A global stop-sale affecting a significant portion of BMW’s model lineup has caused disruptions for many dealerships, potentially impacting hundreds of thousands of vehicles worldwide. The news first broke in Australia, reported by CarExpert. The delivery halt, which affects both new and used vehicles, has left approximately 30,000 cars undelivered in Australia, with the global impact remaining unclear until BMW identifies which models require rectification. BMW Germany also confirmed for BimmerToday that the recall is currently being extended in the form of a delivery stop, with around 175,000 vehicles affected in Germany alone.
We reached out to BMW of North America for a comment and received the following official statement: BMW has announced a voluntary recall of approximately 278,000 which include 2023-2025 5 Series and i5, 7 Series and i7, X1, X2, X5, X6, X7, and XM vehicles. The Integrated Brake module may not function as designed. If an issue arises, a warning light and message will appear on the main screen. The braking system then defaults to a safe mode, and the driver may notice firmer pressure on the brake pedal is necessary to stop the vehicle. The driver will experience a reduction in power assist braking, which could lead to an extended stopping distance. This campaign is an expansion of a recall of 76,000 vehicles announced in February 2024. Unfortunately, it was determined that vehicles that received replacement parts in that recall must have those parts replaced.
Owners of any of the vehicles named in this recall can check to see if their vehicle is affected by visiting bmwusa.com/recalls or NHTSA.gov and entering their 17-digit Vehicle Identification Number. And to ensure that BMW has up-to-date owner contact information, owners should register their vehicles at bmwusa.com/MyBMW. Registration is free and allows access to information about their specific vehicle. Upon receiving notice that parts are available, customers should arrange to have the repairs performed – completely free of charge – as soon as they can.”
The statement suggests that the problem lies with the Integrated Brake System (IBS), which uses an electric actuator to maintain consistent brake pressure. The fault has been reported to increase the required pedal force for braking, which could also impact the anti-lock braking system (ABS) and stability control functions. The global extent of the issue remains unclear, and it is also rumored that that MINI vehicles, manufactured by BMW, are affected.
In the previous recall notice, BMW stated that once parts are available, owners would be notified to bring their vehicles to dealerships for a free replacement of the electronic brake system controller. The timeline for completing repairs remains unconfirmed. The recall also affects some MINI and Rolls-Royce models, and other BMWs which are not sold in the United States:
- BMW 2 Series Active Tourer (U06)
- BMW 5 Series (G60), BMW 5 Series Touring (G61), BMW 5 Series Long Wheelbase (G68)
- BMW i5 (G60), BMW i5 Touring (G61)
- BMW 7 Series (G70), BMW 7 Series Protection (G73)
- BMW X1 (U11), BMW X1 Long Wheelbase (U12)
- BMW X2 (U10)
- BMW X5 (G05), BMW X5 M (F95), BMW X5 Long Wheelbase (G18)
- BMW X6 (G06), BMW X6 M (F96)
- BMW X7 (G07)
- BMW XM (G09)
- Rolls-Royce Spectre (RR25)
- MINI Cooper (F66), MINI Cooper (J01)
- MINI Countryman (U25)