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Vehicle safety record

2001 BMW 318I Problems, complaints & recalls

Owners have filed 4 complaints about the 2001 BMW 318I with NHTSA, most often about the engine & cooling (1) and the lights (1). Those complaints describe 1 crash. There are no recalls for it.

NHTSA data checked

AFar fewer problems than a typical 318I year, for its age

#268 most complained-about 2001 vehicle

Complaints
4
Recalls
0
Crashes
1
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
0

Most common 2001 BMW 318I problems

Share of all 4 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.

No recalls for the 2001 BMW 318I

NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2001 BMW 318I. Recalls can be announced at any time - this page updates daily.

What owners say

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4 complaints about the 2001 BMW 318I

Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners.

LightsCrash

I am blinded by these new headlamps when driving at night. They are very irritating even during daylight driving. It's like looking at an electric welding arc. They contain too much uv light. Uv light is very harmfull. How can these possibly be legal? I almost hit a pedestrian one night when I was blinded by a vehicle equipped with these lights. I'm affraid to drive at night now. How can I find the vehicle that blinded me if I hit someone? This situation needs to be fixed. If someone blinds me like that and a...

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pedestrian is struck I have no way to identify the vehicle with the bright lights. They can cause accidents and not even realize it. These lights should be outlawed. I can get a summons for riding with my brights on. The bright blue headlamps are brighter than my highbeams. On some suv's they shine right into my back window and illuminate the inside of my car so brightly that I can't see anything outside. When I was a teenager they had little violet lenses that went into the tail lamps. They were and probably still are illegal because they are irritating to the eyes. I don't see how the ultra bright headlamps can possibly be legal because they emit so much uv light. Someone must have received a real big payoff to legalize these. Try watching someone arc weld for a while and tell me that uv isn't harmfull! Yours, blinded. *Ak

Filed Exterior lightingNHTSA 760077
Acceleration & cruise control

2001 Bmw 3 series engines have an electronic drive-by-wire throttle mechanishm. The accelerator pedal is an electronic sensor, without a direct mechanical linkage to the engine. This pedal has a sticky, jerky mechanism that is much worse in hot weather. This results in surges of acceleration and makes it difficult to finely control the car's speed. Bmw is aware of the issue, but states that it is not a safety issue in order to deflect any criticism or urgency. They will replace the defective pedal assembly if...

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the owner insists, but the replacement parts have the same defect. Bmw must be forced, through external pressure, to acknowledge the seriousness of this issue and implement a rapid replacement of the defective parts.

Filed Incident Vehicle speed controlNHTSA 752720
Wheels & tires

I had 2 tires go suddenly flat on the same day. Car had only 4500 miles at the time. No obvious punture or damage. Replaced at my expense at local tire dealer because bmw dealer did not have in stock. 1 Week later, I read about nhtsa recall #00v383 and contacted both dealer and bmw usa after dealer replied that he was unaware of recall. After having him research further, I was simply told that my bmw 330xi, manufactured during the questioned timeframe was not included in recall. I got the same from bmw usa. I...

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question how 2 virtually brand new tires would both go flat on the same day at the same time? I contacted continental tires who were also unaware of the recall and after explaining them these circumstances, they readily agreed to reimburse me $100 as a good faith gesture. I paid over $400 for the tires, plus balancing, plus had to rent a car for a week since bmw and local tire center did not have in stock. I'm not convinced that bmw has faithfully resolved this issue with me, since they did not even inspect the wheels after my new tires were mounted. I don't think they could tell whether of not the first set were mounted properly or not and have simply dismissed me without any assurance or verification that my bmw wasn't possibly affected by this manufacturing problem. Please contact me at 630-620-7348 if there is anything you can provide or follow up on to truly see whether I am owed new wheels, reimbursement, etc. Thank you in advance, barry glustoff. *Ak (tiresize: 17)

Filed TiresNHTSA 748060
Engine & cooling

Cooling fan failed, causing vehicle to overheat and strand passengers at side of road in stop and go traffic. *Ak

Filed Incident Engine and engine coolingNHTSA 745447

BMW 318I: every year compared

YearComplaintsRecallsCrashesFiresTop problemGrade
20014010Engine & coolingA
19988020Acceleration & cruise controlC
19975100Electrical systemB
All 318I years

2001 BMW 318I vs rivals

More sales usually means more complaints, so compare similar vehicles of the same year. The grade compares each vehicle with its own model's other years.

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Questions about the 2001 BMW 318I

Does the 2001 BMW 318I have any recalls?

NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2001 BMW 318I right now. Recalls can be announced at any time, and this page checks NHTSA every day. You can also check your exact vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What are the most common problems with the 2001 BMW 318I?

By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the engine & cooling (1), lights (1), acceleration & cruise control (1).

How many complaints has the 2001 BMW 318I had?

4 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on May 17, 2001 and the latest on April 1, 2002. Of these, 1 describe a crash and 0 a fire, and together they report 0 injuries and 0 deaths.

Is the 2001 BMW 318I a reliable vehicle?

Its Safety Index is 78 out of 100 (grade A: far fewer problems than a typical BMW 318I year, for its age). The index weighs complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and recalls against how long the vehicle has been on the road, compared with the same model's other years. It is not a measure of every repair - read the complaints and owner experiences, and have any used vehicle inspected before you buy.

Which BMW 318I years have the most complaints?
What should I do if my 2001 BMW 318I has a problem?

If it is a safety problem, stop driving it if it is unsafe and contact your dealer. Report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem - enough reports start investigations and recalls - and share your experience here so other owners know what to look for.

Source: 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

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