TDV6 / SDV6 vs 1.4 TDI: which engine is more reliable?

According to our risk index, the 1.4 TDI carries less risk than the TDV6 / SDV6: 38/100 versus 46/100 (both moderate risk). The TDV6 / SDV6 has 2 documented serious faults, the main one being «Crankshaft breakage and spinning main bearing shells»; the 1.4 TDI has 2 documented serious faults, the main one being «Timing belt and water pump».

Risk index

TDV6 / SDV6

Moderate risk · 2 serious faults

Risk index

1.4 TDI

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 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 1.4 TDI reliable?

It depends on the generation. The unit-injector one (1999-2010) calls for watching the timing belt - which also drives the unit injector pumps - the water pump, the turbo and the EGR, with a DPF only on the last BlueMotion/Ecomotive versions. The later EA288 (2014-2019) is not singled out by dieselgate, which according to the sources consulted was limited to the EA189, but it shares the need to watch the belt, turbo, EGR and DPF.^[4][5][6]

See the 4 of the 1.4 TDI faults

Side-by-side comparison

Comparison of TDV6 / SDV6 and 1.4 TDI
Item	TDV6 / SDV6	1.4 TDI
Technical data
Type	Engine	Engine
Fuel	Diesel	Diesel
Displacement	2,720 cm³	1,422 cm³
Timing	Wet belt (belt-in-oil)	Timing belt (dry)
Power	188–302 hp	69–90 hp
Production	2004–2018^[7]	1999–2019^[5][6]
Reliability
Risk index (what is it?)	46Moderate risk	38Moderate risk
Documented faults	3	4
Of high or critical severity	2	2
Worst severity	Critical severity	High 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	High severity: Timing belt and water pump High severity: Failing turbo: loss of power, whistling or smoke Medium severity: Clogged particulate filter (DPF)
Most expensive documented repair	No reliable data	up to €2,000Clogged particulate filter (DPF)Published figure^[8]
Which versions to buy
BuyRecommended versions	None	1.4 TDI common rail EA288 (2014-2019)^[4][5]
With cautionVersions to be cautious about	2.7 TDV6 (276DT/DT17, 2004-2010)^[3][9] 3.0 TDV6/SDV6 (306DT, 2009-2018)^[1][2]	1.4 TDI unit injector, 3 cylinders (1999-2010)^[10][11][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

1.4 TDI

See the 10 models with the 1.4 TDI

Other comparisons

With the TDV6 / SDV6

With the 1.4 TDI

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
Escándalo de emisiones contaminantes de vehículos VolkswagenWikipedia (español) · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026 · in Spanish
VW EA288Wikipedia (alemán) · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026 · in German
List of discontinued Volkswagen Group diesel enginesWikipedia (inglés) · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026
Ford AJD-V6/PSA DT17 engineWikipedia · Other source · consulted 5 October 2026
Cuánto cuesta sustituir el filtro de partículas de un coche diéselDiariomotor · Motoring press · consulted 27 September 2026 · in Spanish
TdV6 Timing BeltLes Richmond Automotive (lrautomotive.com.au) · Technical documentation · consulted 5 October 2026
Bomba de agua del coche: la avería de más de 1.500 euros que arrastra la correa de distribuciónMotor16 · Motoring press · published 21 September 2026 · consulted 27 September 2026 · in Spanish
Cuánto cuesta válvula EGRDiariomotor · Motoring press · consulted 27 September 2026 · in Spanish
Cómo saber si el turbo está roto o a punto de romperseMotor.es · Motoring press · consulted 27 September 2026 · in Spanish