NHTSA Complaint #10509982 — 2004 BMW Z4

WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY, IT BECAME DIFFICULT TO MAKE SMALL ADJUSTMENTS TO THE STEERING WHEEL. ONCE THIS ABNORMALLY HIGH RESISTANCE WAS OVERCOME, THE INTENDED ADJUSTMENT WOULD BECOME EXCESSIVE AND REQUIRE IMMEDIATE CORRECTION. THIS CORRECTION WOULD IN TURN BE EXCESSIVE, RESULTING IN ZIGZAGGING WHILE SIMPLY TRYING TO MAINTAIN A STRAIGHT LINE. ALSO, THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD REMAIN IN ITS ROTATED POSITION UPON RELEASE WHEN EXITING A TURN, RATHER THAN NATURALLY RETURNING TO CENTER, THUS REQUIRING DELIBERATE EFFORT TO BRING THE CAR STRAIGHT AGAIN. THIS BEHAVIOR IS UNNERVING UNDER ORDINARY CONDITIONS AND COULD BE QUITE DANGEROUS, PARTICULARLY IN SITUATIONS INVOLVING SKIDS OR EMERGENCY MANOEUVERS. SOON AFTER THE INITIATION OF THE 2010 NHTSA INVESTIGATION INTO THIS ISSUE, I BROUGHT THE CAR TO A LOCAL BMW DEALER WHO CLAIMED TO KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THIS PREVALENT ISSUE AND WHO WAS REPORTEDLY UNABLE TO REPLICATE THE ISSUE. SINCE THEN I FIGURED OUT IT CAN REPLICATED SIMPLY BY SETTING THE HEATER TO FULL BLAST AND LEAVING THE WINDOWS ROLLED UP FOR 20-30 MINUTES TO ALLOW THE HEAT TO SOAK INTO THE ELECTRIC-ASSIST STEERING COLUMN: THIS ISSUE OCCURS IF THE STEERING COLUMN GETS WARM BY ANY MEANS: PARK IN DIRECT SUN ON A HOT DAY, PARK IN SHADE ON A VERY HOT DAY, RUN THE HEATER ON HIGH FOR A WHILE, ETC. I TOOK THE CAR TO A DIFFERENT BMW DEALER ON A MODERATE DAY IN MARCH 2013 AND REPLICATED IT USING THE HEATER WHILE THEIR SERVICE FOREMAN DROVE IT; HE WAS ASTONISHED BY ITS PERVERSE HANDLING CHARACTERISTICS AND IMMEDIATELY MADE THE DIAGNOSIS: FAULTY STEERING COLUMN REQUIRING COMPLETE REPLACEMENT. BMW NORTH AMERICA HAS DECLINED TO COVER ANY OF THE COST TO RESOLVE THIS FACTORY DEFEC BECAUSE THE 4YR/50K MI WARRANTY IS EXPIRED. MY Z4 STILL HAS UNDER 40,000 MILES AND IT IS ABUNDANTLY CLEAR THAT THIS ISSUE IS NOT CAUSED BY "WEAR AND TEAR". *TR