1984 BMW 318I Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1984 BMW 318I, 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
- Engine350.0%
- Brakes116.7%
- Driver assistance116.7%
- Powertrain (other)116.7%
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.
From owner reports, verbatim
NHTSA#93-V-015-000 COOLANT TEMPERATURE RESULTING INCREASE IN SYSTEM PRESSURE. CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE OVERHEATED, ALL READY WAS CHANGE WATER PUMP, THERMOTATS. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHEWR INFORMATION. TS
CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALER IN REFERNCE TO RECALL NUMBER 98V178000/ MANUFACTURER'S RECALL 93V015. DEALER CORRECTED RECALL PROBLEM. HOWEVER, DEALER NEGLECTED TO REPLACE THE RADIATOR CAP WHICH HAS MELTED DUE TO RADIATOR OVERHEATING. PLEASE PROIVDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHEEL CYLINDERS FAILED.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
VEHICLE IS IDLING, AND WON'T MOVE. ALSO, SPEEDOMETER/ODOMETER DON'T WORK, AND CONSUMER CAN'T DETERMINE HOW FAST THE VEHICLE IS GOING. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
VEHICLE IS IDLING, AND WON'T MOVE. ALSO, SPEEDOMETER/ODOMETER DON'T WORK, AND CONSUMER CAN'T DETERMINE HOW FAST THE VEHICLE IS GOING. *AK
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
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .