The Lemon Index
Lamborghini's 5.7 to 6.5 L naturally aspirated 60° V12, DOHC in the Diablo and Murciélago, model years 1990–2010. YouTube likes the 1990 best.
Middle of the pack: YouTube owner tone 49/100, #83 of 165 engines with a YouTube study (in the middle third); 1 engine-related recall on record.
Reliability by year
Not enough complaints to chart. Owners filed 2 complaints with the government that we can tie to this engine's cars, 1990–2010, about any part of the car. Performance versions are mostly filed under their base model (a Shelby GT500 is filed as a Mustang), so we only count complaints whose model name or the owner's own words tie them to this engine, and lead with YouTube, recalls and the automaker's repair notes.
YouTube videos are most positive about the 1990 (53) and least about the 2006 (44); neighboring years share many of the same videos, so small gaps mean little.
How we count: owner complaints only where the car's name and year leave no doubt; YouTube tone from videos that name this engine or its cars. How we count
Owner complaints (NHTSA) are filed by model and year, not engine. We count one for this engine only when the model name and year had no other engine (e.g. "488 GTB", "GT-R"), or when the owner's own words name a version that had only this engine that year (Z06, ZR1, Hellcat, GT500 ...). They cover the whole car (wheels, air bags, electrics ...), not only the engine, and none of them is a failure rate. We chart them only for engines with 30 or more, over 3 or more years. YouTube tone = how positive the videos are, 0–100, from titles and transcripts (praise vs trouble words, the title counts 3 times), weighted by views; a year needs at least 3 videos' worth. A video counts for this engine when its title names the engine or a car that only had this engine in the years it names; a video whose title names no model year counts toward every year of that car, so neighboring years share most of their videos.
All the numbers, year by year
| Year | Cars | Owner complaints | YouTube says | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Diablo | 0 | 53 (60 videos) | 0 |
| 1991 | Diablo | 0 | 52 (62 videos) | 0 |
| 1992 | Diablo | 1 | 53 (58 videos) | 0 |
| 1993 | Diablo | 0 | 50 (57 videos) | 0 |
| 1994 | Diablo | 0 | 52 (58 videos) | 0 |
| 1995 | Diablo | 0 | 50 (56 videos) | 0 |
| 1996 | Diablo | 0 | 52 (57 videos) | 0 |
| 1997 | Diablo | 0 | 50 (56 videos) | 0 |
| 1998 | Diablo | 0 | 51 (58 videos) | 0 |
| 1999 | Diablo | 0 | 51 (60 videos) | 0 |
| 2001 | Diablo | 0 | 53 (57 videos) | 0 |
| 2002 | Murciélago | 0 | 45 (109 videos) | 2 |
| 2003 | Murciélago | 1 | 45 (110 videos) | 1 |
| 2004 | Murciélago | 0 | 45 (109 videos) | 0 |
| 2005 | Murciélago | 0 | 45 (109 videos) | 0 |
| 2006 | Murciélago | 0 | 44 (110 videos) | 1 |
| 2007 | Murciélago | 0 | 45 (109 videos) | 2 |
| 2008 | Murciélago | 0 | 45 (109 videos) | 2 |
| 2009 | Murciélago | 0 | 48 (110 videos) | 1 |
| 2010 | Murciélago | 0 | 44 (110 videos) | 1 |
Recalls on cars with this engine 4
1 of them is about the engine, fuel, cooling or powertrain. They come first.
10V215000 Fuel System, Gasoline · Lamborghini MURCIELAGO 2007–08
LAMBORGHINI IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2007-2008 MURCIELAGO AND MURCIELAGO ROADSTER VEHICLES.
13V470000 Service Brakes, Hydraulic · Lamborghini MURCIELAGO 2006–10
03V375000 Steering · Lamborghini MURCIELAGO 2002–03
CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE TORQUE APPLIED TO THE JOINT SCREW BETWEEN THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE STEERING COLUMN WAS NOT CERTIFIED.
02V082000 Steering · Lamborghini MURCIELAGO 2002
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE LOWER STEERING COLUMN SHAFT COUPLING MAY HAVE BEEN INSTALLED ONTO THE INPUT SHAFT OF THE STEERING RACK WITH TOO MUCH CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE BOTTOM OF THE COUPLING AND THE STEERING RACK I…
NHTSA recalls by model and year. A recall counts here when every confirmed version of that model-year had this engine, or the recall names it. Check a car's VIN for its own open recalls.
Engine problems Lamborghini told dealers about
Lamborghini sent dealers 1 repair note about the engine on these cars.
NHTSA manufacturer communications (technical service bulletins), matched by model name and year like the complaints, engine-related ones only. A repair note is not a recall: ask a seller whether it was done.
Every US version with this engine
| Car and versions | Years |
|---|---|
| Lamborghini Diablo DB132/144 - Diablo, DB132/144 Diablo, DB132/Diablo | 1990–01 |
| Lamborghini Murciélago L-147 Murcielago, L-147/148 Murcielago, Murcielago, Murcielago Reventon, Murcielago Reventon Roadster, Murcielago Roadster | 2002–10 |
Engine codes: Lamborghini V12 5.7, 6.0, 6.2, 6.5. Power: 478–661 hp, factory figures (485 to 670 PS). Versions and years: EPA (fueleconomy.gov). Sources: Lamborghini V12.
Quick answers
What cars have the Lamborghini V12 (Diablo, Murciélago) engine?
In the US: the Lamborghini Diablo, Lamborghini Murciélago, model years 1990–2010. See the version table for each one.
Is the Lamborghini V12 (Diablo, Murciélago) reliable?
Mostly, with known issues to check. YouTube owner tone 49/100, #83 of 165 engines with a YouTube study (in the middle third); 1 engine-related recall on record. Not enough owner complaints to judge it per car: the government files most performance versions under their base model. Its cars had 4 recalls (1 about the engine, fuel or powertrain). Have any used car inspected.
How much horsepower does the Lamborghini V12 (Diablo, Murciélago) make?
478–661 hp in factory figures, depending on the car (485 to 670 PS).