Car Model Guide/ BMW/ 1 Series/ E81/ 118d

118d N47

Efficient, torquey, and carrying a rear-mounted timing chain that fails and takes the engine out with it. Then buy only with documented chain work.

Overview

The 118d is the N47 diesel version of the BMW 1 Series hatchback (E81), sold 2007–2012 with 143 PS and manual or automatic. High risk at level 4. The rear timing chain is the failure mode, and the engine-out repair costs a large share of the car. 10 failure modes are recorded against its engine, gearbox, chassis and shared components, one of which is a walk-away item without documented proof. Prices on this page are illustrative placeholders rather than a sourced market sample. See the methodology for how the bands are derived.

BMW 1 Series hatchback (E81) · photo BMW E81 116i Performance by Thomas doerfer · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Power143 PS

Torque300 Nm

Years2007–2012

Fueldiesel

DriveRWD

EnginesN47

Biggest risks

Ranked by probability × repair cost. 10 recorded in total.

29High risk

Rear timing chain failure€1,500–€2,500checkablewalk away
"Lifetime" fluid neglect€400–€2,500partly checkable
Dual-mass flywheel and clutch wear€900–€1,600checkable

Risk level −33 · Walk-away failures −12 · Likely spend vs price −26 · all issues →

System by system9 systems reviewed · 3 with no recurring fault reported

Engine⚠ attentionRear timing chain failure, €1,500–€2,500. Walk away without proof.+1 more in this system

Fuel system✓ clearNo recurring fault reported for this system on this engine.

Turbo & intakewatchVariable-vane turbo actuator sticking, €400–€1,200.

Cooling✓ clearNo recurring fault reported for this system on this engine.

Emissions⚠ attentionDPF clogging and forced regeneration, €250–€1,800.+1 more in this system

Transmission⚠ attention"Lifetime" fluid neglect, €400–€2,500.+2 more in this system

ElectricswatchWater ingress and footwell module damage, €0–€1,200.

Suspension & brakeswatchRear trailing-arm and subframe bush wear, €150–€500.

Body & interior✓ clearNo recurring fault reported for this system on this engine.

Known issues, ranked by expected cost

Faults recorded against this engine, its components and its chassis, ranked by likelihood × repair cost. Costs are indicative ranges with a stated labour basis.

Rear timing chain failureN47D20€1,500–€2,500

Rattle from the bulkhead end of the engine on start-up and on the overrun, then chain jump and catastrophic valve damage. The timing chain sits at the rear of the block against the bulkhead. The chain and its guides wear early, and the repair requires the engine or gearbox out.

Check: Stand at the rear of the engine bay at a genuinely cold start and listen for rattle. Then demand documentation: a chain replacement with current part numbers, or walk. The repair costs a meaningful fraction of the car's value.

Later parts: Revised chain and sprockets phased in from roughly 2011; coverage was inconsistent, so verify by part number and receipt rather than by build year.

EnginecommonDetectable at viewingwalk away without proofevidence: manufacturer100–200k km

"Lifetime" fluid neglectZF 6HP19 / 6HP21 six-speed automatic€400–€2,500

Harsh or hunting shifts, a shunt between second and third, delayed engagement when cold. BMW declared the fluid a lifetime fill. It's not. Fluid degrades, the valve body wears, and the box eventually fails.

Check: Drive it from cold through every gear, then in manual mode. Ask when the fluid was last changed. "It's sealed for life" means never, and you should price a service in.

TransmissioncommonPartly detectableevidence: documented120–200k km

Dual-mass flywheel and clutch wearGetrag six-speed manual€900–€1,600

Rattle at idle with the clutch up that disappears when you press it, judder on pull-away, gearbox rumble. The dual-mass flywheel's springs wear. Diesels and tuned petrols wear them faster.

Check: Idle in neutral with the clutch up and listen, then press the clutch. A rattle that stops when you press is the flywheel. Also check for judder pulling away in first.

TransmissioncommonDetectable at viewingevidence: documented130–250k km

DPF clogging and forced regenerationDPF€250–€1,800

Warning light, limp mode, oil level rising above the maximum mark from fuel dilution. The filter needs sustained hot running to regenerate. A car used for short urban trips never completes a regeneration cycle.

Check: Read the DPF soot load and the distance since the last regeneration on a scan tool, and check the engine oil level and smell it for diesel. Ask what the car was used for. A short-trip city diesel is the wrong car regardless of mileage.

EmissionscommonPartly detectableevidence: documented120–250k km

Variable-vane turbo actuator stickingvariable-vane turbo€400–€1,200

Sudden loss of power on a hard pull, limp mode that clears on restart, underboost or overboost codes. Soot binds the variable vanes or the actuator linkage seizes.

Check: Do a full-throttle pull in third from 1,500 rpm to the limiter. Hesitation or a drop into limp mode is this fault. Do this twice.

Turbo & intakecommonDetectable at viewingevidence: documented130–250k km

Water ingress and footwell module damage1 Series platform€0–€1,200

Damp or soaked front carpets, a musty smell and fogged windows, and, when water reaches the footwell electronics, failed lights, windows or indicators. Most often the bulkhead scuttle drains block by the pollen filter and overflow into the cabin; perished door membranes and tailgate seals can add to it. Water then attacks the footwell module.

Check: Lift the front and rear carpets and press for damp. Check the boot and spare-wheel well for standing water, and confirm the scuttle drains near the pollen filter are clear.

ElectricalcommonDetectable at viewingevidence: documented60–200k km

Mechatronic sleeve and pan gasket leakZF 6HP19 / 6HP21 six-speed automatic€250–€600

Fluid on the bellhousing or the exhaust, gearbox fault warnings, erratic shifting once the level drops. The plastic adapter sleeve carrying the wiring through the case hardens and leaks; the integrated pan gasket does the same.

Check: On the lift, look at the gearbox pan and the bellhousing seam for wet ATF, it's red-brown and unmistakable.

TransmissioncommonDetectable at viewingevidence: documented120–220k km

Rear trailing-arm and subframe bush wear1 Series platform€150–€500

A knock or clonk from the rear over bumps, a vague or wandering rear end, and uneven rear tyre wear. The rubber bushes in the rear trailing arms and subframe mounts perish and let the axle move. On older cars in salted climates the subframe and its mounts can also corrode.

Check: On a ramp, lever the rear bushes for splitting and check the subframe mounts for corrosion; on the road. Listen for a rear knock and check for even tyre wear.

SuspensioncommonPartly detectableevidence: documented100–200k km

Ranked by probability × repair cost, not by how loudly a failure is discussed. Inherited from the engine, gearbox, chassis and shared components, each written once. All 10 issues in full →

Mileage and servicing

What the odometer does and doesn't tell you here, plus the service items whose neglect causes the expensive failures above.

A silent cold start and documented chain history beat any mileage figure. So treat rattle as terminal.

Service item	Interval	Cost
Engine oil Chain wear follows oil condition and level	15,000 km or annually	€90–140
Timing chain The failure that can end the engine	listen at every cold start	free
DPF regeneration Town driving blocks the filter	avoid short-trip-only use	€250–1,000 if blocked

What to pay

What this engine sells for, against the median of every engine in the chassis. All figures are illustrative placeholders. See the basis chips.

median €4.8k

€3.3k€4.1k€7k

Cheapfind the reasonGood buyif it checks outFairnormal moneyOverpricedneeds justifying

Asking price (€)Mileage (km)

Enter an asking price to get a verdict against this variant's band: cheap, fair, good buy or overpriced.

United States vs Europe

1 EUR = 1.08 USD · 2026-07

🇪🇺 Europe · EUR€4,100band €3,300–€7,000

🇺🇸 United StatesNot sold118d N47 was never a US-market car

What that meansNo US band exists to compare. Any car you find there's a private import, parts and specialist knowledge are thinner, and the price says more about import cost than about the market.

US figures are the EU band converted at a stated rate. No US market differential is modelled: we hold no sourced US asking prices, and inventing one would be worse than saying so. What the comparison does show for real is availability. Most of this range was never sold in the US.

ModelBMW 1 Series 118d
ChassisE81
EngineN47
Years2007–2012
MarketCentral EU
Windowrolling 12 months to 2026-07

Good buy at or under the marker · Median asking price · bar spans the 10th to 90th percentile · dashed line is the e81 median, all 8 engines

Good buy isn't the same as cheapest. Any car without documentation for rear timing chain failure should be priced as if the repair is still owed. Full breakdown by facelift phase →

Buyer notes

Our judgement, kept separate from the records it's built on.

Our read, not a record

The N47 118d is the mainstream 1 Series diesel and, chain aside, a genuinely good engine. Strong low-down torque, real 4.5 l/100 km on a run, and enough pace to never feel slow. But the rear timing chain is the fault that defines the N47, and it fails without much warning and costs €1,500–2,500 to put right. Buy on the cold-start listen and the service folder, not the odometer, and discount any car with no chain history.

Everything above this line comes from the issue and specification records. This paragraph is our judgement on top of them. See how we reach it.

Full specification

Manufacturer figures for this engine and body, as recorded in the variant and engine data.

Engine code	N47D20
Configuration	I4, turbodiesel · 1995 cc
Fuel / injection	diesel · common rail
Model years	2007–2012
Facelift phase	Pre-facelift only, to -1
Power / torque	143 PS · 300 Nm
Transmissions	6-speed manual · 6-speed automatic (ZF)
Gearbox families	Getrag six-speed manual · ZF 6HP19 / 6HP21 six-speed automatic
Drivetrain	RWD
Economy (real-world)	4.5–5.5 l/100 km mixed
Markets	EU

118d N47

Overview

Known issues, ranked by expected cost

Pre-purchase inspection

1Cold startYou get one. If the engine is warm when you arrive, come back another day.

2Static checksEngine off, ideally on a lift.

3On the driveInclude low-speed manoeuvring, not just an open road.

4PaperworkOn these cars the folder is most of the value.

5OBD scanMandatory. A seller who refuses a scan has answered the question.