FaultScore report
Owners have filed 18 complaints about the 1998 BMW 318TI with NHTSA between 1998 and 2007. The largest single group is the windows, mirrors & wipers.
18
Complaints
1
Crashes reported
0
Fires reported
1
Injuries reported
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.
1 crashes, 0 fires · median 136,000 mi
Median failure at 84,000 miles
Odometer readings owners gave when they filed. About half of all complaints include one.
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.
Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.
TIRES
PIRELLI P205 60R 15 TIRE BLOW OUT RESULTING IN SERIOUS INJURY TO CLIENT.
NHTSA complaint #10149701 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
VISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR
1. WINDOW MOVEMENT STOPPED 2. WINDOW FELL INTO THE DOOR AND THE TINT GOT SCRATCHED 3. THE DEALER QUOTED 300 TO FIX IT, REPLACED REGULATOR AND BRUSHING.
NHTSA complaint #10213133 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS
BMW318TI - BOTH DRIVER-SIDE AND PASSENGER-SIDE WINDOW REGULATORS HAVE HAD PROBLEMS . REPLACED THE PASSENGER-SIDE REGULATOR TWICE ALREADY IN THE LAST FEW YEARS. FORTUNATELY ONCE WAS WITHIN THE ONE-YEAR WARRANTY OF WHEN IT BROKE THE FIRST TIME SO THE EXPENSE WAS JUST THE LABOR, STILL EXPENSIVE. JUST THIS WEEK THE DRIVER'S SIDE REGULATOR FAILED. NOT A CHEAP FIX, AND QUITE A SCARE WHEN IT ACTUALLY HAPPENED. AN UNEXPECTED LOUD CRACK AND THE WINDOW CRASHED TO THE BOTTOM OF THE DOOR, JUST A FEW SECONDS AFTER THE WINDOW BUTTON WAS DEPRESSED. WOULD LOVE TO HEAR THAT THERE WAS A RECALL. THIS WAS GETTING TOO BE VERY EXPENSIVE.
NHTSA complaint #10186011 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS
3 SERIES MODELS (E36) AND NOTABLY THE 318TI BMW AUTOMOBILES HAVE AN EXTREMELY HIGH FAILURE RATE FOR THE WINDOW REGULATORS. ITS NOT UNCOMMON TO HAVE TO REPAIR THEM ANNUALLY AT A COST OF APPROXIMATELY 300 DOLLARS PER DOOR. THE FAILURE OCCURS WITHOUT WARNING CAUSING THE WINDOW TO JAM, OR FALL INSIDE THE DOOR. THIS IS A WELL KNOWN DOCUMENTED PROBLEM AMONG THE OWNER COMMUNITY AND REACTIONS AT DEALERS IS "OH YEA HAPPENS ALL THE TIME." I PROPOSE THIS COULD PRESENT AN EGRESS ISSUE IN EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY.
NHTSA complaint #10163835 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES
PIRELLI P205 60R 15 TIRE BLOW OUT RESULTING IN SERIOUS INJURY TO CLIENT.
NHTSA complaint #10149701 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES
CAR HAS A SAFETY DESIGN FLAW. SPARE TIRE MOUNT DESIGN ALLOWS THE SIDEWALL OF THE SPARE TIRE (MOUNTED UNDER THE TRUNK) TO RUB AGAINST THE BOTTOM OF THE TRUNK DURING NORMAL DRIVING. UPON TAKING OUT THE SPARE, THE TIRE WAS FOUND TO HAVE PRONOUNCED MARKS AND GROOVES ON THE TIRE SIDEWALLS FROM THE RUBBING. THE MARKS WERE DEEP ENOUGH THAT THE BELTS IN THE TIRES COULD BE SEEN AND FELT ON THE SIDEWALLS. THE TIRE CAN NOT BE USED. MAJOR SAFETY PROBLEM IF THE SPARE (SMALL SPARE) IS USED WITH POTENTIAL SIDEWALL FAILURE DUE TO POOR SPARE TIRE MOUNT DESIGN.
NHTSA complaint #748180 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
GASKET WEAR CAUSED GASOLINE LEAKING. YH
NHTSA complaint #608673 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM
SMOG DEVICE FAILED. YH
NHTSA complaint #608673 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES
MICHELIN TIRE (P205/R15 MXV) BLEW OUT ON FREEWAY. YH
NHTSA complaint #609295 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
TRANSMISSION DOES NOT SHIFT SMOOTHLY.
NHTSA complaint #544965 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
LOW HEAM HEAD LIGHTS DO NOT PROVIDE ENOUGH ILLUMINATION.
NHTSA complaint #544965 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SUSPENSION
THE SUSPENSION DOES NOT SOAK UP BUMPS WITHOUT HOPPING.
NHTSA complaint #544965 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)
VEHICLE LACKS TIRE ROAD GRIP ON SOME TURNS AND THE REAR OF THE CAR SLIDES OUT.
NHTSA complaint #544965 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
UNINTENTIONAL ACCELERATION: I WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT, WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. I EASED THE PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE TO LET THE CAR ROLL FORWARD SLIGHTLY, THEN INCREASED THE BRAKE PPRESSURE AGAIN, THE ENGINE IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TO REV FAST, CAUSING THE REAR WHEELS TO SPIN AND PROPELLING THE CAR FORWARD APPROXIMATELY FOUR FEET, EVEN THOUGH I HAD FULL PRESSURE APPLIED TO THE BRAKES. I NARROWLY AVOIDED A COLLISION WITH TURNING TRAFFIC BY SHIFTING TO A LOWER GEAR, WHEREUPON THE RPM DROPPED. SHORTLY AFTER THIS, AS I WAS SLOWLY EASING INTO A PARKING SPACE, THE SAME THING OCCURRED. I HAD MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, GENTLY APPROACHING THE PARKING STOP, EASED THE PRESSURE SLIGHTLY THEN INCREASED IT AGAIN, AND THE ENGINE IMMEDIATELY REVVED FROM BELOW 1000 RPM TO IN EXCESS OF 3500 RPM, AND THE CAR TRIED TO LUNGE FORWARD, EVEN THOUGH I STILL HAD FULL PRESSURE APPLIED TO THE BRAKE. I IMMEDIATELY SHIFTED INTO PARK, AND THE RPM DROPPED AT ONCE. I SUBSEQUENTLY CALLED THE DEALER, WHO ARRANGED FOR THE VEHICLE TO BE PICKED UP. AT PRESENT IT IS IN THE REPAIR SHOP.
NHTSA complaint #702896 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION DOES NOT SHIFT SMOOTHLY.
NHTSA complaint #542966 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SUSPENSION
TIRES AND SUSPENSION OF VEHICLE ARE INADEQUATE RESULTING IN REAR OF VEHICLE SLIDING DURING TURNS AND BUMPY RIDE.
NHTSA complaint #542966 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES
TIRES AND SUSPENSION OF VEHICLE ARE INADEQUATE RESULTING IN REAR OF VEHICLE SLIDING DURING TURNS AND BUMPY RIDE.
NHTSA complaint #542966 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS:HIGH/LOW BEAM DIMMER SWITCH
LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS DO NOT ILLUMINATE ROAD PROPERLY.
NHTSA complaint #542966 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR
DRIVER'S WINDOW GLASS PLATE CAME OUT OF THE DOOR CHANNEL.
NHTSA complaint #539120 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.