BMW N57 vs 1.4 TDI: which engine is more reliable?

According to our risk index, the 1.4 TDI carries less risk than the BMW N57: 38/100 (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 1.4 TDI has 2 documented serious faults, the main one being «Timing belt and water pump».

Risk index

BMW N57

Very high risk · 3 serious faults

Risk index

1.4 TDI

Moderate risk · 2 serious faults

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 202613 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 1.4 TDI reliable?

It depends on the generation. The unit-injector one (1999-2010) calls for watching the timing belt - which also drives the unit injector pumps - the water pump, the turbo and the EGR, with a DPF only on the last BlueMotion/Ecomotive versions. The later EA288 (2014-2019) is not singled out by dieselgate, which according to the sources consulted was limited to the EA189, but it shares the need to watch the belt, turbo, EGR and DPF.^[4][5][6]

See the 4 of the 1.4 TDI faults

Side-by-side comparison

Comparison of BMW N57 and 1.4 TDI
Item	BMW N57	1.4 TDI
Technical data
Type	Engine	Engine
Fuel	Diesel	Diesel
Displacement	2,993 cm³	1,422 cm³
Timing	Chain	Timing belt (dry)
Power	204–381 hp	69–90 hp
Production	2008–2019^[1][7]	1999–2019^[5][6]
Reliability
Risk index (what is it?)	87Very high risk	38Moderate risk
Documented faults	4	4
Of high or critical severity	3	2
Worst severity	Critical severity	High 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	High severity: Timing belt and water pump High severity: Failing turbo: loss of power, whistling or smoke Medium severity: Clogged particulate filter (DPF)
Most expensive documented repair	No reliable data	up to €2,000Clogged particulate filter (DPF)Published figure^[8]
Which versions to buy
BuyRecommended versions	None	1.4 TDI common rail EA288 (2014-2019)^[4][5]
With cautionVersions to be cautious about	N57D30 204-211 hp, single turbo (U0/UL, 2010-2013)^[3][9] N57D30 245-258 hp, single turbo (O0/O1, 2008-2019)^[3][9] N57D30 299-313 hp twin turbo (T0/T1, 2009-2019)^[9][10]	1.4 TDI unit injector, 3 cylinders (1999-2010)^[11][12][13]
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

1.4 TDI

See the 10 models with the 1.4 TDI

Other comparisons

With the BMW N57

With the 1.4 TDI

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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
Escándalo de emisiones contaminantes de vehículos VolkswagenWikipedia (español) · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026 · in Spanish
VW EA288Wikipedia (alemán) · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026 · in German
List of discontinued Volkswagen Group diesel enginesWikipedia (inglés) · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026
BMW N57Wikipedia (alemán) · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026 · in German
Cuánto cuesta sustituir el filtro de partículas de un coche diéselDiariomotor · Motoring press · 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
Bomba de agua del coche: la avería de más de 1.500 euros que arrastra la correa de distribuciónMotor16 · Motoring press · published 21 September 2026 · consulted 27 September 2026 · in Spanish
Cuánto cuesta válvula EGRDiariomotor · Motoring press · consulted 27 September 2026 · in Spanish
Cómo saber si el turbo está roto o a punto de romperseMotor.es · Motoring press · consulted 27 September 2026 · in Spanish