Posted on 12/19/2025
You are creeping through a parking lot or slowing for a neighborhood stop sign and you hear it, that sharp squeal from the brakes. On many BMW models, low-speed brake noise is a pretty common complaint. Some light, occasional noise can be normal with performance-oriented brake parts, but a loud or constant squeal usually points to something that needs attention. The good news is that the cause is often straightforward once someone looks closely at the pads, rotors, and hardware. What That Low-Speed BMW Brake Squeal Really Is Most brake squeal is vibration. The brake pad is pressed against the rotor, and instead of sliding smoothly, it vibrates at a high frequency that you hear as a squeak or squeal. BMWs often use more aggressive pad materials that grip well but can be a little noisier, especially at low speeds where there is less airflow and less overall noise around the car. At slow speeds, small imperfections in the rotor surface or slight glazing on the pad can ... read more