This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
2005 BMW Z4 steering sticks in hot weather. Very dangerous. Returned from summer trip and felt the problem repeatedly. Now afraid to drive the car in hot weather.
I just bought a used 2005 BMW Z4. The vehicle seemed to "pull" to one side before I bought it so I had the dealer do an alignment as a condition of sale. The car drove fine the first couple of times I drove it, but now off and on it sticks either pulling to the left or to the right. In other words, the wheel won't return to center.
Repeating problem. The steering on my 2005 BMW Z4 3.0 will occasionally stick when driving at highway speeds. The linear feedback disappears and I can move the steering wheel but the car doesn't react initially. Then it will suddenly "give" and catch up to where I had the steering wheel. This is alarming as often it will cause an over correction which could eventually lead to an accident.
The steering wheel on my 2005 BMW Z4 3.9 liter 6mt tends to stick when the outdoor temperature is high. This reduces the smooth motion that is typically displayed by a steering wheel. The stickiness makes it very hard to maintain the car in a straight line and causes a delay in response to steering wheel input. I read online that many other people are having the same problems.
Started engine on hot day and had no power steering. Turned off engine and restarted and power steering was back as normal. If this had happened while driving the possibility of an accident are great.
I'm experiencing very stiff or stuck steering. It seems to only occur during the summer months, but mainly when my car is left out in the sun at work, the drive home is quite an adventure. Keeping the car driving straight is no easy task, trying to make a small correction results in the steering wheel moving a great distance as one has to apply more force to the steering wheel to overcome the "stuckness". this results in a over correction of steering and pushes the car to opposing lanes at the extreme, or otherwise just makes the car jerk from side to side. I've had niello BMW of sacramento look at this, and they found nothing nor admitted this was a problem. As the summer months come around, my steering is going back to it's usual jerkiness.
Sticking steering has occurred when temperatures rise, typically above 85F. Steering becomes difficult to detect the way in which the car will react and the level of resistance that will occur and need to be dealt with.
I experience a loss of power-assisted steering. The steering wheel sticks, binds or locks up, requiring increased steering effort to maintain control and increasing the potential to over-steer the vehicle.
When my BMW Z4 2005 has been standing in warm weather it develops a concerning habit. When I start driving I feel resistance in the steering wheel - it needs more force to be turned and to be turned back to straight ahead. It is concerning to feel that the steering feel changes characteristics - with one thought in back of my head: What happens if it chooses to stick all together? depending on the temperature the symptoms will be more or less bad.
The steering feels notchy and hard to turn most of the time. At times it's hard to maintain the car in the lane that I'm driving in especially when there are slight curves on the road and it gets worst when taking big curves. I have to slow down to avoid driving in between lanes when cars are on my left and right therefore I am not able to control the car due to the erratic steering and which might cause an accident. The steering at times locks or stays in one spot and it's hard to straighten it without forcing it back to the center. One dealer told me that it was normal, I've driven many cars in my life and never felt so unsafe driving a car like I do with this one.
2005 BMW Z4 problem with sticky steering. Occasionally the steering will stick when the temperature is warm outside. Car becomes difficult to move off line.
I have a 2005 BMW Z4 3.0I and have 'sticky' steering at speeds above ~40mph (mainly highway). On warmer days when the car has been sitting in the sun, going past ~40mph the steering will begin to 'bind' or 'stick' causing me to use excessive force to move the steering wheel. Once the vehicles steering stops 'sticking', the adjustment is too much and can sometimes lead to lane wandering and other unwanted characteristics.
2005 BMW Z4 power steering failure. Steering wheel tends to stick in place and not want to turn. Started acting this way on July 3, 2010. Temperature was about 93 and the problem was noted at many different speeds. Was at a restaurant in panama city, fl. Came out, started the car and heard strange knocking sounds from the front of the car like someone knocking on wood. Pulled out of the restaurant and noticed that the steering didn't want to turn unless additional abnormal pressure were applied to the steering wheel. This was an in-town situation but has continued since. Drove the vehicle approximately 70 miles to get back home and could feel the abnormality the rest of the trip which included freeway speeds up to 70mph. Have driven the car 3 times since then and the problem still exists as of July 7th, 2010.
I have been experiencing steering problems with the 2005 BMW Z4 since July 2007. At speeds over 50 mph and while the outside temperature is over 75 degrees, the steering becomes very stiff. It is almost as if I am driving on train tracks and have difficulty steering right or left. I brought the vehicle to the dealership and was told there was no steering problem.
On June 28, 2010 I learnt that the NHTSA ODI opened investigation PE10020 into safety issues with 2003 to 2005 BMW Z4 power steering systems. The description of the problem exactly describes the characteristics of the recurring problem I have been experiencing with my 2005 Z4, in that the steering wheel sticks, binds or locks up, and requires increased steering effort resulting in difficulty controlling the vehicle such as the potential to over-steer when making hard and abrupt steering wheel movements. The failures typically occur at higher vehicle speeds (45 mph or greater) and in warm/hot weather (75 F or higher). In my case, this has not resulted in an accident yet, but I) averts driver attention from focusing on the road and surroundings to consciously think about and physically overcome the steering mechanism resistance, and II) having to over-correct sharply on turns to avoid other vehicles. I have correlated this mostly with driving in higher temperature, where on days over 85F the steering is very stiff, however I would say that as a five time BMW owner, it is stiff/notchy even at 68F.
While driving, the steering wheel will "set" in a spot - does not matter if you are in a turn, or in a straight line, the effort to move the wheel from the spot is very difficult. Like trying to pull two magnets apart - that kind of effort - strong magnets. This a safety hazard as the steering does not function in a linear predictable manner.
I have a 2005 BMW 3.0 w/auto transmission. My car has had two recurring issues from time to time starting with the electric power steering light engaging with the power steering going dead at idle or at corners. The other problem is that my car has stalled with the car shutting down thrice on I-95 and on local roads. Needless to say, it was a life and death situation twice with my girlfriend swearing never to drive the car again. How it happens? at speeds of 40mph or less, eps, ABS, brake, dtc comes on and off with the navigation screen opening and closing. Then abuptly at slow speeds, the car just shuts off. Remedy: Pull over, off the car and on it back again and go.
On warm days (> 75 degrees) and when sitting in hot sun for period of time, steering will stick or feel notchy when driving. While gently turning it feels as if the steering goes through gates and gets hung up when turning. Steering input feels mushy in comparison to cooler days. I have taken to dealer on two occasions and they cannot duplicate. I do not like driving my car on warmer days even though that is when the car is meant to be driven.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Overland Park, KS, USA