M47 vs M50

Side-by-side reliability comparison

Higher reliability score
M50 BEST 88/100
+26 points over M47
0 / 100
CAUTION M47 BMW
0 / 100
BEST M50 BMW

Specifications

M47
M50
Brand
BMW
BMW
Verdict
CAUTION
BEST
Reliability
62
88
Years
1998--2007
1990--1996
Displacement
1995 cc
2494 cc
Layout
I4
I6
Type
Diesel
Petrol Na
Power
116--163 hp
150--192 hp
Known Issues
2
2
Total Risk Cost
€1,900--€9,200
€400--€1,100

Character

M47

"Pre-N47 diesel. Early M47D20 (non-common-rail) is simple. M47TU (2001+) has swirl flaps that can destroy engine. Remove flaps preventively."

M50

"Cast iron block legend. One of BMW's most reliable ever. M50TU added single VANOS. Strong internals handle 300k+ km. Cooling plastics only weakness."

Issues Comparison

M47 2

◆ CRITICAL
Swirl flap catastrophic failure (M47TU) €1,500--€8,000 60,000 km--150,000 km
▲ HIGH
Common rail injector failure €400--€1,200 100,000 km--200,000 km

M50 2

▲ HIGH
Water pump plastic impeller failure €200--€500 60,000 km--120,000 km
● MODERATE
VANOS unit wear (M50TU) €200--€600 100,000 km--200,000 km
Full M47 Report Full M50 Report