Total Complaints
15 filings
BMW 318I · model year
1993 BMW 318I
15 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 1993BMW318I carries 15 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 1993 318I is engine and engine cooling:engine with 7 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:cooling system (3) and electrical system:alternator/generator/regulator (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 1993 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.
15
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 | 7 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM | 3 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 1 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20020212ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
THIS COMMON DEFECT HAS STRUCK MY VEHICLE. THIS DEFECT SHOULD BE RECALLED, BMW ACKNOWLEDGES PROBLEM, BUT WON'T RECALL. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED. *AK
19991228ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
VEHICLE HAD BLOWN AN ENGINE HEAD GASKET AT 46,000 MILES.ALSO, IGNITION WAS NOT WORKING. HAD NO WARNING PRIOR TO SEEING STEAM COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. SHUT VEHICLE DOWN & THEN RESTARTED. ENGINE CHECK LIGHT STILL CAME BACK ON. *AK
19991228ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
VEHICLE HAD BLOWN AN ENGINE HEAD GASKET AT 46,000 MILES.ALSO, IGNITION WAS NOT WORKING. HAD NO WARNING PRIOR TO SEEING STEAM COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. SHUT VEHICLE DOWN & THEN RESTARTED. ENGINE CHECK LIGHT STILL CAME BACK ON. *AK
19991228UNKNOWN OR OTHER
VEHICLE HAD BLOWN AN ENGINE HEAD GASKET AT 46,000 MILES.ALSO, IGNITION WAS NOT WORKING. HAD NO WARNING PRIOR TO SEEING STEAM COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. SHUT VEHICLE DOWN & THEN RESTARTED. ENGINE CHECK LIGHT STILL CAME BACK ON. *AK
19991209ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
HEAD GASKET FAILURE CAUSING COOLANT TO LEAK. YH
19991029ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
ALL COOLANT LOST, SUDDENLY & W/O WARNING; COOLANT LOST INTO THE ENVIRONMENT; SUDDEN ENGINE TEMPERATURE RISE REQUIRED DANGEROUS EMERGENCY MANOUVER TO REACH SIDE OF ROAD BEFORE ENGINE DAMAGE; FOLLOWING VEHICLES MAY HAVE BEEN DAMAGED & DRIVERS BLINDED BY LOST COOLANT
19990827ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
WELL KNOWN M42 ENGINE PROFILE GASKET FAILURE ALLOWS COOLANT TO SPILL AND RENDERS VEHICLE UNDRIVABLE WITHOUT WARNING.
19990317ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR
ALTERNATOR HAD TO BE REPLACED, ALONG WITH REGULATOR. POWER WINDOWS AND SUNROOF STOPPED WORKING SHORTLY AFTER THAT. IS THERE SOME ELECTRICAL PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED THE ALTERNATOR TO SHORT OUT.
19990317VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS
ALTERNATOR HAD TO BE REPLACED, ALONG WITH REGULATOR. POWER WINDOWS AND SUNROOF STOPPED WORKING SHORTLY AFTER THAT. IS THERE SOME ELECTRICAL PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED THE ALTERNATOR TO SHORT OUT.
19990317VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY
ALTERNATOR HAD TO BE REPLACED, ALONG WITH REGULATOR. POWER WINDOWS AND SUNROOF STOPPED WORKING SHORTLY AFTER THAT. IS THERE SOME ELECTRICAL PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED THE ALTERNATOR TO SHORT OUT.
19981122ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
TIMING CASE PROFILE GASKET HAD CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. ALL COOLANT WAS LOST. COMPLETE DAMAGE (WARPED HEAD, ETC) UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME. DEALER ESTIMATES $1000 TO REPAIR GASKET. THIS IS A WELL KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE (AS I HAVE RECENTLY DISCOVERED). BMW HASN'T ISSUED A RECALL. SINCE THESE USUALLY GO BAD AFTER THE WARRANTY PERIOD, BMW SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL. BMW HAS A REPUTATION FOR QUALITY CARS. IN THIS CASE THEY HAVE A DEFECTIVE PRODUCT AND IT'S COSTING CONSUMERS MANY DOLLARS DUE TO THEIR DESIGN FLAWS. IF BMW WILLN'T VOLUANTARILY ISSUE A RECALL NOTICE THEN NHTSA PLEASE ASSIST US CONSUMERS AND PUT PRESSURE ON THEM TO DO SO.
19980128ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
WATER LEAKS OUT OF THE ENGINE GASKET RIGHT ABOVE THE AIR CONDITIONING COMPRESSOR. IT LEAKS WHEN THE VEHICLE IS OFF AND WILL DRAIN THE RADIATOR DOWN TO THE LEVEL OF THE GASKET.
19980128ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
WATER LEAKS OUT OF THE ENGINE GASKET RIGHT ABOVE THE AIR CONDITIONING COMPRESSOR. IT LEAKS WHEN THE VEHICLE IS OFF AND WILL DRAIN THE RADIATOR DOWN TO THE LEVEL OF THE GASKET.
19980128ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
HEAD GASKET LEAKS RIGHT ABOVE THE AIR CONDITIONING COMPRESSOR. IT LEAKS WHEN THE VEHICLE IS OFF AND DRAINS THE RADIATOR.
19980127ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
ENGINE GASKET LEAKS WATER WHEN VEHICLE IS OFF AND WILL DRAIN DOWN TO THE LEVEL OF THE GASKET.
Compare 1993BMW318I to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1993 BMW 318I have?▼
The 1993 BMW 318I has 15 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1993 BMW 318I?▼
The most-complained component for the 1993 BMW 318I is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE with 7 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR.
Is the 1993 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 1993 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.