2018 Land Rover Discovery Problems & Complaints

Use caution1.4× as many complaints as a typical year of the Discovery at the same age

Owners have filed 37 complaints about the 2018 Land Rover Discovery with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That is 1.4× as many as a typical Discovery model year at the same age — above average, so look closely at the problem areas below before you buy. The most reported problem area is the transmission & drivetrain (8 complaints, typically around 2,000 miles). 4 recalls cover this model year.

37complaints
4recalls
2crashes
0fires
0injuries
0deaths

Most common 2018 Land Rover Discovery problems

  • Transmission & drivetrain~2,000 miles
    822%
  • Electrical system~17,000 miles
    822%
  • Other / not specified~12,000 miles
    822%
  • Engine & cooling~1,000 miles
    719%
  • Body & structure~20,000 miles
    719%
  • Windows, wipers & sunroof~20,000 miles
    616%
  • Speed control & acceleration~1,000 miles
    38%
  • Fuel & propulsion system~81,000 miles
    38%
  • Steering~12,000 miles
    13%
  • Driver assistance~27,000 miles
    13%
  • Locks & latches~62,000 miles
    13%
  • Brakes
    13%
  • Suspension
    13%

Share of the 37 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.

Land Rover Discovery complaints by model year

’95’96’97’98’99’00’01’02’03’04’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’2549653533173013174829555373819111178
Owner complaints per model year, Land Rover Discovery. Colour = our verdict for that year (red: avoid, orange: caution, green: better than average, blue: too new).

Best Discovery years: 2016, 2025, 2022. Years to avoid: 2017, 2019, 2018, 1996. Compare all years →

2018 Land Rover Discovery recalls (4)

Electrical system › Instrument cluster/panel

NHTSA recall 23V-393 · Jun 1, 2023 · 29,861 vehicles

Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2017-2020 Land Rover Discovery vehicles. The UniLatch Keyless Vehicle (KV) entry function may fail to properly latch the rear passenger doors, which can result in the doors opening while driving.

Remedy: Dealers will disable the UniLatch Keyless Vehicle (KV) entry function, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 26, 2023. Owners may contact Land Rover customer service at 1-800-637-6837.

Exterior lighting › Lighting control module › Software

NHTSA recall 21V-117 · Feb 25, 2021 · 26,805 vehicles

Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC. (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2018-2020 Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, Discovery, and Range Rover Velar vehicles. The Auto High Beam (AHB) system does not indicate through the instrument cluster when the high beams are illuminated automatically.

Remedy: Land Rover will notify owners, and dealers will update the vehicle software, free of charge. The recall began April 7, 2021. Owners may contact Land Rover customer service at 1-800-637-6837.

Electrical system › Software

NHTSA recall 20V-143 · Mar 12, 2020 · 1,553 vehicles

Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Discovery vehicles equipped with low line headlight assemblies. When towing a trailer with the trailer lights connected to the trailer socket and the vehicle's Daytime Running Lights (DRL) are on, the trailer lights may not function.

Remedy: Land Rover will notify owners, and dealers will update the Body Control Module software, free of charge. The recall began April 13, 2020. Owners may contact Land Rover customer service at 1-800-637-6837.

Forward collision avoidance › Automatic emergency braking

NHTSA recall 18V-625 · Sep 13, 2018 · 86 vehicles

Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2018 Land Rover Range Rover, Land Rover Range Rover Sport and Land Rover Discovery vehicles. The Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) system may be disabled without warning the driver that the system is not functional.

Remedy: Land Rover will notify owners, and dealers will update the vehicle software, free of charge. The recall began October 17, 2018. Owners may contact Land Rover customer service at 1-800-637-6837, Option 9.

What 2018 Land Rover Discovery owners say

Transmission & drivetrain

Pulled out of car wash to drying area. Car was still in D, with foot on brake. After a few moments, auto start/stop triggered shutting the car off, but rotary gear selector retracted while still in D. Would not allow restart as trans still in Drive and dash displayed Gearbox malfunction. After a 15 minute wait for system restart, tried to start to no avail. Had to get Discovery towed to dealer which informed that gear selector failed and needed replacement. Thank goodness I wasn't in a traffic situation. This problem has recalls on other models in same model year. Desire the Discovery (D5) to be included in recall. Car is at 82K miles.

Jan 2025

Vehicle rolled back when in the park position. Vehicle had no occupants. Vehicle parked on an incline. Roll back occurred several minutes after shifter was placed in the park position and minutes after I exited the vehicle. Extremely worrisome. 2018 Land Rover Discovery

27,000 miles · Feb 2021 · crash

Electrical system

The contact owns a 2018 Land Rover Discovery. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the battery warning illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled several seconds after the battery warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to coast into a parking lot and the vehicle was taken to a Parts Store where a new battery was purchased. The contact installed the battery however, the vehicle stalled again. The contact left the vehicle on the side of the road. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired by a dealer or independent mechanic. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 106,331.

106,000 miles · Jan 2025

Car went black (all systems shut off) and i started to roll in the CVS parking lot when i was trying to drive in and Park. The brakes and nothing was engaging. IT happened so fast I was able to stop the vehicle and I am not sure how but may have just turned the shifter from drive to park... I took the vehicle in for service (a number of issues) and i forgot to mention this, I was told the Ground Stud needed replacing and it turned out this was likely the cause (I believe he said it had come loose). I have a extended warranty that has comprehensive coverage with CNA and they denied this part. Also, Land Rover recalled this exact part on 2019 and 2020 vehicles, clearly my 2018 has the same issue. Makes me wonder how many other 2018 vehicles also have the issue?

Mar 2022

Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2018 Land Rover Discovery. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic and the engine sensor was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the to the local mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was later taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the timing chain was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 110,000.

110,000 miles · Jul 2023

The contact owns a 2018 Land Rover Discovery. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the battery warning illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled several seconds after the battery warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to coast into a parking lot and the vehicle was taken to a Parts Store where a new battery was purchased. The contact installed the battery however, the vehicle stalled again. The contact left the vehicle on the side of the road. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired by a dealer or independent mechanic. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 106,331.

106,000 miles · Jan 2025

2018 Land Rover Discovery engines & fuel economy

EngineTransmissionDriveMPG city / hwy / combined
3.0L 6-cyl turbo diesel8-speed automatic4WD21 / 26 / 23
2.0L 4-cyl turbo9-speed automaticAWD21 / 25 / 22
3.0L 6-cyl supercharged8-speed automatic4WD16 / 21 / 18

EPA ratings. Class: SUV.

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2018 Land Rover Discovery a good car?

Based on 37 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2018 Discovery rates use caution: 1.4× as many complaints as a typical year of the Discovery at the same age. It is one of the Discovery years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.

What is the most common problem with the 2018 Land Rover Discovery?

The transmission & drivetrain — 8 complaints, 22% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the electrical system (8) and engine & cooling (7).

How many recalls does the 2018 Land Rover Discovery have?

There are 4 recalls for the 2018 Land Rover Discovery, the most recent from June 1, 2023 (instrument cluster/panel). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.

What are the best and worst years of the Land Rover Discovery?

The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2016, 2025 and 2022. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2017, 2019, 2018 and 1996. See the full Land Rover Discovery years comparison.

At what mileage do 2018 Land Rover Discovery problems happen?

The median mileage reported in complaints is about 15,000 miles; 75% of problems with a recorded mileage started 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.