NHTSA Complaint #10451508 — 2003 BMW Z4

I HAVE BEEN HAVING DIFFICULTY WITH THE STEERING SYSTEM ON MY Z4. THIS BEGAN SEVERAL YEARS AGO AND HAS BEEN INTERMITTENT AT FIRST BUT THE DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY IN THE STEERING HAS BEEN INCREASING FROM MONTH TO MONTH AND WHERE IT NOW IS BEGINNING TO FEEL UNSAFE. THE STEERING STICKS WHILE NAVIGATING THROUGH CURVES AND DOES NOT ALWAYS RETURN TO NEUTRAL POSITION. OTHERTIMES, IT STICKS AND ONE NEEDS TO PULL IT BACK TO CORRECT THE STEERING. IT IS QUITE UNSAFE AND MY WIFE AND I ARE VERY CONCERNED, NOT ONLY FOR OUR SAFETY, BUT ALSO OTHERS WHO MAY BE VICTIMIZED BY HEAD ON COLLISIONS. AFTER CHECKING OUT MY COMPLIANT WITH MY BMW CERTIFIED MECHANIC, HE TELLS ME THERE IS A REAL PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING MECHANISM ON THIS CAR AND CHECKING THROUGH THE MECHANIC'S WEB SITE, THERE APPEARS TO BE NO ONE THAT KNOWS HOW TO REPAIR THE SYSTEM, SHORT OF TAKING OUT THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN AND REPLACING WITH A NEW ONE. THE COST OF THIS WOULD AMOUNT TO $3,000.00 OR MORE. THE MECHANICS FEEL THIS IS A POOR STEERING DESIGN AND SHOULD BE FIXED BY BMW. HE TOLD ME TO BE VERY CAREFUL WHEN DRIVING THIS CAR FOR IT IS POSSIBLE THE ENTIRE SYSTEM COULD BREAK DOWN AT ANY MOMENT. *TR