Head-to-head reliability

LAND Rover Discovery vs FORD F 150

How the LAND Rover Discovery and FORD F 150 compare on NHTSA complaints, recalls and crash reports — and which is the lower-risk used buy.

LAND Rover Discovery313 complaints · 39 recalls Fewer issues per year
FORD F 15011,102 complaints · 144 recalls

Based on NHTSA owner-complaint & recall records

Which should you buy?

LAND Rover Discovery averages fewer NHTSA complaints per year. LAND Rover Discovery has 313 complaints and 39 recalls on record; FORD F 150 has 11,102 complaints and 144 recalls. Source: NHTSA owner complaints.

The numbers

Side-by-side NHTSA record

Lower is better in every category. The highlighted cell is the stronger result.

CategoryLAND Rover DiscoveryFORD F 150
Total complaintsAll model years combined313 Better11,102
Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns39 Better144
Crash reportsCrash-related complaints5 Better319
Complaints per yearAveraged across model years31.3 Better1110.2
Reported injuriesTied to owner complaints2 Better287
Reported deathsTied to owner complaints11

Source: NHTSA owner complaints & recall records.

What actually goes wrong

The problems owners report

The most-complained-about systems on each vehicle — what fails, and what owners say in their own words.

LAND Rover Discovery

  1. 01ELECTRICAL SYSTEM100
  2. 02ENGINE77
  3. 03UNKNOWN OR OTHER62
  4. 04POWER TRAIN41
  5. 05STRUCTURE33
In owners' words — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

2021 Land Rover Discovery 48V mild hybrid (MHEV). Recurring 12V system failures: repeated depleted/dead 12V batteries and no-start events. The 12V battery has failed and been replaced three times during my ownership (two documented at a franchised Land Rover…

I am filing a safety complaint regarding a sudden and complete loss of power event while driving my 2021 Land Rover Discovery. The vehicle experienced a DC-DC converter failure with no warning, resulting in a sudden shutdown. The engine lost power, critical s…

FORD F 150

  1. 01POWER TRAIN3,492
  2. 02ELECTRICAL SYSTEM2,052
  3. 03UNKNOWN OR OTHER1,380
  4. 04EXTERIOR LIGHTING1,150
  5. 05ENGINE828
In owners' words — POWER TRAIN

I started noticing hard and delayed shifts from 7th into 8th gear. My RPM's were not increasing when this happened, and then on a very crowded major road I lost all power, vehicle shut off and drifted, then started up and jerked again very hard. This failure…

The vehicle experienced intermittent transmission-related drivability issues before the recall remedy was available. The vehicle had delayed/hard shifting, an intermittent wrench warning light, and a reduced power/limp mode condition where the transmission wo…

Official recalls

Safety recalls on record

Federal recall campaigns — the defect, the risk, and the fix. Confirm any open recall was completed before you buy.

LAND Rover Discovery — 39 recalls

Engine And Engine Cooling — Engine — Oil/Lubrication — Filter/Screen
#24V450000

The defect: Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Defender, 2024 Discovery, Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, and Range Rover Velar vehicles. The oil filter housing can crack and leak oil into the engine compartment.

The risk: An oil leak in the presence of an ignition source such as hot engine or exhaust components, can increase the risk of a fire.

The fix: Dealers will replace the filter housing, oil filter, and o-rings, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 27, 2024. Owners may contact Land Rover customer service at 1-800-637-6837. Land Rover's number for this recall i…

Electrical System — Propulsion System — Dc/Dc Converter
#26V248000

The defect: Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Land Rover Range Rover Velar and Land Rover Discovery, 2020-2023 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque, 2019-2024 Land Rover Range Rover Sport, 2020-2024 Land Rover Range Rover, 2020 Land Rover Discovery Sport, 2020-2024 Land…

The risk: A loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.

The fix: The remedy for this recall is currently under development. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed June 17, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available. Owners may contact Land Rover's custome…

Air Bags — Frontal
#26V389000Dec 2026

The defect: Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2020-2026 Land Rover Defender, 2021-2026 Discovery, and 2022-2026 Range Rover vehicles. The driver’s air bag clockspring connector may corrode, which can cause the air bag not to deploy as intended.

The risk: An air bag that does not deploy as intended increases the risk of injury in a crash.

The fix: Dealers will apply a protective lubricant gel to the driver’s air bag connector terminals, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed August 3, 2026. Owners may contact Land Rover's customer service at 800-637-6837. Land Rover's number for…

Back Over Prevention — Sensing System — Camera
#26V458000

The defect: Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2021-2025 Land Rover Discovery vehicles. Water may not be able to drain away from the rearview camera due to insufficient drain holes, which may result in damage to the rearview camera.

The risk: A rearview camera image that does not display can decrease the driver's visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.

The fix: Dealers will drill additional drain holes in the underside of the tailgate trim. Additionally, dealers will inspect and replace the rearview camera as necessary. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of…

FORD F 150 — 144 recalls

Engine
#18V894000

The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Ford F-150 and 2017-2019 Ford F-250 Super Duty, F-350 Super Duty, F-450 Super Duty, and F-550 Super Duty pick-up trucks equipped with an engine block heater. Water and contaminants may get into the block heater cable's splice connector causin…

The risk: When the heater is plugged in, prolonged corrosion could cause a resistive short, increasing the risk of overheated or melted wiring which can increase the risk of a fire.

The fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will disable the block heater cable, free of charge. Once parts are available, Dealers will replace the engine block heater cable, free of charge. The recall began June 3, 2019. Owners may contact Ford…

Engine
#19V278000Aug 2019

The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Ford F-150 and 2017-2019 Ford F-250 Super Duty, F-350 Super Duty, F-450 Super Duty, and F-550 Super Duty pick-up trucks equipped with an engine block heater and previously remedied under recall 18V894. During the previous repair, the block he…

The risk: A damaged cable could cause a resistive short, increasing the risk of overheated or melted wiring, increasing the risk of a fire.

The fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will disable the engine block heater from being used. When replacement cables become available, a second notice will be mailed and dealers will replace the engine block heater cord, free of charge. The…

Seat Belts — Pretensioner
#18V568000

The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Ford F-150 Regular Cab and SuperCrew Cab vehicles. If a front seat belt pretensioner deploys as the result of a crash, the sparks may ignite materials such as carpeting or insulation within the B-pillar area.

The risk: A vehicle fire could result if materials ignite inside the vehicle.

The fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will remove the B-pillar insulation material and wiring harness tape, and install heat resistant tape, free of charge. The recall began September 28, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-…

Latches/Locks/Linkages — Doors — Latch
#17V652000

The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Ford F-150, and 2017 F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 Super Duty trucks. The doors on these vehicles may have a bent or kinked actuation cable or the door latches may freeze after water gets into the latch. Either condition can result in the do…

The risk: A door that opens while driving can increase the risk of injury.

The fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the door latch actuation cables and repair if necessary, and install water shields over the door latches, free of charge. The recall began October 12, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer…

Year by year

Which model years to avoid

Complaints per model year for both vehicles — lower is better. The spikes are the years to scrutinize.

YearLAND Rover DiscoveryFORD F 150
2026116
20250324
20247607
202371484
202293388
2021115162
20201825
20193831
20183638
201718627
Years to scrutinize: the 2017 LAND Rover Discovery drew the most complaints (186); the 2021 FORD F 150 drew the most (5,162). Inspect these model years especially closely.

Check the actual car

Comparing models is smart. Checking the VIN is essential.

Brand averages tell you the trend. A VIN check tells you what's wrong with the specific LAND Rover Discovery or FORD F 150 in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.

Go deeper

Full reliability reports

LAND Rover Discovery vs FORD F 150 — comparison facts
Comparison
LAND Rover Discovery vs FORD F 150
LAND Rover Discovery total complaints
313
FORD F 150 total complaints
11,102
LAND Rover Discovery total recalls
39
FORD F 150 total recalls
144
LAND Rover Discovery avg complaints/year
31.3
FORD F 150 avg complaints/year
1110.2
More reliable overall
LAND Rover Discovery
LAND Rover Discovery top complaint area
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
FORD F 150 top complaint area
POWER TRAIN