NHTSA Complaint #10459739 — 2004 BMW Z4

THE CAR STEERING "STICKS" AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. IT BECOMES A PAIN FOR KEEPING THE CAR IN THE LANE. IT IS AS IF THE POWER STEERING FOR FINE ADJUSTMENT TURNING QUIT WORKING. THE CAR MAY BE TRACKING STRAIGHT, ALL IS FINE UNTIL A SLIGHT DRIFT RIGHT OR LEFT. TO ADJUST THE CAR TAKES CONSIDERABLE EFFORT MAKING FINE STEERING NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE. WHEN ALERT AND NO OTHER CARS ON THE ROAD, NOT A PROBLEM. WITH MODERATELY HEAVY BELTWAY TRAFFIC MOVING AT HIGH SPEED AND MUST STAY IN LANE, IT CAN GET FRIGHTENING. THE PROBLEM IS WORSE WHEN IT IS WARM OUT, BUT APPEARS INTERMITTENT. WHEN SEVERE, IT IS HIGHLY DANGEROUS. IT REQUIRES A LOT OF CONCENTRATION, ANY LAPSE IN CONCENTRATION COULD BE DISASTROUS. THERE IS NO INDICATION OF A PROBLEM FROM THE POWER STEERING WARNING INDICATION LIGHT. I HAD A 4 WHEEL ALIGNMENT, BALANCING AND TIRE ROTATION PERFORMED AT 105,000 MILES. THE CAR SEEMED TO RUN TRUE THEN, BUT IT MAY HAVE FIRST HAPPENED AS EARLY AS 112,000 MILES, BUT BARELY NOTICEABLE. IT HAS BECOME PRONOUNCED ENOUGH AT 115,000 MILES TO MAKE A COMPLAINT. I CHECKED THE WEBSITES AND FOUND MANY OTHER OWNERS EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUE AND NOTHING ANYONE CAN FIND ANYTHING WRONG TO FIX IT. REALIGNMENTS DON'T FIX THE PROBLEM. ULTIMATELY, EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE REPAIR SUGGESTIONS LIKE "REPLACE THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN FOR $3000" ARE MADE. THIS IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE. TO BE HONEST, IT FEELS MORE LIKE AN ISSUE WITH THE POWER STEERING FINE STEERING ABILITY TO ME AND SHOULDN'T REQUIRE REPLACEMENT OF ALL STEERING LINKAGE COMPONENTS. IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND BMW SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL TO FIX ALL CARS WITH THIS PROBLEM. *TR