- Vehicles
- 15,200
- Built between
- Jun 1990 – Nov 1991
- Models
- 1
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- Manufacturer
- Owners notified
- 7 February 1992
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between June 1990 and November 1991. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1991-1992 BMW 318Built June 1990 to November 1991
What the defect is
The crankcase ventilation system, vented into the intake tract of the engine at the bellows boot ahead of the throttle housing, allows warm water vapor from the crankcase vent to condense and freeze in the colder bellows boot when the ambient air temperature is 15 degrees fahrenheit or less. The build up of ice can dislodge and move into the throttle housing, preventing the throttle plate from fully closing when the driver releases the gas pedal.
What could happen
If the throttle plate is prevented from closing, thereis an increase in idle speed as well as slower than normal deceleration, whichoccurs without prior warning and could result in an accident.
What gets fixed
REPLACE THE THROTTLE HOUSING WITH A VERSION CONTAINING A MODIFIED HEATING SYSTEM ALONG WITH REROUTING OF THE CVS HOSE. THIS WILL PREVENT ICE BUILD-UP IN THE INTAKE TRACT.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtJune 1990 to November 1991
- Recall reported to NHTSA17 December 1991
- Owners notified7 February 1992
Your rights
A safety recall repair is free. Under US federal law the manufacturer must fix a safety defect at no cost to you — no charge for parts, labor or diagnosis — whether or not you are the original owner. A dealer cannot charge you for recall work, and cannot require you to have bought the vehicle from them.
That entitlement is not unlimited. It applies where the vehicle was first sold less than 15 years before the recall was announced — 5 years for tires. Past that a manufacturer may still do the repair free of charge, and many do, but they are no longer obliged to. This recall was reported on 17 December 1991.
To arrange the repair, contact any franchised dealer for the brand. If a dealer refuses the work or tries to charge for it, you can report that to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/recalls or on 1-888-327-4236.
Official source
- Recalling manufacturer
- BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE
- Recall initiated by
- MFR
Everything on this page — the models listed, the build dates and the repair figures — comes from the manufacturer's filing to NHTSA and describes the vehicle line as a whole, not any individual car. Only the manufacturer can confirm whether a specific vehicle is affected, and whether its recall work has already been carried out. Check yours by VIN and read the official notice at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Additional notes
System: throttle linkages and control.vehicle description: passenger vehicles.
Check your own vehicle
This page describes the recall, not any one car. To see which recalls cover a specific vehicle, search by make, model and year.
A VIN lookup here identifies your vehicle and shows recalls issued for that make, model and year. It cannot tell you what is still open on your individual car - only the manufacturer knows that. Search by VIN instead, or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov for whether a recall is still open on your individual car.