BMW N47 vs TDV6 / SDV6: which engine is more reliable?

According to our risk index, the TDV6 / SDV6 carries less risk than the BMW N47: 46/100 (moderate risk) versus 87/100 (very high risk). The BMW N47 has 3 documented serious faults, the main one being «Rear timing chain stretch and breakage»; the TDV6 / SDV6 has 2 documented serious faults, the main one being «Crankshaft breakage and spinning main bearing shells».

Risk index

BMW N47

Very high risk · 3 serious faults

Risk index

TDV6 / SDV6

Moderate risk · 2 serious faults

Lower risk

The index (0–100) weights the severity and frequency of the three most serious documented faults. How it is calculated

Reviewed on 5 October 202617 sources How we work

Is the BMW N47 reliable?

The BMW N47 (2007-2016, including its MINI derivatives N47C16/N47C20) is mechanically sound in the basics, but it carries a serious, well-documented design flaw: the rear timing chain wears or breaks prematurely on many units, especially those built between 2007 and 2009, with repairs from €1,500 to over €8,000 if the engine ends up damaged. Without a clear timing history, great caution is needed.^[1][2][3][4]

See the 5 of the BMW N47 faults

Is the TDV6 / SDV6 reliable?

The Land Rover and Jaguar TDV6/SDV6 diesel V6 engines, shared with Peugeot and Citroën, have a serious documented fault: crankshaft and main bearing shells on the 3.0, and the belt-driven oil pump on the 2.7. Insist on a service history and weigh up the repair cost before buying.^[5][6][7]

See the 3 of the TDV6 / SDV6 faults

Side-by-side comparison

Comparison of BMW N47 and TDV6 / SDV6
Item	BMW N47	TDV6 / SDV6
Technical data
Type	Engine	Engine
Fuel	Diesel	Diesel
Displacement	1,995 cm³	2,720 cm³
Timing	Chain	Wet belt (belt-in-oil)
Power	90–218 hp	188–302 hp
Production	2007–2016^{[1][8][9][10]}	2004–2018^[11]
Reliability
Risk index (what is it?)	87Very high risk	46Moderate risk
Documented faults	5	3
Of high or critical severity	3	2
Worst severity	Critical severity	Critical severity
Main faults	Critical severity: Rear timing chain stretch and breakage Critical severity: Broken intake manifold swirl flaps High severity: Turbo and wastegate valve failure	Critical severity: Crankshaft breakage and spinning main bearing shells Critical severity: Broken oil pump housing and timing belt jumping on the 2.7 Medium severity: Turbo and pneumatic actuator failure on the 3.0 TDV6/SDV6
Most expensive documented repair	up to €3,000Rear timing chain stretch and breakagePublished figure^{[12][13][14][15][16]}	No reliable data
Which versions to buy
BuyRecommended versions	None	None
With cautionVersions to be cautious about	N47D20 116 hp (K0/K1, 2007-2014)^[1][4] N47D20 143 hp (U0/U1, 2007-2014)^[1][4] N47D20 177-184 hp (O0/O1, 2007-2014)^[1][4] N47D20 204-218 hp twin-turbo (2007-2014)^[1][4] N47C16 90-112 hp (MINI Cooper D, 2010-2016)^[9] N47C20 112-143 hp (MINI Cooper SD, 2011-2016)^[10]	2.7 TDV6 (276DT/DT17, 2004-2010)^[7][17] 3.0 TDV6/SDV6 (306DT, 2009-2018)^[5][6]
AvoidVersions to avoid	None	None

Severity of each fault: green, low; amber, medium; red, high; dark red, critical. How we rate them

Cars that each one is fitted to

BMW N47

See the 12 models with the BMW N47

TDV6 / SDV6

See the 14 models with the TDV6 / SDV6

Other comparisons

With the BMW N47

With the TDV6 / SDV6

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Sources

Every fact on this page links to its source. If you find an error, let us know.

BMW N47Wikipedia (inglés) · Other source · consulted 26 September 2026
BMW's timing chain problem comes back to haunt carmakerThe Irish Times · General press · consulted 26 September 2026
El problema de la cadena de distribución en los motores N47 de BMWSeis en Línea · Motoring press · consulted 26 September 2026 · in Spanish
Fallo en la cadena de distribución BMW motores N47Arroyo Auto, Especialista BMW MINI · Technical documentation · consulted 26 September 2026 · in Spanish
Land Rover Discovery TDV6 engine failures making headlinesLandyOnline · Other source · published October 2015 · consulted 5 October 2026
Land Rover & Jaguar SDV6/TDV6 Crankshaft RepairJLR Engines · Technical documentation · consulted 5 October 2026
Land Rover 2.7 TDV6 Timing Belt Replacement GuideBudget Parts (roverparts.eu) · Technical documentation · consulted 5 October 2026
BMW N47D20 engine specifications, problems and reliabilityBimmerPulse · Technical documentation · consulted 26 September 2026
N47C16A MotorMotorinsel · Technical documentation · consulted 26 September 2026
N47C20A MotorMotorinsel · Technical documentation · consulted 26 September 2026
Ford AJD-V6/PSA DT17 engineWikipedia · Other source · consulted 5 October 2026
Motor N47 - precio cambio cadena BMWTaller Barcelona (Dasercars) · Technical documentation · consulted 26 September 2026 · in Spanish
Precio sustitución cadenas motor N47 BMW MINIArroyo Auto, Especialista BMW MINI · Technical documentation · consulted 26 September 2026 · in Spanish
Motor BMW N47 - Reparación EspecializadaDasercars · Technical documentation · consulted 26 September 2026 · in Spanish
Rotura cadena distribución y rotura motor N47OCU · Consumer association · published 2 September 2021 · consulted 26 September 2026 · in Spanish
Problema cadena BMW motor N47, qué hacer y solucionesRecomotor Blog · Motoring press · consulted 26 September 2026 · in Spanish
TdV6 Timing BeltLes Richmond Automotive (lrautomotive.com.au) · Technical documentation · consulted 5 October 2026