N62 vs N52

Side-by-side reliability comparison

Higher reliability score
N52 BEST 90/100
+52 points over N62
0 / 100
AVOID N62 BMW
0 / 100
BEST N52 BMW

Specifications

N62
N52
Brand
BMW
BMW
Verdict
AVOID
BEST
Reliability
38
90
Years
2001--2010
2004--2015
Displacement
4799 cc
2996 cc
Layout
V8
I6
Type
Petrol Na
Petrol Na
Power
325--367 hp
190--272 hp
Known Issues
2
3
Total Risk Cost
€4,000--€14,000
€250--€900

Character

N62

"Valve stem seal failure (30%+ by 160k km). Coolant transfer pipe leak = 40+ hours labour. Timing chain guide brittleness. Over-engineered with too many failure points. Beautiful power, terrible ownership."

N52

"Last great NA six. Lighter (magnesium block), smoother, higher-revving than M54. 250k+ km."

Issues Comparison

N62 2

◆ CRITICAL
Coolant transfer pipe seal leak €2,000--€8,000 60,000 km--120,000 km
◆ CRITICAL
Valve stem seal failure €2,000--€6,000 100,000 km--180,000 km

N52 3

● MODERATE
Coolant expansion tank / hose failure €100--€300 80,000 km--150,000 km
● MODERATE
VANOS solenoid / oil feed failure €150--€400 80,000 km--160,000 km
○ MINOR
Hydraulic lifter tick on cold start €0--€200 60,000 km--∞

Models

N62 5

5 Series E60 2003--2005 7 Series E65 2001--2005 X5 E53 2003--2006 5 Series E60 2005--2010 X5 E53 2004--2006

N52 9

6 Series E63 2004--2010 5 Series E60 2005--2007 5 Series E60 2005--2007 3 Series E90 2005--2007 Z4 E85 2006--2008 5 Series E60 2005--2007 X5 E70 2007--2010 3 Series E90 2005--2007 1 Series E87 2005--2011
Full N62 Report Full N52 Report