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1.6 dCi vs BMW N57: which engine is more reliable?

According to our risk index, the 1.6 dCi carries less risk than the BMW N57: 48/100 (moderate risk) versus 87/100 (very high risk). The 1.6 dCi has 2 documented serious faults, the main one being «Premature turbocharger failure or breakage»; the BMW N57 has 3 documented serious faults, the main one being «EGR cooler leaks with risk of engine fire».

Risk index

1.6 dCi

48

Moderate risk · 2 serious faults

Lower risk

Risk index

BMW N57

87

Very high risk · 3 serious faults

The index (0–100) weights the severity and frequency of the three most serious documented faults. How it is calculated

16 sourcesHow we work

Is the 1.6 dCi reliable?

The 1.6 dCi (R9M) is a diesel with a generally reasonable track record, but with well-documented known faults: the turbo fails relatively often, even at low mileage, the EGR valve clogs, the particulate filter can block up on short journeys, and there are cases of oil leaks from the timing chain cover that go as far as requiring the engine to be removed.[1][2][3][4]

See the 5 of the 1.6 dCi faults

Is the BMW N57 reliable?

The BMW N57 (2008-2019, successor to the M57) is a six-cylinder diesel that is mechanically robust in the basics, but it shares with the N47 and B47 the EGR cooler covered by BMW's service campaign for engine fire risk, and it inherits from the N47 the timing chain at the rear of the block, with wear cases documented mainly from 200,000 km. Without a clear history of these checks, it is worth buying with some caution.[5][6][7]

See the 4 of the BMW N57 faults

Side-by-side comparison

Comparison of 1.6 dCi and BMW N57
1.6 dCiBMW N57
Technical data
TypeEngineEngine
FuelDieselDiesel
Displacement1,598 cm³2,993 cm³
TimingChainChain
Power95–165 hp204–381 hp
Production2011–2020[2][8][9][10][11]2008–2019[5][12]
Reliability
Risk index (what is it?)48Moderate risk87Very high risk
Documented faults54
Of high or critical severity23
Worst severityHigh severityCritical severity
Main faults
  1. High severity: Premature turbocharger failure or breakage
  2. High severity: Oil leak from the timing chain cover
  3. Medium severity: Blocked or failed EGR valve
  1. Critical severity: EGR cooler leaks with risk of engine fire
  2. Critical severity: Rear timing chain wear
  3. High severity: Loss of thrust on twin-turbo versions due to the vacuum circuit or the actuator
Most expensive documented repairup to €3,000Premature turbocharger failure or breakagePublished figure[13]No reliable data
Which versions to buy
BuyRecommended versions
  • 1.6 dCi in Mercedes-Benz (OM 622/OM 626, 115 and 136 hp, 2014-2018)[9]
None
With cautionVersions to be cautious about
  • 1.6 dCi Euro 5 (110 and 130 hp, 2011-2015)[1][2]
  • 1.6 Energy dCi Euro 6 with NOx trap (130 and 160/165 hp, 2015-2019)[1][2][3][4][14]
  • 1.6 dCi for vans (95, 115, 125 and 145 hp, Trafic III/Vivaro B/Talento, 2014-2020)[11]
  • N57D30 204-211 hp, single turbo (U0/UL, 2010-2013)[7][15]
  • N57D30 245-258 hp, single turbo (O0/O1, 2008-2019)[7][15]
  • N57D30 299-313 hp twin turbo (T0/T1, 2009-2019)[15][16]
AvoidVersions to avoidNoneNone

Severity of each fault: green, low; amber, medium; red, high; dark red, critical. How we rate them

Cars that each one is fitted to

1.6 dCi

See the 15 models with the 1.6 dCi

BMW N57

See the 10 models with the BMW N57

Other comparisons

With the 1.6 dCi

With the BMW N57

Compare other engines

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Sources

Every fact on this page links to its source. If you find an error, let us know.

  1. Fiabilité Renault Espace 5 : pannes et avisFiches-auto.fr · Motoring press · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French
  2. Fiabilité Renault Kadjar : pannes et avisFiches-auto.fr · Motoring press · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French
  3. Fiabilité Nissan Qashqai 2 : pannes et avisFiches-auto.fr · Motoring press · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French
  4. Fiabilité Nissan X-Trail 3 : pannes et avisFiches-auto.fr · Motoring press · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French
  5. BMW N57Wikipedia (inglés) · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026
  6. Motor BMW B47 - Reparación EspecializadaDasercars · Technical documentation · consulted 27 September 2026 · in Spanish
  7. 324.000 diésel de BMW tendrán que pasar por el taller en Europa, por un posible riesgo de incendio en la EGRDiariomotor · Motoring press · published 8 August 2018 · consulted 27 September 2026 · in Spanish
  8. Nuevo Renault Energy dCi 130 CVCoches.net · Motoring press · consulted 27 September 2026 · in Spanish
  9. Mercedes-Benz OM 622 / OM 626Wikipedia · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026 · in German
  10. Renault EspaceWikipedia · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026 · in Spanish
  11. Renault TraficWikipedia · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026
  12. BMW N57Wikipedia (alemán) · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026 · in German
  13. Las 10 averías del coche más caras en 2026: cuánto cuesta cada reparaciónMotorpoint · Motoring press · published 2026 · consulted 27 September 2026 · in Spanish
  14. Si no hubo fraude, ¿por qué 15.000 Renault Captur y Espace serán revisados por un nivel de emisiones excesivo?Diariomotor · Motoring press · published 19 January 2016 · consulted 27 September 2026 · in Spanish
  15. Motor BMW N57 - Reparación EspecializadaDasercars · Technical documentation · consulted 27 September 2026 · in Spanish
  16. Motor BMW N57: problemas, modelos y qué revisarCarexam · Motoring press · consulted 27 September 2026 · in Spanish