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BMW 5 Series 520d common faults.

2007–2010, saloon, diesel, 177 HP.

The fault list covers: N47D20 engine, GS6 transmission.

What you save stays on this device only. My saves

1 fault write-ups. Important. No recall on the list.

If you know the year, pick it. Faults for other years drop out of the list.

Before you buy

Known faults

1 important faults

N47 / N57 diesel: timing chain on the rear of the engine

critical

In these diesels BMW put the timing chain at the back of the engine, on the gearbox side. The chain, the guides and the tensioner wear early. The symptom is a metallic rattle on a cold start that quietens once warm.

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The engine or the gearbox has to come out for the replacement, so the labour is a multiple of the parts cost. If the chain breaks or jumps, the engine is badly damaged inside, and the repair is an engine rebuild.

The problem is worst on engines built between March 2007 and March 2011, and the ones before early 2009 are the worst of all. The maker handled it under a service campaign in several European markets, but in the United Kingdom there was no formal recall. "It was never recalled" does not mean the chain is fine.

According to the German technical press the fault affects the whole N47 series and every power output, inspection is advised from 100,000 km, and factory revisions closed the matter around 2013, so cars built after 2013 are in a significantly better position. Stretching is typically preceded by a distinct rattle.

between 100,000 and 200,000 km

What to check

  • Insist on a cold start: the car should stand overnight, and the seller must not start it before you arrive
  • At the moment of starting, stand behind the engine (on the gearbox side) and listen to the first 3 to 5 seconds
  • A metallic rattle from the back of the engine calls for immediate expert inspection: this is not "diesel noise"
2 more steps in the write-up

Checklist

BMW 5 Series 520d

First what you would check on any car. Then the faults of this model.

Before you buy

Checklist

The printed sheet starts with what you would check on any car. What you tick stays on this device only.

On every car

Ask the owner

Faults of this model

vinkodex.com · Before you buy it, see what can go wrong.

Engine and transmission

N47D20 · 2.0d/xDrive20d

160 kW (218 HP) · diesel

Model year2007–

GS6 · 6-speed manual, longitudinal (Getrag GS6)

manual · 6 speed

Torque limit450 Nm
MakerGetrag

We built the code from the model and the gear count. The factory sheet does not state it.

Variant data

What is in this version

Factory data

Trim
520d
Body
saloon
Fuel
diesel
Transmission
manual
Engine size
1995 cc
Power
130 kW (177 HP)
Drive
RWD
Production
2007–2010

Factory service interval

The manufacturer specifies this for this version. Of the mileage and the time, the one that comes first is the one that counts.

  • Air filter

    • 60,000 km or 4 years

  • Cabin (pollen) filter

    • 30,000 km or 2 years

  • Brake fluid change

    • first: 3 years, then 2 years(first change at 3 years, then every two years)

  • Engine oil and oil filter (BMW condition-based service)

    • LongLife25,000 km or 2 years

  • Fuel filter, diesel

    • 60,000 km or 2 years
All E60 versions

Information, not an expert opinion

We write the descriptions, and we put the source next to them. A person reviews them before they go out. They are still information, not a technical expert opinion.

  • A fault on the list does not mean the car you are looking at has it.
  • A fault missing from the list does not mean the model is fault-free. Write-ups are made model by model. Not all of them are done.
  • You decide whether to buy. This is no substitute for an inspection. That needs a workshop and a history check.
Details in the terms