The Land Rover. A luxury piece of British automotive engineering that has reached an iconic reputation with its boxy design and off-road terrain capabilities. These luxury SUVs are available in various models, including the Range Rover, Discovery, and Evoque. But Land Rover has also gained notoriety in another department: recalls.

Data collected over the past years shows Land Rovers make more unscheduled trips to the mechanic per year than other vehicles in its class. Each visit to the mechanic can lead to frustratingly costly repairs. Before you decide to purchase one, or if you are a current Land Rover owner, it’s critical to get up to speed on Land Rover’s common issues, recalls, and lemon law cases.

What are common Land Rover problems?

All Land Rover models suffer from many of the same problems. These include:

• Electrical problems. Land Rovers have many electrical elements that work in synchronicity to optimize performance. Unfortunately, its electrical system can be temperamental and lead to issues.

• Oil leaks. Land Rovers are known for leaking oil before the car reaches its 60,000-mile mark. Leaky oils happen in cooler lines and valve cover gaskets.

• Airbag malfunction. This one is serious. Many Land Rover models were plagued with a bad batch of airbags, resulting in a significant recall. The airbags deployed with too explosive of a force, causing terrible consequences.

• Issues with the steering shaft. The steering shaft, wheel, and rack are part of the steering system. Together, these three components allow you to point the wheel, instructing the car to go in that direction. However, problems with the steering shaft are common. Usually, you can hear a loud noise when turning the vehicle.

• Parking brake failure. Another common issue is a screeching sound that comes when the parking brake is used. Over time, the parking brake will become misaligned and needs readjustment.

Not all Land Rovers are created equally unreliable. In fact, the Land Rover Freelander is considered unreliable. The 2003 Land Rover Freelander had the most complaints – over 200 – filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). It also had five recalls.

Land Rover Freelander Problems

The most common issues for Freelanders are difficult or delayed shifting, broken intake manifold doors, coolant leaking from the thermostat housing, and faulty rear cargo door window motor.

Over 21,000 cars were recalled for a potential stress crack in the plastic fuel tank. More than 9,800 cars were recalled due to the left rear door failing, allowing the car door to be opened from the inside even when the child locks were on.

Land Rover Discovery and Discovery Sport Problems

Land Rover Discovery also has its share of issues, including a faulty rear cargo door latch and leaky head gaskets.

The Discovery model has also been the subject of recalls. In 2016, the manufacturer recalled about 13,500 of its 2017 Land Rover Discovery Sport and countless others from its 2016-2017 Range Rover and Range Rover Sport vehicles because of faulty seatbelts. In the event of a crash, the seatbelt could release the occupants instead of restraining them, increasing the risk of injury. As of April 2018, it was claimed that more than 80 percent of the affected cars have been repaired or inspected. The NHTSA reported that about 11 percent of the affected vehicles were deemed out of service or unavailable for repair.

Range Rover and Range Rover Sport

Although the Range Rover models are considered one of Land Rover’s more reliable vehicles, it still has their faults. There have been documented problems with pulsating brakes caused by warped brake rotors and corrosion of the anti-lock brake system.

In April 2022, Land Rover was again affected by another recall due to seatbelts malfunctioning. This time, the recall involved about 14,812 Range Rover Sport and Range Rover SUVs. Documents published by the NHTSA show that the affected models are from the years 2016 and 2017 and were built between April 29 and October 17, 2016. Even though there was a campaign to address this problem in 2019, inspected vehicles were still released with the faulty seatbelt mechanism.

Airbag Recall

Many Land Rover models have also been affected by the Takata airbag recall, the largest automotive recall in history. It involves over 70 million U.S. vehicles made by 33 manufacturers – not just Land Rover.

When the vehicle crashes, the defective airbag can explode, shooting sharp metal fragments at people inside the car.

California consumers are protected when seat belts don’t restrain passengers as intended, when airbags shoot metal objects at passengers, or when other parts of the vehicle don’t perform as expected. If you own a Land Rover and have experienced issues, you could have a potential lemon. In some cases, you could qualify for a buyback option. However, Land Rover won’t easily swap defective cars for new ones. Having a lemon law attorney can certainly help. Our lawyers at Conn Law, PC have the skills and knowledge necessary to help you reach a desirable outcome.