Steering
Filed Nov 14, 2011218,800 milesNC
STEERING WHEEL IS LOCKED. IT WON'T BUDGE. YOU CAN CRANK THE CAR..NO PROBLEM, BUT THE WHEEL IS LOCKED. *TR
1997 BMW 318
Routine
Owners filed 5 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the engine and engine cooling › exhaust system › emission control › catalytic convertor. No safety recall has been issued.
What fails
| Component | Reports | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Pedals and Linkages | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Engine and Engine Cooling › Exhaust System › Emission Control › Catalytic Convertor | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Air Bags › Frontal › Sensor/Control Module | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Air Bags › Frontal | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners reported
Newest filingsAir Bags › FrontalCrash
Filed Jun 27, 2001WI
CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 55MPH ON HIGHWAY THERE WAS A FLYING TIRE ON THE ROAD, AND TIRE HIT VEHICLE. VEHICLE ROLLED OVER ON THE SHOULDER, AND DUAL AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK
Engine and Engine Cooling › Exhaust System › Emission Control › Catalytic Convertor
Filed Jun 14, 1999CA
CONVERTER FAILURE AT <20000 MILES SEEMS UNUSAUL. IN TALKING TO TWO DEALERS, BOTH SERVICE DEPARTMENTS INDICATED THAT THE "318'S HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE CONVERTERS THAT YEAR". SEEMS TO ME THAT IF THEY HAD A PROBLEM, THEY SHOULD FIX RATHER THAN WAITING FOR IT TO BREAK, THEN MY HAVING TO TAKE TIME OFF FROM WORK, AND RENT A CAR WHILE MINE IS IN FOR REPAIRS. *AK
Air Bags › Frontal › Sensor/Control Module
Filed Jul 31, 1998CT
AIR BAG SAFETY LIGHT KEEPS GOING OFF. THE MANUAL STATES THE SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED, COULD PREVENT SYSTEM FROM RESPONDING TO A HIGH INTENSITY FRONTAL IMPACT OCCURRING WITHIN NORMAL RESPONSE RANGE. DEALER WAS CONTACTED THREE TIMES AND CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Pedals and Linkages
Filed Sep 5, 1997IL
THE VEHICLE'S GAS AND BRAKE PEDALS ARE TOO CLOSE TOGETHER, WHEN THINKING OF STEPPING ON THE BRAKES DRIVER IS ACTUALLY STEPPING ON THE GAS PEDAL. *AK
5 of 5 complaints, reproduced as filed.
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.
Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.