1998 BMW 318ti recalls & problems

Safety recalls

Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. A recall listed here may already have been fixed on a particular car: enter its 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls.

Fuel economy

EPA estimates from fueleconomy.gov for each engine and transmission sold. Annual cost is the EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year at its current fuel and electricity price assumptions. Your results will vary.

What owners report

*Median odometer reading when the problem happened, where owners gave one. One complaint can name several problem areas.

Recent owner complaints

• Visibility › Glass, side/rear

  1. WINDOW MOVEMENT STOPPED 2. WINDOW FELL INTO THE DOOR AND THE TINT GOT SCRATCHED 3. THE DEALER QUOTED 300 TO FIX IT, REPLACED REGULATOR AND BRUSHING. *TR

  Nov 25, 2007 · 67,000 miles
• Visibility › Power window devices and controls

  BMW318TI - BOTH DRIVER-SIDE AND PASSENGER-SIDE WINDOW REGULATORS HAVE HAD PROBLEMS . REPLACED THE PASSENGER-SIDE REGULATOR TWICE ALREADY IN THE LAST FEW YEARS. FORTUNATELY ONCE WAS WITHIN THE ONE-YEAR WARRANTY OF WHEN IT BROKE THE FIRST TIME SO THE EXPENSE WAS JUST THE LABOR, STILL EXPENSIVE. JUST THIS WEEK THE DRIVER'S SIDE REGULATOR FAILED. NOT A CHEAP FIX, AND QUITE A SCARE WHEN IT ACTUALLY HAPPENED. AN UNEXPECTED LOUD CRACK AND THE WINDOW CRASHED TO THE BOTTOM OF THE DOOR, JUST A FEW SECONDS AFTER THE WINDOW BUTTON WAS DEPRESSED. WOULD LOVE TO HEAR THAT THERE WAS A RECALL. THIS WAS GETTING TOO BE VERY EXPENSIVE.*AK

  Mar 21, 2007 · 84,000 miles
• Visibility › Power window devices and controls

  3 SERIES MODELS (E36) AND NOTABLY THE 318TI BMW AUTOMOBILES HAVE AN EXTREMELY HIGH FAILURE RATE FOR THE WINDOW REGULATORS. ITS NOT UNCOMMON TO HAVE TO REPAIR THEM ANNUALLY AT A COST OF APPROXIMATELY 300 DOLLARS PER DOOR. THE FAILURE OCCURS WITHOUT WARNING CAUSING THE WINDOW TO JAM, OR FALL INSIDE THE DOOR. THIS IS A WELL KNOWN DOCUMENTED PROBLEM AMONG THE OWNER COMMUNITY AND REACTIONS AT DEALERS IS "OH YEA HAPPENS ALL THE TIME." I PROPOSE THIS COULD PRESENT AN EGRESS ISSUE IN EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY. *JB

  Jul 18, 2006 · 144,000 miles
• TiresCrash1 injury

  PIRELLI P205 60R 15 TIRE BLOW OUT RESULTING IN SERIOUS INJURY TO CLIENT. *JB

  Jan 24, 2005 · 136,000 miles
• Tires

  CAR HAS A SAFETY DESIGN FLAW. SPARE TIRE MOUNT DESIGN ALLOWS THE SIDEWALL OF THE SPARE TIRE (MOUNTED UNDER THE TRUNK) TO RUB AGAINST THE BOTTOM OF THE TRUNK DURING NORMAL DRIVING. UPON TAKING OUT THE SPARE, THE TIRE WAS FOUND TO HAVE PRONOUNCED MARKS AND GROOVES ON THE TIRE SIDEWALLS FROM THE RUBBING. THE MARKS WERE DEEP ENOUGH THAT THE BELTS IN THE TIRES COULD BE SEEN AND FELT ON THE SIDEWALLS. THE TIRE CAN NOT BE USED. MAJOR SAFETY PROBLEM IF THE SPARE (SMALL SPARE) IS USED WITH POTENTIAL SIDEWALL FAILURE DUE TO POOR SPARE TIRE MOUNT DESIGN.*AK

  Jul 5, 2001
• Power train › Automatic transmission › Control module (tcm/pcm/tecm)

  VEHICLE LACKS TIRE ROAD GRIP ON SOME TURNS AND THE REAR OF THE CAR SLIDES OUT.

  Apr 13, 1999
• Vehicle speed control

  UNINTENTIONAL ACCELERATION: I WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT, WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. I EASED THE PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE TO LET THE CAR ROLL FORWARD SLIGHTLY, THEN INCREASED THE BRAKE PPRESSURE AGAIN, THE ENGINE IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TO REV FAST, CAUSING THE REAR WHEELS TO SPIN AND PROPELLING THE CAR FORWARD APPROXIMATELY FOUR FEET, EVEN THOUGH I HAD FULL PRESSURE APPLIED TO THE BRAKES. I NARROWLY AVOIDED A COLLISION WITH TURNING TRAFFIC BY SHIFTING TO A LOWER GEAR, WHEREUPON THE RPM DROPPED. SHORTLY AFTER THIS, AS I WAS SLOWLY EASING INTO A PARKING SPACE, THE SAME THING OCCURRED. I HAD MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, GENTLY APPROACHING THE PARKING STOP, EASED THE PRESSURE SLIGHTLY THEN INCREASED IT…

  Feb 2, 1999
• Engine and engine cooling › Engine

  GASKET WEAR CAUSED GASOLINE LEAKING. YH

  Aug 21, 1998

Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.