Td5 2.5 vs D4/D5: which engine is more reliable?

According to our risk index, the Td5 2.5 carries less risk than the D4/D5: 29/100 (moderate risk) versus 64/100 (high risk). The Td5 2.5 has 1 documented serious fault, the main one being «Cracked flywheel in the first Td5s (2000 recall)»; 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

Td5 2.5

Moderate risk · 1 serious fault

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 2 November 202618 sources How we work

Is the Td5 2.5 reliable?

The Td5 is the 2.5-litre, five-cylinder diesel fitted to the Defender from 1998 to 2007 (and to the Discovery II). Land Rover Hub considers it the best diesel the Defender ever had and as reliable as the Tdi; the documented issues are the flywheel recall on the first Td5s and contamination of the injector wiring.^[1][2][3][4]

See the 2 of the Td5 2.5 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.^[5][6][7][8]

See the 6 of the D4/D5 faults

Side-by-side comparison

Comparison of Td5 2.5 and D4/D5
Item	Td5 2.5	D4/D5
Technical data
Type	Engine	Engine
Fuel	Diesel	Diesel
Displacement	2,495 cm³	—
Timing	Gears	Timing belt (dry)
Power	122–139 hp	120–235 hp
Production	1998–2007^{[9][10][11][12][13]}	2001–2024^[5][6][14]
Reliability
Risk index (what is it?)	29Moderate risk	64High risk
Documented faults	2	6
Of high or critical severity	1	2
Worst severity	High severity	Critical severity
Main faults	High severity: Cracked flywheel in the first Td5s (2000 recall) Medium severity: Injector wiring contamination and Td5 control unit failure	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	Td5 122 hp, 15P engines (Defender, 2002-2007)^[1][3][4]	None
With cautionVersions to be cautious about	Td5 122 hp, 10P engines (Defender, 1998-2002)^[2][3][15] Td5 139 hp (Discovery II, 1998-2004)^[16]	2.4/2.0 D3/D4/D5 5-cylinder (D5244T/D5204, 2001-2016)^[7][17] 2.0 D2/D3/D4/D5 VEA 4-cylinder (D4204T, 2013-2024)^[7][8][18]
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

Td5 2.5

D4/D5

See the 14 models with the D4/D5

Other comparisons

With the Td5 2.5

With the D4/D5

Compare other engines

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Second engine

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Sources

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

Defender Engines ratedLand Rover Hub (Land Rover Monthly) · Motoring press · published 1 January 2018 · consulted 2 November 2026
Land Rover Defender: Engine Flywheel May Fragment (R/2000/038)Car-Recalls.co.uk (reproduce DVSA) · Other source · published 5 June 2000 · consulted 2 November 2026
How to buy a Land Rover 90, 110 & Defender (1983-2016)Haynes Manuals UK · Technical documentation · published January 2017 · consulted 2 November 2026
Land Rover Defender review: common repair issues (AA Mechanic)The AA · Motoring press · consulted 2 November 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
Land Rover DefenderWikipedia (inglés) · Other source · consulted 2 November 2026
Land Rover DefenderWikipedia (alemán) · Other source · consulted 2 November 2026 · in German
Land Rover DiscoveryWikipedia (alemán) · Other source · consulted 2 November 2026 · in German
Land Rover DiscoveryWikipedia (inglés) · Other source · consulted 2 November 2026
Land Rover DefenderWikipedia (francés) · Other source · consulted 2 November 2026 · in French
Volvo XC90Wikipedia · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026 · in Spanish
Land Rover Defender Buying GuideHeritage Parts Centre · Other source · consulted 2 November 2026
Land Rover Discovery: Engine Flywheel May Fragment (R/2000/038)Car-Recalls.co.uk (reproduce DVSA) · Other source · published 5 June 2000 · consulted 2 November 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