NHTSA Complaint #10533897 — 2003 BMW Z4

WHEN DRIVING IN A STRAIGHT LINE THE CAR HANDLES AS IT SHOULD. HOWEVER, WHEN AN ADJUSTMENT NEEDS TO BE MADE TO MOVE THE CAR TO THE RIGHT OR THE LEFT THE STEERING WHEEL WILL LOCK UP UNTIL ENOUGH FORCE IS USED TO JERK IT FREE. WHEN THIS IS DONE THE CAR OVERSTEERS TO THE RIGHT OR LEFT. AS THE PROBLEM IS GETTING WORSE THE CAR IS JERKING MORE VIOLENTLY TO THE RIGHT OR LEFT WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL FINALLY LETS THE STEERING ADJUST TO THE RIGHT OR LEFT. TAKING THE CAR TO THE BMW DEALERSHIP, THEY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS THE ENTIRE STEERING MECHANISM INCLUDING THE ELECTRIC MOTOR ASSIST WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED. FIELDS BMW IN LAKELAND, FLORIDA IS THE DEALERSHIP THAT I TOOK MY CAR TO HAVE THE PROBLEM DIAGNOSED FOR $85.00. WHEN I BOUGHT THIS CAR FROM FURMAN CHEVROLET IN TAMPA, THEY CLEVERLY FORGOT TO WRITE IT INTO THE CONTRACT EVEN THOUGH I COMPLAINED ABOUT THE SMALL HANGUP OF THE STEERING WHEEL AT THAT TIME AND THEY ASSURED ME THAT THEY WOULD FIX IT. NOW I AM GOING TO TAKE WHAT I CONSIDER A VERY UNSAFE CAR BACK OUT ONTO THE HIGHWAY AND HAVE TO DRIVE A PIECE OF JUNK FOR THE NEXT 10 YEARS UNLESS THERE IS A RECALL FOR THEIR POOR ENGINEERING OR, WORSE YET, LOUSY PARTS. I HAVE FOUND THAT THE BMW EMBLEM AT $35.00 IS A HOT SELLER AND THAT THE CUP HOLDERS AT $55,00 EACH ARE IN GREAT DEMAND AS IT SEEMS BMW CAN'T ENGINEER THOSE TO LAST EITHER. I CAN HARDLY WAIT FOR THE NEXT FAILURE. NO WONDER THEY HAD NO Z4S ON THE LOT FOR RESALE. I IMAGINE THEY ARE STAYING AS FAR AWAY FROM THESE AS POSSIBLE AS THEY MUST KNOW THEY ARE CUTE CARS, BUT REALLY JUST JUNK! *TR