M47 vs M54

Side-by-side reliability comparison

Higher reliability score
M54 BEST 93/100
+31 points over M47
0 / 100
CAUTION M47 BMW
0 / 100
BEST M54 BMW

Specifications

M47
M54
Brand
BMW
BMW
Verdict
CAUTION
BEST
Reliability
62
93
Years
1998--2007
2000--2006
Displacement
1995 cc
2979 cc
Layout
I4
I6
Type
Diesel
Petrol Na
Power
116--163 hp
170--231 hp
Known Issues
2
4
Total Risk Cost
€1,900--€9,200
€530--€1,250

Character

M47

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

M54

"Peak old-school BMW. Raspy, high-revving, raw. The benchmark. 300k+ km routine."

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

M54 4

● MODERATE
Cooling plastics — water pump impeller critical €200--€450 80,000 km--150,000 km
● MODERATE
DISA valve failure (intake manifold flap) €80--€200 80,000 km--160,000 km
● MODERATE
Double VANOS oil seal wear €150--€350 100,000 km--180,000 km
○ MINOR
Valve cover gasket oil leak €100--€250 100,000 km--200,000 km

Models

M47 0

No models listed.

M54 13

5 Series E39 2000--2003 3 Series E46 2001--2005 5 Series E60 2003--2007 5 Series E60 2003--2005 5 Series E39 2000--2003 Z4 E85 2003--2005 3 Series E46 2001--2005 5 Series E60 2003--2005 X5 E53 2000--2006 5 Series E39 2000--2003 Z4 E85 2003--2005 3 Series E46 2001--2005 Z3 E36/7 2000--2002
Full M47 Report Full M54 Report