1993 BMW 318

Routine

Owners filed 17 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the engine and engine cooling › engine. It has been recalled 2 times.

What fails

Component	Reports		Crashes	Fires	Injuries
Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine	11		0	0	0
Air Bags › Frontal	2		2	0	5
Seat Belts › Front › Buckle Assembly	1		0	0	0
Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline › Belts and Associated Pulleys	1		0	0	0
Engine and Engine Cooling › Cooling System	1		0	0	0
Electrical System › Wiring	1		0	0	0

2 safety recalls

Part 573 reports

Fuel System, Gasoline › Delivery › Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings94V066000

Filed Apr 11, 1994116,300 vehiclesBayerische Motoren Werke

Defect. FEED FUEL HOSES CAN HARDEN AND "SET" OVER TIME, ALLOWING A SEEPAGE OF FUEL AT THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE HOSE AND THE ENGINE FITTING. THE CLAMP USED TO HOLD THE HOSE TO THE FITTING IS UNABLE TO COMPENSATE FOR THE HARDENING OF THE FEED FUEL HOSE.

Risk. FUEL SEEPAGE BETWEEN THE FEED FUEL HOSE AND THE ENGINE FITTING CAN RESULT IN FREE FUEL IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A FIRE WHEN EXPOSED TO A SOURCE OF IGNITION.

Remedy. A REDESIGNED FEED FUEL HOSE AND HOSE CLAMP WILL BE INSTALLED TO ALLEVIATE THE FUEL SEEPAGE.

Fuel System, Gasoline › Fuel Injection System94V037000

Filed Feb 17, 199423,500 vehiclesBayerische Motoren Werke

Defect. THE ADHESIVE MATERIAL OF THE TWO PIECE THROTTLE BODY HEATER MIGRATES INTO THE CIRCULATION CHAMBER CAUSING BUILD UP OF IMPURITIES AND RESTRICTION OF FLOW WITHIN THE CHAMBER. THIS CONDITION AND WATER VAPORS FROM THE CRANK THAT FREEZES AT LOW AMBIENT AIR TEMPERATURES PREVENTS THE THROTTLE PLATE FROM CLOSING AS THE DRIVER RELEASES THE GAS PEDAL, CAUSING LOSS OF THROTTLE CONTROL.

Risk. IF LOSS OF THROTTLE CONTROL FROM THE FROZEN THROTTLE BODY OCCURS WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION, A VEHICLE CRASH COULD OCCUR.

Remedy. BMW DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE THROTTLE BODY HEATER WITH A MODIFIED HEATER.

What owners reported

Newest filings

Engine and Engine Cooling › Cooling System

Filed Dec 8, 1999TX

ENGINE LOST COOLANT, ENGINE MELTED, REPLACED ENGINE. *AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine

Filed Mar 2, 1999IN

PROFILE GASKET LEAK.

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine

Filed Oct 10, 1998IN

ENGINE HEAD GASKET FAILED.

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine

Filed May 8, 1998GA

ENGINE TIMING CASE PROFILE GASKET FAILED, CAUSING VEHICLE TO SUDDENLY VEER FROM THE THIRD LANE TO THE SHOULDER BY THE FIRST LANE.

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine

Filed Dec 29, 1997CA

PROFILE CASE GASKET FAILED, CAUSING ALL ENGINE FLUID TO SPILL ONTO FREEWAY AT SPEED. THIS IS A FACTORY DEFECT WHICH NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BEFORE IT CAN CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. *AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine

Filed Dec 9, 1997PA

PROFILE GASKET FAILED, RESULTING IN LOSS OF ANTI-FREEZE. *AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine

Filed Sep 19, 1997UN

PROFILE GASKET FAILED DUE TO DESIGN PROBLEM, CAUSING COOLANT LEAKS. *AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine

Filed Aug 19, 1997PA

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE THE ENGINE TIMING CASE PROFILE GASKET FAILED, CAUSING TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE COOLANT.OWNER IS VERY CONCERNED FOR SAFETY. *AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine

Filed Aug 15, 1997VA

PROFILE GASKET FAILED/REPLACED. *AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine

Filed Jul 29, 1997NC

FAILED HEAD GASKETS CAUSED VEHICLE TO OVERHEAT.

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine

Filed Mar 18, 1997FL

REPLACED THE LEAKING TIMING CASE PROFILE GASKET. *AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine

Filed Jan 9, 1997AL

TIMING CASE PROFILE GASKET FAILED, LEAKING ANTIFREEZE ONTO ROADWAY.

Air Bags › FrontalCrash4 injured

Filed Dec 28, 1995SC

CONSUMER WAS IN AN ACCIDENT THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG DIDN'T DEPLOY. TT

Seat Belts › Front › Buckle Assembly

Filed Dec 19, 1995CA

SEAT BELT BUCKLE WILL NOT LOCK, VERY HARD TO SNAP THE BUCKLE. TT

Air Bags › FrontalCrash1 injured

Filed Jul 5, 1995DC

UPON FRONTAL IMPACT ESTIMATED SPEED 25-30 MPH, AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline › Belts and Associated Pulleys

Filed Apr 4, 1995SC

THE ENGINE BELTS ARE UNDER ENGINEERED AND THEY DISINTEGRATE. PLEASE EXPLAIN. TT

Electrical System › Wiring

Filed Feb 2, 1995CA

PURCHASED CAR WITH BARE WIRE EXPOSED IN WIRING LOOM WHICH COULD CAUSE A FIRE. TT

17 of 17 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 1991

Year	Complaints	Recalls	Fires	Deaths	Assessment
2001	6	0	1	0	Routine
1998	3	0	0	0	Routine
1997	5	0	0	0	Routine
1996	5	0	0	0	Routine
1995	19	0	1	0	Routine
1994	20	1	0	0	Routine
1993 — this page	17	2	0	0	Routine
1992	16	4	0	0	Routine
1991	21	3	0	0	Routine
1990	1	1	0	0	Routine

Compare every 318 year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Apr 11, 1994. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.