Total Complaints
8 filings
BMW 318I · model year
1992 BMW 318I
8 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1992BMW318I carries 8 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.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1992 318I is engine and engine cooling:engine with 4 filings, followed by vehicle speed control (1) and air bags:frontal (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 1992 318I. 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.
8
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:ENGINE | 4 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 |
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20040710ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
FAULTY PROFILE GASKET ON 1992 BMW 318I ENGINE. *AK
Mileage: 57,484
20000822ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE
ONBOARD COMPUTER FAILED WHEN GOT WET AT A CAR WASH.*AK
20000124AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
AIR BAG CONTACT RING ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE BROKE. WHEN THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT CAME ON, VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE RING WAS REPLACED AT OWNER'S EXPENSE. VEHICLE NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL 96V110000 BMW/INTERIOR; PASSIVE RESTRAINT: AIR BAG:DRIVER. *AK *ML
19990217ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
I HAVE DONE SOME RESEARCH OVER THE INTERNET FOR THIS PROBLEM AND IT APPEARS TO BE A VERY COMMON ONE. I AM COMPLETELY AMAZED THAT BMW IS NOT COVERING THIS REPAIR OF THIS, EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE AWARE OF THE DEFECT.
19981118ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
THE PROFILE HEAD GASKET IS A WIDELY REPORTED DEFECT ON BMW 318I ENGINES. FOR ME ITS A SERIOUS PROBLME NOW THAT THIS IS THE SECOND HEAD GASKET TO BLOW. THE FIRST WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY, THE SECOND MAY OR MAY NOT BE REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. IN ANNY EVENT THE REPAIR WORK HAS NOT YET BEEN DONE. BASED ON THE WEB PAGES I HAVE READ THIS IS A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM AND BMW IS NOT REACTING PROPERLY. I THINK YOU SHOULD CONSIDER A CLASS-ACTION LAW SUIT TO MAKE THEM ACT PROPERLY FOR SUCH A MAJOR DEFECT.
19980818ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
PROFILE GASKET FAILURE. THE PART FAILS ON ALL M42 ENGINES PRODUCED BY BMW BETWEEN 1991 AND 1992. WAS MADE AWARE VIA TECHNICAL BULLLETIN SENT TO DEALERS. A RECALL NEEDS TO BE ISSUED.
19970522VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
WHEN DRIVING AT 30 MPH THE VEHICLE SURGES, THE ENGINE RACES TO HIGH RPM AND THE VEHICLE CUTS OFF WITHOUT WARNING. CONTACTED THE DEALER, CAUSE OF PROBLEM WAS YET TO BE DETERMINED. *AK
19970216ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
VEHICLE EXPERIENCED COOLANT LOSS AND LOW COOLANT LEVELS BUT THE TEMPERATURE GUAGE DID NOT RISE ABOVE NORMAL. LOSS WAS DUE TO ENGINE GASKET FAILURE.
Compare 1992BMW318I to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1992 BMW 318I have?▼
The 1992 BMW 318I has 8 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1992 BMW 318I?▼
The most-complained component for the 1992 BMW 318I is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE with 4 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL and AIR BAGS:FRONTAL.
Is the 1992 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 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.