Td5 2.5 engine: faults and reliability

• Td5 122 hp, 10P engines (Defender, 1998-2002)

  1998–2002 · 122 hp · 10P

  With caution

  Td5s built between September 1998 and June 1999 were covered by the flywheel recall. Heritage Parts Centre, the only source that mentions it, adds that the 10P can crack the cylinder head next to the injectors.^[2][3][10]

• Td5 122 hp, 15P engines (Defender, 2002-2007)

  2002–2007 · 122 hp · 15P

  Buy

  Land Rover Hub rates it 10/10 as the best diesel the Defender ever had and says it proved as reliable as the Tdi; it is worth checking the injector wiring.^[1][3][4]

• Td5 139 hp (Discovery II, 1998-2004)

  1998–2004 · 139 hp

  With caution

  The Td5 engines built between September 1998 and June 1999, including those in the Discovery, were covered by the DVSA flywheel campaign. Check with the chassis number whether the work was carried out.^[11]

Buy: No known serious faults, or they have already been corrected, in this version. With caution: Worth buying if something specific is verified: history, a replaced part or a completed campaign. Avoid: High risk of a serious fault that is hard to check for or prevent.

1. 1High severityFrequency: OccasionalClutchCracked flywheel in the first Td5s (2000 recall)Yes: in 2000 the DVSA recalled Defenders and Discoveries with the Td5 engine built between September 1998 and June 1999, because the flywheel could crack during manufacture and, under high loads, break. The recall replaced the flywheel with a guaranteed-quality part.
2. 2Medium severityFrequency: OccasionalElectronicsInjector wiring contamination and Td5 control unit failureYes: Haynes explains that leaking Td5 injectors can contaminate the wiring loom and reach the control unit, causing the engine warning light, loss of power when accelerating and fault code 20. The AA lists injector wiring faults among the common problems.

Severity colours: low, medium, high, critical. How we rate them

Manufacturer

Land Rover

Family

Td5

Fuel

Diesel

Displacement

2,495 cm³

Cylinders

5

Fuel system

Turbo

Injection

Direct injection

Timing

Gears

Power

122–139 hp

Peak torque

300 Nm

Production

1998–2007

Makes

Land Rover

Technical data^{[5][6][7][8][9]}

1. 1998–2002

   Td5 122 hp, 10P engines (Defender, 1998-2002)

   First series of the 2.5-litre Td5, which in 1998 replaced the Tdi because the Tdi would not meet Euro III. Heritage Parts Centre tells the engines apart by the prefix of the engine number (10P and 15P).^[5][10]

2. 1998–2004

   Td5 139 hp (Discovery II, 1998-2004)

   The 2.5 litre five-cylinder Td5 of the Discovery II, which the German Wikipedia gives as 139 hp (102 kW), compared with the 122 hp of the Defender versions in this entry.^[7][8]

3. 2002–2007

   Td5 122 hp, 15P engines (Defender, 2002-2007)

   Final series of the Td5, with 2002 tuning to meet stricter emissions rules. Heritage Parts Centre says the 15P engines, and British-registered cars with a «52» plate (September 2002) onwards, do not suffer the cylinder-head crack it cites for the 10P.^[5][10]

• Oil filter

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• Air filter

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• Diesel fuel filter

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• Glow plugs

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