2005 BMW Z4 problems
Owners have filed 204 complaints about the 2005 BMW Z4 with NHTSA. Steering accounts for 85.8% of them — far more than any other system, ahead of air bags at 4.4%.
Complaints204
Crashes2
Fires0
Injuries2
Deaths0
What owners report breaking
Steering 85.8% · 175
Air bags 4.4% · 9
Electrical system 2.9% · 6
Suspension 1.5% · 3
Engine 1.5% · 3
Service brakes 0.5% · 1
Exterior lighting 0.5% · 1
Vehicle speed control 0.5% · 1
Severity
Of those complaints, 2 describe a crash and 2 report an injury.
Reading the numbers
Across the 4 model years of the BMW Z4 in this data, 2005 ranks 3rd by complaint volume — 2003 draws the most.
Filings have fallen off, 6 in the last three years against 18 in the three before. That is normal as a generation leaves the road.
The median odometer reading at the time of complaint was 46,750 miles.
In owners' own words
Generally described as sticky steering. Steering wheel binds up and needs pressure to overcome, then released and the car overcorrects so steering is erratic. This is particularly dangerous when cornering. Issue seems temperature related and is worse in high temperatures. This is a well known problem in 2003-2005 BMW Z4. The car has been sittting in my garage for a year as it is unsafe to drive. When is the recall? Steering
The steering sticks in place and you need to jerk the steering wheel to get the car to slightly turn. After jerking the steering wheel, you have now over corrected and must jerk it the opposite direction. The problem is worse when the temperature is higher. In tight confinements or traffic, there is many times not adequate room for the vehicle to dart in various directions because of the sticking steering. Steering · reported at 11,000 miles
While moving, especially in warm weather, the steering will stick. This requires excessive force to move the steering wheel which results in a "jump" when the steering moves (breaks loose). This sudden "jump" results in vehicle moving excessively, especially scary in traffic! I have not had the vehicle inspected by a mechanic but reading various forums this appears to be a common problem with BMW Z4s. Steering
Verbatim from NHTSA filings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.
Safety recalls
Checking NHTSA for open recalls…