BMW 318IS · model year

1995 BMW 318IS

6 NHTSA complaints, 2 crash reports. 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 1995BMW318IS carries 6 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 2 crashes, 0 fires, 2 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 1995 318IS is structure:body:door with 1 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:exhaust system (1) and air bags (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 1995 318IS. 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
2
Crashes
0
Fires
2
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

6 filings

Crashes Reported

2 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM1
AIR BAGS1
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE1
STRUCTURE1
VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS1

Recent Complaints

20080730STRUCTURE

PASSENGER WINDOW FALLS OFF THE TRACKS - RESULTS IN HIGH BILLS TO GET IT FIXED. NUMEROUS INCIDENTS. I AM UNABLE TO SELECT WINDOW OR ANYTHING RELATED TO IT IN THE DROP DOWN MENUS. TO PROCEED I HAVE HAD TO MAKE SELECTIONS THAT HAVE NO RELEVANCE. *TR

20080730VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS

PASSENGER WINDOW FALLS OFF THE TRACKS - RESULTS IN HIGH BILLS TO GET IT FIXED. NUMEROUS INCIDENTS. I AM UNABLE TO SELECT WINDOW OR ANYTHING RELATED TO IT IN THE DROP DOWN MENUS. TO PROCEED I HAVE HAD TO MAKE SELECTIONS THAT HAVE NO RELEVANCE. *TR

19990416CrashAIR BAGS

DURING FRONTAL COLLISION INTO REAR OF LEADING CAR AT 35MPH, MY BMW FAILED TO DEPLOY AIRBAGS AND DRIVER SEATBELT DID NOT LOCK, CAUSING DRIVER TO COME VIOLENTLY FORWARD TO WITHIN 1 INCH OF STEERING WHEEL, THEN THROWN HARD BACK INTO SEAT CAUSING NECK AND BACK INJURIES AND A SEVERE CONCUSSION TO THE REAR OF BRAIN, CAUSED BY IMPACT OF REAR OF SKULL INTO HEAD REST

19990416CrashSEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE

DURING FRONTAL COLLISION INTO REAR OF LEADING CAR AT 35MPH, MY BMW FAILED TO DEPLOY AIRBAGS AND DRIVER SEATBELT DID NOT LOCK, CAUSING DRIVER TO COME VIOLENTLY FORWARD TO WITHIN 1 INCH OF STEERING WHEEL, THEN THROWN HARD BACK INTO SEAT CAUSING NECK AND BACK INJURIES AND A SEVERE CONCUSSION TO THE REAR OF BRAIN, CAUSED BY IMPACT OF REAR OF SKULL INTO HEAD REST

19990302STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR

THE FIRST PROBLEM IS THE CLIPS THAT HOLD THE INTERIOR DOOR PANELS FAIL CAUSING THE DOOR PANELS TO COME LOSE AND FALL OR CRACK. THE SECOND PROBLEM IS THE HEAT SHIELD RATTLES CAUSING A RATTLING FROM UNDER THE HOOD AT ANY SPEED ABOVE 5 MPH. THANK YOU

19990302ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM

THE FIRST PROBLEM IS THE CLIPS THAT HOLD THE INTERIOR DOOR PANELS FAIL CAUSING THE DOOR PANELS TO COME LOSE AND FALL OR CRACK. THE SECOND PROBLEM IS THE HEAT SHIELD RATTLES CAUSING A RATTLING FROM UNDER THE HOOD AT ANY SPEED ABOVE 5 MPH. THANK YOU

Compare 1995BMW318IS to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1995 BMW 318IS have?
The 1995 BMW 318IS has 6 NHTSA complaints, 2 crashes, 0 fires, 2 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1995 BMW 318IS?
The most-complained component for the 1995 BMW 318IS is STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM and AIR BAGS.
Is the 1995 BMW 318IS 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 1995 BMW 318IS; 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.