FaultScore report
Owners have filed 15 complaints about the 1993 BMW 318I with NHTSA between 1998 and 2002. The largest single group is the engine & cooling. Across this model's run it ranks 4 of 4 worst.
FaultScore 29/100
Higher is worse. Measured against the other years of the BMW 318I.
How this is worked out15
Complaints
0
Crashes reported
0
Fires reported
0
Injuries reported
The letter says how bad. This says what kind — whether this year drew an unusual number of complaints, unusually dangerous ones, or failures that arrived unusually early.
Click any bar to open that year's report.
Every complaint is filed against a part. Follow any row for the complaints about that part alone.
A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single owner can see from inside their own car.
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
THIS COMMON DEFECT HAS STRUCK MY VEHICLE. THIS DEFECT SHOULD BE RECALLED, BMW ACKNOWLEDGES PROBLEM, BUT WON'T RECALL. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED.
NHTSA complaint #758073 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
VEHICLE HAD BLOWN AN ENGINE HEAD GASKET AT 46,000 MILES.ALSO, IGNITION WAS NOT WORKING. HAD NO WARNING PRIOR TO SEEING STEAM COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. SHUT VEHICLE DOWN & THEN RESTARTED. ENGINE CHECK LIGHT STILL CAME BACK ON.
NHTSA complaint #832725 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
VEHICLE HAD BLOWN AN ENGINE HEAD GASKET AT 46,000 MILES.ALSO, IGNITION WAS NOT WORKING. HAD NO WARNING PRIOR TO SEEING STEAM COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. SHUT VEHICLE DOWN & THEN RESTARTED. ENGINE CHECK LIGHT STILL CAME BACK ON.
NHTSA complaint #832725 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
VEHICLE HAD BLOWN AN ENGINE HEAD GASKET AT 46,000 MILES.ALSO, IGNITION WAS NOT WORKING. HAD NO WARNING PRIOR TO SEEING STEAM COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. SHUT VEHICLE DOWN & THEN RESTARTED. ENGINE CHECK LIGHT STILL CAME BACK ON.
NHTSA complaint #832725 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
HEAD GASKET FAILURE CAUSING COOLANT TO LEAK. YH
NHTSA complaint #701261 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
ALL COOLANT LOST, SUDDENLY & W/O WARNING; COOLANT LOST INTO THE ENVIRONMENT; SUDDEN ENGINE TEMPERATURE RISE REQUIRED DANGEROUS EMERGENCY MANOUVER TO REACH SIDE OF ROAD BEFORE ENGINE DAMAGE; FOLLOWING VEHICLES MAY HAVE BEEN DAMAGED & DRIVERS BLINDED BY LOST COOLANT
NHTSA complaint #714056 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
WELL KNOWN M42 ENGINE PROFILE GASKET FAILURE ALLOWS COOLANT TO SPILL AND RENDERS VEHICLE UNDRIVABLE WITHOUT WARNING.
NHTSA complaint #710621 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS
ALTERNATOR HAD TO BE REPLACED, ALONG WITH REGULATOR. POWER WINDOWS AND SUNROOF STOPPED WORKING SHORTLY AFTER THAT. IS THERE SOME ELECTRICAL PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED THE ALTERNATOR TO SHORT OUT.
NHTSA complaint #704562 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY
ALTERNATOR HAD TO BE REPLACED, ALONG WITH REGULATOR. POWER WINDOWS AND SUNROOF STOPPED WORKING SHORTLY AFTER THAT. IS THERE SOME ELECTRICAL PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED THE ALTERNATOR TO SHORT OUT.
NHTSA complaint #704562 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR
ALTERNATOR HAD TO BE REPLACED, ALONG WITH REGULATOR. POWER WINDOWS AND SUNROOF STOPPED WORKING SHORTLY AFTER THAT. IS THERE SOME ELECTRICAL PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED THE ALTERNATOR TO SHORT OUT.
NHTSA complaint #704562 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
TIMING CASE PROFILE GASKET HAD CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. ALL COOLANT WAS LOST. COMPLETE DAMAGE (WARPED HEAD, ETC) UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME. DEALER ESTIMATES $1000 TO REPAIR GASKET. THIS IS A WELL KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE (AS I HAVE RECENTLY DISCOVERED). BMW HASN'T ISSUED A RECALL. SINCE THESE USUALLY GO BAD AFTER THE WARRANTY PERIOD, BMW SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL. BMW HAS A REPUTATION FOR QUALITY CARS. IN THIS CASE THEY HAVE A DEFECTIVE PRODUCT AND IT'S COSTING CONSUMERS MANY DOLLARS DUE TO THEIR DESIGN FLAWS. IF BMW WILLN'T VOLUANTARILY ISSUE A RECALL NOTICE THEN NHTSA PLEASE ASSIST US CONSUMERS AND PUT PRESSURE ON THEM TO DO SO.
NHTSA complaint #700832 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
WATER LEAKS OUT OF THE ENGINE GASKET RIGHT ABOVE THE AIR CONDITIONING COMPRESSOR. IT LEAKS WHEN THE VEHICLE IS OFF AND WILL DRAIN THE RADIATOR DOWN TO THE LEVEL OF THE GASKET.
NHTSA complaint #529596 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
WATER LEAKS OUT OF THE ENGINE GASKET RIGHT ABOVE THE AIR CONDITIONING COMPRESSOR. IT LEAKS WHEN THE VEHICLE IS OFF AND WILL DRAIN THE RADIATOR DOWN TO THE LEVEL OF THE GASKET.
NHTSA complaint #529605 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
HEAD GASKET LEAKS RIGHT ABOVE THE AIR CONDITIONING COMPRESSOR. IT LEAKS WHEN THE VEHICLE IS OFF AND DRAINS THE RADIATOR.
NHTSA complaint #52960 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
ENGINE GASKET LEAKS WATER WHEN VEHICLE IS OFF AND WILL DRAIN DOWN TO THE LEVEL OF THE GASKET.
NHTSA complaint #529760 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.