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N13N13B16

BMW N13 engine: faults and reliability

BMW N13 (N13B16) · BMW

The BMW N13 (2011-2016), BMW's first turbocharged four-cylinder in three decades, powered the 114i, 116i, 118i and 120i (F20/F21) and the 316i (F30). It derives from the Prince engine developed with PSA, the same origin as the 1.6 THP. In 2013 BMW issued a technical service bulletin over timing chain and tensioner wear; oil consumption and carbon build-up on the injectors are other weak points shared with that family.[1][2][3]

Risk index
57
High risk · what it is
Documented faults
4
1 of high or critical severity
Timing
Chain
Technical data[1][2]
Production
2011–2016
2 models on this site

8 sourcesHow we work

Which BMW N13 versions should you buy?

Our verdict for each version, based on the documented faults.

  • 114i 102 hp (75 kW, 2012-2015)

    2012–2015 · 102 hp · N13B16

    With caution

    It shares with the other N13 versions the timing chain and tensioner wear flagged by BMW in its 2013 technical bulletin, as well as the oil consumption and injector carbon build-up documented for the whole Prince family.[2][3]

  • 116i / 316i 136 hp (100 kW, 2011-2015)

    2011–2015 · 136 hp · N13B16

    With caution

    It shares with the other N13 versions the timing chain and tensioner wear flagged by BMW in its 2013 technical bulletin, as well as the oil consumption and injector carbon build-up documented for the whole Prince family.[2][3]

  • 118i 170 hp (125 kW, 2011-2016)

    2011–2016 · 170 hp · N13B16

    With caution

    It shares with the other N13 versions the timing chain and tensioner wear flagged by BMW in its 2013 technical bulletin, as well as the oil consumption and injector carbon build-up documented for the whole Prince family.[2][3]

  • 120i 177 hp (130 kW, 2015-2016)

    2015–2016 · 177 hp · N13B16

    With caution

    It shares with the other N13 versions the timing chain and tensioner wear flagged by BMW in its 2013 technical bulletin, as well as the oil consumption and injector carbon build-up documented for the whole Prince family.[2][3]

Buy: No known serious faults, or they have already been corrected, in this version. With caution: Worth buying if something specific is verified: history, a replaced part or a completed campaign. Avoid: High risk of a serious fault that is hard to check for or prevent.

Known faults of the BMW N13

Sorted from most to least important (severity × frequency).

  1. 1Critical severityFrequency: CommonTimingTiming chain and tensioner wearYes: in 2013 BMW issued a technical bulletin on timing chain and tensioner wear on the N13, an engine related to PSA's 1.6 THP. The chain proved more durable than on the N43 it replaces, but the German workshops we consulted still point to it as a weak point.
  2. 2Medium severityFrequency: CommonLubricationHigh oil consumptionYes: like the rest of the Prince family (EP6/THP), the N13 can use oil between changes; the German publication Gebrauchtwagenberater.de documents extreme cases of up to 1 litre per 1,000 km and expressly cites the 114i, 116i and 316i among the affected models.
  3. 3Medium severityFrequency: OccasionalInjectionHigh-pressure fuel pump (HPFP) failureThe high-pressure pump that feeds the N13's direct injection can fail. English Wikipedia generically documents several cases of extended-warranty replacement within the Prince family, with no specific figures or N13-specific recall.
  4. 4Low severityFrequency: CommonInjectionCarbon build-up on direct injection injectorsYes: being direct injection, the N13 can build up carbon on the injectors over time, with loss of power and higher consumption. Gebrauchtwagenberater.de places this problem on almost the whole Prince family, apart from PSA's naturally aspirated EP6/EP6C variants.

Severity colours: low, medium, high, critical. How we rate them

By part

Compare each fault with the same part on other engines: symptoms, cost and affected models.

Symptoms of these faults

What the BMW N13 is

The agreement between BMW and PSA Peugeot Citroën to jointly develop a family of four-cylinder petrol engines, known as "Prince", was announced in July 2002; the first blocks were built from 2006. The N13, introduced in 2011, is the 1.6-litre turbo version that BMW developed on that basis to replace its own naturally aspirated N43: it was BMW's first turbocharged four-cylinder engine since the 2002 Turbo ceased production in 1974. The block is assembled at BMW's Hams Hall plant (UK) with components made by PSA in Douvrin (France); within the Prince family, BMW identifies its own variants with the codes N12, N13, N14, N16 and N18.[1][2][4][5]

The N13 features direct petrol injection, a twin-scroll turbocharger and BMW's Valvetronic system, which regulates intake by varying valve lift instead of using a conventional throttle. It was offered in several outputs: 102 hp (75 kW), 136 hp (100 kW), 170 hp (125 kW) and, from 2015, 177 hp (130 kW); all share the same displacement (1,598 cc), chain-driven timing and the base code N13B16.[1][2][6]

It powered the BMW 1 Series (F20/F21) in the 114i, 116i, 118i and, since the 2015 facelift, 120i versions, as well as the 3 Series (F30) in the 316i. Production ran from 2011 to 2016, the year BMW completed its replacement with the turbocharged three-cylinder engines of the B family (B37/B38), with timing chain guides and tensioner redesigned from the outset.[2][7][8]

Because of their shared origin, the German specialist press treats the N13 as part of the same risk family as the PSA/MINI 1.6 THP: Gebrauchtwagenberater.de expressly cites the N13 -- alongside the THP -- as a repeated example in owner forums of timing chain wear, and places the BMW 114i, 116i, 316i and 320i ED among the Prince family models with high oil consumption and carbon build-up on the direct injection injectors.[3][4]

Manufacturer
BMW
Family
Prince (EP6)
Fuel
Petrol
Displacement
1,598 cm³
Cylinders
4
Fuel system
Turbo
Injection
Direct injection
Timing
Chain
Power
102–177 hp
Peak torque
250 Nm
Production
2011–2016
Makes
BMW

Technical data[1][2]

What changed between versions

  1. 2011–2015

    116i / 316i 136 hp (100 kW, 2011-2015)

    Middle step, with 136 hp (100 kW) and 250 Nm; it is the entry-level turbo N13 engine, fitted from launch in 2011 to the 116i (1 Series) and from 2012 to the 316i (3 Series).[1][2][8]

  2. 2011–2016

    118i 170 hp (125 kW, 2011-2016)

    Highest-output step of the initial range, with 170 hp (125 kW) and 250 Nm; it powered the 118i from the launch of the F20 in 2011 and, according to German Wikipedia, was also retained after the 2015 facelift.[1][2]

  3. 2012–2015

    114i 102 hp (75 kW, 2012-2015)

    Entry-level step in the range, with 102 hp (75 kW) and about 220 Nm of torque; it arrived in 2012 on the 114i, a year after the launch of the 136 and 170 hp versions.[2]

  4. 2015–2016

    120i 177 hp (130 kW, 2015-2016)

    Last power step of the N13, with 177 hp (130 kW), introduced in March 2015 with the F20 facelift for the new 120i; it briefly coexisted with the first B37/B38 three-cylinder engines before they completed the replacement of the N13.[2]

Cars fitted with the BMW N13

2 models sold in Spain. Open each one to see all their faults and the buying checklist.

BMW

Compare the BMW N13

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Sources

Every fact on this page links to its source. If you find an error, let us know.

  1. BMW N13Wikipedia (inglés) · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026
  2. BMW N13Wikipedia (alemán) · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026 · in German
  3. Tickende Zeitbombe: So zuverlässig ist der Prince-Motor von PSA und BMWGebrauchtwagenberater.de · Motoring press · published 13 March 2026 · consulted 27 September 2026 · in German
  4. Prince engineWikipedia (inglés) · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026
  5. Motor PrinceWikipedia (español) · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026 · in Spanish
  6. BMW N13Wikipedia (español) · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026 · in Spanish
  7. BMW F20Wikipedia (español) · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026 · in Spanish
  8. BMW 3 Series (F30)Wikipedia (inglés) · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026