1997 BMW 318 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other 318 years
- Not enough data 3rd of 5 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- None on file
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 5 complaints with NHTSA about the 1997 BMW 318. That ranks 3rd out of 5 318 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (2 complaints, 40%). Complaints mention 1 crash. There are no safety recalls on file for this model year.
- 5owner complaints
- 0safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 1complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1997 BMW 318 problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 2 | 40% | — | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 20% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 | 20% | — | — | — |
| Steering | 1 | 20% | 218,800 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1997 BMW 318 recalls (0)
No safety recalls are on file for the 1997 BMW 318.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Steering wheel is locked. It won't budge. You can crank the car..no problem, but the wheel is locked. *tr
Consumer was traveling about 55mph on highway there was a flying tire on the road, and tire hit vehicle. Vehicle rolled over on the shoulder, and dual airbags didn't deploy. Dealership was aware of problem.*ak
Converter failure at <20000 miles seems unusaul. In talking to two dealers, both service departments indicated that the "318's had a problem with the converters that year". Seems to me that if they had a problem, they should fix rather than waiting for it to break, then my having to take time off…
Air bag safety light keeps going off. The manual states the system malfunctioned, could prevent system from responding to a high intensity frontal impact occurring within normal response range. Dealer was contacted three times and cannot duplicate the problem. *ak
The vehicle's gas and brake pedals are too close together, when thinking of stepping on the brakes driver is actually stepping on the gas pedal. *ak
Other BMW 318 years
See all BMW 318 problems by year, every BMW model, or the BMW VIN decoder.
Similar BMW models
Embed this 1997 BMW 318 badge on your site
Copy this code into your blog or forum post. It shows live complaint and recall counts and links back here.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1997 BMW 318?
Owners most often report air bags, engine and engine cooling, service brakes, hydraulic problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 2 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1997 BMW 318?
No safety recalls are on file for this model year.
Was the 1997 BMW 318 a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other 318 model years, the 1997 has too little data to compare. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.