Total Complaints
17 filings
BMW 318 · model year
1993 BMW 318
17 NHTSA complaints, 2 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1993BMW318 carries 17 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 2 crashes, 0 fires, 5 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1993 318 is engine and engine cooling:engine with 11 filings, followed by air bags:frontal (2) and electrical system:wiring (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 34 investigation files overlapping the 1993 318. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
17
Complaints
2
Crashes
0
Fires
5
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
2 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 11 |
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM | 1 |
Recent Complaints
19991208ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
ENGINE LOST COOLANT, ENGINE MELTED, REPLACED ENGINE. *AK
19990302ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
PROFILE GASKET LEAK.
19981010ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
ENGINE HEAD GASKET FAILED.
19980508ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
ENGINE TIMING CASE PROFILE GASKET FAILED, CAUSING VEHICLE TO SUDDENLY VEER FROM THE THIRD LANE TO THE SHOULDER BY THE FIRST LANE.
19971229ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
PROFILE CASE GASKET FAILED, CAUSING ALL ENGINE FLUID TO SPILL ONTO FREEWAY AT SPEED. THIS IS A FACTORY DEFECT WHICH NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BEFORE IT CAN CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. *AK
19971209ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
PROFILE GASKET FAILED, RESULTING IN LOSS OF ANTI-FREEZE. *AK
19970919ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
PROFILE GASKET FAILED DUE TO DESIGN PROBLEM, CAUSING COOLANT LEAKS. *AK
19970819ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE THE ENGINE TIMING CASE PROFILE GASKET FAILED, CAUSING TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE COOLANT.OWNER IS VERY CONCERNED FOR SAFETY. *AK
19970815ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
PROFILE GASKET FAILED/REPLACED. *AK
19970814ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
FAILED HEAD GASKETS CAUSED VEHICLE TO OVERHEAT.
19970325ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
TIMING CASE PROFILE GASKET FAILED, LEAKING ANTIFREEZE ONTO ROADWAY.
19970318ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
REPLACED THE LEAKING TIMING CASE PROFILE GASKET. *AK
19951228CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL
CONSUMER WAS IN AN ACCIDENT THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG DIDN'T DEPLOY. TT
19951219SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
SEAT BELT BUCKLE WILL NOT LOCK, VERY HARD TO SNAP THE BUCKLE. TT
19950705CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL
UPON FRONTAL IMPACT ESTIMATED SPEED 25-30 MPH, AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT
19950404ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS
THE ENGINE BELTS ARE UNDER ENGINEERED AND THEY DISINTEGRATE. PLEASE EXPLAIN. TT
19950202ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
PURCHASED CAR WITH BARE WIRE EXPOSED IN WIRING LOOM WHICH COULD CAUSE A FIRE. TT
Compare 1993BMW318 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1993 BMW 318 have?▼
The 1993 BMW 318 has 17 NHTSA complaints, 2 crashes, 0 fires, 5 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1993 BMW 318?▼
The most-complained component for the 1993 BMW 318 is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE with 11 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include AIR BAGS:FRONTAL and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING.
Is the 1993 BMW 318 safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.