What these engines share
BMW's 2.0-litre diesel story in two chapters: the N47 (2007–2015) with its rear-mounted timing chain and the B47 (2014–present) that fixed the design. Both power the 3 Series, 5 Series, X1, and X3 in their respective eras.
B47 vs N47 at a glance
| B47 | N47 | |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | BMW | BMW |
| Score | 80/100 | 54/100 |
| Verdict | BUY | CAUTION |
| Type | 2.0L Turbo Diesel I4 | 2.0L Turbo Diesel I4 |
| Known issues | 5 | 3 |
B47 — 80/100 (BUY)
Found in: 1 Series, 2 Series, 2 Series Active Tourer, 218d, 3 Series, 320d, 320d GT, 4 Series
Key issues
- EGR cooler coolant leak — soot sludge, intake manifold melt, fire risk (recall) — severity critical, cost €820, onset N/A
- DPF blockage — city driving — severity high, cost €1.500, onset 50.000 km
- Timing chain (rear-mounted) — rare premature wear — severity minor, cost N/A, onset N/A
- Turbocharger failure — occasional — severity minor, cost N/A, onset N/A
N47 — 54/100 (CAUTION)
Found in: 1 Series, 120d, 3 Series, 320d, 4 Series, 5 Series, 520d, Clubman
Key issues
- EGR cooler coolant leak — soot sludge, intake damage, fire risk (recall) — severity critical, cost N/A, onset N/A
- Rear-mounted timing chain stretch — chain jump or snap destroys the engine — severity critical, cost €4.000, onset 100.000 km
- EGR valve failure + DPF blockage — severity high, cost €1.200, onset 60.000 km
Verdict: B47 wins by 26 points
The B47 scores 80/100 vs the N47's 54/100 — a 26-point difference. This is a significant gap. The B47 is clearly the safer choice.
Which one should you buy?
This is one of the clearest upgrade stories in BMW's lineup. The N47's rear-mounted timing chain is a known catastrophic failure point — an engine-out chain job costs €1.500–4.000, and a snapped chain usually writes the engine off. The B47 kept a rear-mounted chain but with a redesigned drive that does not share the N47's failure pattern, and added an AdBlue system. Buy a B47 (2014+ LCI models) every time — and confirm the EGR-cooler recall was carried out.
Generated from EngineScope's reliability database. Reviewed by the editorial team. Methodology →