RoadVitals

1978 BMW 320 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.
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Latest Jun 30, 1999
Components namedHow many of our component categories appear on at least one report for this model year. One report can name several.
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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.
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What this page shows

Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1978 BMW 320, 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

  • Visibility1100.0%

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

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.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

HEATER CORE RUPTURED WHILE I WAS DRIVING., CAUSING COOLANT TO B E EXPELLED. RESULTED IN SEVERE SCALDING TO MY RIGHT FOOT AND LEG , ALONG WITH DAMAGE TO THIS AUTO. ACCORDING TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN # 98V178000, "A MALFUNCTION OF A COOLANT SYSTEM COMPONENT...CAN RESULT IN A SIGNIFICANTLY INCRESED COOLANT TEMPERATURE AND SYSTEM PRESSURE...IF A CRACK WERE TO FORM OR A SEAM WERE TO SEPARATE IN THE HEATER CORE END PIECE, HOT COOLANT COULD SUDDENLY BE EXPELLED, INCREASING THE RISK OF PERSONAL INJURY TO A VEHICLE OCCUPANT...OWNER NOTIFICATION IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING OCTOBER, 1998..." THE HEATER CORE RUPTURE WHICH SCALDED ME OCCURRED IN JULY, 1998, WHICH WAS MONTHS BEFORE NOTIFICATION FROM THE MANUFACTURER WAS TO BEGIN. THUS, I WAS NOT FOREWARNED AND TO THIS DATE I STILL HAVE NOT BEEN NOTIFIED AND I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO NEGOTIATE RELIEF FROM BMW. PLEASE HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE CONTACT ME FOR MORE DETAILS CONCERNING THIS, THE INVALID VIN ON THE CAR (ONLY 7 DIGITS), EXPLANATION OF THE BREAKDOWN OF THE PRICE SUBMITTED FOR REIMBURSEMENT, THE HEATER CORE MANUFACTURER'S LIABILITY, ETC. PLEASE GIVE A REPRESENTATIVE'S NAME AND ADDRESS THAT I MAY ALSO SEND A LETTER TO FURTHER CLARIFY THIS HORRIFIC SITUATION. YOUR TIMELY RESPONSE IS REQUESTED AND GREATLY APPRECIATED. THANK YOU, MR. BEN WATSON. *AK

NHTSA ID 708088 · filed Jun 30, 1999

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 .