Car Model Guide/ BMW/ 1 Series/ F20/ 120d

120d 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 120d is the N47 diesel version of the BMW 1 Series hatchback (F20), sold 2011–2015 with 184 PS and manual or automatic. High risk at level 4. The same rear-chain risk as the 118d, on an engine that's usually driven harder. 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

Power184 PS

Torque380 Nm

Years2011–2015

Fueldiesel

DriveRWD / xDrive

EnginesN47

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 →

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.

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	€6,500	€9,500	€13,500	€8,000	The specification the car launched with.
LCI Facelift (LCI)	2015	€7,100	€10,350	€14,700	€8,750	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.

Short oil intervals are what you want to see on the service record. The chain doesn't care much about distance and cares a great deal about neglected oil.

Service item	Interval	Cost
Engine oil and filter The chain lives or dies on oil condition.	12,000–15,000 km	€120–180
Clutch and dual-mass flywheel check Torque and enthusiastic driving wear both on manual cars.	on test drive	€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 €9.9k

€6.5k€8k€14.7k

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€8,000band €6,500–€14,700

🇺🇸 United StatesNot sold120d 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 120d
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

With 380 Nm the 120d makes the F20 genuinely fast, and it costs very little more to run than the 118d. The engine is the same N47 with the same rear chain, so the cold-start listen is the check that matters most. Ask for receipts rather than stamps and look for part numbers if any chain work has been done. So inspect the rear tyres and the clutch on manual cars, since this is the engine people buy to enjoy.

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	184 PS · 380 Nm
Transmissions	6-speed manual · 8-speed automatic (ZF)
Gearbox families	Getrag six-speed manual · ZF 8HP eight-speed automatic
Drivetrain	RWD · xDrive
Economy (real-world)	4.5–5.8 l/100 km mixed
Markets	EU