1998 BMW 318TI 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 1998 BMW 318TI, 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
- Visibility425.0%
- Tires & wheels425.0%
- Suspension212.5%
- Exterior lighting212.5%
- Transmission212.5%
- Engine16.3%
- Driver assistance16.3%
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
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
1. WINDOW MOVEMENT STOPPED 2. WINDOW FELL INTO THE DOOR AND THE TINT GOT SCRATCHED 3. THE DEALER QUOTED 300 TO FIX IT, REPLACED REGULATOR AND BRUSHING. *TR
BMW318TI - BOTH DRIVER-SIDE AND PASSENGER-SIDE WINDOW REGULATORS HAVE HAD PROBLEMS . REPLACED THE PASSENGER-SIDE REGULATOR TWICE ALREADY IN THE LAST FEW YEARS. FORTUNATELY ONCE WAS WITHIN THE ONE-YEAR WARRANTY OF WHEN IT BROKE THE FIRST TIME SO THE EXPENSE WAS JUST THE LABOR, STILL EXPENSIVE. JUST THIS WEEK THE DRIVER'S SIDE REGULATOR FAILED. NOT A CHEAP FIX, AND QUITE A SCARE WHEN IT ACTUALLY HAPPENED. AN UNEXPECTED LOUD CRACK AND THE WINDOW CRASHED TO THE BOTTOM OF THE DOOR, JUST A FEW SECONDS AFTER THE WINDOW BUTTON WAS DEPRESSED. WOULD LOVE TO HEAR THAT THERE WAS A RECALL. THIS WAS GETTING TOO BE VERY EXPENSIVE.*AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
PIRELLI P205 60R 15 TIRE BLOW OUT RESULTING IN SERIOUS INJURY TO CLIENT. *JB
CAR HAS A SAFETY DESIGN FLAW. SPARE TIRE MOUNT DESIGN ALLOWS THE SIDEWALL OF THE SPARE TIRE (MOUNTED UNDER THE TRUNK) TO RUB AGAINST THE BOTTOM OF THE TRUNK DURING NORMAL DRIVING. UPON TAKING OUT THE SPARE, THE TIRE WAS FOUND TO HAVE PRONOUNCED MARKS AND GROOVES ON THE TIRE SIDEWALLS FROM THE RUBBING. THE MARKS WERE DEEP ENOUGH THAT THE BELTS IN THE TIRES COULD BE SEEN AND FELT ON THE SIDEWALLS. THE TIRE CAN NOT BE USED. MAJOR SAFETY PROBLEM IF THE SPARE (SMALL SPARE) IS USED WITH POTENTIAL SIDEWALL FAILURE DUE TO POOR SPARE TIRE MOUNT DESIGN.*AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
VEHICLE LACKS TIRE ROAD GRIP ON SOME TURNS AND THE REAR OF THE CAR SLIDES OUT.
TIRES AND SUSPENSION OF VEHICLE ARE INADEQUATE RESULTING IN REAR OF VEHICLE SLIDING DURING TURNS AND BUMPY RIDE.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
VEHICLE LACKS TIRE ROAD GRIP ON SOME TURNS AND THE REAR OF THE CAR SLIDES OUT.
TIRES AND SUSPENSION OF VEHICLE ARE INADEQUATE RESULTING IN REAR OF VEHICLE SLIDING DURING TURNS AND BUMPY RIDE.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Transmission
Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules.
From owner reports, verbatim
VEHICLE LACKS TIRE ROAD GRIP ON SOME TURNS AND THE REAR OF THE CAR SLIDES OUT.
TIRES AND SUSPENSION OF VEHICLE ARE INADEQUATE RESULTING IN REAR OF VEHICLE SLIDING DURING TURNS AND BUMPY RIDE.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
GASKET WEAR CAUSED GASOLINE LEAKING. YH
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
UNINTENTIONAL ACCELERATION: I WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT, WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. I EASED THE PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE TO LET THE CAR ROLL FORWARD SLIGHTLY, THEN INCREASED THE BRAKE PPRESSURE AGAIN, THE ENGINE IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TO REV FAST, CAUSING THE REAR WHEELS TO SPIN AND PROPELLING THE CAR FORWARD APPROXIMATELY FOUR FEET, EVEN THOUGH I HAD FULL PRESSURE APPLIED TO THE BRAKES. I NARROWLY AVOIDED A COLLISION WITH TURNING TRAFFIC BY SHIFTING TO A LOWER GEAR, WHEREUPON THE RPM DROPPED. SHORTLY AFTER THIS, AS I WAS SLOWLY EASING INTO A PARKING SPACE, THE SAME THING OCCURRED. I HAD MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, GENTLY APPROACHING THE PARKING STOP, EASED THE PRESSURE SLIGHTLY THEN INCREASED IT AGAIN, AND THE ENGINE IMMEDIATELY REVVED FROM BELOW 1000 RPM TO IN EXCESS OF 3500 RPM, AND THE CAR TRIED TO LUNGE FORWARD, EVEN THOUGH I STILL HAD FULL PRESSURE APPLIED TO THE BRAKE. I IMMEDIATELY SHIFTED INTO PARK, AND THE RPM DROPPED AT ONCE. I SUBSEQUENTLY CALLED THE DEALER, WHO ARRANGED FOR THE VEHICLE TO BE PICKED UP. AT PRESENT IT IS IN THE REPAIR SHOP. *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 .