NHTSA Complaint #10509577 — 2004 BMW Z4

MY 2004 BMW Z4 EXHIBITS SEVERE STEERING ISSUES WHEN DRIVEN DURING WARM (=> 75 DEGREES) TEMPERATURES. UNDER THESE CONDITIONS THE ABILITY TO STEER THE VEHICLE CAN BECOME VERY UNPREDICTABLE TO DOWNRIGHT DANGEROUS. DURING THE SUMMER OF 2012 AND AS RECENTLY AS THIS WEEK I'VE EXPERIENCED INCIDENTS WHERE THE INABILITY TO EFFECTIVELY STEER THIS VEHICLE HAS LED TO SEVERAL 'CLOSE CALLS' WHICH NEARLY RESULTED IN A COLLISION WITH OTHER VEHICLE. WHILE THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE THAT PLAGUES HUNDREDS IF NOT THOUSANDS OF BMW Z4S PRODUCED IN THE EARLY TO MID 2000S, BMW HAS NEVER ISSUED A RECALL. IT ALSO APPEARS THE WHILE THE NHTSA HAS INVESTIGATED THIS PROBLEM THEY RULED THAT A 'SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT TREND HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED AT THIS TIME AND FURTHER USE OF AGENCY RESOURCES DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE WARRANTED'. HOW CAN THIS BE?! HOW CAN A MANUFACTURER ASSUME NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR VEHICLES WITH A POTENTIALLY LIFE-THREATENING ISSUE? HAS THERE EVER BEEN A MORE APPLICABLE CASE FOR A RECALL?! FURTHER, HOW CAN THE NHTSA, AN ORGANIZATION THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE 'DEDICATED TO ACHIEVING THE HIGHEST STANDARDS OF EXCELLENCE IN MOTOR VEHICLE AND HIGHWAY SAFETY' PERMIT THIS TO HAPPEN? THIS VERY WELL-KNOWN DEFECT HAS RENDERED MY Z4 UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND I FEEL IT'S BMW'S RESPONSIBILITY TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM SO THAT IT NO LONGER EXISTS. I WOULD ALSO URGE THE NHTSA TO REEXAMINE THIS POTENTIALLY LIFE THREATENING ISSUE BASED ON THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES (AND DRIVERS) IF EFFECTS. *TR