A POTENTIAL PROBLEM WITH THE FRONT SHOCK TOWER SUPPORTS AND FRONT CHASSIS ASSEMBLY ON THE BMW Z8. IT IS PRONE TO DEFORMATION OF THE SHOCK TOWERS AND FLEXING OF THE FRONT CHASSIS ASSEMBLY, LEADING TO STEERING PROBLEMS AND ALIGNMENT PROBLEMS. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN KNOWN BY BMW AG IN GERMANY SINCE AT LEAST NOVEMBER 2005, BUT AS OF TODAY, THERE HAS BEEN NO OFFICIAL RESPONSE FROM BMW AG OR BMW IN THE USA TO THE OWNERS OF THIS VEHICLE. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE FRAME / CHASSIS OF THE BMW Z8 IS MADE OF ALUMINUM, AND AS SUCH, CAN UNDERGO A GREATER DEGREE OF FATIGUE. FAILURE SHOULD THERE BE A DEFECT IN THE DESIGN, MATERIALS OR BOTH. THIS DEFECT COULD LEAD OR HAS ALREADY LEAD TO THE FRONT STRUT / SHOCK TOWER ASSEMBLY DEFORMING AT ITS ATTACHMENT POINTS, AND WILL OR COULD LEAD TO A FAILURE OF THE ATTACHMENT, CAUSING A SERIOUS OR FATAL ACCIDENT. THUS FAR, BMW HAS NOT RESPONDED TO COMPLAINTS. THIS WAS A LIMITED PRODUCTION LUXURY SPORTS CAR OF WHICH 5,550 WERE PRODUCED AND ABOUT 2,550 WERE SOLD HERE IN THE USA. BASED ON PRELIMINARY DATA FROM OUR ON-LINE CLUB MEMBERSHIP IT APPEARED THAT AT LEAST 1 IN 3 VEHICLES WERE AFFECTED BY THIS DEFECT. WHAT WE DO NOT KNOW IS WHETHER THE VEHICLE IS OR IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE? BMW IS SILENT AS FAR AS THEIR CUSTOMERS ARE CONSIDERED, AND WE NEED HELP TO INVESTIGATE THIS POTENTIAL SAFETY CONCERN.*AK