Model year record

1991 BMW 318I

1 recall campaign on file for this model year. 9 owner complaints on file.

Recalls

Recall campaignNHTSA 91V054000

Air bags: knee bolster

Component
Air bags: knee bolster
Manufacturer
BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE
Vehicles affected
13,500
Reported to NHTSA
1991-04-10
Owners notified
1991-07-23

Defect description

DURING TESTING, INCORRECTLY INSTALLED DRIVER-SIDE KNEE BOLSTER PREVENTED STEERING COLUMN FROM MOVING FORWARD AS DESIGNED TO ABSORB IMPACT ENERGY FROM DRIVER DUMMY.

Safety risk

CHEST DECELERATION EXCEEDS MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE LIMIT WHICHRESULTS IN INCREASED RISK OF OCCUPANT INJURY IN A SUDDEN STOP OR ACCIDENT.

Manufacturer remedy

REPAIR THE KNEE BOLSTER TO ALLOW CLEARANCE AND AVOID IMPEDANCE OF STEERING COLUMN MOVEMENT DURING FRONTAL IMPACT.

Owner complaints

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

ComponentComplaintsMedian mileage
Engine and engine cooling: engine371,117 mi
Unknown or other2
Air bags: frontal1
Electrical system: ignition: switch1
Engine and engine cooling: cooling system168,881 mi
Seat belts: front: buckle assembly1

The 1992 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.