There are 5 stored owner reports matching the brakes leading-label group for the 2011 BMW X5 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 5 of 5 matching reports.
Open the full vehicle complaint log (all categories)TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 BMW X5. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PARKING BRAKE FAILED. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO PERFORM A MANUAL RESET OF THE PARKING BRAKE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT PARKING BRAKE MALFUNCTION ' DO NOT DRIVE ' GO TO THE NEAREST DEALER MESSAGES WERE DISPLAYED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WERE MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000.
DRIVING THE X5 ON DASH DISPLAY APPEARED THE WARNING FOR PARKING BRAKES MALFUNCTION. 9THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON CITY STREET). FROM THAT TIME THE PARKING BRAKE IS NOT WORKING ANYMORE, THE DASH MESSAGE STAYS ON AND I HAVE THE ERROR ON DISPLAY. THIS IS A MANUFACTURING PROBLEM FOR THE ELECTRIC PARKING BRAKES, MANY PEOPLE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. THIS IS SAFETY PROBLEM FOR NOR=T BE ABLE TO SAFE PARK/STOP THE CAR ON SLOPED ROADS/PARKINGS.
THE CAR IN PARK WITH THE EMERGENCY BRAKE ON -- PARKED ON A HILL WILL ROLL DOWN THE HILL WHILE COMPLETELY POWERED OFF. THIS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES WHILE ON EVEN THE SMALLEST AMOUNT OF SLUSH ( NOT ICE.) I CAN ATTACH A VIDEO OF THE PROBLEM HAPPENING IF NEED BE. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 BMW X5. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, EXHAUST FUMES FROM THE ENGINE COULD BE SMELLED WHILE IN THE CABIN. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE POWER ASSIST ON THE BRAKES FAILED AND THAT BOTH FAILURES RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT IN ORDER TO REMEDY THE BRAKE FAILURE, A VALVE WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO REPLICATE THE EXHAUST FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 18,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 20,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 BMW X5. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH ON A SLIGHT INCLINE, HE ATTEMPTED TO PARK. WHILE ENGAGING THE BRAKES, THE PEDAL DEPRESSED TO THE FLOOR AND THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. SUDDENLY, THE VEHICLE JUMPED A CURB AND CAME TO A STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO TWO DIFFERENT AUTHORIZED DEALERS FOR DIAGNOSIS, WHERE BOTH WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE OR DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF FAILURE. ALSO, AN ENGINEER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND PROVIDED NO RESOLUTIONS. THE VEHICLE HAD REMAINED AT THE DEALER FOR SIX WEEKS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,783.
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: Apr 28, 2026. This is the stored import date, not confirmation that every source was successfully refreshed.