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BMW N57 vs TDV6 / SDV6: which engine is more reliable?

According to our risk index, the TDV6 / SDV6 carries less risk than the BMW N57: 46/100 (moderate risk) versus 87/100 (very high risk). The BMW N57 has 3 documented serious faults, the main one being «EGR cooler leaks with risk of engine fire»; the TDV6 / SDV6 has 2 documented serious faults, the main one being «Crankshaft breakage and spinning main bearing shells».

Risk index

BMW N57

87

Very high risk · 3 serious faults

Risk index

TDV6 / SDV6

46

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

11 sourcesHow we work

Is the BMW N57 reliable?

The BMW N57 (2008-2019, successor to the M57) is a six-cylinder diesel that is mechanically robust in the basics, but it shares with the N47 and B47 the EGR cooler covered by BMW's service campaign for engine fire risk, and it inherits from the N47 the timing chain at the rear of the block, with wear cases documented mainly from 200,000 km. Without a clear history of these checks, it is worth buying with some caution.[1][2][3]

See the 4 of the BMW N57 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.[4][5][6]

See the 3 of the TDV6 / SDV6 faults

Side-by-side comparison

Comparison of BMW N57 and TDV6 / SDV6
BMW N57TDV6 / SDV6
Technical data
TypeEngineEngine
FuelDieselDiesel
Displacement2,993 cm³2,720 cm³
TimingChainWet belt (belt-in-oil)
Power204–381 hp188–302 hp
Production2008–2019[1][7]2004–2018[8]
Reliability
Risk index (what is it?)87Very high risk46Moderate risk
Documented faults43
Of high or critical severity32
Worst severityCritical severityCritical severity
Main faults
  1. Critical severity: EGR cooler leaks with risk of engine fire
  2. Critical severity: Rear timing chain wear
  3. High severity: Loss of thrust on twin-turbo versions due to the vacuum circuit or the actuator
  1. Critical severity: Crankshaft breakage and spinning main bearing shells
  2. Critical severity: Broken oil pump housing and timing belt jumping on the 2.7
  3. Medium severity: Turbo and pneumatic actuator failure on the 3.0 TDV6/SDV6
Most expensive documented repairNo reliable dataNo reliable data
Which versions to buy
BuyRecommended versionsNoneNone
With cautionVersions to be cautious about
  • N57D30 204-211 hp, single turbo (U0/UL, 2010-2013)[3][9]
  • N57D30 245-258 hp, single turbo (O0/O1, 2008-2019)[3][9]
  • N57D30 299-313 hp twin turbo (T0/T1, 2009-2019)[9][10]
  • 2.7 TDV6 (276DT/DT17, 2004-2010)[6][11]
  • 3.0 TDV6/SDV6 (306DT, 2009-2018)[4][5]
AvoidVersions to avoidNoneNone

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 N57

See the 10 models with the BMW N57

TDV6 / SDV6

See the 14 models with the TDV6 / SDV6

Other comparisons

With the BMW N57

With the TDV6 / SDV6

Compare other engines

That is the comparison you are viewing: change one of the two engines.

Sources

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

  1. BMW N57Wikipedia (inglés) · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026
  2. Motor BMW B47 - Reparación EspecializadaDasercars · Technical documentation · consulted 27 September 2026 · in Spanish
  3. 324.000 diésel de BMW tendrán que pasar por el taller en Europa, por un posible riesgo de incendio en la EGRDiariomotor · Motoring press · published 8 August 2018 · consulted 27 September 2026 · in Spanish
  4. Land Rover Discovery TDV6 engine failures making headlinesLandyOnline · Other source · published October 2015 · consulted 5 October 2026
  5. Land Rover & Jaguar SDV6/TDV6 Crankshaft RepairJLR Engines · Technical documentation · consulted 5 October 2026
  6. Land Rover 2.7 TDV6 Timing Belt Replacement GuideBudget Parts (roverparts.eu) · Technical documentation · consulted 5 October 2026
  7. BMW N57Wikipedia (alemán) · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026 · in German
  8. Ford AJD-V6/PSA DT17 engineWikipedia · Other source · consulted 5 October 2026
  9. Motor BMW N57 - Reparación EspecializadaDasercars · Technical documentation · consulted 27 September 2026 · in Spanish
  10. Motor BMW N57: problemas, modelos y qué revisarCarexam · Motoring press · consulted 27 September 2026 · in Spanish
  11. TdV6 Timing BeltLes Richmond Automotive (lrautomotive.com.au) · Technical documentation · consulted 5 October 2026