1991 BMW 318 problems & reliability
21 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1991 BMW 318. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
4 complaints report injuries (4 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling → | 15 | 71% |
| Air Bags | 4 | 19% |
| Electrical System | 3 | 14% |
| Visibility | 3 | 14% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 10% |
| Seats | 2 | 10% |
| Equipment | 1 | 5% |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 5% |
| Power Train | 1 | 5% |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 11 reported components →Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Vehicle was involved in a collision. Immediately after impact, vehicle began to leak anti-freeze due to dfective engine profile gasket.”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Oct 31, 1997
“While driving vehicle the consumer found out, vehicle was dripping coolin fluid. The consumer stopped and saw the cooling fluid was coming out of the radiator. Dealer was contacted. *ak”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Oct 2, 1997
“Engine profile gasket malfunctioned, causing engine to overheat, resulting in coolant leaking from under vehicle. *ak”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Sep 23, 1997
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- AIR BAG WIRING FAILURE
Engineering Analysis EA95013 · opened Mar 31, 1995 · closed Jul 15, 1996 · led to recall 96V110000
- HEATER CORE FAILURE
Engineering Analysis EA92017 · opened Jun 2, 1992 · closed Mar 30, 1993 · led to recall 93V015000
Technical service bulletins
4 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1991 BMW 318.
Recall 96v111 - this recall campaign involves the brake light switch. *tw
MSG1016 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 1996
Recall 96v110 - bmw of north america has initiated a recall campaign which involves the airbag contact ring locking tab. *tw
MSG0415 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 1996
Engine will not start. *tw
120894(4117) · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 1995
Various malfunctions of the "one touch" window operation. *tw
514191(3431) · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 1993
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1991 BMW 318 in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1991 BMW 318?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.