Engine complaints by model year
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
I drive a 2020 Land Rover Discovery Sport, which was serviced over three months. The certified dealership replaced the head gasket, fuel injectors, cylinder heads, and starter engines. The car was less than three years old and had never had any issues before service. The car had a sweet burning odor and very rough gear shifts post-service. Two days before the fire, the check engine light came on within the car. The dealership repeatedly assured me that the vehicle was safe to drive and the symptoms I experienced were normal. As soon as I pulled into my house from the doctor (less than an hour after I called the dealership to speak about the check engine light), I noticed a thin white smoke coming from my engine. I popped the hood, contacted the dealership, and they told me to watch it to see if it stopped smoking. I thought it was overheating. …
The contact owns a 2020 Land Rover Discovery Sport. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The vehicle independently decelerated and lost motive power. In addition, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 81,000.
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. …
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 [redacted] 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. …
About a year and a half ago the vehicles warning lights started show thing like check engine, coolant low, battery low, engine overheating and the fan would start running very loudly and thw start stop feature stoped workong even though it indicated it was working. I took it to the dealership and they said they had fix whatever was wrong. A few months later it started up again but this time while going up a busy hill the vehicle started making a loud whining sound, was loosing power and eventually died completely. No lights no starter no nothing. Very dangerous for me and other drivers because it was a sudden stop.I had it towed to my home and the next day to the dealership. After a few days they called me and told me that the vehicle had experienced a "mechanical failure" and that Land Rover decided to ship a new engine to be installed. …
1) Acceleration lags 1-2 seconds when you step on the gas pedal - have been almost hit many times when taking off at a stop light or changing lanes - very dangerous on streets, but also on the freeway. 2) Issue with electrical since the day I purchased it brand new in 2018 - auto stop-start only worked one time - dealer checked the vehicle out, declared the feature requires a fully charged battery to work but did not investigate why the battery is not fully charging; over the past 2 years I noticed the radio often continues to play even when I push the off button, headlights have burnt out 3 times, radio changed from Satellite to AM automatically last week, and it sometimes smells like burned wires. The car was recently at the dealer for service and their inspection found no issues. …
I purchased a used 2017 Disco sport last July in great condition. After one year of driving it, and reaching a total of 70k miles, the camshaft intake actuator broke off, separating from the car. Clearly highlighting a textbook NHTSA "critical safety defect". I only noticed the issue due to the check engine light and an engine fluttering noise. My local LR technician openly confirmed with me that this routinely happens with the 2015-2017 discovery sport and other Evoque models, as reported in LR's technical bulletin (LTB00916NAS5 - Intake Camshaft Variable Cam Timing Actuator - Component Failure). In order to to fix this part I was been quoted $2362.00, and was told the part is essentially the same and could likely break again, putting myself and passengers at serious risk. …
2017 Land Rover Discovery Sport, HSE - 81,000 miles - broken timing chain, engine damage. The vehicle was stopped at a light when it completely shut down, would not restart, would not advance, and would not go into neutral to be pushed off to the side of the road. This occurred on my way to work during the morning rush hour. For my own safety, I had to leave the vehicle in the middle of the street and walk to a safe place to wait for assistance. The vehicle remained in the middle of a bi-directional, 2-lane intersection for 3 hours waiting for a tow truck. The vehicle has ~ 81,000 miles. Had an oil change and diagnostic one month prior to the failure. The diagnostic was done because the engine light came on, but then went back off. The diagnostic test reported no issues found with the vehicle. Just one month later, the engine failed. …
Frequently asked questions
Which Land Rover Discovery Sport years have engine problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2016 (15), 2017 (15), 2015 (8), 2018 (8) and 2019 (8) model years. Engine complaints make up 29% of all complaints for the 2016.
Is there a recall for Land Rover Discovery Sport engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for any Land Rover Discovery Sport model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Land Rover Discovery Sport engine problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 41,000 miles; 71% happened before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.