How many recalls does the 1996 BMW 318i have?

The 1996 BMW 318i has 1 NHTSA safety recall campaign on record.

How do I check if my 1996 BMW 318i has an open recall?

Enter your 17-character VIN at NHTSA's official recall lookup (nhtsa.gov/recalls) to see open, unrepaired recalls for your specific vehicle. Recall repairs are free.

What do owners complain about most on the 1996 BMW 318i?

Of 3 NHTSA complaints on file, the most-reported component is air bags.

1996 BMW 318i Recalls

Recalls on record Updated July 2026

The 1996 BMW 318i has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 410,000 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 3 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the air bags. Last updated July 5, 2026.

Recall campaigns

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 97V131000 1997-08-19 410,000 affected

Defect

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…

Consequence

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.

Complaints by component

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION

Total complaints3

What owners report

Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.

“When the consumer shifted gears, the gear went into neutral. *jb replaced manual transmission and throw-out bearing due to excessive wear . *tt”

POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION · reported 2003-05-08

“Consumer states while driving approximately 40mph, she hit a cement wall and the airbags did not deploy.*jb vehicle totalled and consumer was injured.. *tt”

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL · reported 2002-05-01

“While driving 70 mph, the vehicle pulled to the left and lost control. Hit an embankment. Upon impact, driver's and passenger's airbags did not deploy, which did not protect the occupant in this crash. Please provide further information. *ak”

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL · reported 1999-08-17

Sources & methodology

Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1996 BMW 318i as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.