8 complaints reported

2003 BMW 7 Series Brakes

Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.

Reports
8
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0

Complaint Timeline

Chronological view of owner reports

Jul 2022

The contact owns a 2003 BMW 745LI. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH, the brake fluid warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and diagnosed with rotors, brake wear sensors, and brake failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 174,500.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2003 BMW 745LI, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Jan 2022
Dec 2016

WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH AND APPLYING PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL IT BECAME DIFFICULT TO ENGAGE THE BRAKES AND ALMOST REAR ENDED A STOPPED VEHICLE. THE BRAKES WHERE NO LONGER FUNCTIONING PROPERLY AFTER THAT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE I WAS TOLD VACUUM BRAKE PUMP, THE LOCK RING SEAL, AND THE BRAKE BOOSTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. AFTER SOME RESEARCH I FOUND OUT THAT THERE WAS A RECALL FOR MY VEHICLE. I CONTACTED THE LOCAL BMW DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE RECALL WAS CLOSED FOR MY VEHICLE AND I WOULD HAVE TO PAY OUT OF POCKET EXPENSE TO REPAIR.THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 116,000. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2003 BMW 745LI, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Dec 2016
Jan 2014

IN 2011 ROSEVILLE BMW BEGAN WORK ON A RECALL FOR MY VEHICLE (RECALL CAMPAIGN 10V- 446.) THE FIRST STEP OF THE RECALL WAS PERFORMED BUT DUE TO A ?VISUAL INSPECTION? IT WAS DEEMED THAT THE REMAINING STEPS WERE NOT NECESSARY. ACCORDING THE RECALL NOTICES THEY DID NOT PROPERLY PERFORM THE RECALL AND WITHIN 18 MONTHS THE BRAKE BOOSTER AND PUMP BEGAN TO FAIL, WHICH CAUSED THE POWER ASSIST BRAKING TO BE INOPERABLE. AFTER BRINGING IT TO 2 BMW TECHNICIANS AND THE ROSEVILLE BMW DEALERSHIP IT HAS BEEN CONSISTENTLY DEEMED THAT THE PROBLEM IS THE EXACT SAME RESULT OF THE RECALL WITH THE SAME CAUSE. IN FACT, NO ONE HAS DENIED THAT THE PROBLEM I AM NOW EXPERIENCING IS EXACTLY THE SAME AS THE RECALL PROBLEM. HOWEVER, THE DEALERSHIP AND BMW HAVE BEEN UNABLE OR UNWILLING TO GET APPROVAL TO FINISH THE RECALL CLAIM SINCE THE WORK WAS ALREADY STARTED. I HAVE NOT BEEN FURNISHED WITH ANY OF THE DETAILS FOR DENIALS AND THUS FAR NEITHER THE DEALERSHIP NOR BMW ARE WILLING TO BE TRANSPARENT ABOUT THE DENIAL DETAILS, OR INITIAL RECALL WORK THAT WAS CONDUCTED (I WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THIS WORK AT THE TIME AND THOUGHT THEY JUST REPLACED MY BATTERY, WHICH WAS THE PURPOSE OF THE SERVICE.) IF THIS IS NOT RESOLVED WHAT IS MY NEXT STEP? LEGAL ACTION? *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2003 BMW 745LI, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Jan 2013
Aug 2013

WAS DRIVING CAR AT NORMAL SPEED MAYBE 35 OR 45 MPH TRIED TO SLOW DOWN AND CAR SEEMED TO KEEP GOING DEPRESSED ALL THE WAY DOWN CAR SLOWED FINALLY AND STOPPED WAS CONCERNED SO CALLED THE BMW SERVICER ( AUTHORIZED REPAIRER) NOT DEALERSHIP THEY CHECKED AND INFORMED ME OF RECALL ON BRAKE SYSTEM AND FELT THAT WAS THE PROBLEM CAUSE THEY HAD ENCOUNTERED IT BEFORE SAYING IT WAS THE BRAKE BOOSTER OR VACUUM. THE CAR WAS UNABLE TO DRIVE SO WAS TOWED TO DEALERSHIP FOR RECALL WENT TO PICK UP VEHICLE THEY SAID CAR WAS FINE THEY FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH CAR ASKED IF THEY HAD CHECKED THURALLY THEY SAID YES AND FOUND NO LEAKS OR PROBLEMS ASKED IF THEY TEST DROVE IT THEY SAID NO ASKED WHAT DID THEY CHECK THEY SAID BRAKE LINES AND LOOKED FOR LEAKS AROUND BOOSTER LINES AND VACUUM PUMP BUT ONLY A VISUAL INSPECTION AND WHEN I WENT TO DRIVE CAR HOME THE CAR WAS HAVING SAME PROBLEM WHEN I CALLED BACK THEY SAID I HAD TO PAY FOR A BRAKE SERVICE CHECK TO DIAGNOSE PROBLEM AND I ASKED DIDN'T YALL DO THAT WHEN YALL HAD IT BECAUSE I FELT IT WAS A DANGER TO ME AND EVERYONE ON HIGHWAY ME DRIVING A CAR WITH NO BRAKES BUT THEY SAID THAT IT WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL TO TEST VEHICLE JUST CHECK FOR LEAKS, AND THAT THEY WOULD ONLY REPLACE THE PARTS IF THEY SAW LEAKS AND REFUSED TO REPLACE ANYTHING (SO WHY WASTE TIME TO BRING VEHICLE IN IF THEY NOT GONNA FIX ANYTHING MAKES NO SINCE )SEEMED LIKE THEY DIDN'T CARE AND SAID WHAT EVER THE PROBLEM IS ISN'T UNDER THE RECALL BUT I'VE BEEN TOLD IT WAS EITHER BOOSTER OR VACUUM PUMP AND I STILL HAVEN'T GOTTEN IT FIXED IS THERE ANYTHING THAT CAN BE DONE JUST SEEMS LIKE THEY DON'T WANNA FIX THE VEHICLES JUST PULL U IN SO THEY CAN CHARGE U FOR RECALL PARTS LIKE A SCAM....... *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2003 BMW 745I, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Apr 2012
Aug 2013

CAR WAS RECALLED FOR BRAKE ISSUES. A HOSE WAS REPLACED. BRAKES BEGIN TO FAIL SHORTLY THEREAFTER AND GOT A POINT THAT THE CAR WOULD BARELY STOP. DEALER AND BMW SAY ITS MY PROBLEM AND INSIST I PAY ABOUT $2500 FOR A REPAIR THAT IS UNDER THIS RECALL. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2003 BMW 745I, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Feb 2011
Nov 2012

THE CAR DISPLAYED AN ERROR MESSAGE STATING "PARKING BRAKE MALFUNCTION". WHEN I APPLIED THE PARKING BRAKE IT DID NOT WORK. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR. I PAID A TOTAL OF 1300 DOLLARS TO HAVE THE PARKING BRAKE REPLACED. I LATER RESEARCHED THIS PROBLEM ON LINE AND FOUND THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON OCCURRENCE WITH MANY MODELS OF BMW'S. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2003 BMW 745I, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Sep 2012
May 2012

PARKING BRAKE FAULT LIGHT ON. STATES NO PARKING BRAKE AVAILABLE USING BUTTON WHEN STATIONARY. *JS

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2003 BMW 745LI, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: Dec 2012
May 2012

BRAKE AND DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEM MALFUNCTION.. PARKING BRAKE WITHOUT EMERGENCY BRAKING FUNCTION. AVOID HARD BRAKING. *JS

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2003 BMW 745LI, Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
Incident: May 2012

Trend Over Time

Complaints by year

Quick Summary

The 2003 BMW 7 Series has 8 Brakes complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.