Total Complaints
6 filings
BMW 318 · model year
2001 BMW 318
6 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2001BMW318 carries 6 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 1 fire, 0 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 2001 318 is engine and engine cooling:cooling system:fan with 3 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:cooling system (2) and suspension:front:control arm (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 2001 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.
6
Complaints
0
Crashes
1
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 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:COOLING SYSTEM:FAN | 3 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM | 2 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20010821FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:FAN
NEW BMW COMBUSTED -- ELECTRICAL FIRE DUE TO DEFECT IN FAN ASSEMBLY ALREADY KNOWN TO BMW. HAD I BEEN DRIVING THE CAR AT THE TIME, IT WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN A FATALITY.
20010620ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
MY CAR WAS SIMPLY IDLING IN A PARKING LOT WITH THE A/C ON FOR A FEW MINUTES WHEN I RETURNED TO FIND MY CAR WITH SMOKE BILLOWING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. I IMMEDIATELY RAN TO THE CAR AND TURNED IT OFF. I NOTICED THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE WAS ALL THE WAY TO THE RED ZONE. I THEN NOTICED RADIATOR FLUID SPILLING TO THE GROUND. I OPENED THE HOOD OF THE CAR AND NOTICED THE FLUID WAS RELEASING FROM THE RADIATOR CAP. MY CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE COOLING FAN. THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. I HAVE READ NUMEROUS INCIDENTS ON THE INTERNET OF PEOPLE'S COOLING FANS FAILING AND THEIR BMW'S OVERHEATING. I'M SURPRISED BMW HAS NOT YET ISSUED A RECALL. THIS NEEDS TO BE DONE. MY CAR WAS NOT SOME CAR WAITING AT A DEALERSHIP TO BE BOUGHT. I ORDERED IT AND IT WAS ASSEMBLED IN A PLANT IN GERMANY. THEY ARE INSTALLING FAULTY FANS INTO NEW CARS. THEIR PROBLEM IS THAT THEY DO NOT KNOW WHICH FANS ARE THE BAD/FAILING FANS. THEY SHOULD RECALL ALL 3 SERIES BMW 2001 FANS AND REPLACE THEM
20010618ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:FAN
MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS OF OVERHEATING FOR SAME MODEL DUE TO FAILURE OF AUXILIARY COOLING FAN AS NOTED ON INTERNET BULLETIN BOARD WWW.BIMMER.ORG IN RECENT WEEKS/MONTHS
20010518ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:FAN
COOLING FAN FAILURE CAUSED ENGINE TO OVERHEAT - VEHICLE UNDRIVEABLE. *AK
20010518ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
20010424SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM
AFTER HEARING UNUSUAL NOISES COMING FROM THE FRONT SUSPENSION, THE DEALER REPLACED THE CONTROL ARMS. SIMILAR NOISES ARE NOW COMING FROM THE BACK BUT THE SOURCE HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED YET. I AM CONCERNED WITH SAFETY AND RELIABILITY OF THIS PRODUCT.*AK
Compare 2001BMW318 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2001 BMW 318 have?▼
The 2001 BMW 318 has 6 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2001 BMW 318?▼
The most-complained component for the 2001 BMW 318 is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:FAN with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM and SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM.
Is the 2001 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.