2015 BMW X3 Brakes Problems

X3 started locking up the brakes, it seems that every time you pressed the breaks the calipers will engage and would not release them, making the vehicle completely stop or force you to accelerate to move the vehicle forward by force and get out of the moving traffic. No error codes came up at all or warning lights on the dashboard. The only way to resolve the issue was to turn the vehicle off and start again after a few minutes. The same issue occurs if you use the Auto Hold function, the vehicle will automatically engage the emergency breaks and you lose complete control of the vehicle, until the car is turned off to reset. The calipers were replaced and drained the brake fluids as a measure since no error codes were detected. Problem persisted and it got worse, making it very unsafe to continue to drive the vehicle. Fields BMW in Winter Park Florida, confirmed the problem as the DSC Hydro Unit failure, although no error codes or warnings still and shared that they had several BMW's come in with the same issue and no error codes detected. 4K for the part only and in back order in Germany for 2 months. I contacted BMW Corporate to discuss the problem. It seems BMW Corporate is aware of the issues with the Hydro unit in some models, but not on my model, it seems to me that this is not only a major BMW design failure but a safety problem with the vehicle I believe needs to be addressed by the company.

NHTSA ID

11460499

Incident

Mar 30, 2022

I WAS ABOUT TO PARK IN A PARKING LOT, DRIVING SLOWLY AND CAREFULLY BETWEEN TWO PARKED CARS. AS I VERY GENTLY PUT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE TO STOP, THE CAR JOLTED INTENSELY AND DID NOT STOP. I THEN PRESSED ON THE BRAKE PEDAL HARDER BUT THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED TO A VERY FAST SPEED. I DROVE THROUGH SOME LARGE PLANTS AND WENT OVER A SIDE WALK AND MADE A SHARP TURN TO AVOID A LARGE BUILDING IN FRONT OF ME. I THEN DROVE THROUGH THE PARKING LOT, MANEUVERING AROUND PARKED CARS, BUILDINGS AND OTHER OBJECTS WHILE THE CAR WAS SPEEDING UP. MY EFFORTS TO SLOW THE CAR DOWN FAILED EVEN AFTER APPLYING AUXILIARY BRAKE. LUCKILY THERE WERE NO PEDESTRIANS OR MOVING CARS WHILE THIS WAS HAPPENING! FINALLY I ENDED UP DRIVING UP A HILL, HOPING THAT THE ELEVATION WOULD STOP THE CAR. INSTEAD DUE TO HIGH SPEED, THE VEHICLE WAS LIFTED UP ABOUT 7 FEET IN THE AIR, HIT A LARGE TREE AND FELL IN THE GROUND WITH MUCH FORCE. I HAVE SOME INJURIES AS A RESULT AND CURRENTLY RECEIVING MEDICAL SUPPORT, HOPING THAT I WILL NOT HAVE PERMANENT HEALTH ISSUES, WHICH I VERY MUCH DOUBT! MY CAR WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED AND WAS TOTALED. IT IS CLEAR AND EVIDENT THAT THERE WAS SOME KIND OF TECHNICAL MALFUNCTION THAT CAUSED THE BRAKE FAILURE AND ACCELERATION. I CONTACTED BMW DEALERSHIP WHERE WE HAD PURCHASED THE CAR AND ALSO WHERE I HAD THE CAR SERVICED ONE MONTH EARLIER! THEY SAID I MUST PAY FOR THE CAR TO BE DELIVERED TO THEIR FACILITY IN ORDER FOR THEM TO EXAMINE THE CAUSE OF BRAKE FAILURE. I REFUSED TO PAY THE HIGH PRICE. IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT TO MENTION THAT I HAVE BEEN DRIVING FOR OVER FORTY YEARS AND I CONSIDER MYSELF A VERY CAPABLE DRIVER. I SHOULD ALSO ADD THAT ON THE INTERNET THERE ARE AT LEAST A DOZEN SIMILAR REPORTED CASES OF THIS MODEL. OBVIOUSLY, BMW HAS NEGLECTED TO LOOK INTO THIS MATTER. THEY SHOULD INVESTIGATE THEIR X3 MODELS BEFORE SOMEONE DIES!

NHTSA ID

11289168

Incident

Oct 16, 2019

Mileage

60,983 mi

IT WAS IN THE MORNING ON 11/8/2019, I HAD PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT (LOCATED IN HIGHWAY 85 & CAMDEN AVE, SAN JOSE, CA) TRAVELING VERY SLOWLY THEN TURNED RIGHT INTO A PARKING SPACE WITH MY FOOT ON BRAKE BUT JUST BEFORE COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP THE CAR SUDDENLY SURGED FORWARD AT GREAT SPEED, LEAPT OVER A CONCRETE CURB DESIGNED TO STOP A VEHICLE AND CRASHED INTO THE CROSS-LINK FENCE 6 FEET IN FRONT OF THE CAR. THE WHOLE INCIDENT WAS OVER IN 2 - 3 SECONDS. THANKFULLY THERE WEREN'T CARS COMING ON THE HIGHWAY NEXT TO THE FENCE. I WAS TERRIFIED ABOUT WHAT JUST HAPPENED. VERY SCARY. I FOUND OTHER DRIVERS COMPLAINING THE SAME ONLINE. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD PUTTING MY LIFE AND OTHERS AT RISK. IT IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE MY CAR.I CALLED BMW OF NORTH AMERICA AT 800-831-1117 AND REPORTED THIS INCIDENT.

NHTSA ID

11279437

Incident

Nov 8, 2019

Mileage

45,000 mi

MY CAR WAS STATIONARY OR IN VERY SLOW MOTION AND THEN SUDDENLY WENT INTO A VERY HIGH SPEED ON MY DRIVEWAY RAMP ON ITS OWN. THE BRAKES WOULD NOT WORK TILL I WENT INTO SOMEONE'S LAWN AND AS IT SKID ON THE GRASS IT GRADUALLY STOPPED. I ALMOST HAD A NEAR FATAL ACCIDENT. I HAVE A WITNESS WHO WAS TAKING A WALK AND SAW THE CAR SUDDENLY FLY AT A VERY HIGH SPEED AND WAS BEYOND CONTROL

NHTSA ID

11160876

Incident

Dec 10, 2018

Mileage

60,000 mi

WE HAVE A BMW X3. WE PRESSED THE BRAKES TO STOP AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, BUT IT DID NOT STOP AND KEPT GOING. THE DEALER COULD NOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM. AGAIN, WHEN WE WERE BACKING THE CAR, IT JUMPED BACKWARD EVEN IF MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. WE SEARCHED ON THE INTERNET FOR BMW X3 PROBLEMS, AND MANY PEOPLE HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS AND SOME OF THEM GOT INTO ACCIDENTS. IT IS SCARY TO DRIVE THE CAR, BUT THE BMW DEALERS HAVE NOT DONE ANYTHING FOR ANYBODY WHO HAD THE SIMILAR PROBLEM.

NHTSA ID

11152205

Incident

Nov 8, 2018

Mileage

24,000 mi

IT WAS IN THE MORNING AND I WAS DRIVING OUT OF MY TOWNHOUSE NEIGHBORHOOD. I WASN'T DRIVING FAST MAYBE 10-15 WHEN I APPROACHED THE THE STOP SIGN. I STARTED TO SLOW DOWN BUT MY CAR WASN'T SLOWING DOWN SO I PRESSED THE BRAKES AS HARD AS I COULD. THE CAR REVVED UP AND ACCELERATED WITH FORCE OUT INTO THE CROSS STREET. THANKFULLY THERE WASN'T A CAR COMING OR I WOULD OF BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT. I CONTINUED TO DRIVE A FEW MILES VERY SLOWLY. I WAS ALL SHOOK UP AND CONFUSED AS TO WHAT JUST HAPPENED.I CALLED BMW TO TELL THEM AND MAKE A APPOINTMENT TO BRING THE CAR IN. I STOPPED IN A PARKING LOT AND PARKED WASN'T THINKING I PARKED ACROSS FROM A CAR. I DECIDED TO TRY JUST PRESSING ON THE BRAKES IN THE PARKING SPOT. I PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKES AND STARTED TO PRESS HARDER THE CAR REVVED UP HIGH AS IF I WAS PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR IN PARK.. BUT I WASN'T IT WAS IN DRIVE AND I WAS ONLY PRESSING THE BRAKES. THEN SUDDENLY IT STARTED JERKING FORWARD. I ALMOST HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME I HAD TO PUT IT IN PARK TO STOP IT. I MOVED TO A DIFFERENT PARKING SPOT THERE WAS A HUGE MOUND OF SNOW MY BUMPER WAS RIGHT UP CLOSE TO IT. I TRIED IT AGAIN AND IT DID THE SAME THING BUT THE SNOW STOPPED ME. BMW HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO RECIPROCATE THE PROBLEM AS OF NOW. I FOUND ONLINE SIMILAR ALMOST EXACT INCIDENTS OF THIS ON OTHER X3 ALL DIFFERENT YEARS. SOME OF THEM HAD BEEN IN ACCIDENTS. I HAVEN'T PICKED UP MY CAR YET I AM WAITING STILL TO SEE IF THEY WERE ABLE TO DUPLICATE IT. I AM NOT SURE WHY WITH ALL THE INCIDENTS I FOUND OF THIS THAT THERE HASN'T BEEN SOME SORT OF RECALL. I AM HOPING THEY WILL FIND OUT WHAT CAUSED THIS AND FIX IT SO I CAN FEEL SAFE DRIVING MY CAR ON THE ROAD. SO FAR IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKELY. I AM NOT SURE WHAT TO DO IF THEY DON'T FIND THE PROBLEM AND CAN'T FIX IT. I FEEL LIKE IT WOULD TAKE SOMEONE TO DIE FOR THIS TO BE INVESTIGATED.

NHTSA ID

11079066

Incident

Mar 9, 2018

Mileage

32,000 mi

I WAS TURNING OFF A RESIDENTIAL STREET INTO THE PARKING LOT OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD SWIMMING POOL. THE PARKING SPOT WAS STRAIGHT AHEAD (A VERY SHORT DISTANCE). I WAS TRAVELING AT A VERY SLOW SPEED. I COULDN'T STOP THE CAR NO MATTER HOW HARD I STEPPED ON THE BRAKE. I HIT A BRICK WALL WHICH STOPPED THE CAR. IT ALL HAPPENED SO QUICKLY IN SUCH A SHORT DISTANCE. I WAS IN SHOCK AND AMAZED AT THE AMOUNT OF DAMAGE TO THE CAR AND THE BRICK WALL. I BELIEVE THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AS I WAS PULLING INTO THE PARKING SPOT. I HAVE NOTIFIED MY INSURANCE COMPANY THAT THERE ARE OTHER INSTANCES OF THIS REPORTED ON THE NHTSA SITE INVOLVING THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL AS MY CAR. *TR UPDATED 09/10/15*LJ

NHTSA ID

10732390

Incident

Jul 6, 2015

Mileage

7,700 mi

THIS SYSTEM HAS NOT PROVIDED A WARNING OR BRAKING FUNCTION SINCE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE ON 14 OCT 2014. I HAD IT IN THE BMW OCALA SERVICE SHOP FOR 13 DAYS AND THEY TELL ME THAT IT IS WORKING AS DESIGNED. I DRIVE IN HEAVY TRAFFIC ON A DAILY BASIS AND HAVE YET TO RECEIVE A WARNING INDICATION OF ANY TYPE. NO ONE AT THE DEALER LEVEL OR BMW USA WILL TELL ME HOW THE SYSTEM WORKS EXCEPT THERE IS NO WAY FOR ME TO TEST IT. DEALER STATES THAT "SYSTEM WILL NOT ACTIVATE WHEN COMING UP ON SLOW OR STOP VEHICLE FROM A HIGHER RATE OF SPEED OR WHEN APPROACHING ANOTHER VEHICLE INTENTIONALLY." WHAT MAKES THE SYSTEM PRESENT A WARNING IF THAT STATEMENT IS TRUE? I CANNOT GET SATISFACTION FROM THE DEALER OR BMW USA AND AM AT A LOSS TO FIND OUT IF THE SYSTEM IS TRULY WORKING. *TR

NHTSA ID

10683454

Incident

Feb 14, 2015

Mileage

2,100 mi