Originally Posted by HIRISC

Do a search, the brake squealing has been widely discussed.

Your relief is short lived and/or a result of you living relatively South.

BMW (IMO) sacrifices pad noise, aka squeal caused by glazing on rotor/pad surface (not resonance) for pad lifespan and perhaps some performance. Read, more likely lifespan-related due to their 4 year no charge maintenance.

My X squeals like a pig in reverse and also in forward if the ambient temp dips much below 20 degrees F.

Countermeasures are:

• Scrub of the varnish by doing four or five 70-5mph not-quite-ABS-invoking stops in a row. You will smell the brakes: This is good. Squeal should go away for a short time.

• Ride the brakes for a couple of minutes (yep, I said a couple of minutes) at moderate speed and with fairly moderate pressure on the brake pedal. If you push too hard, the brakes win. If you don't push hard enough during this (absurd) maneuver, you will continue to listen to the squeal.

• Live with it and wonder why BMW didn't satisfactorily cold-test this brake system.

I've contacted the dealer 2x about this. Standard response: 'it's a high performance braking system and occasional brake noise is normal'. I have to call Bu!!sh*t on that. On a vehicle with carbon ceramic rotors, yes.. On a passenger car/SUV, no.

The SA finally suggested that I do several panic stops in a row to de-glaze the pads. Oh, ok.. good idea SA guy. That's convenient.

Be glad you live in a relatively warm climate.