BMW X5 Parking Brake Won’t Release – One Dusty Workhorse, One Tough Day

By Northcap – Roadside Rescue Mechanic

This job had pressure written all over it.

The call came from a local tire shop. A BMW X5 had come in for new tires—nothing dramatic. But when the member went to drive out, the parking brake wouldn’t release. The vehicle sat dead still in the middle of a busy fitting bay, backing up the queue and seriously testing the patience of the shop owner.

By the time I rolled in, the atmosphere was… tense.

The Setup

This X5 wasn’t winning any beauty contests. It was a well-used machine—boots scuffed, dirt caked in the arches, and the back loaded with gear. A small mountain of horseshoes in the trunk suggested the owner might be a farrier. Ironically, the good luck hadn’t rubbed off.

Modern BMWs like this use an electric over mechanical parking brake system. When you press the parking brake button, a computer module sends power to a single electric motor mounted under the rear axle. That motor pulls a braided cable that runs to both rear wheels, operating traditional drum-style parking brake shoes housed inside the rear rotors.

(That’s right—these rotors have a mini drum built into them just for the parking brake, while the standard braking is handled by the usual disc and caliper setup.)

Plenty of other makes just bolt motors directly onto the calipers—but not BMW. They like to keep things interesting.

The Quick Diagnostic

There are a few fast checks I run in situations like this.

First up, I tested whether it might just be a faulty release switch. Some BMWs have an auto-release function, meaning that if you close the doors, belt up, shift into Drive and take off, the parking brake should release automatically—but only if the switch is the culprit.

We gave it a go. Nothing. Still stuck solid.

Next, I plugged in the scan tool. The OBD system threw up multiple fault codes pointing toward a failed parking brake motor. That’s technician talk for “the motor’s toast.”

I tried placing the system into service mode using the scan tool, which usually retracts the brake shoes. Still nothing. No clicks, no movement.

Time to Get Dirty

I slid under the back of the car. This old girl was caked in dust—definitely a workhorse. I checked the motor connections. Dirty but solid. No broken plugs, no corrosion. I probed the power and ground circuits—all were reading fine.

The motor was getting power, it was grounded, but still unresponsive. That confirmed it—the motor itself had failed.

The Manual Release That Wasn’t

BMW, to their credit, included a manual release cable for the parking brake system. It’s tucked behind the left-hand side trim in the trunk, neatly hidden away. It’s designed to release both rear brakes mechanically in the event of electrical failure.

Told the member this was likely a dead-end. This one wasn’t going to roll out under her own steam.

The Workaround

Time to get it moving anyway.

I dropped tow dollies under the rear wheels, rolled the BMW out of the tire bay manually, and ordered up a flatbed recovery to take it to the member’s mechanic.

Real Talk: What BMW Owners Should Know About Electric Parking Brakes

• Single motor system: On X5s, a central motor controls both rear brakes—not motors on the calipers like some brands.
• Auto release feature: Works only if the system is healthy and the switch is at fault.
• Manual release cable: Hidden behind rear trunk trim on the left—but not always effective if the mechanism inside the drums is seized.
• Common failure: The parking brake motor is a known weak point. Fault codes for “open circuit” almost always point to internal motor failure.
• Pro tip: Don’t ignore sluggish or grinding brake engagement sounds. They’re often the warning signs before the full failure.

Not every roadside job ends with a high-five. But we did what we could. Got the car out, got the business moving again, and made sure the member had a clear path forward

Until next time—stay sharp, and keep that parking brake working like it should.

– Northcap