Land Rover owners have filed 2,045 complaints with NHTSA across 16 models. On average the car was 5.42 years old when the problem happened, and 34.4% of reports fall inside the first three years — while the factory warranty was still running.
What breaks on Land Rover
The systems Land Rover owners report most, and how often each failure ended in a crash.
| System | Complaints | Share of Land Rover | Ended in a crash |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 14.6% | 2.3% | |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 9.4% | 1% | |
| Electrical System | 5.8% | 0.8% | |
| Air Bags | 4.3% | 22.7% | |
| Engine | 4% | 0% | |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3.8% | 0% | |
| Unknown Or Other | 3.7% | 3.9% | |
| Structure | 3.5% | 5.6% |
When Land Rover problems show up
| Measure | Value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Average age at failure | 5.42 years | How old the car was when the problem happened |
| Reported inside 3 years | 34.4% | Share of complaints filed while the factory warranty was likely still running |
| Complaints describing a crash | 99 | Of 2,045 total |
| Complaints describing a fire | 67 | Of 2,045 total |
A low average age does not automatically mean a fragile car: a brand with a young fleet on the road will always skew early. Read it next to the share reported inside three years.
Which Land Rover models draw the most complaints
Volume follows sales, so a bestseller will always top this list. The columns worth reading are age at failure and how many reports ended in a crash.
| Model | Complaints | Share of Land Rover | Avg age at failure | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RANGE ROVER | 24% | 5.8 yrs | 25 | |
| FREELANDER | 16.8% | 4.8 yrs | 5 | |
| RANGE ROVER SPORT | 15% | 6.6 yrs | 14 | |
| DISCOVERY | 13.1% | 4.4 yrs | 33 | |
| LR2 | 7.9% | 6.6 yrs | 3 | |
| LR3 | 7% | 5.4 yrs | 3 | |
| RANGE ROVER VELAR | 5.2% | 3.9 yrs | 6 | |
| DEFENDER | 2.7% | 3.4 yrs | 1 | |
| NEW RANGE ROVER | 2.5% | 4.5 yrs | 3 | |
| DISCOVERY SPORT | 2.2% | 3.8 yrs | 2 | |
| LR4 | 1.8% | 9.5 yrs | 3 | |
| RANGE ROVER EVOQUE | 1% | 3.2 yrs | — | |
| RANGE ROVER L322 | 0.6% | 5.9 yrs | — | |
| CLASSIC | 0% | 13.0 yrs | — | |
| DEFENDER 90 | 0% | 13.0 yrs | — |
Land Rover complaints by model year
A bad generation shows up here as a block of years, not as a single spike. Recent years look quiet simply because those cars are young and still under warranty.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Fires |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | — | — | |
| 2024 | 5 | 2 | |
| 2023 | 3 | — | |
| 2022 | 1 | 1 | |
| 2021 | 1 | 1 | |
| 2020 | 6 | 2 | |
| 2019 | 5 | 3 | |
| 2018 | 5 | 1 | |
| 2015 | — | — | |
| 2014 | 1 | — | |
| 2013 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2012 | 2 | 3 | |
| 2011 | 4 | 1 | |
| 2010 | 2 | 4 | |
| 2009 | — | — | |
| 2008 | 4 | 2 | |
| 2007 | 1 | — | |
| 2006 | 5 | 3 | |
| 2005 | 1 | 1 | |
| 2004 | 4 | 2 | |
| 2003 | 3 | 7 | |
| 2002 | 3 | 3 | |
| 2001 | 1 | 1 | |
| 2000 | 9 | 4 | |
| 1999 | 4 | 3 |
What Land Rover owners report
Grouped by the system owners named. Open any row for the full reports, in their own words — one per model so the same fault does not repeat.
Power Train 298 Read
Vehicle fails to shift from Reverse to Drive on occasion. It leads you to believe that the gear has changed, and then you depress the gas, and it continues in reverse. On on occasion it caused me to back into a wall approximately 6 inches away. The. Result was over $5,000 in damage, which has been repaired
The contact owns a 2019 Land Rover Range Rover. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked it shifted to reverse, rolled away, and dragged the contact down the street, and crashed into a fence. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact sustained swelling and pain due to the crash and medical attention was provided. There was no fire, air bag deployment or a police report filed. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 8,000
The contact owns a 2000 land rover discovery. The vehicle was parked and the hand brake was applied. The vehicle automatically shifted into gear and crashed into a tree. The vehicle is currently at the dealer, but they are unsure as to what caused the failure. The current and failure mileages were 39,000
Engine And Engine Cooling 193 Read
I was driving at ~10-15 mph around lake mead in nv. As I pulled to a stop sign smoke began to come from under the hood of the car. At first I thought the car was overheating and tried to navigate it to the side of the road. All the cars systems went out before I got it off the road (30 seconds from the first smoke) and the smoke was billowing out from under the hood. I jumped out and tried to open the hood, still thinking it was overheating, but I was unable to find the catch. I decided to move away from the car just in case. I walked about 10 paces away from the car and turned to see fire dripping down from the front. I decided to call 911. The front of the car was engulfed in flames before I could dial. By the time the 911 operator picked up the car was engulfed up to the middle of the body and the tires began exploding (this could be heard by the 911 operator). By the time I got off the phone the car was completely engulfed (this was less than 3 min from seeing the first smoke). The car burned completely, leaving no trace of anything but the metal frame. What is most disturbing is that the body/interior burned as if they had been doused with an incendiary. They went up so fast and shouldn't be flammable at all. Just to emphasize this, I was hauling a sm trailer that had a canvas cover and the tarp was only scorched at the front; not burning at all. I found many other fires of this range rover just like mine reported on the internet. I am fairly certain that these fires
Engine breather valve froze up , the engine start leaking oil , possible fire or destroy the engine. Stranded. The service bulletin out on the issue but the dealer isn't honoring the responsibility
While driving my 1993 land rover nas defender 110 to an appointment, I noticed smoke coming from the vehicle. The passenger compartment completely filled up with smoke making visibility possible only out the open driver's window. Upon opening the hood, flames poured out. The right side of the engine compartment was ablaze. The vehicle would not shut off, despite the ignition having been shut off and the key having been removed from the vehicle. The only way to shut the engine off was to disconnect the battery. The fire was burning the AC equipment and enclosure, vehicle wiring and hood, fenders, etc. The vehicle suffered destroyed wiring harnesses, the engine, the entire AC unit, hood and various other body parts, resulting in a total loss. Some parts are no longer available. The cause of the fire was a pin hole leak in one of the oil cooler lines. The leak sprays a fine mist of hot engine oil directly on the hot exhaust manifold. The result is an oil-fueled engine fire. Not being able to shut the engine off keeps oil spraying on the hot exhaust manifold, continuing the fire. I have come to find out a large number of defender 110's have had this problem. When the lines rupture, the effect is sudden and catastrophic is no warning. Land rover offers no recommended schedule for checking or replacing these lines. In fact, land rover will not discuss the issue saying the vehicle has been discontinued. Land rover's only assistance was to point me to a third-party that sell
Electrical System 118 Read
Dial shifter complaint about the car being place in park inside my garage, left the car door open to return inside the home and once I was 100% out of the vehicle as witnessed by my neighbors, the car went out of park mode causing damaged to the car and my home. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? (Dial Shifter) How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? (In order to stop the car, I risked my life by attempting to jump inside a moving car to place it back in park mode. This was to avoid any further damage, hitting my neighbors house or any pediatricians walking/playing near by.) Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? This problem have been reported by other consumers. See articles below: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/range-rover-lawsuits-gear-shifter-deadly-rollaway/ https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.itechpost.com/amp/articles/70923/20170103/land-rover-under-investigation-over-flawed-gear-selector-knob-thousands-of-vehicles-may-be-due-for-another-recall.htm Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? (This car have been towed to a local Range Rover dealership to address the complaint.) Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? (No symptoms)
My sons 2002 land rover freelander caught fire on september 29, 2010 at 4:00 am. The vehicle had been parked since 11:00 pm the previous evening. At 4:00 am my son heard his alarms in the car going off and rushed to see what was going on to find the interior of the car was on fire. He tried to slap the fire out with his hands and received 3rd degree burns due to this. He then ran inside and retrieved a fire extinguisher and put the fire out. The fire was contained, but the damage was so severe, the vehicle was declared a total loss. The fire started in the wiring system under the steering column. We do have a case open with land rover, but their representative stated this is only for their internal use and no compensation would be made. My son only owned the pre-used vehicle for one month and had only secured "liability" insurance only on the vehicle until his next paycheck so he could afford full coverage. Who would have thought that a vehicle would catch on fire by itself. We are grateful that he was not harmed further and that the vehicle was not parked in the garage, but we are extremely disappointed that a vehicle which he owned for only one month would catch fire and land rover will not offer any compensation for our loss
While driving the vehicle, the rear passengers started to cough, the consumer turned around and noticed smoke filling the cab of the vehicle. Within seconds, the vehicle caught fire and was totaled. *ak *scc
Air Bags 88 Read
There was a failure of airbag deployment during a front end collision at 45 mph which resulted in extensive bodily injury damages. Airbags failed to deploy in front end collision, causing extensive bodily injury damage surpassing insurance minimums. The police report as well as the insurance inspector's report both confirmed that airbags did not deploy when they should have deployed. There were never any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms
The contact owned a 2020 Land Rover Range Rover Sport. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 30-35 MPH, another vehicle that was driving at high speeds in the opposite direction had lost control and crashed into her driver's side front and rear doors. The other vehicle then crashed into another vehicle. It resulted in a three-vehicle collision. The air bags deployed and the contact suffered a chemical burn on her left arm from the side air bag deployment. There was smoke that filled the cabin of the vehicle. The contact was unable to unlock the doors while the master door lock button was pushed. EMS and the fire department arrived on the scene and were able to rescue the contact after opening the passenger's side front door. A police report was filed. The contact was transported by ambulance to the hospital and sustained second-degree burns to her left arm and bruising on the right hip and the left shoulder. However, there were no bones fractured. She later suffered from nausea, pain from head to toe, and delayed memory. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard and deemed totaled by the insurance company. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000
The contact owned a 2000 land rover range rover. The contact stated while driving 60 mph, the brake pedal was depressed to avoid a collision ahead and the vehicle skidded off the road. As a result, the contact crashed into a concrete barrier and a light post. The air bag failed to deploy. The contacts head/face struck with the steering wheel during the crash. The contact wore glasses and due to the force of the crash, it caused him to have two black eyes. The contact also sustained fractured ribs, collar bone, and legs that required medical attention. The contact mentioned that he went in intensive care unit due to being in a coma and currently taking anti-seizure medication. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a impound lot. The vehicle had not been taken to local dealer or an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer had not been informed of failure. The failure mileage was 94,738
Engine 81 Read
The vehicle out of nowhere began to make a werid clacking noise (possibly the lifters so we thought) my husband immediately pulled off the freeway the car sputtered; The engine immediately SEIZED, BEGAN TO SMOKE, and CAUGHT FIRE
On 27 July 2025, my 2024 Range Rover Sport, suffered a sudden and catastrophic engine fire while driving shortly after an overheating warning appeared. This occurred approximately two weeks after routine maintenance at a Land Rover dealership. My VIN is not listed in the current recall range, but the defect, symptoms, and safety hazard are identical to vehicles included. This strongly suggests either: 1. Incomplete VIN capture in the recall scope, or 2. A related but unaddressed defect with the same catastrophic consequences. The fire completely disabled the vehicle, placed my safety at extreme risk, and caused total loss. Given the life-threatening nature of this defect, I request NHTSA investigate to: * Expand Recall N908 to include my VIN and any similarly affected units, and * Require Land Rover to remedy and compensate impacted owners
My 2019 Range Rover Velar engine caught on fire while it was parked and off. The vehicle gave no warning and showed no signs of overheating or maintenance that needed to be done. The fire was so bad and hot it totaled the velar and another vehicle
Fuel System, Gasoline 77 Read
The contact owned a 2013 Land Rover Range Rover Sport. The contact stated she had previously taken the vehicle to an unknown dealer for the recall repair of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V635000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the dealer informed her that they could not assist because the vehicle was old. The contact stated while driving 60-65 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond. Additionally, the contact smelled a gasoline odor. An unknown warning light was illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle. The contact then noticed smoke coming from under the hood. The smoke turned black. A police officer assisted the contact in removing her belongings out of the vehicle, and the contact walked away from the vehicle. The vehicle caught on fire. The contact stated that the vehicle burned for more than two hours. The contact was able to extinguish the fire with the assistance of the fire department. A police report was filed. A fire department report was filed. There was no injury sustained. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot, where it was totaled. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000
A fire started in engine compartment while driving. Local fire department arrived and put out the fire. Informed consumer that fire was due to a fuel leakage
The contact owns a 2011 Land Rover LR4. The contact stated that the vehicle was leaking fuel and there was an abnormal fuel odor coming from the vehicle. The contact later discovered that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V635000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); and associated the failure with the recall. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was repaired under the recall. Upon returning to the dealer, the contact was informed by the service tech that there was a part not properly connected to the fuel tank. The contact waited for an additional half hour before the vehicle was returned. Days later, after refueling the vehicle, fuel started pouring directly from the fuel tank. The vehicle was taken back to dealer, where a service advisor informed the contact that the mechanic had botched the recall repair and that the flange was not properly connected to the fuel tank. After the second repair, the contact stated that while his wife was driving the vehicle, the gas and check engine warning lights illuminated. The contact used a code reader to scan the vehicle and retrieved DTC: P0442-Small EVAP leak. The contact reached out to the dealer and was informed that he had to pay for a diagnostic test to determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 169,571
Unknown Or Other 76 Read
My car caught on fire while driving only 5 days, and 210 miles, after being purchased brand new. I first smelled melted plastic, few seconds after that saw smoke rising up under the driver seat and then felt the seat getting hot and saw flames shooting under my seat. All along there were no warning messages or light displayed on the car. The car burned completely and was deemed totaled by my insurance. Insurance investigation, along with Land Rover representatives and local law enforcement detectives that were assigned to the case, determined it to be a manufacturing issue
Car started smoking from under front hood while driving, while pulling to a stop, smoke started flooded cabin with my son and grandchildren in the car. They all got out safely but then the front engine and car exploded in flames
When our car got rear ended at 50 mph the PLASTIC rear bumper did nothing to help us as it shattered and became a projectile in a crash please tell land rover to replace it with a metal bumper
Structure 71 Read
I was driving on the highway at 65 miles per hour and all of a sudden the rear roof spoiler flew off and hit the car behind me. After doing some research I found this problem to be common. I was surprised to see that there was no recal for it as it is a very serious hazard to all drivers near when it happens. If the weather was bad it could have caused a deadly accident
The contact was a body shop owner and was doing front end repairs on a 2013 land rover range rover. The contact stated that the vehicle was traveling 5 mph in a driveway at the time of the incident. The contact stated that the vehicle had severe damage for a very minor accident. The contact stated that the manufacturer did not have the part for the contact to order. The minor incident caused the front end driver side shock tower to break away from the vehicle. The contact stated that the way the front end was made, the damage should have been a minimum of $2,500 instead of $50,000. The manufacturer stated that they did not have a repair for most of the damage the vehicle suffered from the incident. The failure mileage was unknown
When traveling at approximately 5 mph I hit a stationary car and sustained approximately $1,000 of damage. It is my understanding that the front end assembly should sustain no damage, certainly not $1,000, when traveling at this speed
Unverified owner reports filed with NHTSA. Percentages are shares of all 2,045 Land Rover complaints.
Land Rover against the rest
| Measure | Where Land Rover sits | Out of |
|---|---|---|
| By complaint volume | #0 | 29 brands with 3,000+ complaints |
| By age at failure (later is better) | #0 | 29 brands |
| Complaints ending in a crash | 4.8% | across all 2,045 reports |
Ranking by volume says more about how many cars a brand sells than about how they hold up. Age at failure is the fairer of the two.
Land Rover problems by model
11 Land Rover models have owner complaints on file. Pick one for its worst years, failing systems and what owners actually wrote. Another 5 Land Rover models have no complaints on record at all.
| Model | Owner complaints | Years | Most reported system |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land Rover Range Rover | 2003–2026 | Power train | |
| Land Rover Freelander | 2002–2005 | Engine and engine cooling | |
| Land Rover Range Rover Sport | 2006–2026 | Electrical system | |
| Land Rover Discovery | 1994–2026 | Electrical system | |
| Land Rover LR2 | 2008–2015 | Power train | |
| Land Rover LR3 | 2005–2009 | Suspension | |
| Land Rover Range Rover Velar | 2018–2026 | Engine | |
| Land Rover Defender | 1993–2026 | Exterior lighting | |
| Land Rover Discovery Sport | 2015–2026 | Engine | |
| Land Rover LR4 | 2010–2016 | Fuel/propulsion system | |
| Land Rover Range Rover Evoque | 2012–2026 | Electrical system |
Owners reported these. Find out if yours is one of them.
- Complaints matched to the exact production run, not just the model
- What the car is worth given what tends to fail on it
- The original window sticker and factory options
- Full research report as a PDF for the pre-purchase inspection
- No ads, on every page
- No ads, no tracking — and much more
How we count
Every figure here comes from complaints owners filed with NHTSA — 1,109,349 of them, covering 2,013 models built between 1981 and 2026.
A complaint is an unverified report: someone wrote down what happened to their car. It is not a confirmed defect and not a recall. What makes the volume useful is the pattern — when thousands of owners of the same build describe the same failure, that is a signal no marketing brochure will give you.
Two things we do that the source does not. First, we compute the age of the car at the moment of failure from the incident date and the model year. Second, we group complaints by the first 11 characters of the VIN — the production series — so a bad plant run does not disappear into a model-wide average.
Frequently asked questions
How reliable is Land Rover?
Owners have filed 2,045 complaints across 16 Land Rover models. On its own that number reflects how many Land Rover cars are on the road — compare the average age at failure (5.42 years) instead.
What breaks most often on a Land Rover?
The most reported system is Power Train with 298 complaints.
Do Land Rover problems show up under warranty?
34.4% of Land Rover complaints describe something that happened in the first three years, while the factory warranty was likely still running.
Which Land Rover model has the most complaints?
See the model list above — each card shows its complaint count, and the model page breaks it down by year and by system.
Mark ForCar as a preferred source and our data shows up first in your Google results. One click, no account.