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 2005 BMW Z4 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Owned the vehicle since purchased new in July 2005. Warranty expired ~2010. Approximately 2014, symptoms started. In the heat -- 80F - 90F degree sunny day -- response of the steering wheel became notchy, as though requiring a push to get the wheel past a notch. After some time the symptom disappeared, until the (black color) car was again heated in hot sun of a 90F day. It seemed incidental. I was no longer commuting and drove the car less in 2015-2019 period, so noticed it less often. 2020 was Covid-19 so car was barely driven until Spring 2021. Now in hot Summer 2021, the symptom is back and much stronger. Again, only after the car has been baked in hot sunlight for some period. Both directions (L and R) moving the wheel off centerline, requires pushing past a "notch" type feeling...it is NOT a smooth turn of the steering wheel. …
This 2005 BMW Z3 was bought from a dealer who sold the car to the original owner and maintained it. The car has 45,000 miles on it, and I am the second owner. I have only owned the car for one month. Yesterday was the first day of 80 degree weather, and the steering is now "sticking". 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. I have now read about others with the same problem, and that BMW is aware of its design flaw. There should be a recall issued for them to correct the problem. My understanding is that it is a costly repair, and it will most likely reoccur after the fix. Needless to say, I am very disappointed with the dealer as I feel they knowingly sold me this car with the steering problem. …
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?
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.
While driving the vehicle will loose all power steering, and becomes very difficult to steer, warning lamp comes on with a steering wheel and a exclamation point. Has been diagnosed as needing a steering wheel column assembly.
Sudden loss of power steering causing the car to be very difficult to control. When reading known issues regarding the BMW Z4, this appears to be a very common safety problem. There is a known recall on these vehicles for this problem, however, it does not include my vehicle make, model, year. My vehicle was in motion in heavy city traffic when the steering became sticky, causing the car to pull to the right and ultimately hitting a curb causing damage to the right lower wheel well and door panel. My vehicle is currently sitting in a repair shop waiting on finding a steering column that will not cost $3800 - $4000 to replace.
2005 BMW Z4 steering sticks while driving at low or high speed. When parked with steering unlocked you can rotate the steering wheel and feel there is a sticking issue that you have to forcibly push the wheel too far to get it to unstick. This is very scary when driving! Consumers should not have to pay to fix this since many owners have this problem. Dealerships want $3500 to fix the issue. I drive a lot for work, going into a turn on the highway at high speeds and your steering it stuck is very dangerous. This happens to me everytime I drive the car. I searched the internet and there are thousands of threads from everyone experiencing the same problem. I only drive this car in the summer so I cannot say if the problem is worse in warm weather. All I can truly say is this happens everytime I drive the car. …
I just bought a 2005 BMW Z4 on 5/31/16 as a gift for my daughter for her accomplishments of setting multiple athletic records at her high school while maintaining a 6.0 gpa. I test drove the car in the city streets and it drove excellent. I liked the car very much and purchased in the city of st. Petersburg florida. Since I live in tampa, florida I had my wife follow me back while I drove the Z4 back. The car function perfectly until I got onto the interstate. The second I got up to around 50 miles per hour. I found myself terrified as the steering began to stick at almost dead center, causing the car to shift dangerously as I overcompensate to keep the car in the lane. My daugher is a bit disappointed, because of my fear to let her drive the car. It seemed so strange that I felt duped by the dealership. I got suspiscious, pulled a carfax and it was clean. …
Experienced what appears to be known problem with erratic steering at any speed. Design flaw known to both BMW na & reported numerous times to your org based on the numerous complaints at url below: http://www.bmwcoop.com/2010/07/06/steering-problems-for-BMW-Z4-in-the-u-s/#comment-87602. Problem recurred 3 yrs ago and I simply garaged it & used my Subaru. Last week had car towed to local service center which acknowledged the problem and alerted me to the numerous websites documenting this design flaw. Having car towed to BMW dealership today as I refuse to drive it. But because there has not been a recall which there should be I am on the hook to pay for its design flaw or I can garage it or sell it. Btw, car only has 4400 miles on it due in large part to this recurring defect. I cannot believe no one has not been killed or seriously injured due to this defect. …
I would urge you to reopen the case that was closed back in 2010 on the steering on this vehicle. I have experienced very frightening loss of control when the steering wheel is hot and the "stickiness" is at it's worst. Maybe the fact that I live in the south and it gets hotter here is a factor, but it gets so extreme that I can barely hold it in the lane. This year I have hardly driven it because I am afraid to. I don't feel right selling it and passing it off to someone else. I absolutely love the look of the car, but I feel like I was just taken for a large amount of money when we paid for it, because of this situation. At the least, I fear getting a ticket because it looks like a drunk is driving the car when it's weaving like that. At worst, I fear an accident. If the stickiness is accompanied by a bumpy road, the loss of control is substantial. …
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 2005 BMW Z4?
NHTSA has 172 complaints about the steering of the 2005 BMW Z4, 90% of the model year's 191 complaints. The component named most often is column (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 BMW Z4 steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering recall for the 2005 BMW Z4. 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 2005 BMW Z4 steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 47,000 miles, and 25% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 1 injury 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.