general problems of the 2021 BMW X5

Four problems related to service brakes have been reported for the 2021 BMW X5. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2021 BMW X5 based on all problems reported for the 2021 X5.

1 Service Brakes problem

Failure Date: 02/27/2025

Formally reporting a serious and recurring safety issue with my 2021 BMW X5. Over the past five months, I experienced three separate incidents where the vehicle abruptly stopped while driving, each time displaying a red car warning light on the dashboard. The red malfunction symbol was similar to the below image (found online) description of the issue: each of these terrifying safety experiences occurred while the vehicle was in motion—all on surface streets—the car suddenly came to a jarring and immediate stop on its own without my input or applying the brakes. There were no cars close to or in front of me or debris in the road that would require the car to stop to avoid impact. The red car icon appeared on the dashboard (commonly associated with collision warning or automatic emergency braking systems). The abrupt stop caused my seatbelt to constrict, jarring of my neck and ongoing concern that it will happen again. Thankfully, no accident occurred, but the abrupt stops could have easily caused a serious or fatal accident, especially under highway conditions. My concerns: this represents a serious safety hazard not only to me and my passengers but to other drivers on the road. The issue appears to be a malfunction in the automated safety or integrated systems, possibly involving the forward collision warning or automatic emergency braking systems. My local BMW dealership (gwinnett place BMW) has given me an estimate of $480 to perform 2 hours of scans/diagnostics to inspect the vehicle. No loaner car or transportation offered. This is a known issue and documented in online forums and comments. I have lost confidence and trust in my vehicle and feel unsafe. For a $70k automobile that should not be the case. Requested action: I am requesting BMW investigate this matter urgently, outline next steps at no charge since multiple reports exist of similar incidents, and provide a clear resolution, including any necessary recalls.

2 Service Brakes problem

Failure Date: 09/17/2023

Good morning, I was driving down the road at around 60 mph in my car. Abruptly my car had simultaneous warning lights about 12 of them. More importantly, I lost my power steering and brake by wire putting all of our lives at risk. The speedometer , air bags, restraint systems all failed and went out. The car wouldn't turn off on the side of the road and after about 5 minutes I was able to get it off and called BMW assist for a tow. Since it was night and raining I and waiting for a tow truck was dangerous I attempted to restart my car and get successfully got it to the nearest exit. All the warning lights were off. About 15 minutes later on the limp home the same thing happened with all the fault codes so my family decided to uber home. I took the car to BMW rockville and they did diagnostics and we're not able to replicate the problem. They returned my car back to me the same day with no repairs. I'm concerned. There was no indication or warning lights before the electrical failure. It was completely out of the blue.

3 Service Brakes problem

Failure Date: 08/20/2022

Car was parked in fairly level spot with engine off, gear selector in park position, , key fob not near vehicle. Approx 30 minutes later, I returned to find vehicle approx 30 feet behind parking spot, having apparently drifted into another car in parking lot. No idea how car moved. I believe some electronic release of parking selector allowed car to roll.

4 Service Brakes problem

Failure Date: 06/09/2021

On 6/8/2021, when pulling out of my driveway approximately 9:00 am, I experienced the car switching from hybrid mode to sport mode without me engaging the sport mode control. The following day (6/9/2021), after a day of primarily interstate driving (over 200 miles), while stopping at a red light, I felt the brake pedal fall to the floor faster than I was applying pressure and I came to a sudden stop. The brakes had seized and the car was towed to thompson BMW. The tow driver was able to release the brakes by pulling up the brake pedal. Thompson BMW could not recreate the brake failure but their diagnostics indicated brake failure. BMW na was called as my car was less than 6 months old with 9724 miles. The service advisor told me that they were instructed to replace the master cylinder but could not tell me why brakes failed. Knowing that this was a significant safety concern, I opened a safety complaint with BMW. BMW could not tell me the root cause of the brake failure and as a result, I had no confidence that the problem was “fixed”. Master cylinders rarely fail. They also refused to provide me the diagnostics report. They said I was only entitled to the maintenance invoice. Linda vitale was assigned my complaint and in a voicemail, told me I lost power to the dsci module. She said the dsci “has a fail-safe mode and if no power was present the conventional brakes” would work. They replaced the dsci module and “it should be fine. ” based on her email, and then conversation, BMW engineering said I had an electrical issue. So why did the conventional brakes fail? I am very concerned that BMW has not identified the real problem and I can experience this brake failure again. If this failure had occurred while braking on an interstate highway, I could have been killed or vehicle could have caused fatal accident. I am extremely concerned about the safety of this vehicle, especially since over 60% of my driving in on highways and interstates.


Other Service Brakes related problems of the 2021 BMW X5

Service Brakes problems
4
Brake Master Cylinder problems
1


X5 Service Bulletins
X5 Safety Recalls
X5 Defect Investigations