NHTSA Complaint #10415956 — 2005 BMW Z4

AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, MY 2005 BMW EXHIBITS STIFF AND ERRATIC STEERING AS FOLLOWS: STEERING WHEEL IS VERY TIGHT, AND DOES NOT TURN UNLESS INORDINATE PRESSURE IS APPLIED. THIS MAKES STEERING VERY STRANGE AND QUICK MOVEMENT IS DIFFICULT TO ENACT. A RECENT OCCURRENCE WAS JULY 24, 2011 ON HIGHWAY 101 IN CENTRAL CALIFORNIA. A CAR PULLED OUT IN FRONT OF ME UNEXPECTEDLY, AND AT FIRST THE STEERING WOULD NOT TURN. THIS DELAYED MY ACTION TO STEER AND FORCED A MORE VIOLENT MOVEMENT FROM ME. THIS THEN CAUSED MY PASSENGER TO SHIFT SUDDENLY IN HER SEATING, AND CUT HER LEG ON THE DASHBOARD CUP HOLDER WHICH HAD BEEN EXTENDED. THE MALFUNCTION APPEARED SOON AFTER I PURCHASED VEHICLE. HOWEVER IT IS ONLY PRESENT AT OVER 40 MPH, AND IS PRONOUNCED DURING HOT WEATHER. MOST OF MY USE FOR THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN FOR SHORT LOCAL TRIPS (ONLY 1800 MILES ON ODOMETER CURRENTLY). I NOW RECOGNIZE HOW SEVERE THIS STEERING MALFUNCTION IS, AS I HAVE BEEN USING THE VEHICLE ON THE HIGHWAY MORE OFTEN.