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VANOS solenoids (intake / exhaust): what owners actually paid
N20, N52, N54, N55, B46/B48, B58
Last updated
Fair-price range (from sourced prices)
How this is derived: the middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) of the USD prices in the table below for that shop type, using full-job totals only. Labor-only, customer-supplied-parts, warranty cost-share, bundled-extra-work and non-USD prices are shown but excluded. A range is only published with at least 3 usable prices. Scope differs between quotes, so read the notes.
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Graded against the dealer estimate range and independent estimate range.
What this job should cost near you Draft, under review
Labor rates: national medians of 12 reported BMW dealer rates ($255/hr) and 11 independent BMW-shop rates ($175/hr).
How these estimates work
Dealers look up BMW's own warranty labor time for the job, then for customer-pay work most multiply it by about 1.5 to 2, and charge their hourly rate. Genuine BMW parts are typically marked up 20–40% over BMW list price. So: warranty hours × 1.5–2 × local dealer rate + (genuine list price × 1.2–1.4). (source, source)
Independent shops usually quote straight from a commercial labor guide (Mitchell or ALLDATA), with no multiplier. So: labor-guide hours × local independent rate + parts.
Local rates come from labor rates people have reported for BMW dealers and BMW indie shops in your area. Where we have no report, the national median is scaled by how much auto technicians earn in your state or metro (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025). Those rates are marked "estimated." Tax, shop fees, fluids and diagnosis aren't included.
BMW warranty time: not found. BMW warranty time not found publicly.
Mitchell/ALLDATA time: not found. Mitchell/ALLDATA time not found publicly.
Stand-in hours used (flagged): 1 hrs — '1 hour of labor at the absolute max' (bmwtuning.co)
Dealer parts list basis: Genuine MSRP: solenoid 11368605123 $246.03 × 2 = $492.06; markup 1.2–1.4× (Typical BMW dealer parts markup of 20–40% over list).
Parts: Genuine solenoid 11368605123 MSRP $246.03 (BMW Parts Center); Genuine N55 solenoid $246.26 ea (ECS); $186.99 ea listing (ECS).
Both labor times are missing; a DIY site's 1 hr stands in. Diagnosis isn't included.
Symptoms
- Rough or unstable idle, especially cold
- Loss of low-end power
- Check-engine light with camshaft timing faults (e.g. P0010–P0015 range)
- Worse fuel economy
Which cars are affected
Most 2006+ BMW 4- and 6-cylinder gas engines
E90 · 3 Series 2006–2013F30 · 3 Series 2012–2019F32 · 4 Series 2014–2020F10 · 5 Series 2011–2016
Don't confuse solenoids (bolt-on, relatively cheap) with VANOS units/actuators (far bigger job). Example of the bigger job: a dealer quoted $5,639.74 to replace intake + exhaust VANOS units on bank 2 of a 2011 550i (N63) — that is NOT a solenoid job and is not used here.
→ Bimmerpost F10: $5,639.74 dealer quote for VANOS units on an N63 (not solenoids)
Sourced price points (1)
| Price | Shop | Vehicle / scope | Location | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $800 | Shop type n/a paid |
2007 X5 (N52K) ONE solenoid (intake) only; owner later told this was a ripoff · not used in range: one solenoid only, N52 |
— | ~2020 | bmwtuning.co comments |
Greyed rows are shown for context and excluded from the range. Years are approximate (date of the post).
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Anonymous. Helps the next owner. Reviewed before publishing.
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Before you pay: check your VIN for recalls
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