CriticalVery commonEngine

Land Rover Discovery: TDV6 2.7 Secondary Timing Chain Wear – Chain Between Camshafts

TDV6 2.7 Secondary Timing Chain Wear – Chain Between Camshafts is a very common engine fault on the Land Rover Discovery on the 2004–2016 cars, and we rate it critical. Putting it right costs $4,000 to $8,500 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. Below is what goes wrong, the symptoms to notice on a test drive, where to look, and what to ask the seller before you hand over any money. It is one of 27 documented faults on the Land Rover Discovery.

Vehicle: Land Rover Discovery
Engine: 2.7L
Years: 2004–2016
Fuel: diesel
System: Engine

This page covers the Land Rover Discovery as a model. Some faults only affect particular engines or build years — enter a plate below to narrow the list to one car.

All Land Rover Discovery faults27 documented faults on this model

What you are looking at

What goes wrong

The Ford-PSA TDV6 2.7-litre diesel fitted to Discovery 3 and 4 uses multiple timing chains. The secondary chains that run between the two camshafts on each bank wear significantly faster than the primary drive chain. Stretched secondary chains allow cam timing to drift, causing rough running, power loss, and fault codes. If ignored, a chain can jump a tooth or snap, bending valves and causing catastrophic engine damage. The failure is extensively documented and repair requires significant disassembly. Any vehicle over 120,000 km without documented chain replacement is high-risk.

What you would notice

Metallic rattling from the engine on cold start that may diminish once warm
P0016, P0017, P0018, or P0019 cam-crank timing correlation fault codes
Rough running or misfires under load
Reduced power and turbo response
Engine management warning light

How to check it

Where to look. Front of engine, secondary timing chains between camshaft sprockets on each V6 bank

Cold-start the engine and listen carefully for a metallic rattle from the top before oil pressure builds. Ask for service history showing timing chain inspection or replacement. Treat any high-mileage example without documented chain work as high-risk. If a workshop inspection is possible: Connect an OBD scanner and check for cam timing correlation or chain stretch codes.

Parts involved: Timing chain.

What it costs to put right

$4,000 to $8,500 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That is for this job on its own, not for the car.

An estimate, in NZD, for the repair as normally carried out. What a specific car costs depends on which part has failed and what it damaged on the way — treat this as the floor for a negotiation, not a quote.

Ask the seller

“Has the timing chain kit been replaced, and at what mileage?”
“Any fault codes relating to cam timing or chain stretch?”
“Has the engine been inspected by a Land Rover specialist?”
“Is there documentation of the chain replacement in the service history?”

Now check the Land Rover Discovery you are actually looking at

Everything above is true of the model, and it is free. What it does not tell you is whether THIS car has been looked after: its odometer history and whether the reading has ever gone backwards, whether there is still money owing on it, whether it has been reported stolen, how many owners it has had and what it is really worth today. That comes from the official records for that plate. Enter the plate for the free details, or get the full history and a market valuation from $13.49.

Not sure what you would be paying for? See what a full KickTyres check includes.

Where this comes from

The failure described above is documented in published sources — owner forums, technical service bulletins, recall notices and workshop write-ups — held in our fault database. The inspection instructions and the cost estimate are KickTyres’ own interpretation of them, and it is a starting point for an inspection rather than a manufacturer statement.

Land Rover Discovery buyer questions

Is tdv6 2.7 secondary timing chain wear – chain between camshafts serious on a Land Rover Discovery?

We rate it critical and very common on the Land Rover Discovery. The Ford-PSA TDV6 2.7-litre diesel fitted to Discovery 3 and 4 uses multiple timing chains. The secondary chains that run between the two camshafts on each bank wear significantly faster than the primary drive chain. Stretched secondary chains allow cam timing to drift, causing rough running, power loss, and fault codes. If ignored, a chain can jump a tooth or snap, bending valves and causing catastrophic engine damage. The failure is extensively documented and repair requires significant disassembly. Any vehicle over 120,000 km without documented chain replacement is high-risk.

How much does it cost to fix on a Land Rover Discovery?

$4,000 to $8,500 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That figure is for this job on its own. A car showing the symptoms on this page is usually worth either walking away from or negotiating down by at least the repair figure.

Which Land Rover Discovery years are affected?

Our research records this fault on the 2004–2016 Land Rover Discovery. Build dates move around, especially on imported cars, so treat the range as the years to look hardest at rather than a guarantee either way. The official records tell you the exact build and first registration date for the car in front of you.