2003 BMW Z4 Steeringelectric Power Assist System Problems

2003 BMW Z4 WITH POWER STEERING FAILURE. CONSUMER STATES THAT THE POWER STEERING WAS GOING OUT INTERMITTENTLY BUT THE DEALER DID NOT SEE ANY PROBLEM. NOW THE POWER STEERING ONLY WORKS INTERMITTENTLY AND HAS TO BE REPLACED. *KB

STEERING LOCKS, RESIST, JERKS, AND STIFFENS UP ON HOT DAYS. THIS DAY MY STEERING ALMOST COMPLETELY LOCKED WHILE CHANGING LANES ON THE HIGHWAY. I WAS ACROSS TWO EXTRA LANES BEFORE IT LET GO. *JB

DURING HOT WEATHER (90 DEGREES AND ABOVE) THE STEERING BECOMES VERY HEAVY A STICKY MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO ACCURATELY STEER THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER STATES THAT THE FACTORY IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT HAS NOT DETERMINED A SOLUTION EVEN THOUGH THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED FOR OVER A YEAR. I DON'T FEEL THAT THE CAR IS ENTIRELY SAFE TO OPERATE WHEN THE PROBLEM OCCURS AND THE DEALER A FACTORY HAVE BEEN NON RESPONSIVE IN CORRECTING IT. *JB

2003 BMW Z4. THE STEERING BINDS WHEN THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE IS ABOVE 80 DEGREES. THIS IS DANGEROUS WHEN I HAVE TO OVERCORRECT TO KEEP THE CAR ON THE ROAD. THE DEALER SAYS THAT THIS IS A KNOW PROBLEM, BUT NOT A SAFETY ISSUE AND THERE IS NOT A FIX AVAILABLE. THIS IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY ISSUE.

WE HAVE A 2003 BMW Z4, 3.0L, AUTO. EVER SINCE IT WAS NEW, IT HAS EXHIBITED AN IRREGULARITY IN THE (ELECTRIC) STEERING. IT ONLY MANIFESTS ITSELF WHEN THE OUTSIDE TEMERATURE IS FAIRLY HOT, SAY OVER 85 DEGREES. THE ISSUE IS THAT THE STEERING EXHIBITS A "STICKING" OR "NOTCHINESS" THAT MAY BE OR BECOME A SAFETY ISSUE FOR DRIVERS IF THE CAR NO LONGER RESPONDS TO STEERING INPUTS IN THE SAME MANNER IT DOES WHEN THIS ISSUE IS NOT PRESENT. TO-DATE THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN EXPERIENCED AND DOCUMENTED BY OWNERS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY ON AN OWNERS FORUM AT HTTP://BIMMER.ROADFLY.COM/BMW/FORUMS/E85/. AFTER 2 TRIPS TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR SERVICE, WHERE THIS ISSUE WAS BROUGHT TO THEIR ATTENTION,WE'VE BEEN INFORMED THAT BMWNA HAS NOT RECOGNNIZED THAT THERE IS AN ISSUE AND THEREFORE THERE IS NO "FIX' IN THE WORKS.

WHEN MY VEHICLE IS PARKED IN AMBIENT TEMPERATURES EXCEEDING ROUGHLY 85 DEGREES, FOR PERIODS OF AN HOUR OR MORE, THE CAR'S POWER STEERING BEGINS TO MALFUNCTION. THE STEERING TAKES ON AN EXTREMELY HEAVY FEEL, AND IS OFTEN DIFFICULT TO TURN. ADDITIONALLY, IN A GENTLE TURN, THE WHEEL DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY RETURN TO THE CENTER POSITION WHEN IT IS RELEASED. THE CAR CONTIUNES TO TURN INDEFINITELY. AS LONG AS TEMPERATURES REMAIN HIGH, THE PROBLEM PERSISTS.*AK

STEERING PROBLEM - STEERING BINDS AND LOCKS REQUIRING EXCESS EFFORT TO MAINTAIN DIRECTION RESULTING IN OVERCORRECTION AND LOSS OF CONTROL OF VEHICLE. *AK

1. STEERING DEFECT OCCURS DURING HIGH AMBIENT TEMPERATURES. 2. STEERING WHEEL BECOMES HEAVY TO TURN AND HAS A "LOCKED ON CENTER" FEEL. 3. DEALER REPLACED POWER STEERING SYSTEM. THIS DID NOT FIX PROBLEM.*AK

DURING EXPOSURE TO HIGH TEMPERATURES IN THE MID 1990'S FARENHEIT THE STEERING BECOMES STIFF, UNRESPONSIVE WITH A TENDENCY TO "STICK" WHERE IT IS SET. ONLY SEEMS TO OCCUR AFTER VEHICLE HAS SAT IN DIRECT SUNLIGHT ON HOT DAYS.*AK

WHEN MY VEHICLE HAS SAT OUT IN THE 90F+ TEMPERATURE FOR A FEW HOURS, THE STEERING BECOMES ALMOST UNCONTROLLABLE IN THAT THE STEERING "STICKS" AND IS NO LONGER SMOOTH IN ITS ROTATION. TO GET THE STEERING TO GO THE OTHER WAY AFTER TURNING OR CHANGING LANES, YOU LITERALLY HAVE TO USE EXCESSIVE FORCE FOR IT TO HAPPEN. MY ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN/ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING SYSTEM HAS ALREADY BEEN REPLACED AND THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. I'VE CONFIRMED THIS ISSUE WITH Z4 OWNERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND AM BEGINNING TO FEEL THIS IS AN OVERALL DESIGN ISSUE. AGAIN, THIS IS A TEMPERATURE DEPENDENT ISSUE AS THE CAR DRIVES NORMALLY AGAIN AT NIGHT OR WHEN IT'S NOT OVER 85 F.*AK