Steering complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The contact owns a 2011 BMW Z4. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact stated that the steering was locked in a slight left turn and he had to apply the brakes to keep the vehicle on the road. The contact was able to pull off to the left side of the highway. The contact stated that a yellow steering wheel warning light was illuminated, and a warning bell was chiming. The contact turned the vehicle off and upon restarting the power steering functionality returned. The contact stated that as soon as he exited the highway, the failure occurred again and has persisted. The contact researched and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V302000 (Steering) however, the model year was not included. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed. …
Electrical power steering system failed, warning light came on. Vehicle suddenly became very difficult to impossible to steer. Failed to negotiate a turn and nearly hit a tree. I have an appointment set with an independent service dealer near me, but I'm afraid to drive it there, so I may have it towed. The warning light came on just moments before the initial failure.
Very erratic steering. Crossing the crown of a road will pull one way and then quickly pull in the opposite direction unlike anything I have ever driven. Also same effect with trying to stay in lanes with any common deviation. This is worst at hwy speeds but does occur at lower speeds as well.
After starting up the car (but during ignition, the key slipped in my fingers causing a missed start, I therefore had to turn the key again to get engine to turn over.) and driving from my driveway, there was a complete failure of the steering assist which caused extremely difficult steering/cornering. I pulled over, thinking it had to do with the missed start, turned off the engine and restarted it; still no power assist. Took it to the dealer, they were able to do a computer reset which restored power assist, but told me they could not say if or when it would happen again. I could opt for complete steering column replacement at a cost of $3500! I've owned the car for 5 months and maybe put 400 miles on it? This is too dangerous a thing to let go, I don't think this is safe. This should be recalled.
BMW Z4 2007 - steering wheel pulls hard to the right. When corrected pulls hard to the left and vice-versa. I've taken the vehicle in 5 times in the last year to 3 different certified mechanics thinking it has to do with the alignment but the issue is not resolved. I have been advised by a private certified mechanic that this is likely due to a steering column defect, for which the 2003-2005 BMW Z4's were recalled. The vehicle is difficult to control and dangerous to drive at any speed over 40 MPH. The local dealership completed another alignment last week, is not acknowledging the steering problem and claims that the vehicle is OK. I am now dealing with customer relations at BMW-USA but no action for assistance with this factory defect will be considered until the local dealership's service department acknowledges the problem and quotes the repair. …
Steering is dangerously defective with car moving left and right rapidly creating scary and uncomfortably driving experiencing. Feels like intermittent grabbing resistance on the steering wheel when turning at normal highway speeds, almost like the brakes are being applied intermittently in the turn. I have had the tires rebalanced and inspected twice for defective or separation of treads and nothing changed. Also had a BMW specialist check the suspension and front end and he said all was good there. This is a very dangerous situation and I have taken the car off the road do to severity of the problem.
The Steering wheel gets Hard, looks like power steering gets disabled automatically while driving, making it almost impossible to steer. This has started to happen after hot weather had started few months back. I have tried to reproduce this issue several times, but it happens randomly and Not all the time. I don't drive the car much. But this is definitely a serious issue, I checked the BMW community and a lot of people are facing this issue. Not Sure how many have filed a complaint here. But this definitely should be addressed by BMW as this is not just one person facing this issue, there are hundreds and thousands of them. Level of severity is high, as someone who might have not faced this issue yet might suddenly face it on the highway could result in an extremely fatal accident. …
When the outside temperatures are warmer (mid 80's and above) the steering wheel will stick in the center position and require it to be jerked a bit to keep control. This occurs at all speeds, but does not seem to be the case when stopped. since it requires the steering wheel to be jerked to correct, it can cause the car to swerve. I have had the car for several years began noticing the issue once the weather got warmer. The date entered below is today's date, but I have had the issue for perhaps 5 years.
Related recalls (2)
Steering › Linkages › Tie rod assembly
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019 Z4 sDrive30i, 2019-2020 330i xDrive, M340i and M340i xDrive, 2020 X3M and X4M, and Toyota Supra vehicles. In certain driving conditions, such as high temperatures and rough road surfaces, a steering gear tie rod may become damaged, possibly resulting in a fractured tie…
Remedy: BMW and Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering gear tie rods, free of charge. The recall began August 14, 2020.
Steering › Electric power assist system
BMW is recalling certain model year 2011 1-series active e and model year 2012 z4 vehicles. Variations in electrical current May occur within the electric power steering assistance system, leading to sudden loss of power steering assistance.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering assistance module, free of charge. The safety recall began during July 2012. Owners May contact BMW customer relations at 1-800-525-7417.
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…
Frequently asked questions
Which BMW Z4 years have steering problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2004 (378), 2003 (342), 2005 (172), 2006 (55) and 2011 (13) model years. Steering complaints make up 92% of all complaints for the 2004.
Is there a recall for BMW Z4 steering problems?
Yes — 2 recalls, including 20V-355 (tie rod assembly, Jun 15, 2020); 12V-302 (electric power assist system, Jun 28, 2012). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do BMW Z4 steering problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 45,000 miles; 54% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the electric power assist system (23 mentions), followed by the column (12).
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.