BMW 3 Series: N47 2.0d Timing Chain Failure (Rear-Mounted Chain)

The N47 2.0L diesel engine used in the E90 320d locates its timing chain at the rear of the engine (against the firewall), driven from the crankshaft. The chain tensioner and guide rails wear prematurely, causing the chain to slap, stretch, and ultimately jump or snap. Because the chain is at the rear of the engine, early warning signs (rattle on start-up) can be inaudible inside the cabin. When the chain snaps the engine suffers catastrophic internal damage — bent valves and broken pistons. BMW Australia issued a recall/Customer Safety Recall (reference 2013-11-26 AU recall) covering a subset of affected vehicles. Thousands of cases documented internationally.

• Rattling noise from rear of engine on cold start (difficult to hear from inside cabin)
• Check engine light with camshaft or timing-related fault codes
• Engine that cuts out suddenly while driving
• Engine that will not restart after stall

1. 1

   Check whether the vehicle falls under the BMW AU timing chain recall — verify VIN against recall scope.

2. 2

   Listen at the engine bay (not inside the car) for rear-of-engine rattle on a cold start.

3. 3

   Review full service history for timing chain or tensioner replacement.

4. 4

   Any N47 with over 100,000 km and no chain history should be treated as high risk.

Parts involved: Timing chain.

$5,000 to $15,000 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That is for this job on its own, not for the car.

An estimate, in NZD, for the repair as normally carried out. What a specific car costs depends on which part has failed and what it damaged on the way — treat this as the floor for a negotiation, not a quote.

• “Has the timing chain been replaced, and at what mileage?”
• “Is the car covered under the BMW Australia timing chain recall?”
• “Has the car ever made a rattling sound on cold start?”

The failure described above is documented in published sources — owner forums, technical service bulletins, recall notices and workshop write-ups — held in our fault database. The inspection instructions and the cost estimate are KickTyres’ own interpretation of them, and it is a starting point for an inspection rather than a manufacturer statement.