TDV6 / SDV6 vs D4/D5: which engine is more reliable?

According to our risk index, the TDV6 / SDV6 carries less risk than the D4/D5: 46/100 (moderate risk) versus 64/100 (high risk). The TDV6 / SDV6 has 2 documented serious faults, the main one being «Crankshaft breakage and spinning main bearing shells»; the D4/D5 has 2 documented serious faults, the main one being «Auxiliary belt breakage that takes the timing belt with it (5-cylinder)».

Risk index

TDV6 / SDV6

Moderate risk · 2 serious faults

Lower risk

Risk index

D4/D5

High risk · 2 serious faults

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

Reviewed on 5 October 202612 sources How we work

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.^[1][2][3]

See the 3 of the TDV6 / SDV6 faults

Is the D4/D5 reliable?

The Volvo D5/D4 covers two different engines: the classic 5-cylinder (2001-2016, D5244T/D5204) and the 4-cylinder VEA (D4204T, from 2013). On the former, several owners document the auxiliary belt breaking and taking the timing belt with it, destroying the engine; on the VEA the most common problems are the EGR, the DPF and oil consumption that can damage the turbo from 90,000-150,000 km. Neither is an engine to buy without checking its service history.^[4][5][6][7]

See the 5 of the D4/D5 faults

Side-by-side comparison

Comparison of TDV6 / SDV6 and D4/D5
Item	TDV6 / SDV6	D4/D5
Technical data
Type	Engine	Engine
Fuel	Diesel	Diesel
Displacement	2,720 cm³	—
Timing	Wet belt (belt-in-oil)	Timing belt (dry)
Power	188–302 hp	120–235 hp
Production	2004–2018^[8]	2001–2024^[4][5][9]
Reliability
Risk index (what is it?)	46Moderate risk	64High risk
Documented faults	3	5
Of high or critical severity	2	2
Worst severity	Critical severity	Critical severity
Main faults	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	Critical severity: Auxiliary belt breakage that takes the timing belt with it (5-cylinder) High severity: High oil consumption from 90,000-150,000 km that harms the turbo (VEA) Medium severity: Clogged EGR valve or EGR cooler leaking into the intake
Most expensive documented repair	No reliable data	No reliable data
Which versions to buy
BuyRecommended versions	None	None
With cautionVersions to be cautious about	2.7 TDV6 (276DT/DT17, 2004-2010)^[3][10] 3.0 TDV6/SDV6 (306DT, 2009-2018)^[1][2]	2.4/2.0 D3/D4/D5 5-cylinder (D5244T/D5204, 2001-2016)^[6][11] 2.0 D2/D3/D4/D5 VEA 4-cylinder (D4204T, 2013-2024)^[6][7][12]
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

TDV6 / SDV6

See the 14 models with the TDV6 / SDV6

D4/D5

See the 14 models with the D4/D5

Other comparisons

With the TDV6 / SDV6

With the D4/D5

Compare other engines

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Sources

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

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
Volvo Engine ArchitectureWikipedia · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026
Volvo D5: 185 CV para el S60, V70, XC70 y XC90Autopista.es · Motoring press · published July 2005 · consulted 27 September 2026 · in Spanish
Fiabilité et pannes Volvo XC60 (2008-2017)Fiches-auto.fr · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French
Fiabilité et pannes Volvo V60Fiches-auto.fr · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French
Ford AJD-V6/PSA DT17 engineWikipedia · Other source · consulted 5 October 2026
Volvo XC90Wikipedia · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026 · in Spanish
TdV6 Timing BeltLes Richmond Automotive (lrautomotive.com.au) · Technical documentation · consulted 5 October 2026
Fiabilité et pannes Volvo S60Fiches-auto.fr · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French
Fiabilité et pannes Volvo XC60 (2017-)Fiches-auto.fr · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French