Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2003 BMW Z4 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2003 BMW Z4. The contact stated while driving at various speeds in hot weather, the steering wheel became difficult to turn and would also jerk the vehicle into the next lane. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to drive to the residence. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the battery to be replaced. The dealer replaced the battery however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 24,000.
My girlfriend, [redacted] , purchased a used 2003 BMW z4 2.5i. It is pristine with 47K original miles. Always maintained, garaged and never driven in foul weather. I, [redacted] , drove it home for her and noticed the steering to be "sticky". This showed on the highway traveling at 65 MPH. It was very unsettling to feel the car want to track in a direction that i could not control. I used "more force" to pull the steering wheel to get tracking correctly and stay in my travel lane. Lucking I did not overcorrect and lose control or cause and accident. Once it happened it continued to happen the balance of the drive on the highway and back roads. I've owned and driven many different makes and models of vehicles from Dodge, Renault, Toyota, GMC, Chrysler, Volvo, Geo, etc. and never has "steering" been an issue. …
I purchased this BMW Z4 from a private seller on Thursday (3/10/22) located in Myrtle Beach, SC. On the way home (187 mile trip), about of the trip, I was driving about 55 mph on 701 North and the steering felt as if it was sticking to the point where moving the wheel took a effort to unstick it which put me into oncoming traffic in the other lane. I almost was involved in a head-on collision! The vehicle has only 39K miles on it. The previous owner had this issue in April of 2008 and took it to a BMW dealer who advised them that the repair would cost $2,950.00. The previous owner declined the repair because they couldn't afford it and the dealer told them that BMW will probably issue a recall AS HUNDRES OF Z4 OWNERS HAVE HAD THIS SAME ISSUE. The vehicle also drifts to the left and attempts by the previous owner to have the vehicle aligned to correct this have failed. …
This vehicle has a "sticky steering" issue in warm or hot weather, the steering sticks and requires a lot of effort to get the wheel to turn. If I am doing any speeds over 40 mph and keep adjusting the steering, I have almost wrecked the car on more than one occasion. The problem is the electric steering on the early year models of the BMW Z4. Mine is a 2003, the first year the car was on the market.
Steering is binding up, very hard to steer and control. Car starts out running fine after parked in hot weather and restarted it is almost uncontrollable. Looking for corrective action. Only 39,920 miles on car. Would like to use it or sell it, can do neither in current condition. Steering column needed or components
When outside temp is 80degrees or higher it becomes difficult to maintain the vehicle in the correct driving lane due to a stickyness in the steering wheel. I will not allow anyone to drive the vehicle when the temp is over 80 degrees ... sucks to have a convertable that you can't drive in warm weather!
Car has 15,000 miles and always stored in climate controlled garage. Drove it today and within 1/2 mile the electronic power steering failed making it very, very hard to steer. Shut vehicle off and restart and the problem goes away but only for a minute or two and then returns.
During very warm days in the summer the steering wheel tends to stick during turns. It requires extra force to continue to turn the wheel which becomes problematic during a tight turn or on highway on-ramps.
The steering in this BMW Z4 gets "sticky" in warm or hot weather. It drives fine in cold weather. The steering has to be constantly corrected as it pulls to the left. It will not track in a straight line and needs constant corrections from side to side to compensate for the problem. If you do not pay close attention and correct the steering input, you will go off the road. On a warmer day after driving for a while I suddenly experienced a unexpected binding of the steering and almost ended up steering into oncoming traffic. This car is not safe to drive. The 2003 model has electric power steering. There are no codes or warning lights. I took the car to the local mechanic and he was easily able to reproduce the issue when he drove it less than 1 mile. This issue not only puts me at risk but others because of the constant correction of the steering to keep a straight. …
National highway traffic safety administration fines BMW $40 million for failing to meet safety requirements NHTSA 53-15 Monday, December 21, 2015 contact: [redacted] , [email] fine is auto company's second since 2012 washington ' the U.S. Department of transportation's national highway traffic safety administration has imposed a $40 million civil penalty and a series of performance requirements to automaker BMW north America for a series of violations of the motor vehicle safety act and NHTSA regulations. ******************************************************************************************************************************** NHTSA needs to do a recall on the issue of sticky steering. For BMW to say it is just a nuisance steering is totally not true. With your latest fine for BMW you know BMW response to this issue is just another smoke screen of the issue. …
NHTSA investigations
Sticky Steering
ODI has evaluated the sticky steering condition, which included reviews of complaints and warranty claims, interviews and surveys of owners of complaint vehicles, road tests of complaint vehicles, and a review of BMW's engineering and test data.ODI found the sticky steering condition does not result in a significant steering effort, thus the impact on the driver's ability to control the vehicle does not appear to be…
Steering complaints in other Z4 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2003 BMW Z4?
NHTSA has 342 complaints about the steering of the 2003 BMW Z4, 83% of the model year's 414 complaints. The component named most often is electric power assist system (10 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2003 BMW Z4 steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering recall for the 2003 BMW Z4, though it has 4 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2003 BMW Z4 steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 42,000 miles, and 24% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 0 injuries to steering problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.