BMW B38 engine report
BMW B38 · 1 Series (F20)
1.5 LPetrolInline-32015–2019
74/100
[good]
No faults on file, so judge the car
Worth buying, but only on the right car. Scored from the B38's general reputation, not from evidence gathered for this engine. Treat the verdict as provisional until the car itself checks out.
ExcellentGoodSolidRiskyAvoid
- Known issues
- 0
- Critical
- 0
- Sources
- 55
Verdict
We have no confirmed faults on file for this engine.
That is not a clean bill of health, it is a gap: very little B38-specific owner evidence made it through, so the score leans on the wider B-family reputation instead of anything measured here. Which means the individual car decides this one. Service history, a cold start you listen to yourself, and an inspection by someone who is not selling it.
Specs
- Displacement
- 1.5 L
- Layout
- Inline-3
- Fuel
- Petrol
- Compression
- 11:1
- Production
- 2013–present
- Chassis
- F20
- Generation
- LCI
- Fitted
- 2015–2019
Sources
Updated 16 Sept 2026 · scoring v2.7
This report combines 55 owner posts, forum threads and official records. An issue only makes the list once the evidence is strong enough, an official recall on its own or several independent owner reports, and the score weighs how often each problem happens against how bad it is when it does.