What is the Issue?
The timing chain, its guides, and tensioners on BMW's N13, N20, N43 & N47 engines were poorly designed and constructed. Because the engines are of an interference type, there is the potential for catastrophic engine damage when the timing is not correct. The substandard parts on the N13, N20, N43 & N47 engines can lead to the chain stretching, slipping, skipping or snapping, all of which have the potential to result in complete engine failure.
Which 1 & 2 Series Models are Affected?
All BMW & Mini models, regardless of year, that are fitted with the N13, N20, N43 or N47 engines can suffer from premature timing chain wear and failure. The likelihood of it occurring is higher in the earlier models. The potential impact is identical on all of them.
Note: this list only includes models relevant to this forum. The issues are present on all other series BMWs with the same engines.
E81, E82, E87, E88 1 Series
Petrol
F20, F21, F22, F23 1 / 2 Series
Petrol
E84 X1
Petrol
Diesel
What Was Done About It?
In the 2009 model year, BMW issued revised parts for the N47 which could be fitted to older cars as part of a “quality enhancement” programme – effectively a voluntary recall. The 2009 revision engines featured a redesigned crankshaft and timing chain guides, which reduced the likelihood of failure, as well as the potential damage caused when failure occurs. This again occurred for MY2011, further reducing the likelihood of failure, but not eliminating it.
BMW did not acknowledge the timing chain issues in the N43, N20 and N13 engines, at least in the UK/EU. However, in 2017, a separate quality enhancement for the N43 engine provided a route by which affected engines could be repaired and replaced. As part of the work to fit a vacuum pump sensor, if a stretched or slipped chain caused running errors which prevented the work from being completed, the parts up to and including a total engine replacement would be covered. This did not retrospectively cover complete engine failure, as it required that the vehicle had driven under its own power to have the quality enhancement performed in the first place.
From a customer service standpoint, BMW did as little as they possibly could. It only takes a brief search to find pages and pages of reports of owners being left out of pocket by thousands of £/€/$ as BMW outright refused to accept any formal responsibility for the issues. Some vehicles, such as those which were recently out of warranty or had a full BMW dealer service history, were granted one-off 'goodwill' gestures whereby BMW would cover the cost of some of the repair. Disappointingly, BMW never issued a recall in the UK/EU, despite being forced to do so in the US, where the regulatory framework for defective vehicles is much more consumer-friendly.
What are Some Signs of Timing Chain Failure?
My Chain Might be Failing – What are my Options?
A) Repair It
If you catch it prior to complete failure, the timing chain and its related components can be replaced by a mechanic or skilled and well-equipped DIYer. The chain is inside the engine, and the job requires expensive, special tools. In the case of the N47, the chain cannot be replaced without completely removing the engine from the car. Sadly, due to its complexity, this is not a cheap job on any of the affected vehicles. As a very rough guide, the price of replacing the timing chain assembly and related parts at an independent specialist is in the region of:
B) Ignore It
Strongly not recommended! By the time the signs of impending timing chain failure have become apparent, it is usually bad enough that it needs immediate attention. The longer the warning signs are ignored, the more likely it is that a £600-£1,800 repair becomes a £4,000 engine replacement. Chains most commonly snap on startup, when they are quickly put under heavy load. As-such, your best option is to have the car recovered to a garage rather than risk driving it there.
C) Sell the Car
The cheapest option would be to part-exchange the car or sell it to WeBuyAnyCar or similar, as in both cases the price already reflects the risk of a vehicle being faulty. You may also choose to sell it privately, however, you would need to disclose the potential inbound timing chain failure, or sell the car for spares or repairs. Contrary to popular belief, private sales are not 'final' or 'buyer beware'. If you fail to disclose important information or mislead the buyer about the condition of a vehicle during the sale, you are civilly liable for any loss they incur, and potentially criminally liable for fraud by misrepresentation. If they speak to the Citizens Advice Bureau, they'll be given clear guidance on how to take you to court for roughly £50-£100 in fees (which you'd likely have to pay, on top of damages, if you lose). Also, it makes you a terrible person. Don't do it.
My Chain has Failed – What are my Options?
A) Engine Rebuild – £1,500-£2,500+
If your timing chain failed at very low revs, crawling speed, or on startup, it may be possible for the engine to be rebuilt. This process involves disassembling the engine, removing the heads, inspecting for damaged parts, and replacing what is necessary. The primary downside of this approach is that you will not know the extent of the damage until after the engine has been stripped, at which point you will already have incurred around 4-6 hours in labour charges. If any major engine components such as camshafts or the crankshaft require replacement, the rebuild may end up costing more than it would to have simply fitted a reconditioned engine in the first place.
B) Engine Replacement – £2,000-£4,000+
If your chain failed in motion, it is usually more economical to replace the engine. We would strongly recommend you only do this using a remanufactured/reconditioned unit from a trusted supplier. Price varies depending on the exact engine, but with this approach you will be left with an engine that is known-good and usually comes with a warranty. If you simply buy a used engine from a breaker, you may find that the 'new' engine suffers from the same issue(s) that yours did. A used and not reconditioned engine should only be considered if you intend to part-exchange the car immediately after the replacement.
C) Claim on Comprehensive Insurance
Some comprehensive insurance policies will cover the cost of mechanical failures. Others will not, however, if the failure occurred as part of another insurable event, such as you hitting a pothole and your timing chain jumping or snapping from the impact, it may fall in-scope. You will need to speak to your insurer to determine if you are/are not covered. Obviously, you will also need to weigh up the cost of your excess and increased premiums from an at-fault claim. This is particularly relevant with older vehicles, which will likely be declared a total loss/write off due to the cost of replacing the engine.
D) Sell the Car as Spares/Repairs / Part Out
If you can't afford to repair the car, parting out the car or selling it for spares or repairs is a potential avenue to claw back some of your costs. Selling for spares or repairs will usually bring you more money than scrapping, and parting it out even more so as you can later scrap whatever's left. You can check AutoTrader and eBay motors to get an idea of the value of a vehicle in its condition. The downside is needing somewhere to keep the car, or the parts you've ripped out. Some parts that are particularly likely to have value to other owners for replacement or retrofitting are:
E) Scrap the Car
Last and definitely least, scrapping the car is a quick and easy way to draw a line under the issue get a small amount of cash in your pocket.
What Can I Do to Reduce the Chances of Failure?
Service the Car Twice as Often as Officially Required
One of the biggest contributors to premature timing chain failure has been BMWs introduction of extended oil service intervals, which can be as high as 20,000 miles or 24 months before the condition-based service indicator demands attention. Across the internet, forum members who have serviced their vehicles on a more realistic schedule, usually around half the official intervals, have reported a much lower instance of timing chain failure, even on the 2007-2009 N47 “danger zone” models. We recommend that all affected models are serviced no less than every 10,000 miles / 12 months, whichever comes sooner.
Disable Auto Stop-Start
As has been noted, timing chain failure most commonly occurs on startup. Disabling auto stop-start (either using the button, or permanently via coding) removes the additional wear on the chain that the stop-start duty cycle causes.
Will an Aftermarket Warranty Cover Timing Chain Issues?
In the experience of BabyBMW members, the answer to this question is an emphatic no. In fact, many aftermarket warranties specifically exclude the N43, N47, N13 and N20 by name due to the large list of expensive issues each engine suffers from. Those policies that don't specifically exclude the engines often include a clause stating that 'common issues' will not be covered, which they use to avoid liability for timing chain issues due to their widespread nature.
The only warranty proven to reliably cover timing chain issues is BMWs own, be that the new car warranty, approved used warranty, or extended warranty. However, it should be noted that these warranties will only cover unmodified cars with full service histories. Additionally, the basic "driveline" extended warranty has a claim limit of £5,000; this is insufficient to cover the full cost of an engine replacement due to timing chain failure, which will be in the region of £7-10,000.
I Still Have Questions!
Luckily, this is a forum. Post 'em up
This thread was originally posted in 2014 by a member who has since deleted their account. It is now maintained by the BabyBMW Staff, and has been updated in 2022 to reflect the current state of affairs and more recent information.
The timing chain, its guides, and tensioners on BMW's N13, N20, N43 & N47 engines were poorly designed and constructed. Because the engines are of an interference type, there is the potential for catastrophic engine damage when the timing is not correct. The substandard parts on the N13, N20, N43 & N47 engines can lead to the chain stretching, slipping, skipping or snapping, all of which have the potential to result in complete engine failure.
Which 1 & 2 Series Models are Affected?
All BMW & Mini models, regardless of year, that are fitted with the N13, N20, N43 or N47 engines can suffer from premature timing chain wear and failure. The likelihood of it occurring is higher in the earlier models. The potential impact is identical on all of them.
Note: this list only includes models relevant to this forum. The issues are present on all other series BMWs with the same engines.
E81, E82, E87, E88 1 Series
Petrol
- 116i 2007-2011 (N43)
- 118i 2007-2011 (N43)
- 120i 2007-2011 (N43)
- 116d 2009-2011 (N47)
- 118d 2007-2013 (N47)
- 120d 2007-2013 (N47)
- 123d 2007-2013 (N47)
F20, F21, F22, F23 1 / 2 Series
Petrol
- 114i 2011–2015 (N13)
- 116i 2011–2015 (N13)
- 118i 2011–2015 (N13)
- 120i 2011-2015 (N13)
- 125i 2011-2015 (N20)
- 114d 2011–2015 (N47)
- 116d 2011–2015 (N47)
- 118d 2011–2015 (N47)
- 120d 2011-2015 (N47)
- 125d 2011-2015 (N47)
E84 X1
Petrol
- sDrive16i 2010-2015 (N20)
- sDrive20i 2010-2015 (N20)
- sdrive28i 2010-2015 (N20)
- xDrive28i 2011-2015 (N20)
Diesel
- sDrive16d 2012-2015 (N47)
- sDrive18d 2009-2015 (N47)
- sDrive20d 2009-2015 (N47)
- xDrive23d 2009-2012 (N47)
- xDrive 25d 2012-2015 (N47)
What Was Done About It?
In the 2009 model year, BMW issued revised parts for the N47 which could be fitted to older cars as part of a “quality enhancement” programme – effectively a voluntary recall. The 2009 revision engines featured a redesigned crankshaft and timing chain guides, which reduced the likelihood of failure, as well as the potential damage caused when failure occurs. This again occurred for MY2011, further reducing the likelihood of failure, but not eliminating it.
BMW did not acknowledge the timing chain issues in the N43, N20 and N13 engines, at least in the UK/EU. However, in 2017, a separate quality enhancement for the N43 engine provided a route by which affected engines could be repaired and replaced. As part of the work to fit a vacuum pump sensor, if a stretched or slipped chain caused running errors which prevented the work from being completed, the parts up to and including a total engine replacement would be covered. This did not retrospectively cover complete engine failure, as it required that the vehicle had driven under its own power to have the quality enhancement performed in the first place.
From a customer service standpoint, BMW did as little as they possibly could. It only takes a brief search to find pages and pages of reports of owners being left out of pocket by thousands of £/€/$ as BMW outright refused to accept any formal responsibility for the issues. Some vehicles, such as those which were recently out of warranty or had a full BMW dealer service history, were granted one-off 'goodwill' gestures whereby BMW would cover the cost of some of the repair. Disappointingly, BMW never issued a recall in the UK/EU, despite being forced to do so in the US, where the regulatory framework for defective vehicles is much more consumer-friendly.
What are Some Signs of Timing Chain Failure?
- Rattling sound from the engine
- Oil pressure light (usually indicating pieces of broken chain guide in the pickup tube)
- Difficulty starting
- Rough idle
- Rough running and missfires
- Very fast cranking (telltale sign of a snapped chain)
My Chain Might be Failing – What are my Options?
A) Repair It
If you catch it prior to complete failure, the timing chain and its related components can be replaced by a mechanic or skilled and well-equipped DIYer. The chain is inside the engine, and the job requires expensive, special tools. In the case of the N47, the chain cannot be replaced without completely removing the engine from the car. Sadly, due to its complexity, this is not a cheap job on any of the affected vehicles. As a very rough guide, the price of replacing the timing chain assembly and related parts at an independent specialist is in the region of:
- N43 – £800-£1,200
- N47 – £900-£1,800
- N13 – £600-£1,000
- N20 – £800-£1,200
B) Ignore It
Strongly not recommended! By the time the signs of impending timing chain failure have become apparent, it is usually bad enough that it needs immediate attention. The longer the warning signs are ignored, the more likely it is that a £600-£1,800 repair becomes a £4,000 engine replacement. Chains most commonly snap on startup, when they are quickly put under heavy load. As-such, your best option is to have the car recovered to a garage rather than risk driving it there.
C) Sell the Car
The cheapest option would be to part-exchange the car or sell it to WeBuyAnyCar or similar, as in both cases the price already reflects the risk of a vehicle being faulty. You may also choose to sell it privately, however, you would need to disclose the potential inbound timing chain failure, or sell the car for spares or repairs. Contrary to popular belief, private sales are not 'final' or 'buyer beware'. If you fail to disclose important information or mislead the buyer about the condition of a vehicle during the sale, you are civilly liable for any loss they incur, and potentially criminally liable for fraud by misrepresentation. If they speak to the Citizens Advice Bureau, they'll be given clear guidance on how to take you to court for roughly £50-£100 in fees (which you'd likely have to pay, on top of damages, if you lose). Also, it makes you a terrible person. Don't do it.
My Chain has Failed – What are my Options?
A) Engine Rebuild – £1,500-£2,500+
If your timing chain failed at very low revs, crawling speed, or on startup, it may be possible for the engine to be rebuilt. This process involves disassembling the engine, removing the heads, inspecting for damaged parts, and replacing what is necessary. The primary downside of this approach is that you will not know the extent of the damage until after the engine has been stripped, at which point you will already have incurred around 4-6 hours in labour charges. If any major engine components such as camshafts or the crankshaft require replacement, the rebuild may end up costing more than it would to have simply fitted a reconditioned engine in the first place.
B) Engine Replacement – £2,000-£4,000+
If your chain failed in motion, it is usually more economical to replace the engine. We would strongly recommend you only do this using a remanufactured/reconditioned unit from a trusted supplier. Price varies depending on the exact engine, but with this approach you will be left with an engine that is known-good and usually comes with a warranty. If you simply buy a used engine from a breaker, you may find that the 'new' engine suffers from the same issue(s) that yours did. A used and not reconditioned engine should only be considered if you intend to part-exchange the car immediately after the replacement.
C) Claim on Comprehensive Insurance
Some comprehensive insurance policies will cover the cost of mechanical failures. Others will not, however, if the failure occurred as part of another insurable event, such as you hitting a pothole and your timing chain jumping or snapping from the impact, it may fall in-scope. You will need to speak to your insurer to determine if you are/are not covered. Obviously, you will also need to weigh up the cost of your excess and increased premiums from an at-fault claim. This is particularly relevant with older vehicles, which will likely be declared a total loss/write off due to the cost of replacing the engine.
D) Sell the Car as Spares/Repairs / Part Out
If you can't afford to repair the car, parting out the car or selling it for spares or repairs is a potential avenue to claw back some of your costs. Selling for spares or repairs will usually bring you more money than scrapping, and parting it out even more so as you can later scrap whatever's left. You can check AutoTrader and eBay motors to get an idea of the value of a vehicle in its condition. The downside is needing somewhere to keep the car, or the parts you've ripped out. Some parts that are particularly likely to have value to other owners for replacement or retrofitting are:
- Xenon headlights, LED rear lights, and xenon-capable FRM
- Cruise control slip ring and housing
- Power-folding mirrors
- Full leather interior
- Professional head unit
- iDrive - CCC or CIC
- HiFi or Logic7 stereo
- Bluetooth/USB MULF and Combox
- Front PDC
- Literally anything BMW Performance
E) Scrap the Car
Last and definitely least, scrapping the car is a quick and easy way to draw a line under the issue get a small amount of cash in your pocket.
What Can I Do to Reduce the Chances of Failure?
Service the Car Twice as Often as Officially Required
One of the biggest contributors to premature timing chain failure has been BMWs introduction of extended oil service intervals, which can be as high as 20,000 miles or 24 months before the condition-based service indicator demands attention. Across the internet, forum members who have serviced their vehicles on a more realistic schedule, usually around half the official intervals, have reported a much lower instance of timing chain failure, even on the 2007-2009 N47 “danger zone” models. We recommend that all affected models are serviced no less than every 10,000 miles / 12 months, whichever comes sooner.
Disable Auto Stop-Start
As has been noted, timing chain failure most commonly occurs on startup. Disabling auto stop-start (either using the button, or permanently via coding) removes the additional wear on the chain that the stop-start duty cycle causes.
Will an Aftermarket Warranty Cover Timing Chain Issues?
In the experience of BabyBMW members, the answer to this question is an emphatic no. In fact, many aftermarket warranties specifically exclude the N43, N47, N13 and N20 by name due to the large list of expensive issues each engine suffers from. Those policies that don't specifically exclude the engines often include a clause stating that 'common issues' will not be covered, which they use to avoid liability for timing chain issues due to their widespread nature.
The only warranty proven to reliably cover timing chain issues is BMWs own, be that the new car warranty, approved used warranty, or extended warranty. However, it should be noted that these warranties will only cover unmodified cars with full service histories. Additionally, the basic "driveline" extended warranty has a claim limit of £5,000; this is insufficient to cover the full cost of an engine replacement due to timing chain failure, which will be in the region of £7-10,000.
I Still Have Questions!
Luckily, this is a forum. Post 'em up
This thread was originally posted in 2014 by a member who has since deleted their account. It is now maintained by the BabyBMW Staff, and has been updated in 2022 to reflect the current state of affairs and more recent information.
