NHTSA Complaint #10334187 — 2004 BMW Z4

AFTER THE CAR SITS IN THE HOT SUN (ANYWHERE ABOVE 75 DEGREES) THE STEERING STARTS BINDING/LOCKING UP AT ALL SPEEDS. ALTHOUGH IT SEEMS TO BE WORSE WHEN DRIVING AT HWY SPEEDS. WHEN DRIVING AROUND A SLIGHT CURVE THE STEERING DOES NOT RETURN TO CENTER AS IT SHOULD NOR IS IT EASY TO GET THE CAR TO STRAIGHTEN BACK OUT. I HAVE TO FORCE IT BACK TO CENTER WHICH USUALLY ENDS UP CAUSING ME TO OVER CORRECT AND MOVE CLOSE TO OR IN THE OTHER LANE. I FIRST NOTICED THE PROBLEM LAST SUMMER, BUT SINCE I ONLY DRIVE THE CAR ON WEEKENDS I DIDN'T PAY MUCH ATTENTION TO IT LAST SUMMER. IT WAS FINE DURING THE WINTER, BUT GOT SIGNIFICANTLY WORSE WHEN IT GOT WARM THIS YEAR. I TOOK MY CAR TO BMW OF NASHVILLE AND WAS TOLD THAT THE PROBLEM WAS THE STEERING COLUMN AND THAT IT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. (I'M CURRENTLY WAITING ON THE REPLACEMENT COLUMN TO COME IN AND BE REPLACED) AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH ABOUT THE PROBLEM I'VE FOUND THAT THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF OTHER Z4 OWNERS THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM AND BMWNA HAS NOT ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM. I CONTACTED BMWNA MYSELF AND ALTHOUGH THEY DIDN'T ACKNOWLEDGE THERE WAS A PROBLEM, THEY DID OFFER ME A 10% DISCOUNT ON THE $3900.00 REPAIR. I BELIEVE THIS IS A FACTORY DEFECT IN THE CAR AND THAT THEY ALL SHOULD BE RECALLED BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED IF THERE HAVEN'T ALREADY BEEN FATAL ACCIDENTS. *TR