Bmw 318i 1994
Model 318i made in 1994 by Bmw got 21 consumer complains there are 2 recalls as well as 4 service bulletins. Consumer complaints with reference, among others things, to air bags, electrical system and engine and engine cooling. Technical service bulletines regarding electrical system, equipment and power train. There were some recalls concerningengine and engine cooling, vehicle speed control.
Model 1994
Recalls
| Campaign | Manufacturer | Manufacturing date | Type | # of units affected | Date Owner notified Mfg | Recall Initiated by | Manufacturers of recalled vehicles/products | Report Recieved Date | Record Creation Date | Regulation Part Number | FMVSS Number | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM | ||||||||||||||||
| 98V178000 | BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE | from 03/01/1991 to 11/30/1994 | V (Vehicle) | 340000 | 03/31/1999 | MFR | BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE | 08/04/1998 | 08/14/1998 | |||||||
| Defect Summary | Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. a malfunction or failure of a coolant system component, such as a thermostat, water pump, or fan belt, can result in significantly increased coolant temperature and system pressure. if the indications of a critical overheating condition is not noticed by the driver, it is possible that damage to, or failure of, a coolant system component could occur. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | If a crack were to form or a seam were to separate in the heater core end piece, hot coolant could suddenly be expelled, increasing the risk of personal injury to a vehicle occupant. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Dealers will install a new design radiator cap to control pressure and provide greater coolant overflow in the event of overheating. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | Owner notification began march 31, 1999. owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact bmw at 1-800-831-1117.also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-dash-2-dot (1-888-327-4236). | |||||||||||||||
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | ||||||||||||||||
| 97V131000 | BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE | from 07/01/1992 to 07/30/1997 | V (Vehicle) | 410000 | 10/30/1997 | MFR | BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE | 08/19/1997 | 08/29/1997 | |||||||
| Defect Summary | The cruise control and throttle cables are attached to the same throttle valve actuating lever at the throttle housing. it is possible that the plastic bushing on either cable could break due to environmental influences coupled with vibration. if the bushing breaks, the outer cable housing can separate from the bushing. in this case, during application of the throttle pedal without cruise control being engaged, the outer tube could catch on the edge of the broken bushing. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | This could cause the throttle valve to remain partially open. it his were to occur, the car might not decelerate as expected increasing the risk of a vehicle crash. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Dealers will install a spring steel clip on the outer tube of each cable in the area of the adjusting screw and plastic bushing. the clip is designed to prevent the outer tube from dislodging from the bushing. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | Owner notification is expected to begin by the end of october 1997. owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact bmw at 1-800-831-1117.also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-800-424-9393. | |||||||||||||||
Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION - MODULE | |||||
| 12 14 97 | 08/01/1997 | 53501 | M42 fault code 200/333. dme control unit memory chip is faulty. *ak | 02/25/2000 | |
| EQUIPMENT - OTHER - LABELS | |||||
| 72/07/96 | 12/01/1996 | 50678 | Child airbag letter, warning label and safety reference card. *tw | 05/27/1997 | |
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | |||||
| 24/03/96 | 11/01/1996 | 50692 | Transmission shudder. *tw | 05/27/1997 | |
| STRUCTURE - FRAME AND MEMBERS | |||||
| 41/03/96 | 11/01/1996 | 50679 | Wind noise diagnostics. *tw | 05/27/1997 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| AIR BAGS - FRONTAL | |||
| 01/02/1999 | |||
| Vehicle experienced an accident on icy road conditions. upon impact of approximately 15-20 mph head-on collision, both air bags failed to deploy. manufacturer notified and sent a representative to inspect the vehicle, and informed consumer that air bags should not deploy. consumer will have vehicle available for inspection if needed. *ak | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR | |||
| 09/28/1999 | 07/01/1998 | ||
| The car keeps stalling out when i am at a stop, starts right up again and is fine for a period of time, then stalls again (may be days later). dealer is claiming it's the alternator. | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION - MODULE | |||
| 05/11/2000 | 0 | ||
| Consumer took car to a car wash when control box got wet, then the fuel injector froze open, causing fuel to leak onto the engine. car spilled gasoline all over the ground. consumer was trying to start vehicle when the car when a car wash attendant came out and told her not to start vehicle because it might blow up. prior cars of 1994 bmw had this same problem. *ak | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION - SWITCH | |||
| 09/02/1999 | 0 | ||
| When onsumer's son got inside of vehicle and locked doors manually. then tried to turn on engine, but the engine did not start. driver tried to get out of vehicle, and he couldn't because the door won't unlock. somehow he opened the sun roof and got out. then unlocked door with key. *ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||
| 08/09/2005 | 3 | 07/01/1997 | |
| Dt: the contact stated vehicle overheated randomly. the engine head was replaced twice and needed to be replaced again. the repairs were costly. however, the dealership reimbursed the consumer for one repair, but will not do it again. consumer state while driving on the highway vehicle overheated. the entire head of the engine had to be replaced. the service dealer did not state the reason for the vehicle overheating. *ak | |||
| 10/15/2000 | 1 | 02/01/1994 | |
| Temperature guage rises and a large amount of coolant spill engine overheats engine stalls i really don't expect this on a bmw why don't help us with the problem i'm really disapointed they just ignore the problem. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM | |||
| 10/15/2000 | 1 | 02/01/1994 | |
| Temperature guage rises and a large amount of coolant spill engine overheats engine stalls i really don't expect this on a bmw why don't help us with the problem i'm really disapointed they just ignore the problem. | |||
| 09/22/2000 | 3 | ||
| While driving on expressway, vehicle began to overheat and red light came on, consumer had vehicle inspected and was advised that head gasket contained a crack which caused coolant to leak and caused severe damage to the engine head, consumer was also advised by reputable bmw dealers that vehicle was designed with a faulty part called the profile gasket and it is well known, but manufacturer does not want to recognize it as a problem, consumer has also experienced cooling system problems twice, the first requiring the replacement of the entire radiator and also there was a recall on radiator cap. *jb | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||
| 09/22/2000 | 3 | ||
| While driving on expressway, vehicle began to overheat and red light came on, consumer had vehicle inspected and was advised that head gasket contained a crack which caused coolant to leak and caused severe damage to the engine head, consumer was also advised by reputable bmw dealers that vehicle was designed with a faulty part called the profile gasket and it is well known, but manufacturer does not want to recognize it as a problem, consumer has also experienced cooling system problems twice, the first requiring the replacement of the entire radiator and also there was a recall on radiator cap. *jb | |||
| 1 | 07/01/1997 | ||
| While driving the over-heating light came on, dealer found head gasket to be cracked, consumer says there was a design flaw to the profile gasket which can leak and over a period of time cause severe damage to the engine. *slc | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||
| 09/30/1996 | 1 | ||
| Vehicle has had continued problems with engine shutting down, unable to determine cause. | |||
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - DELIVERY | |||
| 11/23/2001 | 3 | 04/01/1999 | |
| Fuel leakages from the upper return lines. dealer making repairs. *ak dealer claims it was next to the starter. also claims it was fixed, however it is not. *jg | |||
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM - INJECTORS | |||
| 05/11/2000 | 0 | ||
| Consumer took car to a car wash when control box got wet, then the fuel injector froze open, causing fuel to leak onto the engine. car spilled gasoline all over the ground. consumer was trying to start vehicle when the car when a car wash attendant came out and told her not to start vehicle because it might blow up. prior cars of 1994 bmw had this same problem. *ak | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | |||
| 05/26/2001 | |||
| Would be driving and vehicle failed to shift from first into 2nd gear. would get hung up in first. then, it would suddenly jerk and shift into 2nd. taken to dealership, mechanic indicated problem of shifting was repairable.*ak | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES | |||
| 08/22/2011 | 120000 | ||
| My vehicle was parked on a slight hill and the hand brake was pulled up to its full capacity. my brother sat in the car and smoked a cigarette before going to his appointment. after he returned from his appointment, the vehicle could not be found. after looking around, he realized that the vehicle had rolled down the hill, across a busy two-way main road in the downtown area of the city and hit the wall of the at&t building. thank god no pedestrian was walking during this time and no car was passing by. my insurance paid $12,000 in damages to the building owner and the damages to the car was massive. my premium increased due to this incident because at the time, bmw stated that there were no recalls on the hand brake. the vehicle was in tip top shape and the only issue i have ever had with it was having to get the hand brake adjusted periodically because it kept slipping causing the vehicle to roll even while extended. | |||
| STRUCTURE - BODY - DOOR | |||
| 03/01/2001 | 1 | 02/01/1998 | |
| Interior door panel assemblies on 3 (three) sections of the vehicle have detached - in the event of accident, passengers may not be able to escape! also, flawed door panel assemblies make entery/egress from vehicle difficult/dangerous. | |||
| 09/02/1999 | 0 | ||
| When onsumer's son got inside of vehicle and locked doors manually. then tried to turn on engine, but the engine did not start. driver tried to get out of vehicle, and he couldn't because the door won't unlock. somehow he opened the sun roof and got out. then unlocked door with key. *ak | |||
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | |||
| 10/20/2000 | 2 | 10/01/1994 | |
| Initial throttle recall (nhtse #97v131000) performed 5-13-98. problems relating to cruise control/brake lights continue. (please note: there are irregularities in several fields of the questionaire that show up incorrectly on the final chart.) | |||