If you own a BMW vehicle affected by the recall and you find yourself without braking assist while on the road, understand that stopping distances will be longer. Also, in such situations, pressing harder on the pedal to stop the automobile is advisable.

Additionally, BMW says that the affected auto's engine management software can damage the oil/vacuum pump supplying the vacuum that enables the brake assist function in certain starting conditions. The following conditions can impact the system:

Depressing the brake pedal briefly while pressing the engine start/stop button.

Pressing the engine start/stop button two times in rapid succession will also affect the brake assist system.

Although both situations can eventually lead to the loss of brake assist, BMW indicates that the full brake assist function remains available for about six partial brake applications or about two to three full brake applications.

Fortunately, the automaker has said it’s not aware of any

crashes

relating to the brake assist system failure.

Models affected by BMW's latest recall

In early 2021, there was an increase in warranty claims for BMW autos—which when BMW's brake assist problem became apparent. BMW conducted an internal engineering review of these claims between February and April 2021.

Affected BMW cars include:

2020 BMW 540i, 540i xDrive

2019-2021 BMW Z4 M40i

2020-2021 BMW 745Le xDrive

2020-2021 BMW X4 M40i

2020 BMW M340i, M340i xDrive

2020 BMW X3 M40i

When can one expect the notification for recall?

MORE:

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First, note that brake assist system failure increases the risk of a crash, which is why the issue is quite dangerous. On its part, BMW will notify owners of all affected vehicles by mail.

According to

Consumer Reports

, owners of these automobiles should have gotten a notification from the automaker on Oct. 1, 2021. Toyota Supra owners can contact Toyota customer service at 800-331-4331.

Any owner who wishes to contact BMW customer service regarding the braking assist problem can reach the office at 800-525-7417. The service information number is B12 06 21.

The other option is visiting the

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website

to check whether your vehicle has an open recall.

In fact, you should regularly check the website since vehicle manufacturers issue recalls from time to time. It can happen to older automobiles as well.

Any vehicle repairs after a recall are usually free of charge.

Recalls

Written By

Lisa Steuer McArdle · Expert Insurance Writer

Lisa Steuer McArdle is an insurance writer with over 15 years of experience writing and editing content in a variety of industries, including insurance and personal finance. Lisa specializes in taking deep dives into make and model-specific content that helps car owners and buyers make solid money-saving choices. Lisa has written over 350 articles for Jerry on topics including electric vehicles to classic cars. Before joining Jerry, Lisa worked in various aspects of the printing industry as a content writer, developer, and editor and earned her bachelor’s degree in creative writing from Lycoming College.

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