N47 diesel timing chain (rear-mounted) wear on older cars
- Typically appears
- 100,000+ miles
- What to inspect
- Listen at the bulkhead for a rattle at idle

A 2016 BMW 1 Series is now 10 years old, so an average example has covered around 135,000 miles. A mid-run car · most launch faults had been addressed by this point, and wear items are the main risk at this age. Check the state safety inspection and service history alongside the documented faults below, which are sorted by whether a 2016 car has usually reached the mileage where they appear.
Compiled & reviewed by the VehicleFaults Research Team
The 2016 BMW 1 Series is 10 years old, so an average example has covered roughly 135,000 miles. At that mileage 3 of the documented faults are already due, so check those first.
Documented onset mileage is at or below the ~135k miles an average 2016 car has covered.
N47 diesel timing chain (rear-mounted) wear on older cars
Electric water pump and thermostat failure
Front control arm bushes knocking
Age, electronics and build-related issues that are not mileage-driven.
iDrive faults, parking sensors and window regulators
Generate a tickable pre-purchase checklist for this exact year, mileage and variant · add photos and notes as you inspect.
Check this exact carOn higher-mileage pre-2015 diesels, yes. It is an engine-out job, so price it accordingly.
Petrol 118i M Sport with a clean history.
Service history and any signs of the car being a chain-noise repair.