Problems · by component

2014 BMW 3 Series service brakes problems

27 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2014 BMW 3 Series cite service brakes, 7% of all 378 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
27
7% of all complaints
Crashes
11
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
7
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the service brakes

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“UNKNOWN: Vehicle collided with another vehicle on highway and control system and functions stopped. Airbag on Driver’s Side malfunctioned burning driver with liquid and metal.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 3, 2024Electrical system, Air bags, Service brakesCrash reportedODI 11612197
“After a drive from Denver to Breckenridge on snowy roads the car was parked in an unplowed parking space. When the car was moved 1 hr later the car had no ABS--flashing on dash, no traction control--flashing on dash and steering was ineffective. Car was only drivable by backing into a space. 20 hrs later the car was to be moved again...again, everything flashed on dash...no ABS, no traction control, drive train failure and car just slid. Steering was totally ineffective. Car was pushed by people on both sides until dry pavement was reached. Car was restarted and I resumed driving on dry pavement back to Denver. Had car "read" by my mechanic and then again by a BMW certified mechanic. No codes were available! The speculation was that my wheel sensors froze. If my Xdrive can't be driven in snow, what's going on. There were two drivers involved in this and both of us reported a total lack of control of the vehicle.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 29, 2024Power train, Wheels, Service brakesODI 11611661
“The rear brakes cable holder is broken. This is a very common issue with this vehicle and appears to be a safety issue as the cables will hang and rub on the driveshaft. My service advisor, from BMW of Pembroke Pines, FL, Ramon Trull, also advised/ confirms the same. It's an inexpensive part, however, the cost to replace is exorbitant. If you search the web, you'll find many examples. I feel this should be covered under a recall. Please review and advise. Thank you!”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 30, 2023Service brakesODI 11552642
“I drove the car downhill very slowly. (Good weather, no rain or anything) The traffic light turned red and I tried to brake. However, the brake felt rock hard and the car was not slowing down. In the end I read-ended the car in front of me. No one was injured because I drove very slowly. But the car will probably be totaled.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 30, 2023Service brakesCrash reportedODI 11514530
“I went to park my mom's car. Tapped the brakes, moved up a little, tapped the brakes again-the brakes gave out and the car lunged forward at a high speed. The only reason I stopped was because a metal fence stopped me. Earlier in the day the car switched modes by itself from Sport to Economy. This is the 2nd time this has happened in this car. The first time my mom was parking in her driveway and the brakes gave out and the car lunged into her garage. This car is not safe.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 7, 2022Unknown or other, Service brakesCrash reportedODI 11459956
“While approaching a stop light I noticed that it was much harder to stop than expected. As I let up on the brake a little I started accelerating towards the car in front of me. I reapplied the brakes much hard and was able to stop the vehicle but I could tell that I was fighting the engine. I put the car into park and the engine raced up to about 4.5k. I then just hit the off button and put my hazards on. After a few seconds, I turned the car back on and the engine behaved as expected. I drove off without incident.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 18, 2022Service brakes, EngineODI 11447869

Showing 6 of 27 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 3, 2026NHTSA vehicle page

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.