Total Complaints
28 filings
BMW 318 · model year
1995 BMW 318
28 NHTSA complaints, 8 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1995BMW318 carries 28 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 8 crashes, 1 fire, 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 1995 318 is air bags with 4 filings, followed by power train:automatic transmission (3) and air bags:frontal (3). 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 1995 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.
28
Complaints
8
Crashes
1
Fires
5
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
8 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 |
|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | 4 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 3 |
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 3 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 2 |
| EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER | 2 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM | 1 |
| EQUIPMENT:MECHANICAL:ACCESSORY SCISSOR/SCREW/BOTTLE JACK/LIFT | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION | 1 |
| STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR | 1 |
| TIRES | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE | 1 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS | 1 |
| STEERING | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20030818EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TAIL LIGHTS
TAIL LIGHTS COME ON AND OFF INTERMITTENTLY WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY. CAUSE OF FAILURE IS UNDETERMINED AT THIS TIME. *AK
20030108CrashSEAT BELTS
CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE WAS IN ACCIDENT WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE. CONSUMER STATES THAT THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY ON TIME.THE CONSUMER STATES HER HEAD HIT THE STEERING WHEEL THEN THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED. ALSO PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. CONSUMER STATES THE VEHICLE WAS RUNNING AT 30MPH DURING IMPACT. CONSUMER ALSO STATES THE SEAT BELTS DID NOT LOCK UP. DEALER NOTIFIED. TS
20030108CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL
CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE WAS IN ACCIDENT WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE. CONSUMER STATES THAT THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY ON TIME.THE CONSUMER STATES HER HEAD HIT THE STEERING WHEEL THEN THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED. ALSO PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. CONSUMER STATES THE VEHICLE WAS RUNNING AT 30MPH DURING IMPACT. CONSUMER ALSO STATES THE SEAT BELTS DID NOT LOCK UP. DEALER NOTIFIED. TS
20020702ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS
THE VEHICLE BEGAN BLOWING FUSES CAUSING MANY OF THE SYSTEMS TO QUITE FUNCTIONING. WE REPLACE WITH FUSES THE SAME SIZE AS IT ASK FOR AND IT STARTED MELTING FUSES CAUSING FUEL PUMP TO QUIT WORKING ADQUATELY. *AK
20020509SEATS
DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT SHIFTS AROUND WHILE DRIVING, MAKING DRIVER LOSE PEDAL, AND STEERING CONTROL.*AK *MJ
19991005AIR BAGS
AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATES, INDICATING A MALFUNCTION WITHIN THE SYSTEM, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
19990930AIR BAGS
AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON AND REMAINS ILLUMINATED EVEN AFTER STARTING VEHICLE. CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
19990625POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT DATE AND SPEED OF FAILURE. MY CAR WOULD NOT GO INTO GEAR WHEN SHIFTED WHILE DRIVING AT A LOWER SPEED. IT WOULD ALSO POP OUT OF GEAR ON THE ROAD. BMW REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION ON WARRANTY, AND SAID IT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM. I'VE JUST HEARD FROM ANOTHER PERSON WITH THE 318TI WITH SIMILAR PROBLEM. I AM CONCERNED THAT THERE IS NO RECALL ON BMW'S PART BECAUSE OF THE POSSIBLE DANGER OF HAVING YOUR TRANSMISSION GOING OUT WHILE DRIVING. *AK
19971203CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL
AIR BAG: DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30MPH WHEN A CAR AHEAD STOPPED. RAN INTO THE BACK OF THE CAR AND NEITHER AIR BAG DEPLOYED. BMW INVESTIGATOR SAID AIR BAGS SHOULD NOT HAVE GONE OFF. *AK DRIVER'S HEAD SMASHED HIS HEAD INTO THE WINDSHIELD DURING THE ACCIDENT. *SLC
19970717POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
TRANSMISSION FAILS CAUSING HESITATION/JERKING.
19970717ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE
MANIFOLD NOISY.
19970717EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
AIR CONDITIONER FAILED.
19970717EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
EXPANSION VALVE FAILED.
19970717EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
PART TO HEADLIGHT LOOSE.
19970717STEERING
STEERING FAILED.
19970211CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL
DURING A FRONT IMPACT ACCIDENT, AT 30 MPH. THE DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SIDE SEAT BELTS AND AIR BAGS, WERE INOPERATIVE. *AK
19970211CrashSEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
DURING A FRONT IMPACT ACCIDENT, AT 30 MPH. THE DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SIDE SEAT BELTS AND AIR BAGS, WERE INOPERATIVE. *AK
19961202TIRES
THE TIRES ARE AFTER MARKET TIRE S( BRIDGESTONE BOIZZOAK) THERE IS A RUBBER DUST ON THE CAR FROM THE TIRE . PLEASE DESCRIBE . *AK
19961031CrashSTEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR
WHEN MAKING A TURN, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKS UP, CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CRASH. *AK THE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY IN THE ACCIDENT. *SLC
19961031CrashAIR BAGS
WHEN MAKING A TURN, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKS UP, CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CRASH. *AK THE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY IN THE ACCIDENT. *SLC
Compare 1995BMW318 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1995 BMW 318 have?▼
The 1995 BMW 318 has 28 NHTSA complaints, 8 crashes, 1 fires, 5 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1995 BMW 318?▼
The most-complained component for the 1995 BMW 318 is AIR BAGS with 4 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION and AIR BAGS:FRONTAL.
Is the 1995 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.