New bmw combusted -- electrical fire due to defect in fan assembly already known to bmw. Had I been driving the car at the time, it would have resulted in a fatality.
The worst 2001 BMW 318 problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Engine5
- Suspension1
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Engine5
- Suspension1
Recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Technical service bulletins for the 2001 BMW 318 3
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Bmw: procedure for determining and replacing incandescent and halogen light bulbs under warranty. rm
- Bmw: a new technical process has been created for bmw to identify causes of steering complaints with a...
- Bmw vehicles: fuel level sensor repairs. where it is necessary to replace the right or the left side fuel...
What 2001 BMW 318 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
My car was simply idling in a parking lot with the A/C on for a few minutes when I returned to find my car with smoke billowing from under the hood. I immediately ran to the car and turned it off. I noticed the temperature gauge was all the way to the red zone. I then noticed radiator fluid spilling to the ground. I opened the hood of the car and noticed the fluid was releasing from the radiator cap. My car was towed to the dealer and they replaced the cooling fan. This is not an isolated incident. I have read numerous incidents on the internet of people's cooling fans failing and their bmw's overheating. I'm surprised bmw has not yet issued a recall. This needs to be done. My car was not some car waiting at a dealership to be bought. I ordered it and it was assembled in a plant in germany. They are installing faulty fans into new cars. Their problem is that they do not know which fans are the bad/failing fans. They should recall all 3 series bmw 2001 fans and replace them. This upsets me. My car is running fine, but who knows what if any, unknown long term damage was sustained in my engine from overheating!!!!!.
Multiple complaints of overheating for same model due to failure of auxiliary cooling fan as noted on internet bulletin board www.bimmer.org in recent weeks/months
No summary listed for above vehicle.
Cooling fan failure caused engine to overheat - vehicle undriveable.
After hearing unusual noises coming from the front suspension, the dealer replaced the control arms. Similar noises are now coming from the back but the source has not been determined yet. I am concerned with safety and reliability of this product.
Compare the 2001 BMW 318
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Questions about the 2001 BMW 318
Is the 2001 BMW 318 reliable?
Owners have filed 6 complaints about the 2001 BMW 318, close to a typical 318 model year.
What is the most common problem with the 2001 BMW 318?
Engine and cooling, with 5 complaints. Next is suspension (1).
How many recalls does the 2001 BMW 318 have?
No recalls on record.
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