In this paper, a robust fault detection and identification approach based on an adaptive observer is developed for uncertain continuous linear time-invariant systems with multiple discrete time-delays in both states and outputs. State and output faults of bias type that may evolve slowly or abruptly are considered, and the delay system is disturbed by unstructured bounded unknown inputs. Based on the scheme of [Trunov, A. B., & Polycarpou, M. M. (2000). Automated fault diagnosis in nonlinear multivariable systems using a learning methodology. IEEE Transactions on Neural Networks, 11, 91-101], a novel adaptive observer for detecting and estimating faults in the considered system is constructed, and robustness with respect to unknown inputs and sensitivity to faults of the detecting scheme are rigorously analyzed. The fault estimate and the state estimation error are then proved to be uniformly bounded. Finally, simulations of a heating process demonstrate that the proposed approach can detect the faults shortly after the occurrences without any false alarm and can approximate the faults with desired accuracy. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.