1.5

hardly worth mentioning
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
115,000 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

1996 BMW 318 windows / windshield problems

windows / windshield problem

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1996 BMW 318 Owner Comments

problem #3

Apr 012010

318

  • 150,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

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.

- Belle Vernon, PA, USA

problem #2

Jun 012009

318

  • 110,000 miles
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.

- Gilroy, CA, USA

problem #1

Jul 082006

318

  • Manual transmission
  • 85,000 miles
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.

- Denton, TX, USA

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