LAND Rover Discovery Sport
Reliability, NHTSA Complaints & Recall History
10 model years analyzed (2017β2026). All data sourced directly from the NHTSA public complaints and recall database β the same data used by federal regulators.
Checking a specific LAND Rover Discovery Sport? Run a VIN check for its exact history.
β NHTSA NCAP Crash Test Ratings
New Car Assessment ProgramNCAP crash tests measure how well a vehicle protects occupants in controlled frontal crash, side crash, and rollover scenarios. Stars are awarded per category (5 = safest). These laboratory results are independent of owner complaints and are performed by NHTSA engineers on new production vehicles.
AI Interpretation
Medium ConfidenceBelow AverageThe data shows that complaints for the Land Rover Discovery Sport are concentrated in the 2019 and 2020 model years, with the engine, electrical system, and power train being the most frequently reported components. The vehicle has 14 recalls across the analyzed years, and crash-related complaints are low at 2. Overall, the pattern suggests potential reliability concerns in certain model years.
- Engine complaints are the most numerous, with 16 reports.
- Electrical system and power train complaints are also prominent, with 12 and 11 reports respectively.
- The 2019 model year accounts for the highest number of complaints (19), followed by 2020 (11).
- Engine issues are the most frequently reported concern.
- Electrical system problems are a recurring theme.
- Power train complaints are notable.
The 2019 model year had the highest number of complaints (19), driven largely by engine and electrical system issues. The 2020 model year also showed elevated complaints (11).
The 2017, 2018, and 2024 model years had zero complaints, which may indicate fewer reported issues, though data is limited.
- Inspect the engine and electrical system thoroughly before purchase.
- Verify all open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
- Request service records for engine, electrical, and power train components.
- Have a mechanic inspect the vehicle, focusing on reported problem areas.
π NHTSA Safety Recalls
14 recalls foundSafety recalls are mandatory repair campaigns ordered by NHTSA when a vehicle defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety. Manufacturers are required to fix recalled vehicles free of charge. Always verify open recalls before buying a used car.
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Source: NHTSA Recalls Database. Data covers model years 2017β2026. Always run a VIN-specific check below for the most up-to-date open recall status.
π§ Most-Reported Problem Areas
Based on component keywords extracted from all 40 NHTSA complaints.
π NHTSA Complaint Reports
40 totalThese are consumer-submitted safety complaints filed directly with NHTSA. Each complaint describes a real owner's experience. Complaints flagged as crash-related or fire-related are highlighted.
My Land Rover Discovery Sport has experienced six separate stalling / loss-of-propulsion events, all of which created dangerous highway situations. On multiple occasions, the vehicle either entered limp mode or stalled completely while traveling at approximately 65 mph, endangering all lanes of traffic and forcing unsafe maneuvers to reach the shoulder. These incidents occurred without warning at random times and completely disappearing after a restart. Two of these stalling events occurred after the vehicle was inspected and βdiagnosedβ by an authorized Land Rover dealer for 400$ and returned to me as having no issues. Both of those post-diagnosis failures required towing back to the dealer at my own cost. One of the six incidents required a 911 call due to the vehicle stalling in active freeway traffic and creating an immediate safety hazard. The issue is intermittent and often clears temporarily after the vehicle is shut off, making it difficult for dealers to reproduce. However, the defect consistently reappears shortly after driving. The vehicle has now been in the possession of an authorized Land Rover dealer for approximately 3.5 months, and no repair or root cause has been identified. The vehicle remains undrivable and unsafe to operate. I am concerned this represents a systemic defect, potentially software-related, that causes sudden loss of propulsion and stalling at highway speeds without warning.
Major misfires in the engine cylinders at 56800 miles. I bought the car from Willis Auto in Des Moines Ia in October of 2021 Brand new. I am the one and only driver/owner of this vehicle. I came out of my home in Omaha Ne on or about [XXX], to which I attempted to drive my vehicle. The car engine began shaking and would not stay on. I then had the car towed in to Land Rover of Omaha which is the closest Land Rover dealership. I was initially told everything was fine except it needed to change the spark plugs. To which I agreed to have the repairs done. I was later notified that the car that I have is notorious for engine failure around 60k. I was told that the suggested repairs would be a new engine priced at 27k. I am under my LR warranty for length of ownership being under for years, however the mileage is over 6,800 miles. So I would not be covered under my power train warranty. This engine failure is definitely not just a one off situation. The dealership has said they don't understand why it is failed and have confirmed that it should not be failing this soon. I believe this is something that JAGUAR Land Rover is aware of any dispite that knowledge they are continuing to sell these cars and pass the costly repairs on to the unsuspecting consumer. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The ignition does not turn on or the car will not power on with the key. The car has been at the dealership for a month and they have been unable to repair what is clearly an electronic problem with the vehicle. The power button in the ignition does not power up and the vehicle does not start.
The vehicle has a transmission problem. The vehicle will shut off at a stop and will come out of gear. I have been sitting at a traffic light and when the light turns green the car will not move (it goes back into neutral). When this happens I have to turn the engine off and restart the car before it will go into drive. When I back out of my driveway onto the main road and then place the vehicle in drive the vehicle will not go into gear leaving me and the car stranded in the road. This vehicle is going to get me injured or killed. Someone is going to hit me because I cannot move out of the way. I have almost been hit numerous times because I cannot get out of the way of oncoming traffic. The car has been back to the manufacturer 3 times now (this time they have had the car 22 days and it is still not repaired). No warning lights have come on before the incident, however the check engine light will appear after the car fails to go into gear.
Roof molding detached from driver's side of 2023 Land Rover Discovery Sport, upon arriving at home checked the passenger side and it came off without excerpting any force. Subsequent check on search engines indicate this may be a common occurrence in recent model Land Rover SUVs. I ran a VIN check for recalls on NHTSA and did not find one open for the 2023 Land Rover Discovery Sport, though the same issue is listed as a recall for Range Rover & Range Rover Sport for 2023-2026 and NHTSA has a safety bulletin posted (from Land Rover) for 2019 and newer Land Rover Discovery Sport named "LTB00865NAS2 - Roof Molding Loose / Adrift" available at: [XXX] There are three Land Rover Discovery Sport of similar years in our neighborhood and one other is missing the same passenger side roof mold - these blowing off in traffic at speed are a highway safety concern. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
While stopped in traffic with the vehicleβs automatic engine start-stop feature engaged, the vehicle failed to respond when the accelerator was pressed. The engine had shut off normally due to the start-stop system, but when attempting to move again, the vehicle did not accelerate and appeared temporarily disabled. A βGearbox fault detectedβ warning message was displayed. In other occurrences, a βCharging system fault detectedβ warning appeared immediately after restart. The vehicle required an ignition cycle (turning the vehicle off and back on) to regain normal operation. This condition has occurred on multiple occasions over the past year, including recently, and is intermittent and difficult to reproduce on demand. This condition creates a safety risk because the vehicle can become temporarily immobilized in active traffic, including at stoplights and intersections, leaving the driver unable to proceed as expected. The vehicle has been inspected multiple times by authorized Land Rover dealers for related electrical and charging system issues. Components such as the battery have previously been replaced, but the condition has continued to occur. At this time, the issue has not been consistently reproduced by the dealer. Warning messages associated with the incidents include βGearbox fault detectedβ and βCharging system fault detected.β These warnings typically appear during or immediately after an automatic engine restart event. The vehicle remains available for inspection.
The contact owns a 2023 Land Rover Discovery Sport. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed, and the vehicle was shaking erratically. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with cracked brake pads. The contact was informed that the brake pads needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle was purchased in May 2023 and the failure occurred in November 2023. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 9,500.
Started car, placed transmission in 'reverse' and backed up into a public thoroughfare zone thinking enough time was alloted to place vehicle in 'drive' and merge into traffic. Car would not go into 'drive' nor would it go back into 'reverse' let alone 'neutral. So after realizing the car was reporting a transmission fault and placing itself back into 'park' each time, due to a transmission sensor detection issue. I was stranded in traffic. After calling for towing service, we learned that only a few could drag the car up onto a transport bed using wheel skids, since all four tires were locked up. This model does not have a manual neutral override feature. Poor design, placing my wife, who is handicapped, into a perilous situation.
The roof molding strip has blown off on the freeway putting commuters at risk. This has happened on this vehicle type (discovery sport) for us, 3 times (2 on one vehicle and 1 on this VIN). With this part flying off on the freeway, other drivers swerve to miss it. I cannot stop on the freeway to retrieve it due to traffic and other driving at 60mph or more. We have met with the dealer on the other car and they fixed it. It was a known issue. There has been a service/safety bulletin issued, however, they want to charge us a large amount of money. This is manufacturing defect. Land rover is not taking responsibility. This is happening all over based on research. Here is the bulletin ID LTB00865NAS2 - Roof Molding. Please help with remedying this as it is a public safety issue.
Rear cameras(3) no access from menu. Shows a red circle crossed out on menu. Car available for inspection. Backing vehical warning system was working in reverse, accompanied by hazard proximity beeping, but abruptly stopped working after a thorough cleaning. Suspect water in cameras which does match a mfg recall notice for this vehicle, or Land Rover recall notice N778 No dealer has inspected yet.
Went on reverse vehicle shut off
It was not prior dash lights or warnings. I was driving and out of nowhere a light I never saw before in the dash went off. It said βGearbox Failedβ. Then a minute later the car shutdown. Diagnostic: the transmission was dead. Thanks God I was near my home and I stopped in the driveway. I donβt know what could happen in the middle of the highway at high speed. They also found the heat seals covering the muffler and the turbo system. Broken and loose. Worst brand ever.
Transmission stop working suddenly, no lights ON, the car just stopped in the middle of the road. Turbo system cause sudden acceleration . Heat shields get rusty and break.
While driving on the highway, my 2010 Land Rover Discovery Sport stalled at 30 miles mph in traffic. This is the 3rd time same issue happened in 12 months. 3/2024 driving on highway car would not go over 30 mph and felt like it would stall. Had car towed to dealership for service. Service could not recreate issue, gave car back after 4 weeks. as soon as I got on the highway the car stalled. This time all the warnings on dashboard lit up and car completely stalled. Had car towed back for service. 3/2024 car making a loud whinning/whirring sound that got louder over 45 minutes of highway driving. Sent in for service and service could not recreate the issue. 7/22/25 car stalled at 30 mph while in left lane traffic on highway. Numerous cars behind me swerved to avoid me and honked horns. I was very lucky not to be hit from behind all three times this issue occurred. Car currently in for service. 6/13/24 service replaced fuel rail pressure sensor due to internal fail. Updated PCM software, cleared codes. turbo boost bar reaches approx 1 bar and then drops off. heard air leak when boost lost. found intake air duct from throttle body to intercooler disconnected due to broken hose clamp. replaced clamp, refit duct, cleared codes. service notes say road tested but the mileage in on 5/16 was the same as the mileage out on 6/13/24. How is this not classified as a recall with so many reports of the same exact issue? Note all the reports on this site share the same VIN details ( Country and Manufacturing Facility )
On my Discovery Sport HSE 2019 the engine light came on first. I made sure the gas cap was tightly secured. After a couple of days, upon starting the car, there became a rough sounding startup. The car began to turn off when stopped at red lights. I turned ECO mode thinking that it was the problem. The car began to also slow up after a couple of days while driving to work... no matter how far I pressed the gas pedal - it would only go 10mph. The display went haywire with warnings so I pulled over to read the display. The display showed, Stability Control Not Available', 'Gearbox Faulty', 'Parking Beak Faulty', 'ATPC Not Available'. At his point I turned the car off and tried to start it up again. However, I could not turn the dial to place the gear in park, drive, reverse or neutral. I had to get my car towed. The gears were locked. This car is problematic and dangerous. I see most people in this forum have stated that their Discovery Sport just stopped while driving and almost caused what could have been some serious accidents.
Vehicle often on its own, slows down on the highway, while driving and will no longer accelerate. Very scary and dangerous I have to take my feet completely off the gas and try to press the gas to accelerate which after a few of these efforts I can finally pick up speed again. This has been happening since purchased, no recalls are seen and mechanics are unable to diagnose.
1. My land Rover switched between gears systematically from the drive state to the neutral state which resulted in a complete stop. Jaguar Land Rover Dealer in Rancho Mirage and Riverside said they can inspect it. 2. Was merging the traffic intersection with my mom [XXX] and the car stalled from driving and went to the neutral state which halted in the intersection. I was lucky enough that no cars were behind to rear end me. I had to move my gear shift manually from drive to neutral and then back to drive. 3.There are records/forums with consumers claiming the same mishap with the Lander Rover Discovery Sport I'm having. Although, the dealer claims it's an isolated event. 4. Dealer advised me to tow my vehicle to the dealership to be diagnosed on 02/28 (Fri). Yet to be inspected. I am without a vehicle as I'm fearful of driving it. 5. When the vehicle halted, it prompted my HUD with a 'select gear to maneuver.' In which, the only way to resolve the issue was to turn manually swap gears back to drive, as the system malfunctioned. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
2019 discovery sport. The turbo charger suddenly failed at 62,000 miles. No prior warning before losing power and loud whining noise began lucky to get to the side of the freeway safely. I Had the turbo charger replaced with new OEM parts by authorized Range Rover repair facility. Cost of new turbo $3565.82 labor cost $720. Total $4285.82 After reviews of multiple complaints by others with this problem just after warranty expired I am surprised that no recall or replacement offer by the manufacturer that still sells this vehicle without telling buyers of this being common failure and not covered. Last Range Rover I will ever buy.
Left rear Door Latching Mechanism. While the vehicle was in motion/operation the left rear door flew open. also there was no warning indication on the dashboard that the door had become open. the driver and the rear passenger who was sitting in the right rear could of been seriously injured. There are bulletins about this happening with other Land Rover and Jaguar Products. Vehicle is at the Dealership having the defect part replaced. NO.
08/19/24 Monday Time: 3:05 pm Picking up daughter from school car completely stop while driving around traffic, started beeping, shift gear knob went down on its own and car stopped in front of school traffic almost causing an accident where I could have been hit. No warning symbol came on or anything. 08/15/24 Thursday Time: 5:45-5:50 Wife was on her way to work and was on the feeder about to be getting on the freeway and car did the same thing almost causing an accident with her over the same issue. This has happened a few timeβs already and truly fear for my families life and mine as well.
Showing 20 of 40 total NHTSA complaints. Source: NHTSA Complaints Database
Check a Specific LAND Rover Discovery Sport
This page shows fleet averages across all 10 model years. Enter a VIN to see the exact accident history, odometer records, title brands, and open recall status for a specific car.
π Understanding This Data
What is an NHTSA Complaint?
An NHTSA safety complaint is a report filed directly by a vehicle owner or driver describing a safety-related issue. Anyone can submit a complaint at NHTSA.gov. The number of complaints is a signal of how common a problem is β but complaints per model-year matter more than raw totals, since popular vehicles naturally receive more reports. The LAND Rover Discovery Sport has 40 complaints on record across 10 model years.
What is a Safety Recall?
A safety recall is a mandatory campaign issued by NHTSA when a vehicle component poses an unreasonable risk to safety or does not comply with federal motor vehicle safety standards. Unlike complaints (which are owner-reported), recalls are formally investigated and confirmed by regulators. Manufacturers must fix recalled vehicles free of charge. The LAND Rover Discovery Sport has 14 recall campaigns in the NHTSA database.
What Are Crash Complaints?
Crash complaints are NHTSA filings where the owner indicates a crash occurred as part of the incident. 2 of the LAND Rover Discovery Sport's 40 complaints involved a crash. This metric is particularly important because it indicates how often defects resulted in actual collisions β a key safety signal beyond general reliability.
How Is the AI Rating Calculated?
The AI reliability rating (Below Average) is generated by analyzing the vehicle's total complaints, recall history, crash complaint ratio, fire complaint ratio, and top component failures relative to class averages. The rating provides a plain-English summary for buyers who want a quick verdict without parsing raw numbers. It is one input in your buying decision β always verify with a VIN-specific report.
Why Do Newer Years Have Fewer Complaints?
Newer model years appear to have fewer complaints because there has been less time for owners to file them. Complaints accumulate over years of ownership. A 2020 model year vehicle will typically show fewer complaints than a 2015 model year even if it is less reliable β simply because fewer owners have had time to report issues. Focus on complaints per year of market presence when comparing across model years.
Fleet Data vs. Individual VIN
Everything on this page reflects aggregated data across all LAND Rover Discovery Sport vehicles on the road β not any specific car. Two LAND Rover Discovery Sport vehicles of the same year can have very different histories: one may have been in three accidents and have an open recall; another may be clean. A VIN check gives you the individual car's history: accidents, title brands, odometer records, service history, and real-time recall status.
What Are NHTSA Investigations?
When NHTSA receives a pattern of related safety complaints, it opens a formal investigation. A Preliminary Evaluation (PE) is the first stage β NHTSA determines if a safety defect may exist. If evidence is strong, it escalates to an Engineering Analysis (EA), which can result in a mandatory recall. The LAND Rover Discovery Sport has 0 investigations on record (0 active). Investigations listed above may have already led to the recalls shown on this page.