10 Reliable V8 Engines You Can Trust To Last Longer

The V8 engine is one of the most loved motors within the automotive world, eliciting intoxicating feelings that could get anyone behind the wheel into a lot of trouble. While these engines are good for pretty much any application – from 1970s compact cars to contender for the fastest production cars – some of them are not exactly pillars of reliability.

The home of the V8 is definitely the U.S. – even though the V8 originally popped up in France in the early 1900s. Interestingly, the U.S. manufacturers hold the record for building the best and the worst V8 engines – mainly because they have so many engines in their back catalog.

For anyone interested in getting a performance car with a V8, here are five motors which we believe will last a long time given the proper maintenance and care, and five we would avoid like the plague.

10 Chevrolet LS3

Engine Specs

The GM LS3 6.2-liter V8 is probably the most reliable and easiest-to-work-with V8 engine in existence – apart from possibly the Chevy 350. Debuting as the updated version of the LS2, the LS3 first saw service in the C6 Chevrolet Corvette, before getting exported to a whole host of different GM vehicles across the world.

Reliability

The 6.2-liter unit produces between 415 and 430 hp depending on the application and around 420 lb-ft of torque. The LS3 was used in the Australian Holden vehicles to battle the Ford FPVs. The LS3 is also available as a crate engine – making it perfect for hot-rodding or anyone who wants some extra oomph in their classic car.

• Problems Owners Report:
  Excessive oil consumption, burning oil, oil leaks.

• Highest Mileage Reported:
  274,000 miles

Related: 5 Most Powerful V8 Engines And Their Cheaper Alternatives

9 Mercedes-Benz M113K

Engine Specs

The Mercedes-Benz M113 is one of the greatest German V8s ever made, offering great performance and reliability to go with it. AMG got their hands on it and created the M133K – a supercharged version that not only rivaled supercars in performance, but was also durable enough to handle modifications – often times quite extensive ones at that.

Reliability

The M133K produced between 470 and 574 hp in stock form – with the latter figure featuring in the CLK AMG DTM special edition models. The M113K was the engine of choice for all the larger -55 AMG models, including the E55, CL55, and G55. A heavily modified version is also used to power the Mercedes-McLaren SLR, albeit with different internals, accessories and a new name.

• Problems Owners Report:
  Most problems are self-inflicted and are mostly owners’ faults when they do not keep to the recommended maintenance schedule.

• Highest Mileage Reported:
  179,000 miles

8 BMW S63

Engine Specs

The BMW S63 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 had a rough start back in the late 2000s, but thanks to multiple technical updates and fixes, the S63 engine is now one of the most reliable V8 engines on the market. Sadly, BMW is in the process of retiring the engine, and it is to be replaced with the new S68 – which shares displacement, but nothing else.

Reliability

The S63 produced 550 hp in the X5M and M5 when they debuted, rising to 570 before the new M5 arrived. The F90 M5 saw a power jump to 590 hp for the normal version and 617 for the Competition version, while the limited-run M5 CS saw the highest power at 625 hp. It is definitely one of the best V8s ever made and will be sorely missed.

• Problems Owners Report:
  Pistol conrods wearing prematurely, turbocharger failure, oil leaks typical for BMWs.

• Highest Mileage Reported:
  91,000 miles

7 Toyota 2UR-GSE

Engine Specs

The UR engine range is the second-generation of Toyota’s brilliant UZ V8. The 2UR-GSE is the naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V8 used for Lexus’ range of cars, including the 500 cars, F-cars and 500 F-Performance. The 2UR produces between 416 hp and 375 lb-ft, and 475 hp and 400 lb-ft – depending on the specific 500 or F-model. Toyota hybridized the engine and are utilizing it in their flagship Century sedan.

Reliability

The 2UR is a joint development by Toyota and Yamaha, so it is among the most reliable of sports car engines and sounds excellent while driving down the road. Lexus’ F-cars may not be the fastest, but they will definitely outlast all of their turbocharged or supercharged rivals.

• Problems Owners Report:
  Oil consumption.

• Highest Mileage Reported:
  220,000 miles

6 Chrysler HEMI

Engine Specs

The Chrysler HEMI engine is quite an old motor now. It has multiple displacements, but the current 5.7 and 6.4 liters are the most common. The motor produces 470 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque in its 6.4-liter configuration. Since 2015, the Apache’s power increased to 485 hp and 475 lb-ft of torque.

Reliability

The HEMI is a great engine and features in many Chrysler cars, most notably in the ‘regular’ SRT versions. The HEMI is pretty reliable – it is 1950s technology after all – but some engines have issues related to the cylinder deactivation system (MDS) causing valve seats to drop and ceasing the engine. This can be solved by deactivating the MDS system. Sadly, the HEMI will be discontinued in 2023 when production of the Chrysler 300C, Dodge Charger, and Dodge Challenger ends.

• Problems Owners Report:
  Due to the different metals used within the engine block, the valve seats drop into the cylinder and damages the piston and cylinder head.

• Highest Mileage Reported:
  220,000 miles

Related: 10 American V8s With Bulletproof Reliability

5 Toyota 1UZ-FE

Engine Specs

In 1989, Toyota stunned the world – especially the luxury German segment in the form of the BMW 7 Series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class – by unveiling the Lexus LS400. This was a full-size luxury sedan that competed directly with those high-end German limos, but for a lot less money – all while executing the same things at the same level of quality.

Reliability

Under the hood of the LS400 lived Toyota’s first V8 engine, a 4.0-liter naturally aspirated unit – commonly referred to as the most reliable V8 engine ever made. Many an LS400 often get to well over 300,000 miles on original parts, with one model getting to over a million miles without changing any major engine parts. This is an incredible engine which will likely still run well after the last oil field dried up.

• Problems Owners Report:
  Timing chain failure, excessive oil consumption when maintenance is not adhered to.

• Highest Mileage Reported:
  Well over 1 million miles

4 Chevrolet Small-Block 350

Engine Specs

The Chevrolet 350 V8 is probably the most widely used V8 engine ever made. The original 350 arrived in 1967 as a sportier version of the Camaro, before moving on to the Nova and Beaumont. It was available with a series of configurations, including a 4-barrel carburetor. The engine also produced anything between 155 hp and 425 hp, making it quite a versatile engine.

Reliability

The Chevy 350 V8 became a popular engine choice for use in hot-rodding, mostly thanks to its size and ease of use. Chevrolet sold the tooling off to a company, but then bought it back at great expense as the profits kept increasing. Today, the 350 V8 is even more popular than the LS3, featuring in restomods from 1930s Chevys and Cadillacs to Land Rovers and Jaguars.

• Problems Owners Report:
  Overheating due to thermostat failure.

• Highest Mileage Reported:
  185,000 miles

3 Ford Coyote

Engine Specs

The Ford Coyote V8 is the evolution of the famous Ford Modular Engine, first used in its 4.6-liter displacement in the SN-95 Mustang. Ford made extensive tweaks and modifications to the engine over the years, eventually debuting it in the S-197 Mustang – replacing both the 4.6 and 5.4 liters.

Reliability

The Coyote 5.0 is the same size as the 4.6 but instead uses a longer stroke to get the extra displacement. The Coyote makes between 360 and 480 hp depending on the Ford application, with the Australian FPVs and British TVRs producing between 450 and 550 hp. The Coyote was upgraded for the S650 generation Mustang, producing 486 hp mated to a manual transmission – just 20 hp less than the top-spec Dark Horse trim.

• Problems Owners Report:
  Head gasket failure on early years, ignition coil failure, oil leaks.

• Highest Mileage Reported:
  288,000 miles

2 Hyundai Tau 5.0

Engine Specs

Hyundai’s Tau V8 was the company’s first 8-cylinder and remained in production between 2008 and 2021, before it was replaced by a 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V6. The Tau engine initially displaced 4.6-liters and found its way into the Epuus sedan and the Mohave SUV. In 2012, Hyundai unveiled the 5.0-liter version for the Genesis sedan and continued production until 2021 when the Genesis was replaced by its own brand.

Reliability

The Tau 5.0-liter produces between 407 and 419 hp – enough to make the car it is in to be quite quick. The Tau is pretty reliable since it’s a Korean product, but did have its fair share of issues in the beginning – especially between 2012 and 2014 when the engine would drink all of its own oil. Hyundai fixed the issue and the Tau remained dependable throughout its run, given proper maintenance.

• Problems Owners Report:
  Excessive oil usage, oil getting into combustion chambers – flooding them.

• Highest Mileage Reported:
  233,000 miles

Related: American V8 Engines You Should Stay Away From

1 Toyota 3UR-FE

Engine Specs

Sadly, the new Tundra and Sequoia both have a twin-turbocharged V6 engine, ditching the V8 of the previous generation entirely. The previous 3UR-FE V8 displaced 5.7 liters and is by far the largest of the Toyota V8s – compared with the US offerings from Chevrolet, Ford and Dodge which displace 6.2-, 5.0- and 6.4 liters respectively.

Reliability

The 3UR produced 381 hp and 402 lb-ft of torque in all applications, but for a limited time, some Toyota dealerships in the U.S. offered a supercharger kit courtesy of TRD (Toyota Racing Development). This kit boosted power to 504 hp and 550 lb-ft pf torque, making it quite the quick workhorse. Before it’s end, the tuning company, Magnusen, improved the supercharger and got 550 hp out to match the torque.

• Problems Owners Report:
  High oil consumption, camshaft tower leaks, water pump failure.

• Highest Mileage Reported:
  330,000 miles