Car Problem DataNHTSA records

1991 BMW 318Is

Routine

Owners filed 6 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the engine and engine cooling › engine. It has been recalled 1 time.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine5
000
Engine and Engine Cooling › Cooling System1
000

1 safety recall

Part 573 reports
Air Bags › Knee Bolster91V054000
Filed Apr 10, 199113,500 vehiclesBayerische Motoren Werke

Defect. DURING TESTING, INCORRECTLY INSTALLED DRIVER-SIDE KNEE BOLSTER PREVENTED STEERING COLUMN FROM MOVING FORWARD AS DESIGNED TO ABSORB IMPACT ENERGY FROM DRIVER DUMMY.

Risk. CHEST DECELERATION EXCEEDS MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE LIMIT WHICHRESULTS IN INCREASED RISK OF OCCUPANT INJURY IN A SUDDEN STOP OR ACCIDENT.

Remedy. REPAIR THE KNEE BOLSTER TO ALLOW CLEARANCE AND AVOID IMPEDANCE OF STEERING COLUMN MOVEMENT DURING FRONTAL IMPACT.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine
Filed Mar 19, 2003PA

THE HEAD GASKET WAS REPLACED TWICE. *JB

Engine and Engine Cooling › Cooling System
Filed Mar 22, 2002WA

THIS HAS BEEN A WIDELY REPORTED FAILURE ON EARLY 1990S 318 MODELS. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED. *AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine
Filed Nov 16, 2001NJ

TIMING CASE PROFILE GASKET FAILURE IS VERH HIGH FOR THE MOTOR. UNEXPECTED LOSS OF ENGINE COOLANT, WHICH LEAKS SLOWLY OR ALL AT ONCE IS DUE TO GASKETS DESIGN.

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine
Filed Feb 28, 2000NY

WHILE DRIVING AT HIGH SPEED, 65MPH, THE PROFILE GASKET IN MY ENGINE FAILED. LARGE AMOUNTS OF STEAM CAME OUT OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND RESULTED IN A CONDITION OF ALMOST ZERO VISIBILITY. MY WINDSHIELD WAS COVERED WITH ANTIFREEZE AND I COULD NOT SEE THROUGHT HE STEAM. I BELIEVE THIS FAILURE TO BE A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE.

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine
Filed Oct 13, 1998CA

ENGINE GASKET FAILURE, CAUSING A SUDDEN LOSS OF COOLANT ON THE ROADWAY UNDER THE DRIVING WHEELS.

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine
Filed Sep 25, 1998TX

TIMING CASE PROFILE GASKET FAILURE IS VERH HIGH FOR THE MOTOR. UNEXPECTED LOSS OF ENGINE COOLANT, WHICH LEAKS SLOWLY OR ALL AT ONCE IS DUE TO GASKETS DESIGN.

6 of 6 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 1993
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
19972100Routine
19960100Routine
19953200Routine
19945200Routine
199313200Routine
19923300Routine
1991 — this page6100Routine

Compare every 318Is year →

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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 10, 1991. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.