BMW B58 Reliability

Updated September 29, 2026

The BMW B58 is a 3.0-liter turbo inline-six with a strong record, including five Ward’s 10 Best Engines awards per Wikipedia. Documented problems include a BMW bulletin on oil filter inserts that break apart, an NHTSA starter recall tied to B58 cars by BMW, a second starter recall on overlapping models, and gasket leaks as cars age.

The rest of this page shows which cars carry the B58, what BMW service bulletin 11 03 21 and NHTSA recalls 24V-576 and 25V-644 say, what the common repairs cost on a 340i, and who should buy one. Check the VIN for open recalls and ask for service records.

Which BMWs use the B58 engine?

The B58 has been in BMW’s lineup since 2015 and is also used in the Toyota GR Supra, the Ineos Grenadier and the Morgan Plus Six. Wikipedia’s B58 page breaks the engine into output versions. The table below lists the BMW applications and their years as Wikipedia gives them; the VIN, not the model name, confirms which engine a specific car has.

Power comes from the version, not the badge. A 2017 340i and a 2020 M340i share an engine family but not an output, so quotes and bulletins are matched by VIN.

Is the BMW B58 reliable?

Yes, by the standard of modern turbocharged engines, with the condition that it gets regular maintenance and a VIN check for open recalls. CarBuzz’s headline calls it the most reliable BMW engine ever made and points to the Ward’s awards, while also saying it needs regular quality maintenance to stay in shape. The Autopian (March 28, 2025) adds a caution: "certain engine variants feature plastic oil pump housings that can fail over time, eventually leading to catastrophic engine failure."

That caution is not a recall, and the article’s wording does not say which variants are affected. The primary records below are more specific.

What are the documented B58 problems?

Three documents matter most: one BMW service bulletin, one NHTSA starter recall that BMW ties to B58 cars, and a second starter recall on overlapping models. Everything else in owner talk is experience, useful but not a documented campaign.

1. Oil filter insert breaks apart (BMW SIB 11 03 21, May 17, 2021). The bulletin covers all B58 engine variants and says: "On the rare occasions, when performing an engine oil service, the BMW Original (Genuine) engine oil filter insert is either difficult to remove or it breaks apart in the oil filter housing." The bulletin adds a special oil-catch tool and a removal procedure, used before the housing cap comes off. The bulletin lists F22, F23, F30, F32, F33, F34, F36, G01, G02, G05, G07, G12, G14 through G16, G20, G29 and G30 chassis, among others.
2. Starter recall 24V-576 (NHTSA, 2024; BMW’s bulletin gives an effective date of July 31, 2024). NHTSA lists 105,588 units, including 2019-2020 X5 and X7, 2020 340i xDrive and M340i xDrive, and 2020 M340i. Its summary reads: "In the event the starter motor fails, repeated attempts to start the vehicle can cause the starter motor to overheat from an electrical overload." The remedy was a software update at no charge; BMW’s bulletin adds that some vehicles also require a starter motor replacement. BMW’s own bulletin for the recall (SIB 12 05 24, revised August 2, 2024) titles it "RECALL 24V-576: B58C/D ENGINE STARTER – REPEATED LONG DURATION CRANK ATTEMPTS" and lists G05, G06, G07, G12, G14, G15, G16 and G20 production windows ending May 2020.
3. Starter recall 25V-644 (NHTSA, report received September 25, 2025). It covers 145,102 vehicles, including 2020 340i and X6, 2019-2020 X5 and X7, 2020-2022 740Li and 2020-2025 840i. NHTSA says "After repeated attempts, the starter motor may overheat from an electrical overload," and that "Dealers will replace the engine starter, free of charge." Cars already repaired under 24V-576 need this repair again. NHTSA does not name the engine in this recall; the VIN check shows whether a specific car is included.

Neither recall is an engine-internals failure, but a starter that overheats is a fire risk, so an open recall matters more than the word "starter" suggests. Enter the 17-digit VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether a specific car is open.

Which B58 problems are age-related wear items?

Gasket seepage and oil filter housing leaks are the age-related items the sources describe; the Autopian also calls the plastic filter housing a design weakness on early cars. The RepairPal and YourMechanic figures below are for a BMW 340i, since those are the model-specific pages that exist for it.

• Valve cover gasket. RepairPal says the valve cover gasket’s rubber or cork eventually degrades to the point where it leaks, and that a leaking cover lets oil cause other problems over time. That page is general, not B58-specific.
• Oil filter housing gasket. YourMechanic lists the symptoms as oil dripping from the filter on a bottom-mounted external filter, or oil leaking around the intake manifold on a top-mounted internal one.
• Filter housing damage. The Autopian (March 28, 2025) reports that the plastic oil filter housing can crack or be damaged during filter removal. For a first-generation B58, it says a genuine BMW housing was priced at $416.99 from a parts retailer, without gaskets and hardware, and it puts the total bill at $1,800 to $3,500.
• Coolant leaks. The Autopian says the plastic oil filter housing can get brittle and crack over time, causing it to leak oil, coolant or both on early B58s. RepairPal adds that a water pump needs replacement if it begins to leak coolant or becomes noisy.

The buying table below treats visible seepage as a negotiating point.

What maintenance matters most on a B58?

Oil service done correctly and on time matters most, because BMW’s only bulletin on this engine, and the Autopian’s failure reports, both center on the oil filter. BMW’s own bulletin exists because filter removal is where things can go wrong, so who does the oil change matters as much as when.

1. Change oil at least once a year, and at the mileage interval BMW specifies. RepairPal’s 340i oil-change page says most modern cars no longer need the old three-months-or-3,000-miles interval, that changing at least once a year is recommended no matter how little you drive, and that the oil and filter should be replaced at the time and mileage interval the manufacturer recommends.
2. Have the filter removed with BMW’s oil-catch tool and published procedure. BMW’s SIB 11 03 21 calls for the oil-catch tool and the published procedure before the housing cap is removed.
3. Replace spark plugs on schedule. RepairPal says spark plug failure is most common after 100,000 miles of use under normal driving conditions, and that faulty plugs can damage the catalytic converter.
4. Fix small leaks early. RepairPal says a leaking valve cover gasket lets oil cause other problems over time.
5. Run the VIN for open recalls each time the car changes hands, since recall 24V-576 covered production windows ending in May 2020 and recall 25V-644 followed in 2025.

How much do common B58 repairs cost?

On a 340i, common B58 repairs range from an $88 oil change to a $5,363 head gasket job. Each figure below covers the repair named, for a BMW 340i, as the source states it. They exclude taxes and fees and are not a price from Accelerate Auto Repair and Collision.

The head gasket row is the top of this table’s scale. RepairPal says head gasket failures are often due to an overheated engine, but can also be caused by high mileage or age, and that a car with a blown or leaking head gasket should be towed to a repair facility. Ask any shop what the quote covers and which vehicle the figure is for, because these ranges are for one model.

How does the B58 compare with the N55?

The B58 replaced the N55 and launched in the F30 340i, per Wikipedia, so match campaigns by engine, because the two engines carry different bulletins and recalls. The N55 has its own documented history, covered in our BMW N55 reliability guide, and that history does not transfer to a B58 car or the other way around. A single chassis, such as the F30 3 Series, has carried both engines and others, so the VIN settles which page applies to you. For BMW’s four-cylinder of the prior decade, see the BMW N20 timing chain problem.

If a B58 car shows a drivetrain warning on the dash, the exact wording matters more than the code count; our BMW drivetrain malfunction guide covers what to record before anyone replaces a part.

Should you buy a B58 car? Pick by situation

Buy it if the records show on-time oil service and open recalls are closed, and pass if the service history is thin. The engine’s record does not excuse a car that skipped maintenance.

Accelerate Auto Repair and Collision services BMWs, and its team includes multiple strong European technicians.

Common questions

Are the starter recalls free to fix? Yes. NHTSA states that "Dealers will replace the engine starter, free of charge" for recall 25V-644, and that 24V-576 was a free software update.

Is the Toyota GR Supra’s engine a B58? Wikipedia lists the GR Supra among B58 applications, so it shares the engine family with these BMWs.

Can a 2020 car have both starter recalls? Yes. Both NHTSA recalls list 2020 X5 and X7 models, and NHTSA says vehicles previously repaired under 24V-576 require the repair again under 25V-644. The VIN check shows which apply to a specific car.

Can I keep driving with a leaking head gasket? RepairPal says a car with a blown or leaking head gasket should be towed to a repair facility, and that driving with a bad head gasket is hazardous to the engine and may even be impossible.

Is the BMW S58 the same as the B58? Wikipedia says "The S58 engine is the high-performance version of the B58 engine." Check the VIN before assuming a B58 bulletin or recall applies to an M car.

Bottom line: The B58 is a sound engine; check the VIN for open starter recalls, insist on documented oil service, and expect gasket work as the car ages.

Accelerate Auto Repair and Collision, 3002 Century Dr, Rowlett, TX 75088, (469) 501-5115, works on BMWs. For a B58 car you own or are thinking of buying, see our BMW auto repair service, staffed by ASE Master Certified and ASE-certified technicians.