AI Damage1991 BMW 318I: common problems
Owners of the 1991 BMW 318I filed 8 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and cooling and air bags. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 8
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Engine and cooling 50% of all complaints
- 2 Air bags 13% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 13% of all complaints
- 4 Seat belts 13% of all complaints
- Engine and cooling: 4 complaints (50% of all).
- Air bags: 1 complaints (13% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 1 complaints (13% of all).
- Seat belts: 1 complaints (13% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 8 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and cooling | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
When striking a wall head-on at 40 mph driver's air bag did not deploy. Dealer has not been contacted.
Engine profile gasket for m42 engine 4cyl, 16 valve has failed allowing all coolant fluid to leak from engine.
The vehicle experienced a coolant leak. The coolant leaked from a faulty profile gasket. The faulty gasket was the subject of a recall but the consumers vehicle was not included due to vin. The consumer paid for the repairs and requested reimbursement.
Driver's side seat belt buckle will not latch and passenger's side seat belt will latch intermittently. Dealer and manufacturer were notified. Manufactuer and dealer unwilling to help, consumer replaced with second hand parts.
Consumer put key into ignition and it wouldn't turn at all.
Timing case profile gaskets failed which in turn releases all coolant in the system.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 11,896 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 32% most complained about).
On average one model year of the 318I has 8 complaints (12 years in the data). This year has 8, about average.
What to check before buying
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1991 BMW 318I?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine and cooling, air bags, electrical system. Total complaints: 8. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: airbags did not deploy (13%), overheating, coolant loss (13%), seat belts (13%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1991 BMW 318I?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1991 BMW 318I from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1991 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.