M62 vs M50

Side-by-side reliability comparison

Higher reliability score
M50 BEST 88/100
+30 points over M62
0 / 100
CAUTION M62 BMW
0 / 100
BEST M50 BMW

Specifications

M62
M50
Brand
BMW
BMW
Verdict
CAUTION
BEST
Reliability
58
88
Years
1996--2003
1990--1996
Displacement
4398 cc
2494 cc
Layout
V8
I6
Type
Petrol Na
Petrol Na
Power
282--326 hp
150--192 hp
Known Issues
2
2
Total Risk Cost
€3,500--€9,500
€400--€1,100

Character

M62

"E39 540i/E38 740i V8. Alusil block, Nikasil issues on early units. VANOS failure, timing chain guides, valley pan gasket. Expensive to maintain but rewarding."

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

M62 2

◆ CRITICAL
Nikasil bore wear (early units) €3,000--€8,000 80,000 km--150,000 km
▲ HIGH
VANOS unit failure €500--€1,500 80,000 km--150,000 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

Models

M62 2

X5 E53 2000--2003 5 Series E39 1996--2003

M50 0

No models listed.

Full M62 Report Full M50 Report