NHTSA Complaint #10470414 — 2003 BMW Z4

ON MY DRIVE HOME FROM WORK, AFTER THE CAR HAD BEEN PARKED OUTSIDE, I EXPERIENCED "STICKY STEERING." JUST LIKE THE COMPLAINTS FROM INVESTIGATION PE10020 AND COUNTLESS INTERNET POSTS OVER THE PAST DECADE, THE STEERING WHEEL MOVEMENT WAS STUCK IN PLACE AND REQUIRED EXTRA FORCE, THEN IT WOULD RELEASE UNEXPECTEDLY CAUSING ME TO OVER-CORRECT. WORSE THAN JUST HEAVY STEERING IS THE FACT THAT IT NEEDS EXTRA FORCE TO GET THE STEERING WHEEL "UNSTUCK" BUT THEN THE ASSIST KICKS IN AND YOU'RE OVER-COMPENSATING WHICH CAUSES ZIG-ZAGGING. IT WAS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO MAINTAIN MY LANE ON THE INTERSTATE AND AT ONE POINT I DROPPED TWO WHEELS ON THE SHOULDER. I HAVE NOW CONTACTED BMW CORPORATE AND THEY TELL ME THEY'RE BEING GENEROUS BY REPLACING THE KNOWN-FAULTY STEERING RACK -- SO LONG AS I PAY $1,000+ IN LABOR. I THINK THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS. IT IS WRONG THAT THIS KNOWN DEFECT COSTS THE CONSUMER ANY MONEY TO REPLACE. BMW SHOULD COVER PARTS AND LABOR. THEY KNOW THIS PART IS FAULTY, EVERYONE I'VE TALKED TO SAYS "OH, THE Z4, YEAH I'VE SEEN THIS STEERING PROBLEM ON LOTS OF THEM" BUT THEY'RE QUICK TO REMIND ME THAT IT WAS NOT AN OFFICIAL RECALL SO THEY AREN'T OBLIGATED TO DO ANYTHING. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD BE THE BASIS FOR A MANDATORY RECALL (YOU KNOW, LIKE THE ONE THEY ARE DOING ON CURRENT MODELS WITH SIMILAR POWER STEERING FAILURES!). *TR