NHTSA Complaint #10991583 — 2006 BMW Z4

ON WARM DAYS THE STEERING ON MY 2006 BMW Z4 BECOMES UNRESPONSIVE AND UNPREDICTABLE. ON HOT DAYS IT IS DOWNRIGHT DANGEROUS. I HAVE READ IN MANY PLACES THAT THIS IS DUE TO A DESIGN DEFECT IN THE STEERING COLUMN. ONE SOURCE WHO IS AN ASE-CERTIFIED MASTER TECHNICIAN SAYS THAT THE "BMW Z4 STICKY STEERING IS RELATED TO A MANUFACTURING DEFECT, THAT HAS BEEN RECTIFIED AS OF 2007 AND UP. THERE IS A BEARING LOCATED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STEERING COLUMN THAT IS NOT SEALED. WITH TIME AND WHEN HOT, THE LUBRICANT GETS DRY AND GUMS UP. TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE, THERE IS NOT A RACE FOR THE BEARING TO RIDE IN ' THE INNER RACE IS ACTUALLY THE STEERING SHAFT ITSELF, WHICH IS A POOR DESIGN". MY VEHICLE WAS BUILT IN 2006 AND HAS ONLY 54,000 MILES ON IT. BMW APPARENTLY WAS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND CORRECTED IT THE FOLLOWING MODEL YEAR. THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM, WHICH COULD GET WORSE OVER TIME. BMW SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL BEFORE SOMEONE GETS SERIOUSLY HURT.