Total Complaints
6 filings
BMW 318I · model year
1984 BMW 318I
6 NHTSA complaints. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1984BMW318I 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, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1984 318I is engine and engine cooling:cooling system with 2 filings, followed by service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:drum:wheel cylinders (1) and vehicle speed control:cruise control (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 34 investigation files overlapping the 1984 318I. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
6
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
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 | 2 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DRUM:WHEEL CYLINDERS | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20021028ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
NHTSA#93-V-015-000 COOLANT TEMPERATURE RESULTING INCREASE IN SYSTEM PRESSURE. CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE OVERHEATED, ALL READY WAS CHANGE WATER PUMP, THERMOTATS. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHEWR INFORMATION. TS
20000731ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY
CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALER IN REFERNCE TO RECALL NUMBER 98V178000/ MANUFACTURER'S RECALL 93V015. DEALER CORRECTED RECALL PROBLEM. HOWEVER, DEALER NEGLECTED TO REPLACE THE RADIATOR CAP WHICH HAS MELTED DUE TO RADIATOR OVERHEATING. PLEASE PROIVDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
20000711ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
WHILE DRIVING ENGINE OVERHEATED. ENGINE WAS STEAMING AND THE ENGINE HAD TO BE REPLACED.*AK
19990922VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL
VEHICLE IS IDLING, AND WON'T MOVE. ALSO, SPEEDOMETER/ODOMETER DON'T WORK, AND CONSUMER CAN'T DETERMINE HOW FAST THE VEHICLE IS GOING. *AK
19990922POWER TRAIN
VEHICLE IS IDLING, AND WON'T MOVE. ALSO, SPEEDOMETER/ODOMETER DON'T WORK, AND CONSUMER CAN'T DETERMINE HOW FAST THE VEHICLE IS GOING. *AK
19980907SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DRUM:WHEEL CYLINDERS
WHEEL CYLINDERS FAILED.
Compare 1984BMW318I to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1984 BMW 318I have?▼
The 1984 BMW 318I has 6 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1984 BMW 318I?▼
The most-complained component for the 1984 BMW 318I is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DRUM:WHEEL CYLINDERS and VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL.
Is the 1984 BMW 318I 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 vintage: August 2026. 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.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 1984 BMW 318I; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.