Total Complaints
1 filings
BMW 318TI · model year
1997 BMW 318TI
1 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 1997BMW318TI carries 1 consumer safety complaint 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 1997 318TI is vehicle speed control with 1 filings. 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 1997 318TI. 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.
1
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 |
|---|---|
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20060423VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
MY 1997 BMW 318TI SUFFERED FROM UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. HERE'S HOW IT HAPPENED: I PULLED OUT ONTO THE STREET AFTER GETTING MY CAR WASHED. I PUSHED THE ACCELERATOR DOWN HARD AS I PULLED OUT. THE CAR LUNGED FORWARD AND THE WET TIRES SPUN ON THE PAVEMENT. I LET OFF ON THE ACCELERATOR BUT THE CAR RACED FORWARD ON ITS OWN. I APPLIED BOTH FEET TO THE BRAKES. THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO REV AT ITS MAXIMUM POSSIBLE REVOLUTIONS AND THE WHEELS WERE SCREECHING FORWARD. THE ABS SYSTEM WAS KICKING IN CONTINUALLY IN AN EFFORT TO STOP THE VEHICLE BUT IT WOULD NOT STOP AND I COULD BARELY CONTAIN IT. THE ODOMETER KICKED UP TO 130 MPH EVEN THOUGH I WAS NOT GOING MORE THAN 25 MPH. I TRIED TO PULL THE SHIFT LEVER INTO NEUTRAL BUT THE ENGINE JUST REVVED FASTER AND WOULD NOT STOP LUNGING FORWARD. WHILE STANDING ON THE BRAKES WITH BOTH FEET, I SHUT THE IGNITION OFF. THE ACCELERATION IMMEDIATELY STOPPED AND THE CAR SHUT DOWN. MY HAZARD LIGHTS WERE TURNED ON AT THE TIME BECAUSE THE CAR WASH PEOPLE T
Mileage: 149,000
Compare 1997BMW318TI to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1997 BMW 318TI have?▼
The 1997 BMW 318TI has 1 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1997 BMW 318TI?▼
The most-complained component for the 1997 BMW 318TI is VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include various components.
Is the 1997 BMW 318TI 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 1997 BMW 318TI; 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.