BMW N57 vs 1.8 TDCi: which engine is more reliable?

According to our risk index, the 1.8 TDCi carries less risk than the BMW N57: 48/100 (moderate risk) versus 87/100 (very high risk). The BMW N57 has 3 documented serious faults, the main one being «EGR cooler leaks with risk of engine fire»; the 1.8 TDCi has 1 documented serious fault, the main one being «Breakage of the timing belt or of the high-pressure pump's belt (running in oil)».

Risk index

BMW N57

Very high risk · 3 serious faults

Risk index

1.8 TDCi

Moderate risk · 1 serious fault

Lower risk

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

Reviewed on 27 September 202615 sources How we work

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.^[1][2][3]

See the 4 of the BMW N57 faults

Is the 1.8 TDCi reliable?

The 1.8 TDCi (codename Lynx) was Ford's standard diesel between 2001 and 2014, with Delphi common-rail injection and a variable-geometry turbo. It is an engine with well-documented faults: the dual-mass flywheel and clutch are by far its weakest point, followed by the injectors, the EGR valve and, to a lesser extent, the turbo hoses and the timing drive itself.^[4][5][6][7]

See the 5 of the 1.8 TDCi faults

Side-by-side comparison

Comparison of BMW N57 and 1.8 TDCi
Item	BMW N57	1.8 TDCi
Technical data
Type	Engine	Engine
Fuel	Diesel	Diesel
Displacement	2,993 cm³	1,753 cm³
Timing	Chain	Timing belt (dry)
Power	204–381 hp	75–125 hp
Production	2008–2019^[1][8]	2001–2014^[4][9][10]
Reliability
Risk index (what is it?)	87Very high risk	48Moderate risk
Documented faults	4	5
Of high or critical severity	3	1
Worst severity	Critical severity	Critical severity
Main faults	Critical severity: EGR cooler leaks with risk of engine fire Critical severity: Rear timing chain wear High severity: Loss of thrust on twin-turbo versions due to the vacuum circuit or the actuator	Critical severity: Breakage of the timing belt or of the high-pressure pump's belt (running in oil) Medium severity: Premature wear of the dual-mass flywheel and clutch Medium severity: Delphi injector failure (leaks, cracks or poor spray pattern)
Most expensive documented repair	No reliable data	No reliable data
Which versions to buy
BuyRecommended versions	None	None
With cautionVersions to be cautious about	N57D30 204-211 hp, single turbo (U0/UL, 2010-2013)^[3][11] N57D30 245-258 hp, single turbo (O0/O1, 2008-2019)^[3][11] N57D30 299-313 hp twin turbo (T0/T1, 2009-2019)^[11][12]	1.8 TDCi 75/90/100 (entry-level tunes: Focus I and Transit Connect)^[5][6] 1.8 TDCi 110/115/125 (Focus II, C-Max, Mondeo, Galaxy, S-Max and Transit Connect)^{[5][6][7][13][14][15]}
AvoidVersions to avoid	None	None

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

Cars that each one is fitted to

BMW N57

See the 10 models with the BMW N57

1.8 TDCi

See the 8 models with the 1.8 TDCi

Other comparisons

With the BMW N57

With the 1.8 TDCi

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Sources

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

BMW N57Wikipedia (inglés) · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026
Motor BMW B47 - Reparación EspecializadaDasercars · Technical documentation · consulted 27 September 2026 · in Spanish
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
Ford Duratorq engineWikipedia · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026
Fiabilité et pannes du Ford Mondeo 3 (1.8 TDCi 125ch)Fiches-auto.fr · Owners' forum · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French
Fiabilité et pannes du Ford Focus 2 (1.8 TDCi 115ch)Fiches-auto.fr · Owners' forum · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French
Fiabilité et pannes du Ford S-MaxFiches-auto.fr · Owners' forum · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French
BMW N57Wikipedia (alemán) · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026 · in German
Ford FocusWikipedia · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026 · in Spanish
Ford Transit ConnectWikipedia · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026 · in Spanish
Motor BMW N57 - Reparación EspecializadaDasercars · Technical documentation · consulted 27 September 2026 · in Spanish
Motor BMW N57: problemas, modelos y qué revisarCarexam · Motoring press · consulted 27 September 2026 · in Spanish
Ford Focus Mk2: Probleme und SchwachstellenGebrauchtwagenberater · Motoring press · consulted 27 September 2026 · in German
Ford Mondeo Mk4: Probleme und SchwachstellenGebrauchtwagenberater · Motoring press · consulted 27 September 2026 · in German
Ford S-Max: Probleme und KrankheitenGebrauchtwagenberater · Motoring press · consulted 27 September 2026 · in German