BMW 320I · model year

2018 BMW 320I

35 NHTSA complaints, 13 crash reports for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2018BMW320I carries 35 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 13 crashes, 0 fires, 7 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 2018 320I is electrical system with 7 filings, followed by engine (5) and air bags (4). 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 2018 320I. 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.

35
Complaints
13
Crashes
0
Fires
7
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

35 filings

Crashes Reported

13 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM7
ENGINE5
AIR BAGS4
POWER TRAIN3
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM3
UNKNOWN OR OTHER2
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL2
SERVICE BRAKES2
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)1
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE1
SEATS1
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION1
FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL1
STEERING1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC1

Recent Complaints

20260113POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2018 BMW 320I. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle unexpectedly started rolling forward. The brake pedal was depressed; however, the brakes failed to immediately respond. The contact stated that the vehicle eventually came to a stop. The contact referenced an unknown recall for the failure, but the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was driven to an independent mechanic but was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 72,000.

Mileage: 72,000

20260113SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

The contact owns a 2018 BMW 320I. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle unexpectedly started rolling forward. The brake pedal was depressed; however, the brakes failed to immediately respond. The contact stated that the vehicle eventually came to a stop. The contact referenced an unknown recall for the failure, but the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was driven to an independent mechanic but was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 72,000.

Mileage: 72,000

20251118CrashAIR BAGS

On 09/16/25, I was exiting the Florida turnpike onto Sawgrass Highway via the exit ramp on exit 71. As I decelerated from 60 MPH to 35 MPH to match the speed of the exit ramp, I was in the left most lane in the two-lane exit ramp. My car spun out and I lost control of the vehicle, which caused the vehicle to spin through the two lanes of the ramp several times and ended up drifting onto the edge of the retention pond on the left of the exit ramp. I probably had spun around over three times and my car hung off the edge of the retention pond with the only thing preventing my car from falling into the pond being the rocks to prevent erosion on the side of the pond. The airbags on the drivers side and the curtain airbags both had deployed upon the car coming to a stop. The seatbelts were also locked upon trying to exit the car. The car was fully serviced prior to the incident and in good standing with BMW. The brakes were recently replaced a month ago and regular milestone inspections were

20251118CrashSERVICE BRAKES

On 09/16/25, I was exiting the Florida turnpike onto Sawgrass Highway via the exit ramp on exit 71. As I decelerated from 60 MPH to 35 MPH to match the speed of the exit ramp, I was in the left most lane in the two-lane exit ramp. My car spun out and I lost control of the vehicle, which caused the vehicle to spin through the two lanes of the ramp several times and ended up drifting onto the edge of the retention pond on the left of the exit ramp. I probably had spun around over three times and my car hung off the edge of the retention pond with the only thing preventing my car from falling into the pond being the rocks to prevent erosion on the side of the pond. The airbags on the drivers side and the curtain airbags both had deployed upon the car coming to a stop. The seatbelts were also locked upon trying to exit the car. The car was fully serviced prior to the incident and in good standing with BMW. The brakes were recently replaced a month ago and regular milestone inspections were

20251118CrashSTEERING

On 09/16/25, I was exiting the Florida turnpike onto Sawgrass Highway via the exit ramp on exit 71. As I decelerated from 60 MPH to 35 MPH to match the speed of the exit ramp, I was in the left most lane in the two-lane exit ramp. My car spun out and I lost control of the vehicle, which caused the vehicle to spin through the two lanes of the ramp several times and ended up drifting onto the edge of the retention pond on the left of the exit ramp. I probably had spun around over three times and my car hung off the edge of the retention pond with the only thing preventing my car from falling into the pond being the rocks to prevent erosion on the side of the pond. The airbags on the drivers side and the curtain airbags both had deployed upon the car coming to a stop. The seatbelts were also locked upon trying to exit the car. The car was fully serviced prior to the incident and in good standing with BMW. The brakes were recently replaced a month ago and regular milestone inspections were

20251104FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL

The contact owns a 2018 BMW 320I. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. The message Engine coolant system, coolant pump outside of speed tolerance" and code 20A701 was displayed. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to accelerate, and the contact drove 8 MPH back to the residence. A fuel-burning odor was on the interior and exterior of the vehicle. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while her husband was driving, the failure reoccurred. The contact's husband arrived at the residence and became aware that the water pump had failed and was no longer functioning as intended. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V907000 (FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL). However, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired and was parked at the residence. The manufacturer was made

Mileage: 84,000

20250923FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

• What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The plastic fuel tank failed and developed a leak. Yes, the tank is available for inspection upon request. • How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? A leaking fuel tank poses a serious fire and explosion hazard, especially when the vehicle is operating or parked near heat sources. Gasoline fumes were noticeable, creating an increased risk of ignition and exposure to toxic vapors. • Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes. The problem was confirmed by an independent mechanic, who verified the leak in the fuel tank. • Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? The vehicle has not yet been inspected by BMW or other officials. Only an independent mechanic has inspected it so far. • Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of th

20250511ENGINE

Was simply driving my vehicle to work. It started overheating parked it right away before it got worse as the car alerted had it towed to a shop. The shop informed me that the motor was blown in the pistons went through the motor something with the oil the mechanic and I were looking further into this and it looks like my make and model in year had some recalls about the motor overheating in the past so I would really like this looked into as this might be a recall I’m not sure what else this could be or why this would happen with such low miles

20241209AIR BAGS

My passenger airbag sensor malfunctioned and the repair is over two thousand dollars. The car is only 6 years old and I believe airbags should last longer than 6 years. BMW has extended warranties for airbags on some models (mine not included) for 15 years without mileage limitation. If a collision occurs, my passenger would be in extreme danger.

20241112FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

Gas tank began leaking from top of blind flange, similar to other extended warranties (SIB 01 03 22 and SIB 01 07 22). BMW is refusing to cover my specific model year (I have sent letters requesting reimbursement and called multiple times). It created an explosion hazard in my garage. Had mechanic repair, I do not have part. Cost $2,000 for new tank that will probably develop same issue. There were no warning lamps.

20240807FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

My 2018 bmw 320 stalls and cuts off when I come to a stop. Very dangerous. It has cut off in the middle of the road. I have checked online to see if this is a common issue. Other bmw owners have reported this same issue. There has been a recall on other bmw models with this same issue from 2014-2018 for fuel system and fuel pump that may cause this issue. Letters were sent out I. January of 2022. My 2018 bmw 320si has not been included in this recall for some odd reason. When car shuts off a warning message appears on screen. One message states “transmission not in park.” Or “drivetrain malfunction”. This began to happen on November 2022. I have taken my vehicle to two dealers. One was an independent repair shop and the other was a bmw service center. Both reported issues with fuel pump that would cause this problem.

20240807POWER TRAIN

My 2018 bmw 320 stalls and cuts off when I come to a stop. Very dangerous. It has cut off in the middle of the road. I have checked online to see if this is a common issue. Other bmw owners have reported this same issue. There has been a recall on other bmw models with this same issue from 2014-2018 for fuel system and fuel pump that may cause this issue. Letters were sent out I. January of 2022. My 2018 bmw 320si has not been included in this recall for some odd reason. When car shuts off a warning message appears on screen. One message states “transmission not in park.” Or “drivetrain malfunction”. This began to happen on November 2022. I have taken my vehicle to two dealers. One was an independent repair shop and the other was a bmw service center. Both reported issues with fuel pump that would cause this problem.

20240118ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The electrical call system malfunctions. I’ve done extensive research and actually confirmed with Garret today at A&L BMW that there is a problem in the manufacturing of the shark fin. The gasket that BMW uses does not hole up and the sealant does not keep water from leaking into the fin. Every time it rains/snows or the vehicle is wet the system malfunctions. Currently it only has the ability to affect me if I were in a wreck and won’t notify emergency services. This has the ability to shut down all electrical functions in my car and has been a common issue in BMW dating back as far as 2015. I called them in April to have it looked at, but I didn’t understand the problem and it had ceased. But since the weather has now began to be more frequently wet, this problem has become more persistent. Now they won’t cover because the final warranty expired in December of 2023. This should be recalled because it is a manufacturing issue.

20231115AIR BAGS

I was driving to home, Nobody is traveling with me. Suddenly SRS System gave me a warning that "Restraint System Malfunction" .I went to the dealer he diagnosed and told that. Passenger Seat Occupancy sensor failure, that will prevent the deployment of Airbags. The vehicle mileage is less than 34k. They fixed and charged me for $1958.71.

20231115SEATS

I was driving to home, Nobody is traveling with me. Suddenly SRS System gave me a warning that "Restraint System Malfunction" .I went to the dealer he diagnosed and told that. Passenger Seat Occupancy sensor failure, that will prevent the deployment of Airbags. The vehicle mileage is less than 34k. They fixed and charged me for $1958.71.

20231115AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION

I was driving to home, Nobody is traveling with me. Suddenly SRS System gave me a warning that "Restraint System Malfunction" .I went to the dealer he diagnosed and told that. Passenger Seat Occupancy sensor failure, that will prevent the deployment of Airbags. The vehicle mileage is less than 34k. They fixed and charged me for $1958.71.

20230924CrashELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Rattling noise we’ll driving and when going over 30 mph can lose control

20230924CrashENGINE

Rattling noise we’ll driving and when going over 30 mph can lose control

20230924CrashPOWER TRAIN

Rattling noise we’ll driving and when going over 30 mph can lose control

20230513CrashELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Rattling noise when accelerating

Compare 2018BMW320I to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2018 BMW 320I have?
The 2018 BMW 320I has 35 NHTSA complaints, 13 crashes, 0 fires, 7 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2018 BMW 320I?
The most-complained component for the 2018 BMW 320I is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM with 7 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE and AIR BAGS.
Is the 2018 BMW 320I 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.