BMW i5: Electronic Parking Brake & Hill Assist Failure

Hey there! I've got some experience with EVs as I went through something very similar with my 2022 BMW i4. Initially, I was worried like you, but it turned out to be fixable. Had almost identical symptoms, parking brake failure, hill assist gone, warning lights everywhere. The workshop diagnosed a defective electric motor in the brake caliper. Total bill came to 505 Euro, but at least it sorted everything out in one go. Before I can give you more specific advice, could you tell me if you're getting any specific error messages on the display? Also, are you able to manually release the brake at all? BTW, if you're thinking this might be a common BMW issue, I can tell you my 's i7 has been solid with no brake problems at all. But let's figure out if you're dealing with the same thing I had. I've got some experience with EVs, not an expert but been around them enough to know the basics. Happy to share more details once you fill me in on those error messages!

Hey, chiming in with my i5 experience here. Last service was about 2 weeks ago at 58573 KM, and I actually went through this exact same headache. For me, it turned out the brake sensor wiring had a fault, not the actual brake mechanism itself. The dealer did a complete diagnostic and found that some connections needed replacing. The good news is that it's usually not as serious as it seems. My car was in and out within a day, and since it's a 2024 model, everything should be under warranty. The service tech mentioned it's a known issue they've dealt with before, so they should be able to sort it pretty quickly. Make sure you get them to check the entire brake control module while they're at it. Mine's been working perfectly since the fix. Just curious, are you getting a red or yellow warning light on your dash? That might help narrow down the specific issue.

Hey there again! Following up on what I shared about my i4 experience, thanks for providing those extra details about your i5. Just wanted to add that after my initial caliper motor replacement, I actually discovered something interesting that might be relevant to your situation. A few months after my repair, I learned from my mechanic that these issues can sometimes be interconnected. While my initial fix with the caliper motor sorted most problems, I noticed the warning lights would occasionally flicker back on during cold starts. Turned out there was also a minor wiring issue that needed attention, similar to what you're describing. The brake sensor wiring fault you mentioned rings a bell, maybe worth checking that first before jumping to replace bigger components like I did. Honestly wish I'd known that before spending money on the caliper motor. Would've saved me some cash! Have you noticed if the problem gets worse when the weather changes or after the car sits for a while? That was a telltale sign in my case that it might've been wiring-related all along. Just trying to help you avoid the same costly route I took. Let me know how it goes, really interested to hear if your issue turns out to be wiring-related like you suggested.

Thanks for that detailed feedback about your i4! You've actually helped me narrow things down a bit. To answer your question, yes, I'm definitely noticing it more during cold starts, and the warnings seem more frequent when the car's been sitting overnight. That's really interesting about your experience with the wiring versus the caliper motor. I'm getting both red and yellow warnings actually, a red one for the parking brake and yellow for the other assistance systems. Been able to manually release the brake thankfully, but it's pretty concerning when all these systems are acting up at once. Think I'll take it to the dealer tomorrow and specifically mention the wiring issue you encountered. Really appreciate you sharing that detail about the cold starts too, that's exactly what I'm experiencing. Would've probably let them jump straight to replacing expensive parts without this insight. I'll save your advice about checking the entire brake control module too. Since mine's still under warranty, I'll make sure they do a complete diagnostic. Really hope it turns out to be just a wiring issue like yours. Will definitely update once I know what's going on with it.