There are 14 owner-reported brakes complaints for the 2007 BMW 5 Seriesin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
BRAKE PRESSURE LOSS, UNABLE TO STOP VEHICLE IN A SAFE MANNER. BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. CHECKED BRAKE FLUID RESERVOIR & FLUID LEVEL LOW. DEEPER INSPECTION REVEALED CORRODED REAR BRAKE HARD LINE. VERY COMMON ON E60 & PREVIOUS GENERATION E39 BMW'S.
The contact owns a 2007 BMW 530i. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the brakes would not engage when the brake pedal was depressed. The contact also stated that he had to use additional force on the brake pedal to stop the vehicle. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with the vacuum hose and the brake booster needing to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was relating the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 10V446000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The manufacturer had been informed of the failure and referred the contact to the local dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 137,745.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 (NA) BMW 535I. WHILE REVERSING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE AT 4 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND FAILED TO ENGAGE. THE CONTACT APPLIED PRESSURE AND THE BRAKE PEDAL TRAVELED TO THE FLOOR WHEN IT FINALLY ENGAGED. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A PARKED VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE POLICE WERE NOTIFIED, BUT NO REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED, THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONTACT OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 10V446000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 120,000.
ON DAYS WARMER THAN 85 DEGREES, THE BRAKE PEDAL BECOMES STIFF AND GREAT FORCE MUST BE APPLIED TO STOP THE VEHICLE. IF THE CAR IS PLACED IN NEUTRAL AND THE ENGINE IS REVVED, THE BRAKE PEDAL RETURNS TO NORMAL, BUT RETURNS TO THE SAME PROBLEM SHORTLY. THIS ISSUE APPEARS TO BE THE SAME ISSUE THAT BMW ISSUED A RECALL FOR ON E60 VEHICLES WITH V8 ENGINES.
I WAS DRIVING MY 2007 BMW 525I ON A CITY STREET AND WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO STOP AT A STOP SIGN THE BRAKES WERE NON EXISTENT. THE BRAKE PEDAL LOST ALL OF ITS PRESSURE AND WENT ALL THE WAY DOWN WITHOUT STOPPING THE VEHICLE. I COULD NOT STOP AT THE STOP SIGN AND THE ONLY WAY TO STOP WAS USING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WHICH BARELY STOPPED THE VEHICLE. THE BRAKES WOULD NOT WORK SO I WAS UNABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. AFTER FURTHER INSPECTION UNDER MY HOOD, I FOUND A BROKEN BRAKE VACUUM HOSE WHICH BROKE APART AND THIS WAS THE CAUSE OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM FAILURE. I WAS VERY LUCKY NOT TO BE INJURED.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 BMW 5 SERIES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND TRAVELED TO THE FLOORBOARD. THE VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP AFTER APPLYING THE BRAKE PEDAL NUMEROUS TIMES. THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V045000 (SERVICE BRAKES, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE MILEAGE WAS 126,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 BMW 530I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE APPROCHING A TRAFFIC LIGHT, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS HARD TO DEPRESS. THE FAILURE RECURRED CONSTANTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE BRAKE BOOSTER HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 125,460.
I WAS TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH ON A CITY CAUSEWAY. I WENT TO APPLY THE BRAKES FOR A RED LIGHT AND HAD NONE. THE PEDAL WAS VERY STIFF AND HAD NO HYDRAULIC ASSIST. I PUSHED THE PEDAL AS HARD AS I COULD AND DOWNSHIFTED, FINALLY STOPPING ABOUT 8 FEET INTO THE INTERSECTION. THE CAR ACTED FINE ALL MORNING UP TO THAT POINT. I HAD NO WARNING LIGHT OR ANYTHING TO ALERT ME TO THE FAILURE. I HAVE SINCE FOUND OUT THAT BMW ISSUED A RECALL FOR THIS VERY ISSUE ON THE V8 ENGINE BUT NOT FOR THE I6 ENGINE WHICH I HAVE. *TR
BMW NORTH AMERICA AND JACKIE COOPER BMW , OKC , OK REFUSED TO REPAIR MY 2007 503I , ON THE BASIS IT DID NOT AFFECT MY VEHICLE NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID 10V446000 STATES THAT IT DOES BRAKE VACUUM PART FAILURE BY THIRD PARTY BMW MECHANIC AND OWNER , FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE IN TRAFFIC NHTSA NO HELP IN RESOLUTION. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 525 BMW. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WITHOUT WARNING, THE BRAKE PEDAL WOULD BECOME STIFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE VACUUM BOOSTER HAD MALFUNCTIONED DUE TO CONTAMINATION. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE TO THE VEHICLE AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 120,000.
BRAKE FAILURE AT LOW SPEED ON AN DESCENDING INCLINE (DRIVEWAY) PUMPED BRAKES RAPIDLY AND BRAKES HELD TRACTION. LATER THAT DAY 10/08/13 BRAKES FAILED ON LOW SPEED ON THE DESCENDING STREET. ON 10/09/13 WHEN DRIVING IN FREEWAY TRAFFIC, I AGAIN HAD TO SWERVE IN ORDER TO AVOID A REAR END COLLISION NO WARNING LIGHTS WERE ACTIVATED, NO SERVICE LIGHTS WERE ACTIVATED AT ALL 3 INCIDENTS. ON 10/10/13, I TOOK THE CAR IN TO CHECK ON THE PROBLEM AND WAS TOLD THAT THE CAR'S MASTER BRAKE CYLINDER, BRAKE BOOSTER AND BRAKE VACUUM PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED FOR AN EXCESS OF $2500 FOR SAFETY ISSUE THAT WAS NOTED IN AN EARLIER RECALL. I CALLED BMW CUSTOMER SERVICE AND WAS TOLD MY PARTICULAR VIN NUMBER WAS NOT COVERED IN THE GENERAL RECALL AND MY ONLY RECOURSE WAS TO INFORM NHTSA, WHICH I AM DOING. *TR
FIRST INCIDENT 10/08/13:BRAKE FAILURE AT LOW SPEED ON AN DESCENDING INCLINE (DRIVEWAY) PUMPED BRAKES RAPIDLY AND BRAKES HELD TRACTION. LATER THAT DAY 10/08/13 BRAKES FAILED ON LOW SPEED ON THE DESCENDING STREET. ON 10/09/13 WHEN DRIVING IN FREEWAY TRAFFIC, I AGAIN HAD TO SWERVE IN ORDER TO AVOID A REAR END COLLISION NO WARNING LIGHTS WERE ACTIVATED, NO SERVICE LIGHTS WERE ACTIVATED AT ALL 3 INCIDENTS. ON 10/10/13, I TOOK THE CAR IN TO CHECK ON THE PROBLEM AND WAS TOLD THAT THE CAR'S MASTER BRAKE CYLINDER, BRAKE BOOSTER AND BRAKE VACUUM PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED FOR AN EXCESS OF $2500 FOR SAFETY ISSUE THAT WAS NOTED IN AN EARLIER RECALL. I CALLED BMW CUSTOMER SERVICE AND WAS TOLD MY PARTICULAR VIN NUMBER WAS NOT COVERED IN THE GENERAL RECALL AND MY ONLY RECOURSE WAS TO INFORM NHTSA, WHICH I AM DOING. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL BECAME STIFF AND THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESPOND TO DECELERATION ATTEMPTS. THE CONTACT APPLIED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE BRAKE BOOSTER WAS FULL OF MOTOR OIL AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED ALONG WITH THE VACUUM PUMP. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 62,000. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 BMW 525I. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL BUT THE BRAKES WERE HESITANT TO RESPOND. THE CONTACT HAD TO APPLY EXCESSIVE PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL FOR THE VEHICLE TO STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC. THE MECHANIC STATED THE BRAKE BOOSTER AND VACUUM PUMP WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE THE VACUUM PUMP WAS LEAKING OIL AND CONTAMINATED THE BRAKE BOOSTER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 57,000.
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.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026