NHTSA Complaint #10451875 — 2004 BMW Z4

AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE (A 2004 BMW Z4 WITH ONLY 34500 MILES) ON THE WAY HOME I NOTICED A "STICKING" IN THE STEERING WHEEL AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS (APPROXIMATELY 1ST WEEK OF FEBRUARY 2012). WHICH OF COURSE WAS VERY DISAPPOINTING BEING THAT I HAD ONLY OWNED THE CAR FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES. BUT CONSIDERING THE MILEAGE AND AGE OF THE CAR I HOPED IT WAS BECAUSE THE CAR HAD BEEN SITTING FOR SOMETIME. I WAS WRONG IT IS BECOMING MORE AND MORE OF A PROBLEM. AFTER VERY LITTLE RESEARCH I'VE FOUND THAT THIS IS APPARENTLY A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE CARS. APPARENTLY IT IS DUE TO EXPANSION OF A GEAR IN THE STEERING COLUMN DUE TO HEAT. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED. I FELT I HAD FOUND A GOOD CAR CONSIDERING THE VERY LOW MILEAGE. I'VE FOUND THAT MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD TO HAVE THEIR STEERING COLUMNS REPLACED AT A COST OF OVER 3000 DOLLARS! THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE ON A CAR WITH ONLY 35,000 MILES ON IT! THIS IS DEFINITELY DANGEROUS! FOR THE STEERING WHEEL TO "STICK" AND REQUIRE SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED EFFORT TO TURN IS A SERIOUS DANGER! THE DANGER OF OVER CORRECTION IS UNDENIABLE. AFTER A RECENT SHORT TRIP DOWN THE HIGHWAY MY FOREARMS WERE VERY FATIGUED AFTER TRYING TO KEEP THIS CAR ON COURSE FOR JUST A FEW MILES.I JUST WONDER HOW MANY WRECKS HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY THIS DEFECT. I FIND IT VERY HARD TO BELIEVE THAT A COMPANY OF BMW'S STATURE WOULD NOT BE DOING EVERYTHING WITHIN ITS POWER TO CORRECT THIS DANGEROUS DEFECT IMMEDIATELY. I GUESS SOMEONE WILL HAVE TO GET HURT FIRST. INSTEAD OF BEING PROACTIVE AND PREVENTING SUCH A DISASTER. OR MAYBE THEY'RE JUST MAKING TOO MUCH MONEY SELLING NEW STEERING COLUMNS TO PEOPLE WHO ARE UNAWARE OF THE DEFECT. SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE! *TR