Land Rover

Discovery (L462)

2017-2025 · Midsize SUV · 1 engine
Best Engine ⚠️ Caution (2.8)
104 NHTSA Complaints
0 Recalls
1 Fire Reports
4 Crash Reports
View all 7 generations of the Land Rover Discovery → 📋 Inspection checklist

Engine Reliability Ratings

AJ126

3.0L 6-cyl / 340 hp
⚠️ Caution (2.8)
87 complaints 22.7 per year Gasoline
1 fire report
View details

Complaint Breakdown

electrical
35
other
19
body
15
engine
15
transmission
14

Known Issues

Electrical System Issues (35 complaints)
Body/Trim Issues (15 complaints)
Engine Issues (15 complaints)
Show 4 additional engine variants with limited data
These engines appear in fewer than 10 owner complaints and aren't included in the main ratings above. Low counts can mean a genuinely clean record, but they can also reflect VIN-decode anomalies in NHTSA data. Treat as informational, not as a confident rating.

AJ120P4

2.0L 4-cyl / 296 hp
Recommended (4.6)
6 complaints 2.0 per year Gasoline
View details

Complaint Breakdown

electrical
3
transmission
2
safety systems
1
body
1
wheels tires
1

Known Issues

Electrical System Issues (3 complaints)
Transmission Issues (2 complaints)
Safety Systems Issues (1 complaints)

Land Rover Discovery Unidentified Engine

Recommended (4.6)
2 complaints 2.0 per year
View details

Complaint Breakdown

other
1
engine
1
fuel system
1

Known Issues

Engine Issues (1 complaints)
Fuel System Issues (1 complaints)

AJ20

2.0L Turbo / 247 hp
Recommended (5.0)
1 complaint 1.0 per year Gasoline
View details

Complaint Breakdown

engine
1

Known Issues

Engine Issues (1 complaints)

Battery & Propulsion Reliability

Mild Hybrid

Battery & propulsion complaint analysis for the 2017-2025 Land Rover Discovery

Insufficient Data
8 battery-related complaints 1.5 per year 0 battery-related recalls

Too few field reports to rate this generation against peers yet. Most recently launched models accumulate complaints over the first 2-3 years.

1 fire report

What kind of battery complaint?

Among the 8 battery-related complaints, here's the type mix. These percentages describe what the complaints are about — not how reliable the vehicle is overall.

Electric Propulsion 4 (50%)

Loss of power, drive unit, inverter, traction motor, DC-DC converter.

High-Voltage Battery 1 (13%)

Propulsion battery defects, capacity loss, BMS faults, replacement claims.

Hybrid Drivetrain 1 (13%)

Hybrid system warnings, eCVT, motor-generator, hybrid transaxle.

12V Auxiliary Battery 1 (13%)

Low-voltage battery deaths, common on EVs and hybrids that use a 12V for accessories.

Thermal Events 1 (13%)

Battery fires, smoke, thermal runaway. Includes any complaint with fire reported.

Sample complaint excerpts
Electric Propulsion
  • [2021] While driving my 2021 Land Rover Discovery (MHEV) in active traffic, the vehicle suddenly displayed an “Electrical system fault – Stop safely” warning. Immediately after the warning, the vehicle lost power and shut down, leaving me stalled in traffic with no ability to safely move the vehicle out of the roadway. There was no prior warning, no gradual degradation, and no driver-caused condition. T
  • [2021] MHEV vehicle is offline; car completely shut down, resulting in loss of power on the road.
  • [2023] DC DC converter failed while driving. Car shut down and rolled to a stop. Could jump start the car but would only work for 10 seconds or so to move it out of traffic. 1-2 month part delay.
High-Voltage Battery
  • [2021] While driving my 2021 Land Rover Discovery (MHEV) in active traffic, the vehicle suddenly displayed an “Electrical system fault – Stop safely” warning. Immediately after the warning, the vehicle lost power and shut down, leaving me stalled in traffic with no ability to safely move the vehicle out of the roadway. There was no prior warning, no gradual degradation, and no driver-caused condition. T
Hybrid Drivetrain
  • [2022] Car displayed a warning noting of an “an electrical fault” but was still running fine otherwise. Drove straight to service center roughly 5 miles away. About a half a mile away from service center the car experienced a cascading number faults in quick succession. First it was safety systems, then air suspension, followed by transmission and finally steering, which point the car was able to roll an
12V Auxiliary Battery
  • [2022] Car displayed a warning noting of an “an electrical fault” but was still running fine otherwise. Drove straight to service center roughly 5 miles away. About a half a mile away from service center the car experienced a cascading number faults in quick succession. First it was safety systems, then air suspension, followed by transmission and finally steering, which point the car was able to roll an
Thermal Events
  • [2024] 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 insur

Source: classified from NHTSA complaint and recall data. "Battery-related" includes high-voltage propulsion battery, charging system, hybrid drivetrain, electric propulsion, regenerative braking, 12V auxiliary battery, and thermal-event complaints. Other complaints (suspension, steering, brakes, infotainment) appear in the engine and vehicle-level sections. Rates are absolute counts, not normalized per-VIN — high-volume models naturally produce more raw complaints than low-volume ones. Self-reported death and injury counts are capped per complaint to limit form abuse.

Vehicle-Level Issues

These issues affect the Land Rover Discovery regardless of engine variant.

Electrical System Issues (39 complaints)
electrical critical
Body/Trim Issues (18 complaints)
body critical
Engine Issues (17 complaints)
engine critical
Transmission Issues (17 complaints)
transmission critical

Alternatives in Midsize SUV

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the most common 2017-2025 Land Rover Discovery problems?

The 2017-2025 Land Rover Discovery has accumulated 104 NHTSA complaints. The most frequently reported problem areas are Electrical System, Body/Trim, Engine. As with any used vehicle, an inspection before buying and a vehicle history report are recommended.

Which Land Rover Discovery engine is most reliable?

The 2017-2025 Land Rover Discovery was offered with 5 engine options. Based on NHTSA complaint data, the 3.0L 6-cyl has the lowest complaint density and is considered the most reliable choice for buyers.

Is the 2017-2025 Land Rover Discovery a good used car?

The 2017-2025 Land Rover Discovery can be a sound used car depending on trim, mileage, and maintenance history. With 104 total NHTSA complaints on record, prospective buyers should review the known problem areas and check for open recalls before buying.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2017-2025 Land Rover Discovery have?

The 2017-2025 Land Rover Discovery has 104 complaints filed with NHTSA as of our latest data pull. Complaint counts reflect owner-reported issues and do not necessarily indicate defects or safety risks on their own.

What recalls affect the 2017-2025 Land Rover Discovery?

There are 0 NHTSA recalls affecting some 2017-2025 Land Rover Discovery vehicles. Recall status varies by VIN — check the NHTSA recall database at recalls.nhtsa.dot.gov with your specific VIN to confirm which campaigns apply.

What should I check before buying a used Land Rover Discovery?

Before buying a used Land Rover Discovery, verify all open recalls are completed via the NHTSA VIN lookup tool. Pay particular attention to Electrical System, Body/Trim, Engine, which are the most commonly reported problem areas. Request maintenance records, have an independent mechanic inspect the vehicle, and run a vehicle history report to check for prior accidents or title issues.

Does the Discovery have NHTSA crash test ratings?

NHTSA has not published crash test ratings for the 2017-2025 Land Rover Discovery. Not all vehicles are tested each year. For the latest NHTSA safety information, visit nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Data from NHTSA federal complaints database. 104 complaints analyzed. Data confidence: high. Last updated: 2026-05-23.

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