1996 BMW 318TI
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
Have the VIN?
These records cover every 1996 BMW 318TI. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
Recalls
1 recall names the 1996 BMW 318TI. Newest first.
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…
Risk and remedy
Risk
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.
Remedy
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.
Owner complaints
8 complaints1 involved a crash
What owners report most
Latest complaints
- Visibility › Power window devices and controls
This IS the 8TH time passenger side window of my 1996 bmw318ti IS in need of repair. Motor replaced once, than regulator, followed by numerous repairs for slides or clips to be fixed. When putting up window there IS a loud crack and the window goes off track, so it can neither go up or down. This IS a costly complaint from many owners of this car so there has to be some sort of problem or defect. *Tr
- Visibility › Power window devices and controls
My 1996 BMW 318ti - driver side front window has 3 times in last 5 years fallen into the door interior while driving. I have had this repaired now 3 times in 5 years at a total cost to be of $1300. this IS a systemic design and safety problem that occurs not most of the 3 series BMW from…
My 1996 BMW 318ti - driver side front window has 3 times in last 5 years fallen into the door interior while driving. I have had this repaired now 3 times in 5 years at a total cost to be of $1300. this IS a systemic design and safety problem that occurs not most of the 3 series BMW from 1995 to 2002. BMW utilizes a very poor channel design to retain the window safely and securely with 3 cheap inadequate plastic / metal clips that fail consistently and repeatedly after repair over a short time it IS a huge design problem and there should be a recall and new design implementation to correct this systemic design safety failure. In my last failure last week I was driving 60 miles and hour on a freeway and window drops into door almost causing a crash. *tr
- Visibility › Power window devices and controls
The windows fall off track on my 1996 BMW E36 318ti. this has been happening to both windows on my car regularly for the past 2.5 years I have owned the car and has ruined the tint on both windows. I have spoken with other 318ti owners about this problem and have found that this a highly common…
The windows fall off track on my 1996 BMW E36 318ti. this has been happening to both windows on my car regularly for the past 2.5 years I have owned the car and has ruined the tint on both windows. I have spoken with other 318ti owners about this problem and have found that this a highly common failure and normally costs several hundred dollars to repair, only to break again shortly thereafter. I feel as though the windows could shatter when they fall into the door or possibly harm passengers by falling into the car while in the off-track position. this could be a serious problem. *nm
- Vehicle speed control › Cables
I am an engineer who performs failure analysis - my observations are based on significant experience in this field. the car IS a 1996 BMW 318ti with a 5 spd manual transmission. the engine IS stock. I was driving my 318ti on the interstate highway and noticed that the speed was increasing…
I am an engineer who performs failure analysis - my observations are based on significant experience in this field. the car IS a 1996 BMW 318ti with a 5 spd manual transmission. the engine IS stock. I was driving my 318ti on the interstate highway and noticed that the speed was increasing without throttle input. I turned the cruise control off thinking that it somehow had malfunctioned - the speed continued to increase. when the speed passed 80 mph, I depressed the clutch, which of course allowed the car to slow, but the engine immediately attempted to redline - as the tach got close to the red line, I shut the ignition off, and steered the car to the shoulder. with the car in neutral, I try to start it again, and the engine speed increased very rapidly to redline. I tried this 3-4 times over 5 minutes with the same result each time. I finally opened the hood and found that the throttle cable had come loose from the plastic bushing on the lever housing. this problem was the subject of a 1997 recall, and my car had the repairs made (metal rings) that were specified in the recall. they seem to be failing now. there IS a news article from england that seems to show an identical failure in a 318. the drivers name IS kevin nicolle, and the story appeared on this web page ( http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/03/11/ntrapped11.xml ). the recall effected 410,000 cars - this recall should be revisited as the repair seems to have created another failure mode that leads to unexpected acceleration. I have a photo of the throttle cable / cable bushing at the time of the failure - I can forward it to any interested parties. *nm
- Electrical system › Ignition › Switch
When taking the key out ofignition vehicle continued to run. *ak
- Electrical system › Ignition
Ignition switch failure. when attempting to turn off car, key moved to off position without resistance but did not turn off car. switch locked in off position but key would move and car continued to run. key could be removed and reinserted but could not turn off car. had to pull fuse on the…
Ignition switch failure. when attempting to turn off car, key moved to off position without resistance but did not turn off car. switch locked in off position but key would move and car continued to run. key could be removed and reinserted but could not turn off car. had to pull fuse on the fuel injection system to stall engine and disconnect battery to turn off power to car. this problem appears to be common in a large number of bmws. inability to turn off engine could pose hazard if situation required driver to cut power to engine. also, because engine runs quietly, possibility that someone could think he/she turned off his/her car in his/her garage but did not, leading to possible carbon monoxide poisoning. dt
- Structure › Body › Door
Strip on door peeling making it hard for driver to close the door.
- Air bags › Frontal
While driving 30 mph vehicle was involved in a frontal collision and the airbags did not deploy. Owner will contact the manufacturer. *ak
Service bulletins
Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.
- 10249437The basic conditions for initializing the power windows are not met.
- 6089811Rough idle
- 52259M44 misfire faults 50, 51, 52 or 53.
Every BMW 318TI model year
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.