1998 BMW 318: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 1998 BMW 318
Only 3 defect reports have been filed with NHTSA about the 1998 BMW 318, which is too few to compute mileage percentiles or a risk score. The reports reported complete transmission failure.
When each failure gets reported
Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens
Every reported failure mode
| Failure mode | System | Reports | With reading | 25th | Median | 75th | Per 1,000 | Typical repair | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Complete transmission failure | transmission | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | $2,800–$8,000 | Critical |
| Other speed control problem | adas | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | $250–$2,000 | Critical |
| Unclassified problem | other | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | Moderate |
No fleet-size estimate is available for this year, so only raw counts are shown. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.
Every year of the BMW 318
Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.
What the reports on file say
The complaints recorded against the 1998 BMW 318 are complete transmission failure (1 report) and other speed control problem (1 report). With a sample this size these are anecdotes rather than a pattern, and they are shown because somebody looking at this exact car would rather see them than nothing.
Why this page is short
A model year needs about 8 reports before percentiles mean anything, and this one does not have them. Complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road, so a thin page usually means a rare car, a new car, or a car whose owners do not file.
Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.
What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car
Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed