BMW N57 vs 2.0 and 2.2 VCDi: which engine is more reliable?

According to our risk index, the 2.0 and 2.2 VCDi carries less risk than the BMW N57: 43/100 (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 2.0 and 2.2 VCDi has 1 documented serious fault, the main one being «Sump cover fire risk from DPF fault (2011–2015 Captiva diesel)».

Risk index

BMW N57

Very high risk · 3 serious faults

Risk index

2.0 and 2.2 VCDi

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 31 October 202616 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 2.0 and 2.2 VCDi reliable?

Chevrolet's 2.0 and 2.2 VCDi diesels (Lacetti, Captiva, Cruze and Orlando) stand out for owner complaints about the particulate filter, with injectors that, according to a German guide, fail early, and for a 2015 recall over fire risk from the sump cover on 2011–2015 Captiva diesels. There is no reliable data on costs or mileage.^[4][5][6][7]

See the 3 of the 2.0 and 2.2 VCDi faults

Side-by-side comparison

Comparison of BMW N57 and 2.0 and 2.2 VCDi
Item	BMW N57	2.0 and 2.2 VCDi
Technical data
Type	Engine	Engine
Fuel	Diesel	Diesel
Displacement	2,993 cm³	—
Timing	Chain	Chain
Power	204–381 hp	121–184 hp
Production	2008–2019^[1][8]	2006–2015^{[9][10][11][12][13]}
Reliability
Risk index (what is it?)	87Very high risk	43Moderate risk
Documented faults	4	3
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: Sump cover fire risk from DPF fault (2011–2015 Captiva diesel) Medium severity: Blocked DPF and failed regenerations Medium severity: Injectors failing early from soot build-up
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][14] N57D30 245-258 hp, single turbo (O0/O1, 2008-2019)^[3][14] N57D30 299-313 hp twin turbo (T0/T1, 2009-2019)^[14][15]	2.0 VCDi 121–150 hp (VM Motori licence; Z20S in the Captiva, 2006–2011)^[4][6][16] 2.0 VCDi 130–163 hp (Z20D1, 2011–2014)^[4][5] 2.2 VCDi 163–184 hp (Z22D1 / A22DM, Captiva, 2011–2015)^[6][7]
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

2.0 and 2.2 VCDi

Other comparisons

With the BMW N57

With the 2.0 and 2.2 VCDi

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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
Fiabilité Chevrolet Cruze (2009-2015): pannes et témoignagesFiches-auto.fr · Reliability study · consulted 31 October 2026 · in French
Fiabilité Chevrolet Orlando (2010-2015): pannes et témoignagesFiches-auto.fr · Reliability study · consulted 31 October 2026 · in French
Chevrolet Captiva (2006-2015): Typische Probleme & SchwachstellenGebrauchtwagenberater.de · Motoring press · consulted 31 October 2026 · in German
Chevrolet Captiva (2011-2015): alerta A12/1063/15 (filtro de partículas y cubrecárter)Car-Recalls.eu (reproduce Safety Gate) · Other source · consulted 31 October 2026
BMW N57Wikipedia (alemán) · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026 · in German
Chevrolet CaptivaWikipedia (de) · Other source · consulted 31 October 2026 · in German
Chevrolet LacettiWikipedia (de) · Other source · consulted 31 October 2026 · in German
Allgemeine Daten zum Chevrolet Captiva 2.0 D LT 4WD (7-Sitzer) (09/06 - 01/10)ADAC · Other source · consulted 31 October 2026 · in German
Allgemeine Daten zum Chevrolet Captiva 2.2 D LT 2WD (05/11 - 04/13)ADAC · Other source · consulted 31 October 2026 · in German
Allgemeine Daten zum Chevrolet Orlando 2.0TD S/S LTZ (10/12 - 08/14)ADAC · Other source · consulted 31 October 2026 · in German
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
Chevrolet Cruze (J300, 2008-2016): Typische Probleme & SchwachstellenGebrauchtwagenberater.de · Motoring press · consulted 31 October 2026 · in German