Known Recalls

Model year record

1994 BMW 318

1 recall campaign on file for this model year. 26 owner complaints on file.

Recalls

Recall campaignNHTSA 94V037000

Fuel system, gasoline: fuel injection system

Component
Fuel system, gasoline: fuel injection system
Manufacturer
BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE
Vehicles affected
23,500
Reported to NHTSA
1994-02-17
Owners notified
1994-08-29

Defect description

THE ADHESIVE MATERIAL OF THE TWO PIECE THROTTLE BODY HEATER MIGRATES INTO THE CIRCULATION CHAMBER CAUSING BUILD UP OF IMPURITIES AND RESTRICTION OF FLOW WITHIN THE CHAMBER. THIS CONDITION AND WATER VAPORS FROM THE CRANK THAT FREEZES AT LOW AMBIENT AIR TEMPERATURES PREVENTS THE THROTTLE PLATE FROM CLOSING AS THE DRIVER RELEASES THE GAS PEDAL, CAUSING LOSS OF THROTTLE CONTROL.

Safety risk

IF LOSS OF THROTTLE CONTROL FROM THE FROZEN THROTTLE BODY OCCURS WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION, A VEHICLE CRASH COULD OCCUR.

Manufacturer remedy

BMW DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE THROTTLE BODY HEATER WITH A MODIFIED HEATER.

Owner complaints

A complaint is one person's report to a federal agency. It is not a finding.

ComponentComplaintsMedian mileage
Electrical system: ignition4—
Air bags3—
Electrical system: ignition: module3—
Engine and engine cooling: engine2—
Air bags: frontal1—
Electrical system1—
Electrical system: wiring1—
Electrical system: wiring: fuses and circuit breakers1—
Engine and engine cooling: cooling system1—
Fuel system, gasoline: fuel injection system1—
Fuel system, gasoline: fuel injection system: injectors1—
Fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assembly1—
Power train: automatic transmission1—
Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip1—
Structure: body: door1—
Structure: frame and members1—
Vehicle speed control: accelerator pedal1—
Visibility: windshield1—

The 1993 model has about 1.5 times as many complaints as this one. The 1995 model has roughly the same number of complaints as this one. These figures reflect raw complaint counts, not failure rates. Higher-selling model years naturally receive more complaints.

Safety recall repairs are provided free of charge by franchised dealers, regardless of vehicle age or mileage. This page displays aggregated data for the model year. To check recall status for a specific vehicle, search its VIN at nhtsa.gov.