BMW X3 and X4 rear brakes may lose stopping power
high How serious is it? About this label
Weaker rear braking makes a crash more likely, and while the notice does not tell owners to stop driving, you should get this done promptly and leave extra stopping distance until it is fixed.
What's wrong, in plain English
The pistons inside the rear brake calipers were not coated properly at the factory. The coating helps the brake parts work smoothly, and without enough of it, the rear brakes may not grip as well as they should. That means the car may take longer to slow down or stop than you expect. BMW's fix is quick: a dealer bleeds the rear brake lines, which flushes and refreshes the brake fluid in that part of the system. It costs you nothing.
What you should do
Affected vehicles (3)
Who to contact
BMW — official BMW recall lookup
Customer service: 1-800-525-7417
The bigger picture
- BMW brake recalls: leaking hoses, corroded calipers, and integrated brake failures · all 11 BMW recalls in this area
Official notice
- Component
- SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER
- Summary
- BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018-2019 BMW X3 sDrive30i, X3 xDrive30i, X3 M40i and certain 2019 X4 xDrive30i and X4 M40i vehicles. The rear brake caliper pistons on these vehicles may have an insufficient coating, potentially reducing rear brake performance.
- Safety risk
- A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- BMW will notify owners, and dealers will bleed the rear brake circuit, free of charge. The recall began August 31, 2018. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Verify your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov. Recall repairs are free of charge by law.