BMW 3 Series E90 — Reliability

E90 2010–2012 1 engine

Reliability Summary

Engine N57 — 69/100 ACCEPTABLE
Known Issues 8

Engine in this model

ACCEPTABLE 69

N57

3.0L Turbo Diesel I6

Smooth, strong 3.0 diesel six from single-turbo 204 PS to the 381 PS tri-turbo (N57S). Most cars are...

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Known Issues Across All Engines

Issue Engine Severity Onset
Main and con-rod bearing wear — low oil pressure, late oil changes N57 critical 150,000 km – 200,000 km
EGR cooler coolant leak — soot sludge, intake damage, fire risk (recall) N57 critical —
Swirl flaps soot up, jam or break N57 high 129,000 km – 209,000 km
Timing chain, guides and tensioner wear (rear-mounted) N57 moderate 193,000 km – 290,000 km
Turbocharger wear — dearer on twin and tri-turbo versions N57 moderate —
Injector soot and seal leaks N57 minor —
Crankshaft vibration damper wear N57 minor —
EGR valve and intake soot N57 minor —