RoadVitals

1993 BMW 318 Problems

Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
17
Latest Dec 8, 1999
Components namedHow many of our component categories appear on at least one report for this model year. One report can name several.
4
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
2

What this page shows

Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1993 BMW 318, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Reports by component

Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category

  • Engine1376.5%
  • Airbags211.8%
  • Electrical15.9%
  • Seat belts15.9%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Each component in detail

What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words

Engine

Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.

13
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

ENGINE LOST COOLANT, ENGINE MELTED, REPLACED ENGINE. *AK

NHTSA ID 715827 · filed Dec 8, 1999

PROFILE GASKET LEAK.

NHTSA ID 781995 · filed Mar 2, 1999
All 13 reports naming engine →

Airbags

Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.

2
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

CONSUMER WAS IN AN ACCIDENT THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG DIDN'T DEPLOY. TT

NHTSA ID 977073 · filed Dec 28, 1995

UPON FRONTAL IMPACT ESTIMATED SPEED 25-30 MPH, AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT

NHTSA ID 968210 · filed Jul 5, 1995

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Electrical

Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

PURCHASED CAR WITH BARE WIRE EXPOSED IN WIRING LOOM WHICH COULD CAUSE A FIRE. TT

NHTSA ID 959482 · filed Feb 2, 1995

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Seat belts

Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

SEAT BELT BUCKLE WILL NOT LOCK, VERY HARD TO SNAP THE BUCKLE. TT

NHTSA ID 976813 · filed Dec 19, 1995

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .