BMW 320i 2014 with N20 Engine - 33K Mile - Timing Chain gone

ivodj9270

I am looking for some advice. My car, BMW 320i 2014 with N20 Engine, with 33K Miles on the clock,  is just broke down with a drive train error.
Loss of power and smoke on the exhaust when accelerating. I called BMW and they said no recalls on the car and told me to take it to a BWM Official garage.
So I did, not they told me that the timing chain is gone and as a consequence of snapping, they had to replace all the affected engine parts and the bill is incredible.
I am aware that the car is nearly is almost 7 years old but i only drove it for 33K miles, so a failure like this does not seem right for a BMW Car.
I have been checking online and found the below lawsuit in US:
https://www.carcomplaints.com/news/2020/bmw-timing-chain-lawsuit-settlement-reached.shtml
This seems to be the same thing that happen to me but as is only for US, i never got any sort of extended warranty.
So my question is:
 - Is my only option to pay the bill or just get rid of the car
 - Does the above lawsuit, be applicable in UK as well, since I would have thought the N20 engine problem will be the same on both US/UK
 - Can I clam anything against BMW.
 - Has anyone experience the same issue
Any guidance is really appreciated.
Thanks in advanced

AdrianC

A 7yo car is WELL outside warranty. You make no mention of whether it's been serviced by BMW dealers or outside the dealer chain, and whether it's been serviced to the official schedule or not.
Unless it's been serviced to schedule by dealers, you have absolutely zero change of any contribution from BMW UK. Even with that, your chances are slender.
You will certainly find the work FAR, FAR cheaper outside the BMW franchised dealer chain, though. Quite probably it will be cheaper without a contribution outside the chain than with a contribution inside.

Yes, the N20 issues are well documented, and have been for years - this article is from 2015... https://rightfootdown.com/automotive-news/bmw-redesigns-n20-timing-chain-components-n26-too/

No, the US class-action carries zero weight in the UK.

Very low mileage is rarely a good thing for a car. Did you buy it brand new?

ivodj9270

I serviced it with BMW dealer ship but not on the official schedule.
I bought it second hand from Big Motoring World in 2017 with 21K Miles and unlucky enough, I paid for 3 years extended warranty which expired in Nov 2020.
So your advice will be get it to another garage to get the engine rebuild as BMW would not put a penny towards the repair on the official dealership.
Very unlucky that a car with such a low mileage having this sort of engine problem

AdrianC

ivodj9270 said:

I serviced it with BMW dealer ship but not on the official schedule.

That's not just any goodwill from BMW UK ruled out, but quite possibly contributory to the cause.

I bought it second hand from Big Motoring World in 2017 with 21K Miles

So when you bought the car, the N20 problems were already well documented. That would also make any legal attempts to get redress problematic.
August 2016 - https://bmwtechnician.com/2016/08/07/n20-timing-chain-issue/

You've covered just 12k in four years, 3k/year average. That will qualify as harsh use in most servicing schedules.

How long between oil changes? Both before and after your purchase.

ivodj9270

As you said, legal action would not do much since i bought the car with the N20 problem well documented. Unluckily I did not know at the time.
I did the service / oil change end of 2018 and i think again around 2019. 2020 I barely used the car since Covid kicked in.

mattyprice4004

Leaving it 2 years since the last service won't help your case - from 2014 I believe the longest length of time for the N20 between oil changes is 12 months. 
Find a good BMW specialist to fit a rebuilt engine, write it off as 'bad luck' and move on. 

ivodj9270

That will be my move, deal with it and look forward.
Now since, the engine will be rebuild, should i change the Timing Chain after 70K from todays mileage.  Dont want to find myself in the same place again. It will take me 20 years to reach another 70K though
Appreciate your input on all of this guys.

motorguy

As per the above, find a good indy who can source and fit a rebuilt engine.

Mickey666

ivodj9270 said:

I am looking for some advice. My car, BMW 320i 2014 with N20 Engine, with 33K Miles on the clock,  is just broke down with a drive train error.
Loss of power and smoke on the exhaust when accelerating. I called BMW and they said no recalls on the car and told me to take it to a BWM Official garage.
So I did, not they told me that the timing chain is gone and as a consequence of snapping, they had to replace all the affected engine parts and the bill is incredible.

This sounds a little odd. 
". . . when accelerating" implies that the engine is running but a broken timing chain would surely result in an instantly dead engine?
Also, you say you've taken it to a BMW official garage to be checked . . . but how did you get it there if the timing chain is broken?  Are you implying that the engine actually starts and runs?

Unless I'm misunderstanding something here.

ivodj9270

When the car started losing power and engine started shaking, the car could move but badly. I managed to get it back home, which was about 200m away.
Day after engine was dead, when the toll truck came to pick the car to take it over to BMW.

AdrianC

Mickey666 said:

ivodj9270 said:

I am looking for some advice. My car, BMW 320i 2014 with N20 Engine, with 33K Miles on the clock,  is just broke down with a drive train error.
Loss of power and smoke on the exhaust when accelerating. I called BMW and they said no recalls on the car and told me to take it to a BWM Official garage.
So I did, not they told me that the timing chain is gone and as a consequence of snapping, they had to replace all the affected engine parts and the bill is incredible.

This sounds a little odd. 
". . . when accelerating" implies that the engine is running but a broken timing chain would surely result in an instantly dead engine?
Also, you say you've taken it to a BMW official garage to be checked . . . but how did you get it there if the timing chain is broken?  Are you implying that the engine actually starts and runs?

Unless I'm misunderstanding something here.

It's probably just jumped a tooth - in which case continuing to drive it is very, VERY risky.

But there may be no internal damage (yet...), so simply replacing the chain and guides would be adequate.