vs
Alternator OEM Volkswagen or OEM BMW
Reviews
Actively replacing our alternator now, I used this video to confirm that it was the same sound.
Vehicle:
BMW
My first car was a E46 316i, under 100tkm on odo, had it for 3 years, literally gave no problems.
Sold the E46 and got a E39 530D because I love them. Has been reliable so far, I've had it as daily for almost a year now and the only critical problems it has had are that the alternator gave out after a couple of weeks owning and EGR thermostat was bad.
Pros: reliable, no critical problems
Cons: alternator gave out, EGR thermostat bad
Vehicle:
BMW
Mileage: 100000 km
I've replaced the alternator (failed on me), done waterpump & thermostat (180,000km done as a precaution).
Pros: done as a precaution
Cons: alternator failed
Vehicle:
BMW
Mileage: 190000 km
Dead battery within months, and car completely shutting off, your car SCREAMS alternator issue. Get it checked out.
Cons: alternator issue
Vehicle:
BMW X1
Alternator stopped charging while driving and it slung grease all over the engine bay and hood.
Pros: alternator worked initially
Cons: stopped charging, slung grease
Vehicle:
Volkswagen Golf
This was the only non oe product in my car. When mine went it went . There weren\u2019t any bmw ones available for love nor money at the time. I get 13.8 out of mine as well. Can been fine for 12 months.
Pros: fine for 12 months
Cons: non oe product
4 aftermarket alternators in a Volkswagen Vanagon… after the last shit the bed i insisted on a factory one. That solved the charging system issue.
Pros: factory one solved issue
Cons: aftermarket alternators failed
Vehicle:
Volkswagen
My friend’s BMW X5 had an alternator fail at 50k, she does a lot of city driving so lots of start/stops.
Cons: alternator failed
Vehicle:
BMW X5
Mileage: 80467 km
When I finally bought another car and started preparing the Bora for sale, the alternator failed. The only real issue it ever gave me.
Cons: failed
Vehicle:
Volkswagen Jetta
I just put a new alternator and the batty is dead again but when I jump it the car run fine until the next .morning I am going Crazy trying to figure this.
Pros: car runs fine when jumped
Cons: battery dead again
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Which alternator to choose — OEM Volkswagen or OEM BMW?
If choosing alternator across many manufacturers, check the part ranking. If your choice is down to two brands, the PartReview part comparisons help.
We compare alternator across these categories:
- PR Score.
- Overall ranking.
- Vote balance.
- Average rating.
- Number of reviews.
- Feature ratings.
- Car owners’ choice.
Which alternator are better — OEM BMW or OEM Volkswagen?
In March 2026 on PartReview, alternator OEM BMW were overall better than OEM Volkswagen.
- OEM Volkswagen received a PR Score of 55 out of 100, and OEM BMW scored 62 points.
- OEM Volkswagen ranked 11 in the overall ranking, and OEM BMW ranked 12.
- The average rating is higher for OEM BMW (3.2) than for OEM Volkswagen (3.1).
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Alternator OEM BMW have better feature ratings than OEM Volkswagen:
- Noise - owners believe, that this property for OEM BMW is better than OEM Volkswagen.
- Lights - drivers claim, that this property for OEM BMW is outperforms OEM Volkswagen.
- Warning light - reviews suggest, that this property for OEM Volkswagen is preferred to OEM BMW.
Which alternator are more popular — OEM Volkswagen or OEM BMW?
In March 2026 on PartReview, alternator OEM BMW were overall more popular than OEM BMW.
The brands are equal by vote balance:
- For OEM Volkswagen, the ratio of positive (64) to negative (52) votes is 12 votes.
- For OEM BMW, the ratio of positive (30) to negative (18) votes is 12 votes.
By number of reviews, alternator OEM Volkswagen surpassed OEM BMW:
- For alternator OEM Volkswagen there are 36 reviews: 16 positive, 8 neutral, 12 negative.
- For alternator OEM BMW there are 15 reviews: 8 positive, 3 neutral, 4 negative.
Which alternator do car owners prefer — OEM Volkswagen or OEM BMW?
In March 2026, according to PartReview, alternator OEM Volkswagen and OEM BMW have not taken top places in car-specific ratings. You can help by adding your review about these manufacturers.
Other comparisons of alternator
If this comparison didn’t fully answer your question, there are many others on PartReview.
For example, comparisons of alternator OEM Volkswagen with: Denso, Bosch, Duralast, OEM Toyota, VALEO, OEM Honda, AC DELCO, OEM FORD, OEM Audi, OEM Nissan.
Also available: comparisons of alternator OEM BMW with: Denso, Bosch, Duralast, OEM Toyota, VALEO, OEM Honda, AC DELCO, OEM FORD, OEM Audi, OEM Nissan.
You can also see who is better among other alternator manufacturers: Bosch or Denso, Denso or Duralast, OEM Toyota or Denso, Bosch or Duralast, Denso or VALEO.