NHTSA Complaint #11062521 — 2004 BMW Z4

MY CAR HAS THE COMMONLY REPORTED PROBLEM WITH THE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING UNIT. I BOUGHT THE CAR USED IN APRIL 2015 FROM STEVENS CREEK BMW. THE POWER STEERING WORKED FINE. I BEGAN TO ENCOUNTER PROBLEMS IN EARLY 2016. THE STEERING BEGAN TO TIGHTEN UP AND WOULD NOT ALLOW THE WHEELS TO SELF STRAIGHTEN UPON ACCELERATION. I FIRST LEARNED OF THE PROBLEM WHEN ENTERING A FREEWAY FROM AN ON RAMP. THE STEERING, INSTEAD OF ALLOWING ME TO EASE GENTLY INTO A TRAFFIC LANE, WANTED TO CONTINUE TO PULL ME LEFT INTO THE CENTER DIVIDER. I WAS ABLE TO YANK THE WHEEL AND AVOID AN ACCIDENT. I THEN RESEARCHED AND LEARNED ABOUT THE COMMON POWER STEERING ISSUE AND LEARNED THAT A GREASE FITTING INTO THE STEERING COLUMN COULD HELP. I THEN LEARNED THAT MY VEHICLE HAD ALREADY BEEN FITTED WITH SUCH A GREASE FITTING. ADDITIONAL GREASE THEN ALLEVIATED THE PROBLEM TEMPORARILY. EVENTUALLY ADDITIONAL GREASE BECAME LESS EFFECTIVE AND I LEARNED TO DRIVE WITH STEERING THAT WAS STIFF AND PRONE TO STICKINESS. RECENTLY (DECEMBER 2017), THE POWER STEERING BEGAN TO ENTIRELY SHUT OFF INTERMITTENTLY. IT SHUTS OFF AND THEN TURNS ON AGAIN AFTER RESTARTING THE CAR. THE CAR IS THEREFORE NO LONGER DRIVABLE FOR SAFETY REASONS. I'VE LEARNED THAT THE POWER STEERING UNIT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED ENTIRELY WITH A PART COST OF $3,400. GIVEN THE BROAD BASED OCCURRENCE OF THIS ISSUE ON 2003-2005 (AND EVEN SOME 2006) CARS, THIS MUST BE SEEN AS A SERIOUS PRODUCT SAFETY DEFECT WORTHY OF A RECALL BY BMW.