330i N52 / N53
Sold with 2 different engines in this chassis, N52 2005–2007, N53 2007–2011. Both are on this page; they differ in exactly the ways that cost money.
Overview
The 330i is the N52 petrol version of the BMW 3 Series sedan (E90), sold 2005–2007 with 272 PS and manual or automatic. Manageable at level 2. Same short, cheap failure list as every other N52: gaskets, a water pump, occasionally a VANOS solenoid. 17 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. 17 recorded in total.
Risk level −11 · Likely spend vs price −26 · all issues →
Ranked by probability × repair cost. 18 recorded in total.
Risk level −33 · Likely spend vs price −26 · all issues →
Which engine
| Engine | Years | Facelift | Power | Torque | Risk | Issues | Good buy | In one line |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N52 | 2005–2007 | pre | 272 PS | 315 Nm | R2 | 17 | €5,600 | The best long-term petrol in the range: genuinely quick, naturally aspirated, and free of every expensive failure mode the turbo and lean-burn engines brought. |
| N53 | 2007–2011 | both | 272 PS | 315 Nm | R4 | 18 | €6,000 | As quick as the N52 330i and more efficient, with a fuel system that can cost a third of the car's value. |
330i N52B25 / N52B30 2005–2007
The safe choice of the range. Port injection means no carbon service and no high-pressure fuel system; what it does instead is leak oil from every gasket and eat a water pump.
Risk 2, Manageable. Same short, cheap failure list as every other N52: gaskets, a water pump, occasionally a VANOS solenoid.
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.
Mileage and servicing
What the odometer does and doesn't tell you here, plus the service items whose neglect causes the expensive failures above.
Buy on history rather than on the odometer. These are twenty years old now, so every rubber and plastic part in the cooling system is at the end of its life regardless of distance covered. So expect to spend €1,000–1,500 sorting cooling and oil leaks on any example that hasn't had it done.
| Service item | Interval | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Electric water pump + thermostat The only failure capable of hurting the engine | 90,000–150,000 km | €500–800 |
| Valve cover + oil filter housing gaskets Age has hardened both by now | at first leak | €550–1,100 together |
| Engine oil VANOS and lifter noise track oil condition | 10,000–12,000 km | €100–150 |
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 330i
- ChassisE90
- EngineN52
- 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 | N52B25 / N52B30 |
| Configuration | I6, naturally aspirated, magnesium-aluminium block · 2996 cc |
| Fuel / injection | petrol · port |
| Model years | 2005–2007 |
| Facelift phase | Pre-facelift only, to 2007 |
| Power / torque | 272 PS · 315 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) | 9.5–12 l/100 km mixed |
| Markets | EU |
330i N53B30 2007–2011
The N52 replaced by a direct-injection version, sold in Europe only. Mechanically the same durable six, wrapped around a fuel system that costs €350–500 per injector.
Risk 4, High risk. Six piezo injectors at €350–500 each, plus NOx sensors, on top of the usual cooling and gasket work.
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 | €5,000 | €7,000 | €9,800 | €6,000 | The specification the car launched with. |
| LCI Facelift (LCI) | 2008–2011 | €5,450 | €7,650 | €10,700 | €6,550 | 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 18 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.
The injector question dominates. Then look for a car where all six have been replaced under BMW goodwill or by an owner with receipts; those cars exist and are worth the premium. Cars running on original injectors past 150,000 km are a bill waiting to be presented.
| Service item | Interval | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Injector history Decides the entire economics of the car | verify before purchase | €350–500 each |
| NOx sensor Lean-burn mode is the reason to own this over an N52 | when economy worsens | €300–600 |
| Electric water pump + thermostat Unchanged from the N52 and equally overdue by now | 90,000–150,000 km | €500–800 |
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 330i
- ChassisE90
- EngineN53
- Years2007–2011
- 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 | N53B30 |
| Configuration | I6, naturally aspirated, lean-burn · 2996 cc |
| Fuel / injection | petrol · direct |
| Model years | 2007–2011 |
| Facelift phase | Sold either side of the 2008 facelift, 2007 pre, 2008–2011 LCI |
| Power / torque | 272 PS · 315 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) | 9–11 l/100 km mixed |
| Markets | EU |