2008 BMW 5 Series Brakes Problems
- Complaints
- 4about this part
- Share
- 4%of 105 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 18,684miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 4 complaints about the brakes of the 2008 BMW 5 Series, 4% of the 105 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 18,684 miles. 1 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers. 1 recall campaign on record is filed under a similar system.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“On april 6, 2010 while pulling into a parking space at a shopping center, I applied the brakes on our Bmw 528i and instead of stopping, the rear wheels started spinning, burning rubber on the pavement apx. 25 ft. Before I could stop by pressing the stop/start switch. Fortunately no cars were parked in front of my parking space so I was able to stop without hitting anyone or other cars. When I got over the shock, I started the motor and it was still under full throttle. Again, I pressed the stop switch. …”
NHTSA complaint #10353767, filed 2010-09, 7,299 miles“Car loses power 2008 Bmw.535i *we had just gotten it out of the shop (new plugs and new brakes ,changed the oil air filter full service) and the next day we had gone out for supper when the car would barrly run it was like it had 2 cyclinders. Had the Bmw place pick up and they said it was low fuel pump and they had to order. When they got that in it did not fix it so the put another set of plugs and new coils and high pressure fuel pump in also. They ended up covering the whole bill. But it seems not to run like it use to. Not as much power. …”
NHTSA complaint #10345043, filed 2010-07, 55,000 miles“The contact owns a 2008 Bmw 528. The contact stated that the faulty brakes on the vehicle caused him to crash into a wall. The dealer stated that the brake fluid was low and caused the brakes to fail. Brake fluid was added to the vehicle. There were no injuries. The contact stated that due to the safety risk a crash could reoccur. The current mileage was 28,473 and the failure mileage was 28,469.”
NHTSA complaint #10283604, filed 2009-09, 28,469 miles“The contact owns a 2008 Bmw 528i 5 SERIES. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH and coming to a traffic light the brakes were applied and it automatically slowed down the vehicle. There was no warning light at the time of the failure. The vehicle continued to hesitate and accelerate, before the contact reached his destination. The dealer towed the vehicle to the dealership for inspection. The manufacturer was contacted and stated they would contact the dealer regarding the failure. The failure mileage was 8,900. …”
NHTSA complaint #10401444, filed 2011-05, 8,900 milesRelated recalls
- 10V446000Oct 1, 2010Bmw is recalling certain model year 2004-2010 5-series, 6-series, and model year 2002-2008 7-series vehicles. A check valve of the brake vacuum pump may leak…Covers: BMW 5 Series 2004–2010, 7 Series 2002–2008, 6 Series 2004–2010
Related service bulletins
- 10052365May 1, 2013Bmw: warning lamps are illuminated for the dsc, abs and brake and a possible warning in control display for chassis control system failure. Models 2012 f25, 30, 01, 02, 07, 10…
- 10032849Nov 1, 2007Bmw vehicle: dsc disabling function. Due to revised dme, dsc and ccc software, the mdm (m dynamic mode) button located in the center console switch cluster (szm) now has triple…
Brakes: other model years
Other parts of the 2008 BMW 5 Series
48 complaintsEngine cooling
36 complaintsElectrical system
16 complaintsExterior lighting
7 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
7 complaintsEngine
4 complaintsBody and structure
3 complaintsAir bags
2 complaintsTires
2 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
2 complaintsWheels
2 complaintsElectronic stability control
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2008 BMW 5 Series
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology