1991 Bmw 318: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 47 complaints
47
Total Complaints
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
Top Issue
6
Crash Reports

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
12
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY
5
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
4
SEATS
2
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY
2
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
2
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
2
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS
1
POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY:BANJO HOUSING
1
STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:PUMP
1

Severity Assessment

6
Crashes
0
Fires
6
Injuries
0
Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"INDICATOR LIGHT CAME ON AND AIRBAG DEPLOYED BY ITSELF. TT"
"FRONTAL COLLISION IMPACT 11:00 POSITION, LOST CONTROL, HIT AGAIN ON 1:00 POSITION, SPEED 40 MPH, AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. TT"
"FRONTAL COLLISION, IMPACT 11:00 P0SITION, DRIVRER,S SIDE SEAT BROKE. *AK"

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

OH: 12 FL: 11 LA: 6 CA: 3 NJ: 3 TX: 2 MD: 2 OR: 1 KY: 1 AL: 1

Who Files Complaints?

25.5%
Original Owners
74.5%
Second+ Owners

Bmw 318 — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

YearComplaintsCrashes
1994263
1995288

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28