14 of the
443 complaints about the 2004 BMW Z4 are about the
electrical system — 3% of everything
reported for this model year.
Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before
56,000 miles.
REOCCURING ISSUE: -DOOR LOCKS NOT FUNCTIONING BY REMOTE OR CENTRAL BUTTON -WIPERS NOT FUNCTIONING -TRUNK RELEASE NOT FUNCTIONING BY REMOTE OR BUTTON -WINDOWS NOT FUNCTIONING -LIGHTING OF INTERIOR NOT WORKING, TO INCLUDE GAUGE CLUSTER -TOP NOT FUNCTIONING ISSUES INTENSIFY ON DAYS OF LOW/HIGHER TEMPERATURES. SEEMS TO RESET BY DISCONNECTING BATTERY AND RECONNECTING AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES. ISSUES POINTS TO GM5 MODULE BEING FAULTY/FAILING THIS IS NOT DISCOVERED UNTIL YOU START THE CAR, SEEMS TO BE A RANDOM OCCURRENCE, BUT HAPPENS AT LEAST ONCE WEEKLY. SOMETIMES IT IS MULTIPLE TIMES A DAY.
NHTSA complaint #11341390 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 64,043 milesWebster, NY
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I HAD THIS CAR BUILT AND I AM THE ONLY OWNER AND DRIVER. I HAVE HAD A PERSONAL MECHANIC TAKE METICULOUS CARE OF IT OVER THE YEARS AND THE CAR IS STORED FOR APPROXIMATELY 6 MONTHS/YEAR BECAUSE I DO NOT DRIVE IT IN THE SNOW, AND FRANKLY, HARDLY DRIVE IT EVEN WHEN RAINING. HOWEVER, IT NEVER FAILS THAT EACH YEAR SOME WARNING LIGHT GOES ON FOR NO APPARENT REASON. LAST FALL IT WAS THE ABS LIGHT AND THE BRAKE LIGHT. MY MECHANIC PUT THE CAR ON THE COMPUTER, AND FOUND NO ISSUES. NOW AGAIN, THIS SPRING IT STARTED OUT AS NOT BEING ON, BUT WITHIN 5- 25 MINUTES (VARIES EACH TIME WHEN I START THE CAR UP AND DRIVE) THOSE TWO LIGHTS COME ON. EVERY YEAR THERE SEEMS TO BE NEW LIGHTS THAT COME ON FOR NO APPARENT REASON. I HAVEN'T DRIVEN THE CAR MORE THAN A FEW TIMES BEFORE A LIGHT COMES ON. IT'S COST ME SO MUCH IN DIAGNOSTIC TIME. ALSO ANOTHER PROBLEM IS THAT OFTEN THE RADIO DOESN'T TURN ON. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, THE SCREEN ALSO DOES NOT POP UP. I HAVE TO STOP THE CAR, TURN IT OFF AND THEN RESTART. MOST TIMES THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM SEEMS TO 'RESTART' ITSELF SO THAT THE RADIO TURNS ON AND THE SCREEN POPS UP. THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IN THIS CAR HAS NEVER BEEN RIGHT.
NHTSA complaint #11323610 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 40,395 milesWebster, NY
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I PREVIOUSLY FILED A REPORT ABOUT THE ELECTRONIC STEERING WHEEL COLUMN, POOR STEERING, STICKING PRIOR TO HAVING IT FIXED ON THIS DATE. I HAD NOT FOUND THE PAPERWORK FOR IT UNTIL AFTER I SUBMITTED THE REPORT. THE TRACKING # 11300634.
NHTSA complaint #11300644 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 135,850 milesNorfolk, VA
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
GM5 MODULE FAIL. WHEN THE GM5 MODULE FAULS WINDSHIELD WIPERS WON'T WORK (THIS COULD BE A BIG PROBLEM IF IT RAINS!), INTERIOR LIGHTS WON'T WORK, WINDOWS WON'T GO UP OR DOWN, NO ALARM FUNCTIONS AND OF COURSE NO AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCK CONTROL (DOORS CAN MANUALLY BE LOCKED AND UNLOCKED AS LONG AS THE DOUBLE LOCK IS OPEN.)
NHTSA complaint #11195746 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 26,000 milesShorewood, IL
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
26000 MILES ON CAR. ALWAYS IN GARAGE. NEVER DRIVEN IN WINTER AND USE A BATTERY TENDER DURING WINTER.REPLACED 2 BATTERIES THIS SUMMER RECENTLY AFTER NOT DRIVING IT FOR ABOUT 2-3 WEEKS. THIS TELLS ME THAT THERE IS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM SOMEWHERE BUT WHERE? IT'S PULLING POWER FROM SOMEWHERE. CAN'T BE TRUSTED
NHTSA complaint #11043135 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 88,000 milesKensett, AR
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW Z4. WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH, THE EPS LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 88,000. UPDATED 02/26/16*LJ UPDATED 02/29/16.
NHTSA complaint #10818912 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 56,000 milesPhoenix, AZ
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I LEFT MY BMW IN THE SUN ALL DAY AND NOW MY LOCKS WONT WORK. MANY RESOURCES LINK THIS PROBLEM TO THE GM5 WHICH CONTROLS THE LIGHTING AND LOCKS. BAD LOCKS CAN BE A SAFETY AND SECURITY ISSUE ON PARKED CARS BUT ALSO FOR MOVING CARS AS CHILDREN MAY OPEN VEHICLE DOORS IN TRAFFIC.
NHTSA complaint #10743567 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 20,000 milesChattanoota, TN
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW Z4. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE DEALER DETERMINED THAT THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000. UPDATED 10/07/14*LJ UPDATED 3/23/2015
NHTSA complaint #10631969 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 36,136 milesViera, FL
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
JUST PURCHASED THIS CAR FROM A PRIVATE OWNER. DIDN'T NOTICE BUT THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR WILL NOT UNLOCK BY EITHER USING THE KEY FOB OR THE CENTRAL LOCKING/UNLOCKING SWITCH INSIDE. DID A GOOGLE SEARCH AND FOUND THAT THE GM-5 BOARD NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. I ALSO HEARD THAT THIS GM-5 CAN CAUSE FAILURE ON OTHER FUNCTIONS WITH THE CAR - WIPERS, LIGHTS ETC. THE CAR IS 10 YEARS OLD BUT ONLY HAS 36,000 MILES ON IT. THIS PART SHOULD NOT FAIL SO QUICKLY.
NHTSA complaint #10609504 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 78,000 milesBrooklyn, NY
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
WHILE DRIVING THE STEERING LIGHT COMES ON AND THE STEERING LOCKS IN PLACE. WHEN U TRY TO FORCE IT THE CAR STALLS OUT AND THE STEERING STAYS LOCKED .. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS!!!
NHTSA complaint #10485811 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 32,000 milesStaugustine, FL
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
THE STEERING BINDS AT ALMOST ANY SPEED. I NOTICED IT WHEN DRIVING STRAIGHT FORWARD. WHEN A CORRECTION IN DIRECTION IS MADE THE WHEEL BINDS UNTIL GREATER PRESSURE IS APPLIED. IT SEEMS THE PROBLEM IS REQUIRING EVEN MORE PRESSURE FOR THE CORRECTION. I CALLED BMWNA AND THEY TOLD ME THEY HAVE HEARD NOTHING ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. I AM IN FEAR FOR MY SAFETY AS WELL AS OTHERS AROUND BMW'S Z-4 2004.
NHTSA complaint #10443737 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
BHM, ALFire
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
WATER GETS INTO THE BATTERY COMPARTMENT THROUGH THE RUBBER GROMMET THAT CARRIES THE MAIN BATTERY CABLE FROM THE TRUNK TO THE FRONT OF THE CAR. THE BATTERY COMPARTMENT IS A WELL THAT ALSO HOUSES THE CAR STEREO AMPLIFIER. AMPLIFIER WAS SITTING IN ABOUT 2 INCHES OF WATER CAUSING THE CIRCUIT BOARD TO SHORT OUT AND CATCH ON FIRE.
NHTSA complaint #10428293 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 86,000 milesBHM, AL
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
WATER GETS INTO THE BATTERY COMPARTMENT THROUGH THE RUBBER GROMMET THAT CARRY'S THE MAIN BATTERY CABLE FROM THE TRUNK TO THE FRONT OF THE CAR. CAR STEREO AMPLIFIER DESTROYED.
NHTSA complaint #10428005 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 22,968 milesEL Segundo, CA
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
2004 BMX Z4, STEERING BECAME UNRESPONSIVE WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. OVER CORRECTION TO REGAIN CONTROL NARROWLY AVOIDING TRAFFIC AND CENTER DIVIDER. AT SLOWER SPEEDS IT FELT LIKE THERE WAS NO STEERING FLUID IN CAR. VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN. BMW DEALER HAD REPLACEMENT STEERING COLUMN IN STOCK IT TOOK 2 DAYS TO REPLACE AT A COST OF $2942.02.
NHTSA complaint #10341411 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.