Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. A malfunction or failure of a coolant system component, such as a thermostat, water pump, or fan belt, can result in significantly increased coolant temperature and system pressure. If the indications of a critical...
1991-1997 · 7 model years
BMW 318IS Problems by year
Owners have filed 32 complaints about the BMW 318IS across 7 model years, and it has 4 recalls. The 1993 has the most complaints once its age is allowed for (13). The most reported problem area is the engine & cooling, followed by the body, doors & structure.
- Complaints
- 32
- Recalls
- 4
- Crashes
- 3
- Fires
- 0
- Injuries
- 1
- Deaths
- 0
318IS complaints by model year
Highlighted: the year with the most complaints for its age. Older vehicles have had more time to collect complaints - the Safety Index grade allows for that.
Most common 318IS problems
BMW 318IS recalls 4
The cruise control and throttle cables are attached to the same throttle valve actuating lever at the throttle housing. It is possible that the plastic bushing on either cable could break due to environmental influences coupled with vibration. If the...
The air bag contact ring locking tab located in the steering wheel assembly can break without warning.
During testing, incorrectly installed driver-side knee bolster prevented steering column from moving forward as designed to absorb impact energy from driver dummy.
Latest 318IS complaints
Passenger window falls off the tracks - results in high bills to get it fixed. Numerous incidents. I am unable to select window or anything related to it in the drop down menus. To proceed I have had to make selections that have no relevance. *Tr
While driving at 45 mph, suddenly a popping noise occurred in the front end, the steering wheel shuttered because vehicle was equipped with asc plus t (automatic stability control plus traction) and it was trying to gain back control. This resulted in the driver crashing into a tree head on. Driver side tie rod broke which caused this to occur. No injuries were sustained, upon impact, air bag deployed.. The cause of the tie rod breaking was still be investigated.*Ak
Consumer noticed antifreeze on the ground in the garage, took vehicle to the dealer, and it was determined timing case profile gasket was defective.*Ak...This gasket has caused problem until it was replaced in middle of 1994. This was a frequent failure on 318 vehicles. Bmw was aware of the problem. Their representative indicated she was not allowed to discuss the profile gasket problem. *Ak
While driving the vehicle with cruise control on consumer applied the brakes and cruise control won't release. Also, air bag light illuminated on the dash board. *Ak
May 5, 2004 incident: driver's door latch fails to work ... So that the door flies open while driving ... And can not be completely closed and/or locked when parked. I am the original owner of a 1992 bmw 318is 2-door sedan with only 34,319 miles. The car has only been driven occasionally over the years (only by myself) and has never been in an accident. The problem: I unlocked and drove my car today (may 5, 2004). I went to two destinations and closed and locked the car each time without a problem. ...
Read the full complaint
After my second stop, I unlocked the car, entered it, and closed the door behind me without realizing there was a problem. I drove away and while making a turn, the door suddenly flew open. I was able to stop in a safe area without having an accident. I looked at the door's latch and where it connects with the body and saw nothing wrong ... But the door would not close or latch securely. I checked the passenger side front door and it looked similar to the driver's side. I then drove my stick-shift car home, while holding the driver's door as closed as possible with my (recently, surgically operated on) left arm. I then phoned the nhtsa. Obviously, a car's doors must close and lock properly to keep its passengers safe. A car driven occasionally, with only 34,319 miles, certainly shouldn't have something like this happen. Fortunately, I was just a few miles from home and the car is always garaged. Thank you in advance for reviewing this case. Sincerely, charles dreyfuss p.S. I've indicated '3 failures' only because I've tried to close and lock this car several times once I got it in my home's garage with no success.
While driving car accelerates by itself. Made sure carpet wasn't on pedal. Happened few times during winter. Rpm's going very high. Very hard to stop the car. Very unsafe. Bmw told me there is recall but my car was not affected. Didn't even look at car. Told me to call back when it happens again*ak
Questions about the BMW 318IS
Which BMW 318IS years have the most problems?
Which BMW 318IS years have the fewest complaints?
What are the most common BMW 318IS problems?
Across every model year, owners report problems with the engine & cooling (18), body, doors & structure (5), electrical system (4) most often.
How many recalls does the BMW 318IS have?
NHTSA lists 4 recalls across all BMW 318IS model years. Each year's page lists the recalls for that year; check your own vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether the repair has been done.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked daily. Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data