A 2016 to 2018 F30 3 Series 2.0 diesel automatic with proof of its EGR cooler recall is the soundest used buy, while any 2007 to 2015 N47 2.0 diesel is a timing chain gamble.
44 known faults, 30 rated high severity in our database; owners report 42.9 mpg, 80% of the official figure. Everything below is built from that data and the archived owner history, not from a press car.
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Check a BMW 3 Series advert (free) →Go for an F30 or F31 from 2016 to 2018, because its serious known faults are ones you can check for before you commit. Diesels carry an EGR cooler recall, xDrive cars get transfer box judder when their tyres don't match, and manuals have lost clutches and flywheels early. An early one's riskier, as the N47 2.0 diesel's timing chain fault runs up to 2015 and the N20 2.0 petrol has oil pump drive failures on 2011 to 2017 engines.
An E90, E91, E92 or E93 (2005 to 2012) has serious known faults against nearly every engine, so it needs more checking than an F30. The N47 2.0 diesel's chain and the N53 petrol's injectors, fuel pumps and cracked blocks sit alongside a battery cable joint that can cut all power on 2007 to 2011 cars. If you want one, a 320d built before September 2007 has the older M47 engine, but its turbos fail on cars run on short trips with overdue oil changes.
An E46 (1998 to 2005) is old enough that rust and wear decide it, starting with a rear subframe that can crack and tear away from the floor between 80,000 and 150,000 miles, worst on the 328i, 330i and M3. The 320d built before October 2003 has a record of repeated turbo failures, and 320d swirl flaps can snap off and wreck the engine, so a petrol E46 that's been checked underneath is the safer bet.
An E36-based Compact (1994 to 2001) or Convertible (1994 to 2000) is a buy on condition and invoices alone. M52-engined Convertibles, the 320i from December 1994 and the 323i and 328i from 1995, can wear their bores on high-sulphur UK petrol, which shows as poor starting, heavy oil use and lumpy running, and the cure was a new block with steel-lined bores. Don't trust the mileage without paperwork, as early E36 dashboards failed and few 1990s fleets recorded mileages when they sold cars.
The 2.0 diesel in a 2016 to 2018 F30 is the lesser risk, as long as there's proof of its EGR cooler recall. The cooler can leak coolant into the hot exhaust, leaving deposits that melt the inlet manifold or start a fire, and BMW recalled 2014 to 2018 diesels to inspect or replace it. Don't buy one showing drivetrain warnings, limp mode, a burning smell or coolant loss with no leak you can see. The 330d's 3.0 diesel is covered by the same recall.
Treat the N47 2.0 diesel, used in the 316d, 318d and 320d from 2007 to 2015, as a gamble. Its timing chain is at the gearbox end of the engine and fails between 70,000 and 110,000 miles, which can kill the engine without warning, and owners have reported failures at 80,000 and 93,000 miles, the second on a car with yearly BMW dealer servicing. One owner's 2011 318d repair estimate was still £6,800 after BMW covered half the cost of the parts.
The N53, N54 and N55 six-cylinder petrols all have serious known faults. The N53 goes through coils, injectors and high-pressure fuel pumps, and the 3.0 version has cracked blocks and heads between 70,000 and 100,000 miles. The twin-turbo N54 in the 2006 to 2010 335i suffers fuel pump failures and a rattling wastegate, while screws holding the single-turbo N55's VANOS unit can loosen or snap and send it into emergency mode. The four-cylinder N46 has had big end bearings fail between 60,000 and 80,000 miles.
The N20 2.0 petrol in the F30 320i and 328i is no safe swap for a diesel, as its oil pump drive can wear and seize the engine; one owner was left paying £750 towards a new engine for a 2013 320i at 15,500 miles after BMW and the dealer chipped in. Manuals are the weak point on E90s and F30s, losing clutches and flywheels, plus reverse gear on the E90, so pick an automatic that's had fresh fluid by 60,000 miles or 96 months.
Listen to the engine start from cold, as a rhythmic scraping or rattle from the gearbox end of an N47 diesel means its timing chain is wearing. Don't let the seller warm it up first. On a cold N20 petrol, a whine that rises with the revs or a metallic rattle points to the oil pump drive. Long cranking before a six-cylinder petrol fires points to the high-pressure fuel pump, and a misfire or rough idle to coils and injectors.
On the test drive, an ESP, ABS or DSC light on an E90 points to the ABS pump and control unit or rusty reluctor rings on the rear driveshafts, which also cause juddering and brief power cuts over bumps. On an xDrive F30, judder or hesitation accelerating in third and fourth gear means transfer box trouble, so check all four tyres match and are evenly worn. A manual that judders pulling away or baulks at first, second or reverse points to the clutch and dual mass flywheel.
Crouch down and look at the inside of each alloy, because 17-inch and larger wheels on runflat tyres crack on potholes and speed humps, then start losing pressure. Under an E46, look for cracks around the rear subframe mounts and for snapped rear springs. On an E93 Convertible, check the battery compartment in the boot for standing water, which gets in past tired roof seals at the A-pillars. On any E90-era car, sniff around the filler flap for fuel, as a chafed vent pipe there can leak.
Ask for dated invoices rather than a stamped book, as one buyer found a 2012 328i on a service plan had had a single oil change by 28,000 miles. On an N47, you want to see oil changes every 10,000 miles once it's past 50,000. Get proof of recall work too: the EGR cooler on 2014 to 2018 diesels, the battery cable connection on 2007 to 2011 cars, VANOS screws on 2010 to 2012 N55 petrols and the Takata passenger airbag on 1999 to 2006 cars.
Paste the advert into the free check and it runs these against the listing, the MOT history and the DVLA record before you travel.
An E46's worth buying only once you've been underneath it, because the rear subframe can crack and pull away from the floorpan between 80,000 and 150,000 miles. Creaking or popping from the back over bumps and a clunk as you pull away or change gear are the warning signs. Snapped rear coil springs came up again and again on these cars, with one Touring owner getting through three pairs, and front ball joints and wishbone bushes wear out early too.
Diesel E46s carry the bigger engine worries. The 320d built before October 2003 suffered repeated turbo failures, with overdue oil changes a suspected cause, and injectors failed too. Swirl flaps in the inlet manifold can snap off and be swallowed by the engine, and one owner's 2002 320d did exactly that at 133,000 miles, with a £10,000 bill. Automatics have the flaps while some manuals don't, and you can tell by a solenoid with vacuum hoses on the engine's nearside.
Four-cylinder petrols leak oil once their O-rings harden after about six years, so look for oil weeping from the Valvetronic solenoids on the nose of the engine and pooling in the undertray, and make sure the sump bolts haven't worked loose. On a pre-August 2004 M3, get the oil pressure checked for failing big end shells. If the electric radiator fan has ever packed up, look under the oil filler cap for emulsified oil, a sign the head gasket's gone.
Airbag warning lights fail the MOT, and one owner paid £1,500 to put one right; on some cars it's the airbag sensor wiring, which is short enough to pull loose when the seat slides back. Rear light clusters die when an undersized earth pin burns out, heater fans get stuck on full speed when their resistor fails, and brake pipes corrode. Ask for proof of the Takata passenger airbag recall, and check the front wings for bubbling paint where the liners trap damp.
Real-world economy on this generation: BMW 3 Series 40.7 mpg, BMW 3 Series Touring 41.9 mpg.
The N47 2.0 diesel's timing chain is the E90-era fault to fear, and it isn't confined to high mileages. BMW ran a campaign replacing the chain, guides and tensioners on 2007 and 2008 engines, but owners had to ask for it, and a late 2012 E91 320d had a failing chain caught at 50,000 miles. A 2011 318d with a complete BMW history lost its chain at 114,000 miles, while another owner's E90 320d automatic had its chain fail at 160,000 miles, with a £1,600 repair bill.
Every E90 diesel risks swirl flaps breaking into the engine and a DPF clogging between 80,000 and 120,000 miles, with short runs making the DPF worse. A 2008 320d Touring was written off at 110,000 miles when its flaps broke up, and owners have seen the oil level rise when the DPF regenerates. Manual diesels wear out dual mass flywheels between 60,000 and 100,000 miles, and the 3.0 N57 diesel has had timing chains and oil pumps fail, one pump at 45,000 miles on a 2010 325d.
Petrol E90s don't escape either. The N53 six-cylinder repeatedly loses coils, injectors and high-pressure fuel pumps, and one owner spent £1,200 on injectors before a cracked bore liner wrecked a 2009 330i at 78,000 miles. Another owner paid £2,000 for new injectors on a 2010 325i at 50,000 miles. The four-cylinder N43 gets through coils and injectors too and corrodes its crankshaft sensors, and one owner was charged £1,000 for a stretched timing chain on an 88,000 mile 2009 320i.
Some faults hit E90-era cars whatever the engine. On 2007 to 2011 cars the battery cable joint at the power distribution box can overheat and cut all power, even on the move, and BMW recalled it twice. The ABS and DSC pump can fail between 50,000 and 100,000 miles, and Active Steering can stiffen in cold weather and need a new column. A manual that loses reverse gear is fixable, though: one owner paid a specialist £850 plus VAT after a dealer quoted £5,000 for a new gearbox.
Real-world economy on this generation: BMW 3 Series 40.7 mpg, BMW 3 Series Touring 41.9 mpg, BMW 3 Series Coupe 36.6 mpg, BMW 3 Series Convertible 34.2 mpg, BMW 3 Series 44.6 mpg, BMW 3 Series 45.0 mpg, BMW 3 Series Touring 44.4 mpg.
The diesel EGR cooler is the F30's biggest known fault, and the recall for 2014 to 2018 diesels ran so short of parts that some dealers held cars for weeks. Owners have also reported drivetrain warnings on a 2016 320d that returned even after a new EGR, and a 2014 320d whose plastic inlet manifold had burnt through from the inside at 50,000 miles. One F31 Touring owner was told the car couldn't leave the dealer until parts for the recall turned up.
Four-cylinder N20 petrols in the 320i and 328i have two serious faults that can seize the engine. The oil pump drive gear wears early, between 15,000 and 50,000 miles on 2011 to 2015 engines, and plastic timing chain guides break up between 50,000 and 90,000 miles on 2012 to 2017 cars. Don't shrug off ticking or tinkling from a 320i, since owners have reported both, and one 2012 car was stripped to find swarf inside at 34,000 miles.
Manual F30s from 2012 to 2015 have needed new clutches and dual mass flywheels from as early as 29,000 miles, bringing judder and a struggle to find first, second and reverse; one owner was quoted £2,500 for the job on a 2012 318i. On xDrive cars, judder or hesitation in third and fourth gear points to the transfer box, and one owner's 2015 320d xDrive, bought at 32,000 miles, was diagnosed with a faulty one costing £3,600.
The 330e plug-in hybrid from 2016 to 2018 has a charge control unit that keeps failing, leaving it unable to charge or tripping the house's circuit breaker; one October 2016 car went through three in 44,000 miles and 21 months. On 2014 to 2018 cars, stones can hole the air conditioning condenser, so check the air con blows cold. One owner's 2014 320i GT xDrive had its engine and turbo replaced at 43,000 miles, and though BMW supplied them free, fitting them cost £3,700.
Real-world economy on this generation: BMW 3 Series 44.6 mpg, BMW 3 Series 45.0 mpg, BMW 3 Series Touring 44.4 mpg, BMW 3 Series Gran Turismo 42.4 mpg, BMW 3 Series GT 42.7 mpg, BMW 3 Series 45.4 mpg, BMW 3 Series Touring 47.8 mpg.
Sellers rarely admit these faults outright
Paste any BMW 3 Series advert and we check it against the faults, the MOT record and these figures in seconds.
Check an advert now (free) →Owners report 42.9 mpg across the BMW 3 Series engines with data, about 80% of the official figure, from 11,570 submissions.
BMW 3 Series Real MPG by engine →The F30's steering has real feel and its chassis is nicely balanced, so it's still a satisfying car to drive. There's finally enough room in the back for two adults to sit comfortably, and the 320d EfficientDynamics pulls strongly while staying frugal. The GT's big hatchback opening makes its boot more practical than the saloon's, and it's a good-looking shape too.
An E36 or E46 Compact is lighter than the car it's based on, which makes it a bit quicker, and the E46 version handles really well. The E36 Convertible feels properly screwed together, and the six-cylinder versions have strong brakes that stop the car with real confidence.
A 2016 to 2018 F30 3 Series 2.0 diesel automatic with proof of its EGR cooler recall is the soundest used buy, while any 2007 to 2015 N47 2.0 diesel is a timing chain gamble. Our database holds 44 known BMW 3 Series faults, 30 rated high severity, and the sections above say which generation and engine carry them.
Go for an F30 or F31 from 2016 to 2018, because its serious known faults are ones you can check for before you commit. On the fault record the E46 (1998 to 2005) carries 4 known faults against 28 on the E90 / E91 / E92 / E93 (2005 to 2012). Each generation's section above gives the detail. BMW 3 Series faults by generation.
Listen to the engine start from cold, as a rhythmic scraping or rattle from the gearbox end of an N47 diesel means its timing chain is wearing. Read the MOT history for repeat advisories and ask for invoices for any work the seller mentions. Then paste the advert into the free check, which reads it against every known BMW 3 Series fault before you travel.
Owners report 42.9 mpg on average, about 80% of the official figure, from 11,570 submissions. Chain (2.0D, N47): no fixed replacement interval, so budget for it if the history does not show it done. The known faults page lists a rough repair cost against each fault. BMW 3 Series Real MPG by engine.
If you used the Honest John car-by-car reviews before the site closed in 2026, this is where the BMW 3 Series buying advice now lives. It is written from the archived owner reports and model notes (archived page, 408 items read for this model), our own known-faults database, the confirmed service intervals and the Real MPG figures. Every number on the page comes from that data, not from the text. The same data feeds our free advert check.
CarAdCheck is not affiliated with Honest John or Volkswagen Financial Services. What happened to Honest John, and where each feature lives now.
The BMW 3 Series is one decision. Reading the advert, the history and the seller are the rest, and these cover them.
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