NHTSA Complaint #10607691 — 2003 BMW Z4

STEERING BECOME - NOTCHY/STICKY. THIS MAKES SMALL STEERING CORRECTIONS VERY DIFFICULT DURING HIGHWAY DRIVING. THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE TEMPERATURE RELATED IN MY CASE. WITH COLDER THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURES, THE BEHAVIOR IS DELAYED UNTIL THE A LONGER DRIVING DURATION HAS OCCURRED. THIS PROBLEM WAS EVIDENT WITHIN ONE YEAR OF MY PURCHASE. I DID NOT NOTICE IT VERY OFTEN, SINCE I WAS ONLY DRIVING TO AND FROM MY WORK, LOW MILEAGE AND SHORT TIMES. AS I HAVE NOW BEEN DRIVING THE CAR MORE OFTEN, I HAVE FOUND THIS PROBLEM EVIDENT ON ALL TRIP. I HAVE REPORTED THIS TO THE BMW DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR (NEW). THEY INFORMED ME THAT I WOULD NEED A COMPLETE STEERING COLUMN REPLACEMENT AT MY EXPENSE (APPROXIMATELY $4000). THE ALSO SUGGESTED THAT I CONTACT BMW CUSTOMER SERVICE. I DID AND BASICALLY GOT A NULL RESPONSE. THE CAR HAS ALWAYS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED, NO ACCIDENTS, PARKED IN A GARAGE AND HAS LESS THAN 57000 MILES. THE WARRANTY OF COURSE HAS EXPIRED. I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT THE SOLUTION TO MY PROBLEM IS DUE TO ANY TYPE OF NORMAL WEAR AND AGE. I HAVE ALSO FOUND THAT THERE ARE NOW NUMEROUS REPORTS OF THE SAME STEERING ISSUE. THE CAR IS DRIVABLE, HOWEVER WITH EXTREME CAUTION AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THE ISSUE IS CONTROL OF THE CAR AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS - WHEN CHANGING LANES OR EVEN ATTEMPTING TO MAINTAIN A STRAIGHT PATH WITHIN THE LANES. AS THE TEMPERATURES INCREASE IN LONGER DRIVES, THE STEERING DIFFICULTY BECOMES WORSE. WHEN THE PROBLEMS STARTS, THE SMALLEST CONTROL CORRECTIONS FOR THE STEERING IS MORE THAN 5 DEGREES. THIS CAUSES A LARGE EFFECT ON THE CARS PATH AND MAKING IT NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO DRIVE IN A STRAIGHT LINE WHEN ATTEMPTING TO STAY IN THE DRIVING LANE. I WOULD LIKE BMW TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM AT THEIR EXPENSE. IN MY VIEW, THIS IS A DESIGN DEFECT INTRODUCED BY BMW. *TR