The BMW 318ti is a compact car built from 1981 to 2000. Most were assembled in Germany — 100% of those on record. Engines offered: 4-cyl. Worth buying? It holds up well, with the usual caveat about model years at 4.0/5 — and the year you pick matters far more than the badge (best and worst years →).
What the 318ti is
The BMW 318ti is a compact car that BMW built from 1981 to 2000 — 20 model years. It has been offered with 4-cyl power. Its closest siblings in the BMW range: M3, 328i, 330i.
Where the 318ti is built
A badge says where the company is registered; the VIN says where the car was bolted together. We counted the first three characters — the manufacturer identifier — across 7 318tis on record.
| Assembled in | Share | VIN starts with | Years seen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | WBA | 1995-1999 |
Check your own: the first three characters of a BMW VIN decide which of these 1 lines your 318ti belongs to. What every character in a 318ti VIN means →
Got the full 17 characters? A free VIN check on a BMW 318ti adds what the decoder can't see: open recalls, theft and total-loss records, and the safety ratings for that exact build.
BMW 318ti tire size, oil type & owner specs
The fitment 318ti owners look up most — tires, wheels, oil and batteries. Exact wheel and tire sizes decode from your VIN or the driver's door-jamb placard; the universal items are listed below.
Exact tire, wheel, oil grade, capacity and battery group are added per trim and model year — decode your VIN above for the factory fitment. Universal items shown as-is.
What engines does the BMW 318ti have? Power & range
The BMW 318ti is offered with 1 powertrain — 1.9L 4-cyl. Here's the lineup by engine, transmission and drivetrain — 1 for the BMW 318ti, against one or two on most rivals.
| Engine | Displacement | Transmission | Drive | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4-cyl | 1.9L · 4-cyl | Manual 5-spd | RWD | Regular |
Horsepower, torque and fuel-tank size decode from your VIN — exact figures vary by engine and trim.
Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov (engines, drivetrain, range, charge time). Horsepower & torque from NHTSA vPIC on VIN decode.
The 318ti by the numbers
What the federal and market records say about the BMW 318ti. Each line opens the full breakdown by year.
| Topic | 318ti | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Recalls | 3 campaigns | NHTSA, all years |
| Owner complaints | 12 filed | What breaks and when |
| Reliability | 4.0 / 5 | Best and worst years |
Frequently asked questions
What kind of car is the BMW 318ti?
The 318ti is a compact car, built from 1981 to 2000. Engines offered: 4-cyl.
Where is the BMW 318ti made?
Across 7 cars in our records the split is: Germany (100%). The first three characters of a VIN identify the plant's manufacturer and country — that is where these shares come from, not from a press release.
What is the BMW 318ti warranty?
New models carry 4 years / 50,000 miles basic cover and 4 years / 50,000 miles on the powertrain. Worth knowing: across our complaint records the typical car reaches the halfway point of its faults at five years, so most repairs land after the basic warranty ends.
Is the 318ti reliable?
It scores 4.0/5 in our data. The honest answer depends on the year far more than the model — see the best and worst years, and when this car starts to break.
How do I check a specific 318ti?
This page describes the model; it cannot tell you whether that car has an open recall or a branded title. Run its VIN against the records — free, and matched to the exact production run.
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