BMW issued a recall today for over 50,000 cars and SUVs produced from 2019 to 2021. A NHTSA bulletin disclosed today that the a software problem may cause the lost of braking assist which in turn can increase risk of a crash. BMW says that while braking assist may not work, all the affected vehicles retain mechanical braking capability, just without any boosted assistance. Therefore, drives may have to press harder on the brake pedal to stop and the stopping distances may be longer.
BMW says that if a driver were to press the engine start button twice in rapid succession, or tap the brake pedal while pressing the engine button, the computer can get confused and the oil pump can break, thereby disabling brake boosting.
BMW also detailed which models are impacted:
- 2020 BMW 540i, 540i xDrive (5,375 vehicles)
- 2020-2021 BMW 745Le xDrive (470 vehicles)
- 2020 BMW M340i, M340i xDrive (10,877 vehicles)
- 2020 BMW X3 M40i (14,006 vehicles)
- 2020-2021 BMW X4 M40i (4,130 vehicles)
- 2019-2021 BMW Z4 M40i (2,151 vehicles)
BMW has identified 29 warranty claims and four field reports relating to the issue. Owners will receive notification of the recall by Oct. 1, 2021, and BMW service centers will perform the update free of charge. You can also check the status of your BMW by calling their customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or visit BMW’s recall page.
