The affected gasket is known to be of a defective nature and is prone to failure at some point in the vehicle's life, possibly resulting in a sudden loss of coolant. The original part and replacement parts are referenced in a bmw technical service bulletin 11 10 93 (3885). Thus far, bmw has chosen only to evaluate each case individually and selectively reimburse owners for the cost of repairs for vehicles which are out of warranty.
Engine & cooling
1992 BMW 318 Engine problems
Owners have filed 8 complaints about the 1992 BMW 318's engine & cooling with NHTSA - 50% of all its complaints, most recently on November 6, 1998. Stalling, loss of power, oil consumption, overheating, head gaskets, timing chains and engine failure.
- Complaints
- 8
- Recalls
- 0
- Crashes
- 0
- Fires
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Deaths
- 0
Engine complaints
Vehicles has a sudden loss of coolant from the engine due to a defective design. The manufacturer-bmw has issued a tsb on this problem. *Ak
Engine timing chain/engine main head gasket failed. *Ak
A gasket wears out in the engine valve train, causing coolant loss. *Ak
Timing case profile gasket failed, allowing a sudden and immediate release of most or all of the coolant (radiator) while traveling.
ENGINE GASKET FAILED, CAUSING COOLANT LEAK. *AK
Engine profile gasket failure, causing loss of hot coolant, resulting in a fog of white steam which could impair visibility. *Ak
The head and the gaskets and they are porus and they fall apart. Please describe. Tt
BMW 318 engine complaints by year
318 engine problems, every yearSource: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data