There are 6 stored owner reports matching the brakes leading-label group for the 2004 BMW 3 Series in our NHTSA-sourced dataset. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
This group counts stored reports whose component label starts with one of this site's matching prefixes, ignoring case. Each matching report counts once within the group. Components mentioned later in the label or only in the narrative are not searched. How component counts work
Loaded 6 of 6 matching reports.
Open the full vehicle complaint log (all categories)NEW DEFECTIVE BRAKE PADS CAUSED A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT WITH TOTAL LOSS OF THE VEHICLES INVOLVED. BRAKE PADS ARE CONTAMINATED AND EMBEDDED WITH A SLIPPERY SUBSTANCE. PADS ARE FROM PRIME CHOICE AUTO PARTS 42832 STATE ROUTE 12, ALEXANDRIA BAY, NY, 13607-2216 CAN YOU INVESTIGATE AND ANALYZE THE BRAKE PADS IN ORDER TO STOP THE SELLING OF DEFECTIVE AND DANGEROUS BRAKE PADS? I AM ABLE TO SHIP TO YOU A BRAKE PAD SAMPLE. THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, BUT UNABLE TO STOP BEFORE TURNING ON A CITY STREET.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW 325I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE REQUIRED A LONGER STOPPING DISTANCE. THE FAILURE RECURRED CONSTANTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE MASTER CYLINDER FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 07E023000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 173,000.
WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, THE CAR BEGAN TO PULL/SWERVE. A METAL ON METAL GRINDING NOISE ALSO BEGAN. I WAS ABLE TO GET OFF THE HIGHWAY AND HAVE THE CAR TOWED. A MECHANIC FOUND THAT THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE PARKING BRAKE HAD ENGAGED AND DISINTEGRATED INTO SEVERAL PIECES OF METAL. ALL OTHER WHEELS WERE UNAFFECTED. THE PARKING BRAKE LEVER WAS DOWN, AND HAD NOT BEEN USED IN SEVERAL MONTHS. *TR
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE, THE VEHICLE ACCELARATED WITHOUT EFFORT. THERE WAS EMERGENCY BRAKING WHICH RESULTED IN THE VEHICLE HITTING A CONCRETE SUPPORT PARKING STRUCTURE ON THE FRONT RIGHT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE ALMOST CONTINUED OVER THE EDGE OF THE PARKING STRUCTURE WHICH WAS TWO STORIES ABOVE THE GROUND. SUBSEQUENTLY, WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN HOME THE REAR ABS BRAKE LIGHTS AND THE BRAKES LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD ILLUMINATED. DURING THIS PERIOD, THE VEHICLE SLOWED DOWN WITHOUT APPLYING PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE. ALSO, THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD. THE CONTACT HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER AND IT WAS EXAMINED. ACCORDING TO THE DEALER, THE VEHICLE WOULD NEED DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AT A CHARGE BEFORE THE BRAKES CHIP CAN BE REPLACED. THE DEALER DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS NO ABNORMAL CODE IN THE COMPUTER.*AK
DT: THE CONTACT STATED WHEN APPLYING BRAKE PRESSURE THE BRAKES ID NOT COMPLETELY STOP THE VEHICLE. THIS WAS MORE PREVALENT WHEN STOPPING AT A RED LIGHT. WHILE BRAKE PRESSURE WAS APPLIED THE VEHICLE WILL SLOWLY ROLL. THIS DEFECT IS INTERMITTENT IN NATURE. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, WHO DISCOVERED BRAKE FLUID LEAKED IN THE MASTER CYLINDER. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALERSHIP. *AK
BRAKE FAILURE ( DELAYED BRAKE ENGAGEMENT) ONCE UPON LEAVING THE DEALER SHIP. AGAIN 24 HOURS LATER( RESULTING IN A CRASH) AND ONE WEEK LATER WITH 600 MILES. MW CLAIMS NOTHING WRONG WITH VEHICLE. I TRADED CAR IN REFUSING TO ENDANGER MY LIVE AND THE LIVES OF OTHERS.*AK
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
NHTSA source checks for this vehicle year
Checks are recorded separately for each dataset, not for the whole page. Dates use UTC. A missing check date does not mean no records exist.
Vehicle import recorded: Aug 30, 2026. This is the stored import date, not confirmation that every source was successfully refreshed.