Land Rover Defender engines

Land Rover Defender is a British off-road vehicle from the manufacturer Land Rover. Produced from 1948 to 2016. Until 1983, the name of the car used the designation Series and the numerical designation in Roman numerals, as well as the size of the wheelbase in inches. There are modifications of the Defender with an elongated body, designed for 9-12 seats. The car was manufactured in Solihull in the UK and sold worldwide. SUV Land Rover Defender In 1983, the production of a utility SUV began in the UK, which became a replacement for the Land Rover Series, which debuted back in 1948.

The three-door short version was called the Land Rover Ninety, and the five-door long-wheelbase version was called the Land Rover One Ten, so the numbers 90 and 110 indicated the approximate size of the wheelbase of the car. Later, pickup trucks with two-door and four-door cabs appeared in the lineup. In 1990, the SUV was renamed the Land Rover Defender. Pickup Land Rover Defender The cars were equipped with 2.3, 2.5, V8 3.5 and V8 5.0 petrol engines, as well as 2.2, 2.4 and 2.5 diesel engines. The gearbox is mechanical, the drive is a permanent all-wheel drive with a center differential lock and a demultiplier.

For the American market, Defenders were made with a V8 3.9 gasoline engine and a four-speed automatic transmission. In 1998, the company released a jubilee version of the model, equipped with a 4-liter 8-cylinder engine and automatic transmission.

In January 2016, the serial production of the model was completed. In 2018, on the occasion of the SUV’s 70th anniversary, the company made 150 Land Rover Defender Works V8 SUVs. This car received a V8 5.0 petrol engine (405 hp), an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission, reinforced brakes and a recalibrated suspension with new springs, shock absorbers and stabilizers.

The Land Rover Defender was offered with 11 engines since 1990 (5 petrol, 6 diesel). Displacement ranges from 2.0 to 4.4 liters, power output from 107 to 635 hp. 9 use a timing chain and 2 a timing belt. 9 are turbocharged. The longest rated lifespan belongs to the Land Rover 15P 2.5 TD5 (about 400,000 km).

Land Rover Defender engines by generation

EngineYearsVolumePowerFuelTimingOilLifespan
Land Rover Defender 1 (L316) 1990–2007
Land Rover 200Tdi1990–19942.5 L R4107–111 hpdiesel, turbobelt6.7 L~350,000 km
Land Rover 300Tdi1994–19982.5 L R4111–122 hpdiesel, turbobelt6.7 L~320,000 km
Land Rover 42D1994–19983.9 L V8185–190 hppetrolchain5.8 L~200,000 km
BMW M52B28 / M52TUB281997–20002.8 L R6193 hppetrolchain6.5 L~350,000 km
Land Rover 10P 2.5 TD51998–20022.5 L R5122–136 hpdiesel, turbochain7.3 L~350,000 km
Land Rover 15P 2.5 TD52002–20072.5 L R5122–139 hpdiesel, turbochain7.2 L~400,000 km
Land Rover Defender 2 (L663) 2019–present
Land Rover 204DTA2019–present2.0 L R4200–240 hpdiesel, turbochain7 L~220,000 km
Land Rover PT2042019–present2.0 L R4200–300 hppetrol, turbochain7 L~240,000 km
Land Rover PT3062020–present3.0 L R6360–400 hppetrol, turbochain9 L~300,000 km
Land Rover DT3062020–present3.0 L R6200–350 hpdiesel, turbochain8.8 L~300,000 km
BMW S682024–present4.4 L V8489–635 hppetrol, turbochain10.75 L~250,000 km

Land Rover Defender engine FAQ

What engines were used in the Land Rover Defender?

Land Rover Defender 1 (L316) (1990–2007): Land Rover 200Tdi, Land Rover 300Tdi, Land Rover 42D, BMW M52B28 / M52TUB28, Land Rover 10P 2.5 TD5 and Land Rover 15P 2.5 TD5; Land Rover Defender 2 (L663) (2019–present): Land Rover 204DTA, Land Rover PT204, Land Rover PT306, Land Rover DT306 and BMW S68.

Which Land Rover Defender engine is the most durable?

By rated service life the most durable Land Rover Defender engines are: Land Rover 15P 2.5 TD5 — about 400,000 km; BMW M52B28 / M52TUB28 — about 350,000 km; Land Rover 10P 2.5 TD5 — about 350,000 km. Actual lifespan depends heavily on maintenance and oil change intervals.

How much oil does the Land Rover Defender engine take?

Engine oil capacity with filter: BMW M52B28 / M52TUB28 — 6.5 L (5W-30); BMW S68 — 10.75 L (0W-30); Land Rover 10P 2.5 TD5 — 7.3 L (5W-30); Land Rover 15P 2.5 TD5 — 7.2 L (5W-30); Land Rover 200Tdi — 6.7 L (5W-40); Land Rover 204DTA — 7 L (0W-30); Land Rover 300Tdi — 6.7 L (5W-40); Land Rover 42D — 5.8 L (5W-40); Land Rover DT306 — 8.8 L (0W-30); Land Rover PT204 — 7 L (0W-20); Land Rover PT306 — 9 L (0W-20).

Does the Land Rover Defender have a timing belt or chain?

Timing chain: BMW M52B28 / M52TUB28, BMW S68, Land Rover 10P 2.5 TD5, Land Rover 15P 2.5 TD5, Land Rover 204DTA, Land Rover 42D, Land Rover DT306, Land Rover PT204 and Land Rover PT306; timing belt: Land Rover 200Tdi and Land Rover 300Tdi. Belts must be replaced on schedule: on many engines a broken belt bends the valves.

Was the Land Rover Defender available with a diesel engine?

Yes: Land Rover 10P 2.5 TD5, Land Rover 15P 2.5 TD5, Land Rover 200Tdi, Land Rover 204DTA, Land Rover 300Tdi and Land Rover DT306.

Engine details

Land Rover 200Tdi

Land Rover 200Tdi

1989–1994 · 2.5 L R4 · diesel · 107–111 hp · belt

This is a very simple in design and reliable diesel engine with a Bosch mechanical injection pump.

Land Rover 300Tdi

Land Rover 300Tdi

1994–2006 · 2.5 L R4 · diesel · 111–122 hp · belt

This is a simple and reliable diesel engine and all its problems are only from huge runs.

Land Rover 42D

Land Rover 42D

1994–2002 · 3.9 L V8 · petrol · 185–190 hp · chain

Until 1999, there was a general problem with the drawdown of liners and engine failure.

Land Rover 10P 2.5 TD5

Land Rover 10P 2.5 TD5

1998–2002 · 2.5 L R5 · diesel · 122–136 hp · chain

The main problems are connected with breaks in the electrical wiring under the valve cover.

Land Rover 15P 2.5 TD5

Land Rover 15P 2.5 TD5

2002–2007 · 2.5 L R5 · diesel · 122–139 hp · chain

Most of the problems are caused by breaks in the wiring under the valve cover.

Land Rover 204DTA

Land Rover 204DTA

2017–present · 2.0 L R4 · diesel · 200–240 hp · chain

The motor appeared in 2017 and the problem with the balancer bearings passed it.

Land Rover PT204

Land Rover PT204

2017–present · 2.0 L R4 · petrol · 200–300 hp · chain

Despite the short production period, the engine has already been marked by a whole bunch of problems.

Land Rover PT306

2019–present · 3.0 L R6 · petrol · 360–400 hp · chain

The engine is relatively new, so detailed failure statistics are not available yet.

Land Rover DT306

2020–present · 3.0 L R6 · diesel · 200–350 hp · chain

The engine is relatively new, so detailed failure statistics are not available yet.

BMW S68

2022–present · 4.4 L V8 · petrol · 489–635 hp · chain

The engine is new and detailed failure statistics have not been collected yet.

Models with the same engines

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