NHTSA Complaint #10533789 — 2003 BMW Z4

THIS IS FOR A 2003 BMW Z4 WITH JUST OVER 25,000 MILES. AS SOON AS I BEGAN DRIVING ON AN ACCESS ROAD AND THEN A COUNTY ROAD, I NOTICED THE VEHICLE WAS NOT GOING IN A STRAIGHT LINE EVEN THOUGH I WAS NOT TURNING THE WHEEL. THERE WAS SOME PLAY IN THE STEERING AND THE WHEEL FELT STIFFER THAN NORMAL WITH A STICKY FEELING A FEW DEGREES LEFT OR RIGHT. AS I DROVE DOWN THIS STRAIGHT ROAD, THE CAR CONTINUED TO PULL TOWARDS ONE SIDE OR THE OTHER AND CONTROLLING IT BECAME VERY DIFFICULT. FROM BEHIND, IT WOULD APPEAR AS THOUGH I WAS SWERVING WHILE TRYING TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. I FELT LIKE I COULD LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE SO I DROVE AS SLOWLY AS POSSIBLE TO THE DEALERSHIP. I EXPLAIN THE SITUATION TO THE ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF AND THEY TOOK THE CAR IN FOR INSPECTION THE NEXT DAY. THE FOLLOWING DAY I RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE HEAD MECHANIC TO ASK MORE QUESTIONS. AGAIN I PROVIDED MORE DETAILS ABOUT HOW THE VEHICLE FELT WHILE DRIVING AND THEY REQUESTED PERMISSION TO ROAD TEST IT. AT FIRST THEY THOUGHT THE ISSUE WAS RELATED TO WHEEL ALIGNMENT, BUT UPON FURTHER TESTING THEY REALIZED IT WAS MORE THAN THAT. THE STICKY STEERING COLUMN APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN DAMAGED, THE MOTOR DRIVE FOR THE POWER STEERING. I WAS QUOTED $3,176 TO REPLACE. I SPOKE WITH THE HEAD MECHANIC, AND EXPRESSED MY DISPLEASURE WITH WHAT APPEARS TO BE A QA OR DESIGN ISSUE WITH THIS CAR AND THE FACT I FOUND HUNDREDS OF OTHER REPORTS AND INVESTIGATIONS LAUNCHED INTO THIS EXACT PROBLEM WITH THE Z4. IN MY OPINION THIS MANUFACTURING DEFECT SHOULD BE REASON ENOUGH FOR A RECALL GIVEN THE HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS CREATED BY THE MALFUNCTION OF A RELATIVELY NEW/UNUSED PART. BMW'S INSISTENCE THAT I COVER THE COST OF THIS PART IS ALSO UNREASONABLE, AS I DOUBT THEY CAN ATTRIBUTE THIS MALFUNCTION TO TYPICAL WEAR AND TEAR GIVEN THE LIGHT USE OF THIS VEHICLE. *TR