2019 BMW X3 Brakes

Parking brake is malfunctioning and has seized in lock position, and will not release. Making the vehicle unmovable and not drivable, leaving me stranded.

I own a 2019 BMW x3 that I leased in December 2018 and then purchased in Dec 2021 at the end of the lease. It has about 22k miles on it. A few weeks ago, a warning light came on, telling me that my rear brakes needed to be inspected. I took it in and the dealer told me that rear brake PADS and ROTORS had to be replaced. They should not have to be replaced so soon especially since I am not a teenager, and my driving is 90% on freeways. I am in my sixties and my family and I have owned/leased more than 25 foreign and domestic cars and have never come across one that required a complete brake replacement with so few miles. When I contacted the Service Department at my dealer, they said this is a common problem with all BMW’s and especially X3s. I asked even if we assume that the pads need replacement, why the need to replace the rotors at the same time. They said the original rotors are so thin that they cannot be machined. They have seen many that had warped at low miles, some that had cracked and a few that had broken into pieces. They said that they and other area dealers have brought this serios concern to BMW of North America but they keep getting ignored. They said that I was lucky that my braked did not seize and that I did not get into a serious accident. Please investigate this serious safety issue before someone dies. Thank you.

WHILE DRIVING HOME JANUARY 11, 2020 AT APPROXIMATELY 8:30 PM ON A MAIN STREET THANKFULLY IN VERY LITTLE TRAFFIC, WHILE PROCEEDING TO TRAVEL THROUGH A TRAFFIC CONTROLLED INTERSECTION AT APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH THE AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING SYSTEM ACTIVATED. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME AND IF IT HAD BEEN A DAY/NIGHT WITH NORMAL HEAVY TRAFFIC, THE POSSIBILITY OF A REAR END COLLISION WOULD HAVE BEEN GREAT. PREVIOUSLY AS WELL AS DURING THIS OCCURRENCE, THE DRIVER IS FORCEFULLY PITCHED FORWARD BUT THE SIMULTANEOUS HIGH PITCHED SOUND DID NOT OCCUR AND I DID NOT NOTICE AN ICON FLASHING ON THE DASH AS BEFORE. THIS OCCURRENCE DID SEEM TO BE OF LONGER DURATION THAN THE PREVIOUS INCIDENT. THESE HAPPENED ON 1/11/2020 WITH THE TWO PREVIOUS INCIDENTS ON 12/02/19 AN 12/11/19 RESPECTIVELY.

WHILE DRIVING ALONG SECONDARY ROADWAY , WITH NO OTHER CARS WITHIN SIGHT OR OBSTRUCTIONS WITHIN VIEW, AUTOMATIC BRAKING OF THE VEHICLE OCCURRED. BRAKING ACTION WAS SEVERE ENOUGH TO CAUSE DRIVER TO BE PROPELLED AGAINST THE SEAT BELT SHOULDER STRAP. BRAKES RELEASED WITHIN APPROXIMATELY ONE SECOND AFTER APPLICATION. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER NEXT DAY AFTER EPISODE TO DIAGNOSE PROBLEM. SERVICE TECHNICIAN FOUND, " NO FAULTS " STATED, " OPERATION OF AUTOMATIC BRAKING ON OCCASION IS NORMAL OPERATION DUE TO THE SENSITIVITY OF THE FEATURE". IT WAS INDICATED TO ME THAT THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN CONTACTED BMW NA AND WAS GIVEN THIS EXPLANATION. WHEN ASKED IF THERE WAS A , "FIX I N THE WORK'S " TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE , BMW NA REPLIED THEY CONSIDERED THIS OPERATION NORMAL FOR ALL OF THEIR VEHICLES WITH THIS BRAKING SYSTEM. I FIND THIS ANSWER UNACCEPTABLE. INADVERTENT BRAKE APPLICATION BY THE VEHICLE WHEN THERE IS NO VEHICLES OR OBSTRUCTIONS IN CLOSE PROXIMITY IS A SAFETY HAZARD. DRIVERS RUN THE RISK OF BEING REAR ENDED BY THOSE DRIVERS FOLLOWING TO CLOSELY ESPECIALLY WHEN THE FOLLOWING DRIVER HAS AN EXPECTATION THAT THERE IS NO TRAFFIC SITUATION THAT WOULD NECESSITATE THE CAR IN FRONT TO APPLY THEIR BRAKES. AUTOMATIC BRAKING SYSTEMS SHOULD BE DEACTIVATED UNTIL BMW NA CAN RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM.

WAS DRIVING IN THE CITY ABOUT 40MPH, AND AUTOMATIC BRAKING SYSTEM ENGAGED BUT THERE WAS NO HAZARD. NO CAR NEAR BY IN FRONT, BACK, OR BOTH SIDES. THIS HAPPENED 2/26/20 AROUND 10AM PT TOOK CAR TO DEALERSHIP. THEY CLAIMED THE CAR WAS DIRTY ON WINDSHIELD AND IS THE ONLY POSSIBLE REASON. CLAIMED THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO RECREATE THE ISSUE

WHILE DRIVING ON A BUSY CITY STREET IN MOVING TRAFFIC THE AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING SYSTEM ACTIVATED WITHOUT CAUSE. THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELLING AT APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH WITHOUT ANOTHER VEHICLE OR OBSTACLE NEAR THE VEHICLE. THIS CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO SUDDENLY PITCH FORWARD, THROWING THE DRIVER FORWARD WITH THE FORCEFUL MORE WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY MAKING A HIGH PITCHED SCREECHING SOUND AND FLASHING A DASHBOARD ICON. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS, 12/02/19 AND AGAIN ON 12/11/19.

AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING SYSTEM ACTIVATED WITHOUT CAUSE. THERE WAS NO VEHICLE OR OTHER OBJECT IN FRONT OF MY VEHICLE NEVERTHELESS THE BRAKES WERE AUTOMATICALLY EMPLOYED SUDDENLY SLOWING THE CAR. SPEED AT TIME OF THE EVENT WAS APPROXIMATELY 50-60 MPH. THERE WAS A WARNING SIGNAL AND DASHBOARD ICON FOR THE AEB SYSTEM.