1994 BMW 318I Owner Complaints

MY VEHICLE WAS PARKED ON A SLIGHT HILL AND THE HAND BRAKE WAS PULLED UP TO ITS FULL CAPACITY. MY BROTHER SAT IN THE CAR AND SMOKED A CIGARETTE BEFORE GOING TO HIS APPOINTMENT. AFTER HE RETURNED FROM HIS APPOINTMENT, THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE FOUND. AFTER LOOKING AROUND, HE REALIZED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD ROLLED DOWN THE HILL, ACROSS A BUSY TWO-WAY MAIN ROAD IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA OF THE CITY AND HIT THE WALL OF THE AT&T BUILDING. THANK GOD NO PEDESTRIAN WAS WALKING DURING THIS TIME AND NO CAR WAS PASSING BY. MY INSURANCE PAID $12,000 IN DAMAGES TO THE BUILDING OWNER AND THE DAMAGES TO THE CAR WAS MASSIVE. MY PREMIUM INCREASED DUE TO THIS INCIDENT BECAUSE AT THE TIME, BMW STATED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON THE HAND BRAKE. THE VEHICLE WAS IN TIP TOP SHAPE AND THE ONLY ISSUE I HAVE EVER HAD WITH IT WAS HAVING TO GET THE HAND BRAKE ADJUSTED PERIODICALLY BECAUSE IT KEPT SLIPPING CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO ROLL EVEN WHILE EXTENDED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10489268

Incident

Aug 22, 2011

Mileage

120,000 mi

DT: THE CONTACT STATED VEHICLE OVERHEATED RANDOMLY. THE ENGINE HEAD WAS REPLACED TWICE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. THE REPAIRS WERE COSTLY. HOWEVER, THE DEALERSHIP REIMBURSED THE CONSUMER FOR ONE REPAIR, BUT WILL NOT DO IT AGAIN. CONSUMER STATE WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY VEHICLE OVERHEATED. THE ENTIRE HEAD OF THE ENGINE HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE SERVICE DEALER DID NOT STATE THE REASON FOR THE VEHICLE OVERHEATING. *AK

NHTSA ID

10132605

Incident

Aug 9, 2005

FUEL LEAKAGES FROM THE UPPER RETURN LINES. DEALER MAKING REPAIRS. *AK DEALER CLAIMS IT WAS NEXT TO THE STARTER. ALSO CLAIMS IT WAS FIXED, HOWEVER IT IS NOT. *JG

NHTSA ID

8009807

Incident

Nov 23, 2001

INITIAL THROTTLE RECALL (NHTSE #97V131000) PERFORMED 5-13-98. PROBLEMS RELATING TO CRUISE CONTROL/BRAKE LIGHTS CONTINUE. (PLEASE NOTE: THERE ARE IRREGULARITIES IN SEVERAL FIELDS OF THE QUESTIONAIRE THAT SHOW UP INCORRECTLY ON THE FINAL CHART.)

NHTSA ID

758915

Incident

Oct 20, 2000

INTERIOR DOOR PANEL ASSEMBLIES ON 3 (THREE) SECTIONS OF THE VEHICLE HAVE DETACHED - IN THE EVENT OF ACCIDENT, PASSENGERS MAY NOT BE ABLE TO ESCAPE! ALSO, FLAWED DOOR PANEL ASSEMBLIES MAKE ENTERY/EGRESS FROM VEHICLE DIFFICULT/DANGEROUS.

NHTSA ID

751540

Incident

Mar 1, 2001

TEMPERATURE GUAGE RISES AND A LARGE AMOUNT OF COOLANT SPILL ENGINE OVERHEATS ENGINE STALLS I REALLY DON'T EXPECT THIS ON A BMW WHY DON'T HELP US WITH THE PROBLEM I'M REALLY DISAPOINTED THEY JUST IGNORE THE PROBLEM.

NHTSA ID

749542

Incident

Oct 15, 2000

WOULD BE DRIVING AND VEHICLE FAILED TO SHIFT FROM FIRST INTO 2ND GEAR. WOULD GET HUNG UP IN FIRST. THEN, IT WOULD SUDDENLY JERK AND SHIFT INTO 2ND. TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP, MECHANIC INDICATED PROBLEM OF SHIFTING WAS REPAIRABLE.*AK

NHTSA ID

890050

Incident

May 26, 2001

WHILE DRIVING ON EXPRESSWAY, VEHICLE BEGAN TO OVERHEAT AND RED LIGHT CAME ON, CONSUMER HAD VEHICLE INSPECTED AND WAS ADVISED THAT HEAD GASKET CONTAINED A CRACK WHICH CAUSED COOLANT TO LEAK AND CAUSED SEVERE DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE HEAD, CONSUMER WAS ALSO ADVISED BY REPUTABLE BMW DEALERS THAT VEHICLE WAS DESIGNED WITH A FAULTY PART CALLED THE PROFILE GASKET AND IT IS WELL KNOWN, BUT MANUFACTURER DOES NOT WANT TO RECOGNIZE IT AS A PROBLEM, CONSUMER HAS ALSO EXPERIENCED COOLING SYSTEM PROBLEMS TWICE, THE FIRST REQUIRING THE REPLACEMENT OF THE ENTIRE RADIATOR AND ALSO THERE WAS A RECALL ON RADIATOR CAP. *JB

NHTSA ID

560955

Incident

Sep 22, 2000

WHILE DRIVING THE OVER-HEATING LIGHT CAME ON, DEALER FOUND HEAD GASKET TO BE CRACKED, CONSUMER SAYS THERE WAS A DESIGN FLAW TO THE PROFILE GASKET WHICH CAN LEAK AND OVER A PERIOD OF TIME CAUSE SEVERE DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE. *SLC

NHTSA ID

556440

CONSUMER TOOK CAR TO A CAR WASH WHEN CONTROL BOX GOT WET, THEN THE FUEL INJECTOR FROZE OPEN, CAUSING FUEL TO LEAK ONTO THE ENGINE. CAR SPILLED GASOLINE ALL OVER THE GROUND. CONSUMER WAS TRYING TO START VEHICLE WHEN THE CAR WHEN A CAR WASH ATTENDANT CAME OUT AND TOLD HER NOT TO START VEHICLE BECAUSE IT MIGHT BLOW UP. PRIOR CARS OF 1994 BMW HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ID

863739

Incident

May 11, 2000

THE CAR KEEPS STALLING OUT WHEN I AM AT A STOP, STARTS RIGHT UP AGAIN AND IS FINE FOR A PERIOD OF TIME, THEN STALLS AGAIN (MAY BE DAYS LATER). DEALER IS CLAIMING IT'S THE ALTERNATOR.

NHTSA ID

712774

Incident

Sep 28, 1999

WHEN ONSUMER'S SON GOT INSIDE OF VEHICLE AND LOCKED DOORS MANUALLY. THEN TRIED TO TURN ON ENGINE, BUT THE ENGINE DID NOT START. DRIVER TRIED TO GET OUT OF VEHICLE, AND HE COULDN'T BECAUSE THE DOOR WON'T UNLOCK. SOMEHOW HE OPENED THE SUN ROOF AND GOT OUT. THEN UNLOCKED DOOR WITH KEY. *AK

NHTSA ID

846685

Incident

Sep 2, 1999

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED AN ACCIDENT ON ICY ROAD CONDITIONS. UPON IMPACT OF APPROXIMATELY 15-20 MPH HEAD-ON COLLISION, BOTH AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED AND SENT A REPRESENTATIVE TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT AIR BAGS SHOULD NOT DEPLOY. CONSUMER WILL HAVE VEHICLE AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION IF NEEDED. *AK

NHTSA ID

835637

Incident

Jan 2, 1999

VEHICLE HAS HAD CONTINUED PROBLEMS WITH ENGINE SHUTTING DOWN, UNABLE TO DETERMINE CAUSE.

NHTSA ID

512058

Incident

Sep 30, 1996