320d M47 / N47
Sold with 2 different engines in this chassis, M47 2005–2007, N47 2007–2011. Both are on this page; they differ in exactly the ways that cost money.
Overview
The 320d is the M47 diesel version of the BMW 3 Series sedan (E90), sold 2005–2007 with 163 PS and manual or automatic. Demands diligence at level 3. No catastrophic failure mode, the chain is at the front and durable, but swirl flaps, turbo vanes and DPF neglect are all real four-hundred-to-nine-hundred-euro items. 15 failure modes are recorded against its engine, gearbox, chassis and shared components. Prices on this page are illustrative placeholders rather than a sourced market sample. See the methodology for how the bands are derived.
BMW 3 Series sedan (E90) · photo BMW E90 kallerna by kallerna · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Ranked by probability × repair cost. 15 recorded in total.
Risk level −22 · Likely spend vs price −26 · all issues →
Ranked by probability × repair cost. 17 recorded in total.
Risk level −44 · Walk-away failures −12 · Likely spend vs price −26 · all issues →
Which engine
| Engine | Years | Facelift | Power | Torque | Risk | Issues | Good buy | In one line |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M47 | 2005–2007 | pre | 163 PS | 340 Nm | R3 | 15 | €3,800 | The cheap diesel to buy. Everything the N47 does well, without the failure that writes the car off. |
| N47 | 2007–2011 | both | 177 PS | 350 Nm | R5 | 17 | €4,400 | The best-selling version of this generation and the one it's easiest to lose money on. Documented chain, or walk. |
320d M47D20TU2 2005–2007
The pre-N47 four-cylinder diesel. Front-mounted timing chain, so none of its successor's headline problem. Swirl flaps and turbo vanes are the wear items.
Risk 3, Demands diligence. No catastrophic failure mode, the chain is at the front and durable, but swirl flaps, turbo vanes and DPF neglect are all real four-hundred-to-nine-hundred-euro items.
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.
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 15 issues in full →
Pre-purchase inspection
The same issue records, reordered into the sequence you can actually check them in: cold start, static, drive, paperwork.
1Static checksEngine off, ideally on a lift.
2On the driveInclude low-speed manoeuvring, not just an open road.
3PaperworkOn these cars the folder is most of the value.
4OBD 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.
300,000 km isn't unusual and not disqualifying if the service history is there. Motorway cars are much healthier than town cars, a high-mileage rep's car with a full book beats a low-mileage urban one. Then check the oil level for fuel dilution from failed regenerations.
| Service item | Interval | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Swirl flaps An ingested flap destroys the engine; removal is cheap insurance | preventive, if not already done | €400–900 |
| Engine oil Turbo longevity, and fuel dilution from DPF regens contaminates oil | 10,000–12,000 km | €90–140 |
| Turbo actuator Sticking vanes cause limp mode and eventually kill the turbo | inspect at 150,000 km+ | €400–1,200 |
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.
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 ·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 3 Series 320d
- ChassisE90
- EngineM47
- Years2005–2007
- MarketCentral EU
- Windowrolling 12 months to 2026-07
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.
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 | M47D20TU2 |
| Configuration | I4, turbodiesel · 1995 cc |
| Fuel / injection | diesel · common rail |
| Model years | 2005–2007 |
| Facelift phase | Pre-facelift only, to 2007 |
| Power / torque | 163 PS · 340 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) | 5.5–7 l/100 km mixed |
| Markets | EU |
320d N47D20 2007–2011
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.
Risk 5, Avoid unless documented. The rear-mounted timing chain fails, the repair is engine-out at €1,500–2,500, and the car is typically worth €6,000.
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 | 2007 | €3,700 | €5,100 | €7,000 | €4,400 | The specification the car launched with. |
| LCI Facelift (LCI) | 2008–2011 | €4,050 | €5,550 | €7,650 | €4,800 | Revised front and rear lights and bumpers; Interior trim and iDrive updates; N53 replaced N52 in most European markets; N57 replaced M57 in the 330d |
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.
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 17 issues in full →
Pre-purchase inspection
The same issue records, reordered into the sequence you can actually check them in: cold start, static, drive, paperwork.
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.
Mileage and servicing
What the odometer does and doesn't tell you here, plus the service items whose neglect causes the expensive failures above.
Everyone asks about mileage on these and it's the wrong question. Yet what matters is whether the chain has been replaced with current part numbers, whether oil changes were done at 10,000–12,000 km rather than BMW's long-life interval, and whether the car did motorway distance or town trips. A 250,000 km motorway car with a new chain is a far better purchase than a 120,000 km city car without one.
| Service item | Interval | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Timing chain documentation The entire purchase decision rests on this one item | verify before purchase | €1,500–2,500 if outstanding |
| Engine oil Chain and tensioner wear track oil condition directly | 10,000–12,000 km, never long-life | €90–140 |
| EGR cooler recall Issued over a fire risk; free to have done | check by VIN | free |
| Swirl flaps Cheap insurance against an ingested flap | preventive | €400–900 |
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.
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 ·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 3 Series 320d
- ChassisE90
- EngineN47
- Years2007–2011
- MarketCentral EU
- Windowrolling 12 months to 2026-07
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.
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 | 2007–2011 |
| Facelift phase | Sold either side of the 2008 facelift, 2007 pre, 2008–2011 LCI |
| Power / torque | 177 PS · 350 Nm |
| Transmissions | 6-speed manual · 6-speed automatic (ZF) |
| Gearbox families | Getrag six-speed manual · ZF 6HP19 / 6HP21 six-speed automatic |
| Drivetrain | RWD · xDrive |
| Economy (real-world) | 5–6.5 l/100 km mixed |
| Markets | EU |