[PLAY_HRD]

I bought a new 2023 BMW M550i xDrive Sedan three weeks ago, even during the test drive I didn't like the brakes, WAY too sensitive! There is so much "bite" that it's almost impossible to stop smoothly! It's mindblowing that BMW engineers would have signed off on this brake system. I decided to put 1000 miles on the car to bed in the brake pads and see if maybe the problem would go away, but no such luck. Is there a way to adjust the sensitivity of the brakes? I tried finding a replacement pad but it seems no one makes a replacement pad for the newer M550 that isn't an OEM clone. Thanks in advance for any help you can provide!

[AP]

Do they just need bedding in?
I test drove a 550 a few weeks back with I think about 4000 miles on it and didn’t notice anything untoward
Get my own 550 in about a month so will see for myself

[Mach550]

No you can't customize the brake settings, think you just need to get used to the car and calibrate your foot.

[BMW012]

yea never heard anyone saying this yet.

[LuvMyE92]

What kind of car are you coming from, OP? I've owned and driven a lot of cars, and I don't find the M550i brakes to be overly sensitive or touchy or anything "bad".

After three weeks, I would expect you to become more used to it and trained your foot by now.

[MRDILLONS]

I know after I test drove a 2020 and my 21 M550, I thought both of them were very sensitive to the touch. After driving the car for several weeks, I calibrated my foot to the car. Now when I get in my wife CRV it’s a totally different feel.

[spiderman1982]

My brakes are awesome. They have just the right amount of pedal pressure to deliver outstanding braking.

[WretchedRefuse]

Like others said, I'd give it more time. I was new to BMW when I bought my 550 and both the accelerator and brakes were way more sensitive than our other cars. It took me a while to calibrate my right foot but now I go seamlessly between the cars and don't even consciously notice it any more.

[PLAY_HRD]

With all due respect to everyone commenting or reading this... I do NOT want to calibrate my foot too bad brakes, I want to fix the overly sensitive "grabby" brakes on the car so it drives normally. I've owned a lot of cars including numerous BMWs, and I test-drove a lot of cars including other models from BMW, so I'm speaking from a position of first-hand knowledge about what good and bad braking systems feel like. My assumption when I bought the car was that I would simply buy ceramic street pads to reduce the amount of bite, creating a smoother more linear engagement of the brakes. I'm blown away that no one makes an aftermarket pad for the newer M550. I've talked to BimmerWorld and my local BMW specialty shop and both said there wasn't anything showing up in their system. This is why I'm asking here, because maybe someone, even outside the US, may know a company that does make an aftermarket pad. OR, even better, I was hoping someone would know a way to adjust/recalibrate the brakes system.

[ezaircon4jc]

I thought the brakes on my new-to-me G30 2019 540i were grabby at first coming off of an F10 2014 535i. The G30 brakes are a bit more touchy than the F10, but a recalibration of my right foot solved the "problem" (IMHO, it's not really a problem). I still drive the F10 2-3 days a week and need to remember to use my F10 foot. I've had to calibrate my foot to every car I've owned; whether from the same manufacturer or not.

[Brucelinc]

I am surprised to hear a complaint about the brakes being too sensitive. I suspect something going on with that specific car and suggest the OP drive another M550 for comparison.

I have a '22 M550 and found no such brake sensitivity. The M550 replaced a Lincoln Continental and a Mustang GT and the BMW brakes felt perfectly natural the first time I drove it. I alternate between my current F150, my wife's Ford Escape and my 550 and I find no issue at all or need to train my foot to any particular difference among them.

[BMW012]

yea with the heaviness of the m550 i sometimes think i need more braking

[Mach550]

I installed red stuffs with my first brake service, pretty sure the calipers are the same. Only did it to lower dust, oem pad feel never bothered me.

Front
EBC-DP32304C
Rear
EBC-DP32089C

[jcal65]

The brakes on my car are awesome, however, I have experienced the same issue as you when trying to come to a complete stop smoothly. There is always a slight jerk from the last mph to full stop that is hard to modulate with your foot. This has improved with more miles on the car and probably my getting used to it.

[tsbrown]

I have the optional M sport brakes (blue calipers) on my 2019 540i, which I believe are standard on the M550i. At first I thought they were a little touchy but it didn't take long for me to really like them.

I've had BMWs for 30 years and typically go for low-dust pads to replace the OEM pads. Problem with these are the dead feeling in the pedal and very low initial bite. So on the G30, I actually prefer the OEM pads, dust and all.

Has anyone noticed that there is a lower sensation of initial bite when in Comfort vs Sport/Sport+? I suspect it's because in Comfort the transmission is calibrated for less lockup so it doesn't try to fight the braking.

[overcooked]

My 540i’s brake is fine but I know what you are talking about. My other Audi’s brake is extremely grabby and everytime I try to park it jerks passengers’ heads back and forth. I replaced the OEM pads with akebono pads and it become much better, liner and smooth. Another added bonus was that I no longer got tons of brake dush which was also driving me crazy.

[anthemavm]

Originally Posted by PLAY_HRD

I bought a new 2023 BMW M550i xDrive Sedan three weeks ago, even during the test drive I didn't like the brakes, WAY too sensitive! There is so much "bite" that it's almost impossible to stop smoothly! It's mindblowing that BMW engineers would have signed off on this brake system. I decided to put 1000 miles on the car to bed in the brake pads and see if maybe the problem would go away, but no such luck. Is there a way to adjust the sensitivity of the brakes? I tried finding a replacement pad but it seems no one makes a replacement pad for the newer M550 that isn't an OEM clone. Thanks in advance for any help you can provide!

We have a 2023 and find the braked soft, Mayberry a trip to the dealer.

[540iSUP]

I thought the same when I first purchased my 540. I have the M Sport brakes so its the same as the 550. It took me some time to adjust to the pedal feel, but I now love them and wish my other vehicles were just as grabby.

The only downside to the grabby brakes is that people behind me aren't able to stop as fast so I have to coast to a stop. If I hit the brakes like any of my other vehicles I might get rear ended.

On spirited mountain roads, these brakes are lovely!

[JKRIT]

I have the same complaint with grabby brakes on my new '23 530iX (standard brakes). Just touch that pedal and it stands on its nose. Very hard to modulate when stopping while the transmission downshifts numerous times and adds its own slowing actions. We have three other BMWs in the "fleet," all with manual transmissions and without grabby brakes. I was able to find a set of Centric Posi-Quiet Ceramic pads front and rear (105 series) by pretending the car was pre-LCI. No one lists many pad options for post-LCI, not to mention a 2023 car. The ceramics achieved much of what I wanted in reduced grabbing. The rear pads came with proud rivet heads for the anti-squeal pads, and these had to be ground flush on the inner pads so that the pads fit flat against the pistons. Maybe this was the reason these pads were not listed for my specific car, but with the modification they are working fine.

[JKRIT]

I have located some interesting info on the awful brakes on these cars. I ran across it on the M2C technical forum of this board. Search for daap1193 if you want to read about it. The DSC units include several "nanny" functions to keep you from enjoying driving your car. Among them is the Dynamic Brake Control (DBC), which "detects panic braking and supports the driver through immediate application of maximum brake pressure." Of course, what the car thinks is "panic braking" may differ from what you or I may consider to be such an emergency. Also the "Brake Standby" function "builds up moderate brake pressure when the driver takes his foot off the accelerator pedal very quickly." So, we have two functions that electronically apply more brake pressure than the driver is asking for with his foot.
These functions of course drive the M2C people nuts when they try to enjoy their cars on the track. Luckily, the brakes can be re-coded to turn off or adjust these and other brake functions to restore normal braking, at least for m2C cars. So, when I take my G30 out of storage in the Spring, I will immediately take it to an independent BMW shop and ask them if they can re-code the brakes. Perhaps a BMW dealer could do it, but would they? I will also try gently/slowly lifting my foot off of the accelerator to see if I can avoid triggering the Brake Standby nanny.

[darkrom]

Originally Posted by jcal65

The brakes on my car are awesome, however, I have experienced the same issue as you when trying to come to a complete stop smoothly. There is always a slight jerk from the last mph to full stop that is hard to modulate with your foot. This has improved with more miles on the car and probably my getting used to it.

I just upgraded to the m sport brakes and this is exactly what I’m feeling. I can slow reasonably and smoothly but that final stop from barely rolling 1mph to actual zero is pretty jarring. I’m wondering what passengers are going to feel if I’m noticing it as the driver.

Anyone found a way to mitigate that? I’m working on “calibrating my foot” to it but I don’t have this issue with my 135 and that has pretty big 6 piston brakes etc. hopefully I adapt or there’s something I can do to make that last 1 mph smoother.

[BlueSander]

Just changed my pads and discs last week. DO NOT waste your money on OEM! I'm OCD as hell, everything going into my car got to be original but this is one of the rare time I'd suggest not!

I went with Brembo. Initial bite is on the softer side but gets more aggressive as needed, I can get to stop signs and red lights much smoother now. Drove with my dad and he said the same.