Car Model Guide/ BMW/ 1 Series/ F20/ 118d

118d N47 / B47

Sold with 2 different engines in this chassis, N47 2011–2015, B47 2015–2019. Both are on this page; they differ in exactly the ways that cost money.

Overview

The 118d is the N47 diesel version of the BMW 1 Series hatchback (F20), sold 2011–2015 with 143 PS and manual or automatic. High risk at level 4. The N47's rear timing chain can fail on these engines too, and the repair is an engine-out job. 6 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 (F20) · photo BMW F20 118d Urban Alpine White (6) by Damian B Oh · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Power143–150 PS

Torque320 Nm

Years2011–2019

Fueldiesel

DriveRWD

EnginesN47 / B47

118d N47 · biggest risks

Ranked by probability × repair cost. 6 recorded in total.

29High risk

Rear timing chain failure€1,500–€2,500checkablewalk away
Dual-mass flywheel and clutch wear€900–€1,600checkable
DPF clogging and forced regeneration€250–€1,800partly checkable

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

118d B47 · biggest risks

Ranked by probability × repair cost. 3 recorded in total.

79Solid

Dual-mass flywheel and clutch wear€900–€1,600checkable
DPF clogging and forced regeneration€250–€1,800partly checkable
EGR cooler leak€400–€1,000partly checkable

Risk level −11 · Likely spend vs price −10 · all issues →

118d N47 · system by system9 systems reviewed · 5 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⚠ attentionDual-mass flywheel and clutch wear, €900–€1,600.

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

Suspension & brakes✓ clearNo recurring fault reported for this system on this engine.

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

118d B47 · system by system9 systems reviewed · 7 with no recurring fault reported

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

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

Intake & air✓ clearNo recurring fault reported for this system on this engine.

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⚠ attentionDual-mass flywheel and clutch wear, €900–€1,600.

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

Suspension & brakes✓ clearNo recurring fault reported for this system on this engine.

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

Which engine

Engine	Years	Facelift	Power	Torque	Risk	Issues	Good buy	In one line
N47	2011–2015	both	143 PS	320 Nm	R4	6	€6,850	Cheap to run and fun to drive, once the chain history checks out.
B47	2015–2019	LCI	150 PS	320 Nm	R2	3	€12,800	The 1 Series to buy, and one of the cheapest premium cars to run.

Engine N47

118d N47D20 2011–2015

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.

Buy with conditionsGood buy at€6,850€5,500 – €13,100

R4 High risk6 issues1 walk-away

Risk 4, High risk. The N47's rear timing chain can fail on these engines too, and the repair is an engine-out job.

Pre-facelift or facelift, this engine spans both

The same badge either side of the changeover. Bands are split at the facelift year from the generation record.

Phase	Years	Low	Average	High	Good buy	What differs
pre Pre-facelift	2011–2014	€5,500	€8,200	€12,000	€6,850	The specification the car launched with.
LCI Facelift (LCI)	2015	€6,000	€8,950	€13,100	€7,500	B47 and B38 engines replaced N47 and N13; Revised lights front and rear; Updated interior

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

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

EGR cooler leakEGR cooler€400–€1,000

Coolant loss with no visible external leak, white smoke, sweet smell. The EGR cooler cracks internally and leaks coolant into the intake. BMW recalled affected diesels over a fire risk from glycol deposits igniting.

Check: Check coolant level and look for unexplained top-ups in the service history. Verify the recall was carried out. It's free and searchable by VIN.

EmissionsoccasionalPartly detectableevidence: manufacturer120–250k km

Swirl flap wear and ingestionswirl flaps€400–€900

Often none until it happens. Rough running, then in the worst case an engine destroyed by an ingested flap. The intake manifold's swirl flaps run on spindles that wear. A detached flap can be drawn into a cylinder.

Check: Not visible without removing the manifold. Ask whether the flaps have been removed or the manifold replaced. Many well-kept examples have had this done preventively, and that's a selling point.

EngineoccasionalNot detectable at viewingevidence: documented120–250k 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.

Pre-purchase inspection

The same issue records, reordered into the sequence you can actually check them in: cold start, static, drive, paperwork.

6 checks · saved in this browser ·

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

Rear timing chain failurewalk away without proofStand 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.

2On the driveInclude low-speed manoeuvring, not just an open road.

Dual-mass flywheel and clutch wearIdle 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.Variable-vane turbo actuator stickingDo 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.

3PaperworkOn these cars the folder is most of the value.

EGR cooler leakCheck coolant level and look for unexplained top-ups in the service history. Verify the recall was carried out. It's free and searchable by VIN.Swirl flap wear and ingestionNot visible without removing the manifold. Ask whether the flaps have been removed or the manifold replaced. Many well-kept examples have had this done preventively, and that's a selling point.

4OBD scanMandatory. A seller who refuses a scan has answered the question.

DPF clogging and forced regenerationRead 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.

Mileage and servicing

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

Oil discipline predicts the chain better than distance does. A car that's had its oil changed every 12,000 km is worth more than a lower-mileage one on BMW's long intervals.

Service item	Interval	Cost
Engine oil and filter Chain wear on this engine tracks oil condition closely.	12,000–15,000 km	€120–180
Particulate filter check Short-trip use leads to failed regenerations and a blocked filter.	at every service	€0–120 to inspect

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 €8.6k

€5.5k€6.8k€13.1k

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€6,850band €5,500–€13,100

🇺🇸 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
ChassisF20
EngineN47
Years2011–2015
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 f20 median, all 3 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 F20 is the last rear-drive hatchback in the class and the 118d is how most people bought it. The N47 was revised during this period, and coverage was patchy, so treat every car as needing the check rather than assuming. Start it from stone cold and listen for a rattle from the rear of the engine. So look at the B47 car from 2015 if your budget stretches, since that engine carries a far better record.

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	2011–2015
Facelift phase	Sold either side of the 2015 facelift, 2011–2014 pre, 2015 LCI
Power / torque	143 PS · 320 Nm
Transmissions	6-speed manual · 8-speed automatic (ZF)
Gearbox families	Getrag six-speed manual · ZF 8HP eight-speed automatic
Drivetrain	RWD
Economy (real-world)	4.3–5.5 l/100 km mixed
Markets	EU

Engine B47

118d B47D20 2.0d 2015–2019

The modular diesel that replaced the N47 from 2015. It keeps the chain at the back of the engine and has a far better record with it, so the emissions hardware is where the costs sit on this one.

BuyGood buy at€12,800€10,900 – €20,150

R2 Manageable3 issues

Risk 2, Manageable. Nothing expensive is recorded against the engine, leaving the filter and EGR hardware as the costs.

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.

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

EmissionscommonPartly detectableevidence: documented120–250k km

EGR cooler leakEGR cooler€400–€1,000

Check: Check coolant level and look for unexplained top-ups in the service history. Verify the recall was carried out. It's free and searchable by VIN.

EmissionsoccasionalPartly detectableevidence: manufacturer120–250k 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.

Pre-purchase inspection

The same issue records, reordered into the sequence you can actually check them in: cold start, static, drive, paperwork.

3 checks · saved in this browser ·

1On the driveInclude low-speed manoeuvring, not just an open road.

2PaperworkOn these cars the folder is most of the value.

EGR cooler leakCheck coolant level and look for unexplained top-ups in the service history. Verify the recall was carried out. It's free and searchable by VIN.

3OBD scanMandatory. A seller who refuses a scan has answered the question.

Mileage and servicing

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

The B47 is comfortable with high mileage and its chain has a good record so far. Journey history matters more than distance, since the filter needs runs to regenerate.

Service item	Interval	Cost
Engine oil and filter Low-ash oil protects the filter.	15,000 km or annually	€120–180
EGR recall check BMW recalled EGR coolers on diesels of this period.	before purchase	€0

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 €14.7k

€10.9k€12.8k€20.1k

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€12,800band €10,900–€20,150

🇺🇸 United StatesNot sold118d B47 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.

ModelBMW 1 Series 118d
ChassisF20
EngineB47
Years2015–2019
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 f20 median, all 3 engines

Good buy isn't the same as cheapest. The good-buy figure assumes the known failure items are either done with receipts or verifiably not yet due. Full breakdown by facelift phase →

Buyer notes

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

Our read, not a record

The facelift engine is smoother and a touch more economical than the N47, and it's the reason a late F20 is the safer buy. It hasn't repeated its predecessor's chain history, which leaves ordinary diesel costs as the concern. Check the filter record and ask about the EGR recall where it applies. So look at the wheels and tyres, because these tend to be driven hard and the rear tyres wear fast on a rear-drive car.

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	B47D20 2.0d
Configuration	I4, turbocharged · 1995 cc
Fuel / injection	diesel · common rail
Model years	2015–2019
Facelift phase	Facelift (LCI) only, from 2015
Power / torque	150 PS · 320 Nm
Transmissions	6-speed manual · 8-speed automatic (ZF)
Gearbox families	Getrag six-speed manual · ZF 8HP eight-speed automatic
Drivetrain	RWD
Economy (real-world)	4–5.2 l/100 km mixed
Markets	EU