The Lemon Index
BMW's 3.0 L naturally aspirated inline-6 in the 3 Series, 5 Series, X3, X5, Z4, model years 2006–2013. YouTube likes the 2009 best.
Less liked than most on YouTube: YouTube owner tone 45/100, #112 of 165 engines with a YouTube study (in the bottom third); no engine-related recall on record, 3 known issues listed below.
Reliability by year
YouTube videos are most positive about the 2009 (52) and least about the 2006 (40); neighboring years share many of the same videos, so small gaps mean little.
Owner score = the whole car's Lemon Index where this was its only engine that year; a gray dot means the model shared engines, so the number isn't this engine's alone. How we count
How each number is matched to the engine: (a) complaints filed under a version name that used only this engine that year (e.g. "335I"); (b) the model had only this engine that year, so its Lemon Index (complaints per car sold vs the average car) applies to every car with this engine; "all engines combined" = the model had several engines under one name, so its number is not this engine's alone. Owner complaints cover the whole car (brakes, air bags, electrics ...), not only the engine. None of these is a failure rate. YouTube tone = how positive the videos are, 0–100, from titles and transcripts that name the engine or a version that used it. A video whose title names no model year counts toward every year of its generation, so neighboring years share most of their videos.
All the numbers, year by year
| Year | Cars with it | Owner complaints | Complaints naming "N52" | YouTube says | Top complaint areas |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | BMW 3 Series 325i, 325xi, 330i, 330xi BMW 5 Series 525i, 525xi, 530i, 530xi BMW Z4 Z4 3.0i, Z4 3.0si | 280 complaints (a: filed as 530i, 525i) | 5 | 40 (19 videos, 4 naming 2006) | air bags, electrical, engine |
| 2007 | BMW 3 Series 328ci, 328cxi, 328i, 328xi BMW 5 Series 525i, 525xi, 530i, 530xi BMW X5 X5 3.0si BMW Z4 Z4 3.0i, Z4 3.0si BMW X3 X3 3.0i, X3 3.0si | Index 149 (b: whole-car score; BMW X3 had only this engine) | 0 | 45 (50 videos, 15 naming 2007) | air bags, electrical, engine |
| 2008 | BMW 3 Series 328ci, 328cxi, 328i, 328xi BMW 5 Series 528i, 528xi BMW X5 X5 3.0si BMW Z4 Z4 3.0i, Z4 3.0si BMW X3 X3 3.0si | 498 complaints (a: filed as 328i, 528i) | 0 | 45 (43 videos, 13 naming 2008) | engine, air bags, electrical |
| 2009 | BMW 3 Series 328ci, 328ci xDrive, 328i, 328i xDrive BMW 5 Series 528i, 528i xDrive BMW X5 X5 xDrive30i BMW Z4 Z4 sDrive30i BMW X3 X3 xDrive30i | 244 complaints (a: filed as 328i, 528i) | 0 | 52 (54 videos, 24 naming 2009) | engine, air bags, electrical |
| 2010 | BMW 3 Series 328ci, 328ci xDrive, 328i, 328i xDrive BMW 5 Series 528i, 528i xDrive BMW X5 X5 xDrive30i BMW Z4 Z4 sDrive30i BMW X3 X3 xDrive30i | 250 complaints (a: filed as 328i, 528i) | 0 | 41 (47 videos, 17 naming 2010) | engine, air bags, electrical |
| 2011 | BMW 3 Series 328ci, 328ci xDrive, 328i, 328i xDrive BMW 5 Series 528i BMW Z4 Z4 sDrive30i BMW X3 X3 xDrive28i | 799 complaints (a: filed as 328i, 528i) | 3 | 45 (65 videos, 28 naming 2011) | engine, electrical, air bags |
| 2012 | BMW 3 Series 328ci, 328i, 328i xDrive BMW X3 X3 xDrive28i | all engines combined: BMW 3 Series Index 24; BMW X3 Index 24 | 1 | not enough videos | — |
| 2013 | BMW 3 Series 328i, 328i xDrive | all engines combined: BMW 3 Series Index 68 | 0 | not enough videos | — |
Known issues on record
- A 2017 recall covered a crankcase-ventilation valve heater that could short-circuit (about 740,000 BMW six-cylinder cars).
- A 2023 recall covered VANOS bolts that could loosen or break.
- The block is magnesium-aluminum; magnesium is more sensitive to corrosion and to creep at high temperature.
According to Wikipedia's BMW N52 article and its sources.
Every US version with this engine
| Model and version | Years | Power |
|---|---|---|
| BMW 3 Series 325i | 2006 | 215 hp · 185 lb-ft |
| BMW 3 Series 325xi | 2006 | 215 hp · 185 lb-ft |
| BMW 3 Series 330i | 2006 | — |
| BMW 3 Series 330xi | 2006 | — |
| BMW 3 Series 328ci | 2007–12 | 228 hp · 199 lb-ft |
| BMW 3 Series 328cxi | 2007–08 | 228 hp · 199 lb-ft |
| BMW 3 Series 328i | 2007–13 | 228 hp · 199 lb-ft |
| BMW 3 Series 328xi | 2007–08 | 228 hp · 199 lb-ft |
| BMW 3 Series 328ci xDrive | 2009–11 | 228 hp · 199 lb-ft |
| BMW 3 Series 328i xDrive | 2009–13 | 228 hp · 199 lb-ft |
| BMW 5 Series 525i | 2006–07 | 215 hp · 185 lb-ft |
| BMW 5 Series 525xi | 2006–07 | 215 hp · 185 lb-ft |
| BMW 5 Series 530i | 2006–07 | — |
| BMW 5 Series 530xi | 2006–07 | — |
| BMW 5 Series 528i | 2008–10 | 228 hp · 199 lb-ft |
| BMW 5 Series 528xi | 2008 | 228 hp · 199 lb-ft |
| BMW 5 Series 528i xDrive | 2009–10 | 228 hp · 199 lb-ft |
| BMW 5 Series 528i | 2011 | 241 hp · 229 lb-ft |
| BMW X5 X5 3.0si | 2007–08 | — |
| BMW X5 X5 xDrive30i | 2009–10 | — |
| BMW Z4 Z4 3.0i | 2006–08 | 215 hp · 185 lb-ft |
| BMW Z4 Z4 3.0si | 2006–08 | — |
| BMW Z4 Z4 sDrive30i | 2009–11 | — |
| BMW X3 X3 3.0i | 2007 | — |
| BMW X3 X3 3.0si | 2007–08 | — |
| BMW X3 X3 xDrive30i | 2009–10 | — |
| BMW X3 X3 xDrive28i | 2011–12 | — |
Versions and years: EPA (fueleconomy.gov). Engine and power: Wikipedia, BMW N52 (BMW ratings; US figures can differ by a few hp).
Quick answers
What cars have the BMW N52 engine?
In the US: the 3 Series, 5 Series, X3, X5, Z4, model years 2006–2013. See the version table for each one.
Is the N52 reliable?
Not one of the safer bets on our data. YouTube owner tone 45/100, #112 of 165 engines with a YouTube study (in the bottom third); no engine-related recall on record, 3 known issues listed below. The most owner complaints (about any part of the car) filed under version names that used this engine were for the 2011 (799). Counts follow sales, so this is not a failure rate. Government complaints are filed by model and year, not engine, and they cover the whole car, so none of these numbers is an engine failure rate. We only credit a number to this engine where the version name or the model year leaves no doubt. Have any used car inspected.
How much horsepower does the N52 make?
BMW rated it at 215 to 241 hp in US versions, depending on the car and year.