[lfeng1231]

Hello everyone,

I would like to seek advice regarding a critical issue with my 2024 BMW X5, which has only 2,200 miles on it and the car was delivered in Feburary. Last Friday, while driving locally with my kids, a warning message about a braking system malfunction suddenly appeared on the display. Alarmingly, the brake pedal became very hard to press, and I could barely engage the brakes.

Fortunately, I managed to safely pull over and, after applying significant pressure, bring the vehicle to a stop. After turning off the car and restarting it twice, the problem seemed to resolve itself, and I was able to drive to the dealership.

The dealership has since retrieved all the warning messages from the system, but the root cause remains undiagnosed. They've escalated the issue to a higher-level engineer given the car’s newness. As of today, they mentioned potentially needing to replace the brake module, pending approval from the engineer. If approved, this means my car will be in the shop for a few more days.

I'm particularly concerned about the safety of driving a new car that presents such a serious issue. Could anyone shed light on what a brake module is and if replacing it is a typical resolution? Additionally, given the severity of the problem, is there any way I can ensure the car will be reliably safe post-repair? Is it reasonable to consider returning the car under these circumstances?

Any suggestions or insights would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

[parky1215]

Surprised that dealer did not notify you about the recall on your car.
BMW sent out recall letter since last month to notify owners about this exact issue.
I don‘t believe replacement part is available, yet.

You can enter VIN on BMW site and you can get more info.
https://www.bmwusa.com/safety-and-emission-recalls.html

[blockhead25]

Originally Posted by parky1215

Surprised that dealer did not notify you about the recall on your car.
BMW sent out recall letter since last month to notify owners about this exact issue.
I don‘t believe replacement part is available, yet.

You can enter VIN on BMW site and you can get more info.
https://www.bmwusa.com/safety-and-emission-recalls.html

Is it the issue though? The recall stated that mechanical breaking would still work along with automated emergency brake.
But that’s terrifying. One thing to read about a recall, another to experience the problem in real life.

[lfeng1231]

Originally Posted by parky1215

Surprised that dealer did not notify you about the recall on your car.
BMW sent out recall letter since last month to notify owners about this exact issue.
I don‘t believe replacement part is available, yet.

You can enter VIN on BMW site and you can get more info.
https://www.bmwusa.com/safety-and-emission-recalls.html

Thank you for the information regarding the recall.

I mentioned the recall to the dealer, but they assured me that my car is not subject to any recall. I also searched my VIN on the BMW recall website you provided, and it shows 0 open recalls for my vehicle.

On the paperwork the dealer gave me, they documented that the brake system, chassis stabilization, parking brake, forward collision mitigation, and active blind spot warnings became present simultaneously.

Given this situation, is it still possible that my car could be part of the recall despite what the dealer and website indicate? If the parts are not available, what does this mean for me? Is my car not drivable until the replacement parts are obtained?

I appreciate any advice or insights you might have.

[parky1215]

Originally Posted by blockhead25

Is it the issue though? The recall stated that mechanical breaking would still work along with automated emergency brake.
But that’s terrifying. One thing to read about a recall, another to experience the problem in real life.

OP's issue (hard to press brake pedal) is typically due to power assisted brake system failure. Recall letter specifically mentions about potential power assisted brake system.

Originally Posted by lfeng1231

Thank you for the information regarding the recall.

I mentioned the recall to the dealer, but they assured me that my car is not subject to any recall. I also searched my VIN on the BMW recall website you provided, and it shows 0 open recalls for my vehicle.

On the paperwork the dealer gave me, they documented that the brake system, chassis stabilization, parking brake, forward collision mitigation, and active blind spot warnings became present simultaneously.

Given this situation, is it still possible that my car could be part of the recall despite what the dealer and website indicate? If the parts are not available, what does this mean for me? Is my car not drivable until the replacement parts are obtained?

I appreciate any advice or insights you might have.

I would just drive a loaner car until dealer figure this out.
BMW had replacement part available for some customers for the recall, but they soon pulled it out and made it unavailable until further notice.
Just because your car is not part of the recall does not mean that the same part in your car is bullet proof. It can still be defective, and dealer may need to replace it if necessary.

[blockhead25]

Like OP, I would be utterly terrified and dismayed that this can happen…makes it even worse to hear there is no fix.

The recall appears to cover only a group of builds in 2023 across numerous models (8 months for X5) Wouldn’t that imply that working parts are available? Or is your point saying that all of us with new cars may have brake failures driving with a family on a major highway because BMW doesn’t really know what is going.

[blockhead25]

Originally Posted by blockhead25

Thank you for the information regarding the recall.

I mentioned the recall to the dealer, but they assured me that my car is not subject to any recall. I also searched my VIN on the BMW recall website you provided, and it shows 0 open recalls for my vehicle.

On the paperwork the dealer gave me, they documented that the brake system, chassis stabilization, parking brake, forward collision mitigation, and active blind spot warnings became present simultaneously.

Given this situation, is it still possible that my car could be part of the recall despite what the dealer and website indicate? If the parts are not available, what does this mean for me? Is my car not drivable until the replacement parts are obtained?

I appreciate any advice or insights you might have.

Out of curiosity, what was your build date? Was it after October 2023? Maybe not enough data to extend the recall yet,

[lfeng1231]

Originally Posted by blockhead25

Out of curiosity, what was your build date? Was it after October 2023? Maybe not enough data to extend the recall yet,

The X5 is a custom build that started on January 5 and was delivered on February 16. I am currently driving a loaner car (X3). The dealer mentioned they will call me tomorrow to confirm the issue with a higher-level engineer ordering the braking module. The local technician has no idea what is going on. I'm not sure if this module is the part related to the recall.

[TurtleBoy]

Originally Posted by lfeng1231

The X5 is a custom build that started on January 5 and was delivered on February 16. I am currently driving a loaner car (X3). The dealer mentioned they will call me tomorrow to confirm the issue with a higher-level engineer ordering the braking module. The local technician has no idea what is going on. I'm not sure if this module is the part related to the recall.

You aren't part of the recall, so you can put that aside. Things fail all of the time, that is what the warranty is for. Obviously that doesn't provide you any comfort given the situation but that is how it works. Let them go through the process to diagnose it and repair it. You should not have any further issues and will be able to enjoy your new X5.