Reliability of modern Turbo engines

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Guys;

Now that everything seems to be going turbo, how do you think reliability of such engines is impacted? I'm not talking about the turbo itself. The effective compression is increased, possibly causing more wear, etc. Also, with direct injection there is the buildup on intake valves.

Thoughts? Note: I'm looking at a 2012 BMW 335 with approx 85K mileage. I know there were earlier issues with the high pressure fuel pump.

JR
 
Now?

I bought a new 83 SAAB 900 turbo. Drove it for 14yrs and 254,000mi. Original non-water-cooled turbo lasted untill 205,000mi. No problems with the motor. Never consumed oil.

The sled motor is turbocharged, has accrued about 220,000 mi over my 19 yrs of ownership. No problems with motor or turbo to date.

Swedish Steel has a long history of turbocharged motors. So do I.

Given this, a 2012 BMW is a completely different animal from either car above. I'mm willing to bet a lot (most?) of it's cooling system is now plastic rather than metal. And here in our area we only have two seasons: SUMMER and February.

Is this your first BMW?
 
With modern BMW i would expect and plan for the very worst. Big Money Wasted. If you are cool with that then spend away.

Plenty of them are perfectly reliable. Many have had huge repair bills from turbos, common rail injectors, HPFPs, you name it.

To really enjoy a newer BMW i would suggest leasing them. It may cost slightly more per month but you can just drop it off or have the dealer tow it when it breaks and take a loaner.
 
Originally Posted By: jrcowboys
Guys;

Now that everything seems to be going turbo, how do you think reliability of such engines is impacted? I'm not talking about the turbo itself. The effective compression is increased, possibly causing more wear, etc. Also, with direct injection there is the buildup on intake valves.

Thoughts? Note: I'm looking at a 2012 BMW 335 with approx 85K mileage. I know there were earlier issues with the high pressure fuel pump.

JR
Probably as reliable as the quality of manufacture goes. engine failure is quite severe on boosted engines as compared to N/A engines. The price is worth it. Maintenance is important an in any engine.
 
Overall no concern at all. But bmw was an early adopter and so you need to know what you're getting into with bmws. If that's an n54 you may have an hpfp concern as well as deposits. Or not.
 
No idea on BMW. My good friends 2008ish BMW 535ix manual wagon with twin turbos had both fail around 160k in 2015.

My wife drives a 2005 Legacy turbo wagon and still running original turbo with 218k since brand new.
 
I'm concerned about the tiny composite alloy auto gas and diesel turbos, the bigger diesel turbos dont bother me so much.

The older heavier slower responding stainless/inconell units were stouter.

One of my Benz's the 2013 had a turbo " come apart" a month ago as described by MB service at a mere 36K miles.

Had it not been under warranty Id have had a 7K bill.

Uncle Dave
 
I am interested in this topic as well. My fiancée originally had a 2013 Jetta with the 2.5 that had been in VW's line up for years and years, but that car was totaled less than a year after purchase. They went with another Jetta, which at the time was model year 2014 and the first year for the 1.8 TSI. So far its been solid, time will tell I suppose.
 
Originally Posted By: gregk24
I am interested in this topic as well. My fiancée originally had a 2013 Jetta with the 2.5 that had been in VW's line up for years and years, but that car was totaled less than a year after purchase. They went with another Jetta, which at the time was model year 2014 and the first year for the 1.8 TSI. So far its been solid, time will tell I suppose.


Well, if you ask me, the 1.8TSI and BMW's turbo offerings are totally different. VW's mill is designed for mass production, high MPG, and reliability before ultimate power. BMW is all about the performance first. Hopefully the 1.8TSI will live a long trouble free life. It is a lowish compression short stroke turbo engine that on paper looks great.
 
Ford has been putting DI turbo engines ranging from 1 to 3.5 liters in perfectly ordinary cars, trucks, CUVs/SUVs as well as performance models for some years now. Some of these engines are in the same league as this BMW for specific output.
I'm not aware of any unusual failures in any of these engines, most of which are Mazda designs.
 
Originally Posted By: fdcg27
Ford has been putting DI turbo engines ...for some years now. Some of these engines are in the same league as this BMW for specific output.


Yes, but Ford's testing & reliability is proven.

The EcoBoost F150 seemed to be a joke at first.... but we were all proven wrong with that.

I wouldn't trust a turbo BMW any further than I could throw it - compared to the reliability of the EcoBoost offerings from Ford.
 
Well, my wife's 2002 Volvo turbo only has 225,000 miles on it with zero engine work. My 2002 Volvo turbo only has 190,000 miles on it, on the original engine and turbo, with zero engine work.

So, a few more years, or another hundred thousand miles, and I will be able to tell if a modern turbo engine is reliable enough...
 
Originally Posted By: jrcowboys
Guys;

Now that everything seems to be going turbo, how do you think reliability of such engines is impacted? I'm not talking about the turbo itself. The effective compression is increased, possibly causing more wear, etc. Also, with direct injection there is the buildup on intake valves.

Thoughts? Note: I'm looking at a 2012 BMW 335 with approx 85K mileage. I know there were earlier issues with the high pressure fuel pump.

JR


If the high pressure fuel delivery system fails it will be costly if you have the DI system as well. That's why I chose the 2.5 NA PFI system in my 2017 Fusion.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: Astro14
Well, my wife's 2002 Volvo turbo only has 225,000 miles on it with zero engine work. My 2002 Volvo turbo only has 190,000 miles on it, on the original engine and turbo, with zero engine work.

So, a few more years, or another hundred thousand miles, and I will be able to tell if a modern turbo engine is reliable enough...


But it most likely doesn't have DI. That's where the money is at.
 
Manufacturers have gotten into the turbo game recently. My bet would be to go for an engine that's had a few years in the field with a good track record. Early adopters are basically money-paying beta testers.
 
BMWs are usually pretty robust mechanically and I'd trust a BMW to survive really hard running over a Ford.
BMWs are mainly let down by electrical and cooling system problems and they may suffer from too-long OCIs in the hands of drivers here who don't run them hard enough but rather fiddle-[censored] around in mall or commuting traffic.
The engines are up to the task of enduring hard use.
Also, reports of BMW problems tend to be greatly overstated by those who've never had one, although this is true of GTDI Fords as well.
 
Originally Posted By: L_Sludger
Manufacturers have gotten into the turbo game recently. My bet would be to go for an engine that's had a few years in the field with a good track record. Early adopters are basically money-paying beta testers.


I agree.
 
Many, many variables at play here. I think with a good design and excellent maintenance you stand a good chance of your turbo engine lasting as long as a good NA engine would. Not abusing either makes a good bit of difference as well IMHO.
 
At 85K miles, I would make sure the electric water pump and thermostat were replaced. That is the mileage I'v seen them to start failing around and when they do, the car will go into limp mode. 2012 has the N55, single turbo motor..correct me if i'm wrong.
 
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