Steering
Filed Nov 14, 2011
STEERING WHEEL IS LOCKED. IT WON'T BUDGE. YOU CAN CRANK THE CAR..NO PROBLEM, BUT THE WHEEL IS LOCKED. *TR
- NHTSA ID
- 10435546
- Incident
- Nov 12, 2011
- Mileage
- 218,800 mi
1997 BMW 318
Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
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.
5
Latest Nov 14, 2011
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
0
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
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.
1
Overview
Our database contains 5 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1997 BMW 318, most frequently naming the airbags, brakes and engine categories. 1 manufacturer communication is on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Complaint activity over time
When owners filed reports about this model year
View as table
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 1997 | 1 | 1 |
| Jul 1998 | 1 | 2 |
| Jun 1999 | 1 | 3 |
| Jun 2001 | 1 | 4 |
| Nov 2011 | 1 | 5 |
What owners report
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
- Airbags240.0%
- Brakes120.0%
- Engine120.0%
- Steering120.0%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Safety recalls
No recalls in our database for this model year
That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.
Recent owner complaints
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
Airbags
Filed Jun 27, 2001
Crash reported
CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 55MPH ON HIGHWAY THERE WAS A FLYING TIRE ON THE ROAD, AND TIRE HIT VEHICLE. VEHICLE ROLLED OVER ON THE SHOULDER, AND DUAL AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK
- NHTSA ID
- 891400
- Incident
- Apr 22, 2001
Engine
Filed Jun 14, 1999
CONVERTER FAILURE AT <20000 MILES SEEMS UNUSAUL. IN TALKING TO TWO DEALERS, BOTH SERVICE DEPARTMENTS INDICATED THAT THE "318'S HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE CONVERTERS THAT YEAR". SEEMS TO ME THAT IF THEY HAD A PROBLEM, THEY SHOULD FIX RATHER THAN WAITING FOR IT TO BREAK, THEN MY HAVING TO TAKE TIME OFF FROM WORK, AND RENT A CAR WHILE MINE IS IN FOR REPAIRS. *AK
- NHTSA ID
- 707542
- Incident
- Jun 4, 1999
Airbags
Filed Jul 31, 1998
AIR BAG SAFETY LIGHT KEEPS GOING OFF. THE MANUAL STATES THE SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED, COULD PREVENT SYSTEM FROM RESPONDING TO A HIGH INTENSITY FRONTAL IMPACT OCCURRING WITHIN NORMAL RESPONSE RANGE. DEALER WAS CONTACTED THREE TIMES AND CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK
- NHTSA ID
- 826132
- Incident
- Jan 31, 1998
Brakes
Filed Sep 5, 1997
THE VEHICLE'S GAS AND BRAKE PEDALS ARE TOO CLOSE TOGETHER, WHEN THINKING OF STEPPING ON THE BRAKES DRIVER IS ACTUALLY STEPPING ON THE GAS PEDAL. *AK
- NHTSA ID
- 816061
- Incident
- Sep 3, 1997
Manufacturer communications
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
62 02 97
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
REPLACEMENT OF INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. *TW
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Compare model years
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.