Both are legendary BMW inline 6 engines but which one is more reliable long term?
M54 (E46/E39/E60):
N52 (E90/E60):
I think the M54 is more reliable but the N52 is the better engine overall. Thoughts?
Electric water pump failure is so common on N20. BMW should have done a recall. At least the replacement is straightforward.
Both are excellent engines but the M54 is simpler and cheaper to maintain. No Valvetronic, no VANOS issues (the M54 VANOS is much simpler than the N52 double-VANOS). The N52 has the electric water pump that fails around 80-100k km (400 EUR to replace), and the valve cover gasket is more prone to leaking. For pure reliability, M54. For refinement and fuel economy, N52.
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