- Vehicles
- 23,500
- Built between
- Feb 1992 – Jan 1994
- Models
- 1
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- Manufacturer
- Owners notified
- 29 August 1994
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between February 1992 and January 1994. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1992-1994 BMW 318Built February 1992 to January 1994
What the defect is
The adhesive material of the two piece throttle body heater migrates into the circulation chamber causing build up of impurities and restriction of flow within the chamber. This condition and water vapors from the crank that freezes at low ambient air temperatures prevents the throttle plate from closing as the driver releases the gas pedal, causing loss of throttle control.
What could happen
If loss of throttle control from the frozen throttle body occurs while the vehicle is in motion, a vehicle crash could occur.
What gets fixed
BMW DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE THROTTLE BODY HEATER WITH A MODIFIED HEATER.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtFebruary 1992 to January 1994
- Recall reported to NHTSA17 February 1994
- Owners notified29 August 1994
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 February 1994.
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: fuel; fuel injection system.vehicle description: passenger vehicles, model 318I and 318IS.NOTE: if your vehicle is presented to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and the remedy is not provided within a reasonable time and free of charge or the remedy does not correct the defect or noncompliane, please contact BMW service center at 1-201-573-2100. Also, contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-800-424-9393.
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.