Ask Honest John

Honest John Ask Honest John » Should BMW pay for timing chain tensioner failure?
What is life like with your car? Let us know and win £500 in John Lewis vouchers | No thanks

Should BMW pay for timing chain tensioner failure?

My 09 plate 74,000 mile BMW 118i has just been diagnosed as needing a new engine by BMW Maidenhead as a result of the timing chain tensioner failing and getting sucked into the rest of the engine, causing damage. BMW have offered to pay 50% of the parts cost but are still quoting £7,000 for the repair, despite full BMW service history.

In fact the car had an oil service and diagnosis 3 months ago at BMW Ascot where there was no mention of any problem with the chain tensioner. The engine warning light had previously come on but they diagnosed it as a fault with the oil pressure switch, which they replaced. So I have to ask, should BMW Ascot have identified the timing chain tensioner issue during the previous service? And given the age and mileage on my car should I be expecting BMW to contribute more towards the cost of the repair?

£7,000 is more than I think the car was worth prior to these problems!

Asked on 11 June 2015 by mbexknrg

Answered by Honest John
This is a common failure of the N43 engine and if they are quoting £7,000 it't the usual amount without any help from BMW. The reason for the failure is breaking up of the plastic timing chain tensioner that needs to be inspected regularly for wear once the car is past 5 years old or 50k miles. So I think you can claim that negligence by the dealer in servicing the car led to the failure and, since you have nothing to lose you could take your case to the small claims track of the county court. A lot depends on whether it is just under or just over 6 years old. Over 6 years old your chances are not so good. See: www.honestjohn.co.uk/faq/consumer-rights/
Similar questions
I'm considering buying a 2010 BMW 118 M Sport Diesel Automatic with only 16,000 miles on the clock. It's in pristine condition, genuine mileage with dealership service history (last service January 2017)....
I am currently running a 2008 BMW 118d. My mileage is creeping up a lot and the car has now clocked up 100,000 miles. I now have concerns about the longevity of the car as it is making a “chuff, chuff”...
I have bought a 2008 BMW 118 diesel. Can you tell me if it has a timing chain and if so when would be a good time to change it?
Related models
Great to drive and superbly built. Wide choice of models, improved from 2007 with Efficient Dynamics. 118d is super economical.