Used Land Rover Discovery Sport 2014-present reliability review
The Land Rover Discovery Sport offers go-anywhere ability and decent practicality in upmarket surroundings. Its reliability record is very poor, though.
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What's the used Land Rover Discovery Sport like?
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Reliability
Mark Pearson
Updated: 30 April 2026
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What should I look for in a used Land Rover Discovery Sport?
Interior quality
There has been a higher-than-normal incidence of complaints about squeaks, rattles and other interior quality issues with the Discovery Sport, and while these might seem inconsequential, they’re sometimes difficult to solve, so if the car you’re testing is rattly and it annoys you, don’t assume it’ll be an easy fix.
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Electrics
Discovery Sport owners have also reported quite a few electrical foibles, so make sure you check all the electrics work and take note of any warning lights on the dashboard or odd behaviour from the infotainment system.
Bodywork
Discovery Sports are more likely than other SUVs to have been used for light-to-medium off-road work. That being the case, it’s worth checking around the lower bodywork for scuffs, cracks and other signs of damage incurred while off road.
What are the most common problems with a used Land Rover Discovery Sport?
High CO2 levels
Examples built from 9 March 2015 to 5 July 2018 could produce more CO2 than they should, but if your car is affected, it will only need a software update that can be installed alongside routine servicing.
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Insecure locking ring for the fuel pump
A few examples built between 2-7 March 2017 could have a loose locking ring (which secures the fuel pump in the fuel tank), and this could lead to fuel vapour escaping into the interior or fuel to leak out onto the ground. Speak to a Land Rover dealer for further information because a technician will need to check that the ring is tightened correctly to prevent future issues.
Seatbelt pretensioner
The seatbelt pretensioner, which is part of the vehicle's safety restraint system, might not operate correctly on vehicles made between 12 July and 26 October 2016. Find out if your car is affected by this because new pretensioners will need to be fitted if it is.
Electrical short circuit
An issue with chafing of the electrical wiring harness of Discovery Sport models manufactured between 9 July and 16 October 2015 that can lead to a short circuit. Check with a dealer if you think your car is affected by this because it'll need to be inspected by a technician to have the necessary repair work carried out.
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Fuel leaks
There have been a couple of recalls regarding fuel leaks. The first could occur from the fuel rail in the engine bay of some examples made from 5 May 2016 to 31 January 2018, while the second is for chafed fuel lines on vehicles built between 5 March 2015 and 22 April 2016. Find out from a Land Rover dealer if yours is affected because it'll need to be inspected by a technician at a dealer.
Listed below are some of the more recent recalls from 2020-onwards.
Reason for recall
The rubberised fuel return hose assembly may have been incorrectly manufactured.
Reason for recall
An electrical overload event in the 48Volt (V) electrical system may cause a failure of the Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor.
Reason for recall
Affected vehicles have a Turbocharger oil feed pipe that may over time loosen and lead to an oil leak
Reason for recall
For affected vehicles the manufacturer has developed a software enhancement to further increase vehicle security.
Reason for recall
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Damaged front seat belt pretensioner tube may have been installed on the seat belt retractor.
Reason for recall
Affected vehicles may have a right-hand side lower A Pillar bolt that may not have been tightened to the correct torque. In the event of a crash the body structure may be impaired increasing the risk of injury to the occupants of the vehicle.
The Land Rover Discovery Sport has been the subject of several recalls over the years, so please check with your local Land Rover dealer that all remedial work has been carried out.
You can check for recalls here.
Is a used Land Rover Discovery Sport reliable?
Historically, the Land Rover Discovery Sport isn't a reliable car. And that is borne out by our latest What Car? Reliability Survey. It placed 10th out of 12 cars in the 7-seater class in our most recent survey with an overall score of just 84.1%. The only cars to finish below it were the Audi Q7 and the Seat Tarraco.
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Reliability rating 84.1%
The proportion of Land Rover Discovery Sport cars that went wrong wasn’t excessively high (22%), but 25% of the faulty ones were undriveable and half were out of action for more than a week. Still, 92% of repairs were done for free. The air-con, electrics and infotainment gave the most grief.
Owners reported faults with 36% of Discovery Sports, with air-con and engine electrics issues the most common, followed by engine and bodywork. Three-quarters of cars were fixed for free, but 5% cost £1000 or more. Most cars remained driveable, but 20% took more than a week to repair.
Land Rover as a brand didn't fare any better, coming 27th out of 30 manufacturers with an overall score of 87.1%. Only Alfa Romeo, MG, Nissan and Vauxhall finished below it.
Reliability rating 87.1%
It comes as little surprise that Land Rover fared so similarly to sister brand Jaguar in this year’s reliability survey, given how long the two have shared a parent company. None of the Land Rover models featured in our survey excelled in terms of reliability, although the Range Rover Evoque does stand out as the most problematic car in the range.
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Many owners of both the current car and the 2011-2019 Range Rover Evoque had faults to report, around half of which took more than a week to put right. Fortunately, Land Rover paid to fix things in most cases.
If you'd like to see the full reliability list, head to the What Car? Reliability Survey pages for more information.
Used Land Rover Discovery Sport reliability: the owners' view
As part of our annual survey, readers said the Discovery Sport has mixed reliability and dealer service experiences.
Owners reported frequent issues, particularly with warning lights and electrical faults. Several readers highlighted problems with the infotainment system, which led to costly and repeated repairs.
Many found the dealership experience frustrating, with complaints about long wait times for repairs and parts availability. A few noted that while the initial service was satisfactory, follow-up visits for unresolved issues were often necessary, adding to the inconvenience.
However, some owners did report positive experiences, praising dealerships for their courteous service and the comprehensive coverage provided by the extended warranties.
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Despite these positives, the overall sentiment points to an inconsistency in both reliability and dealer service, suggesting room for improvement in addressing and managing customer concerns effectively.
Tips & Advice
Don’t miss a recall
If your car is to be recalled, you should arrange the work to be carried out quickly. Sign up to our recall alerts to ensure you’ll not miss a thing
Check for outstanding recalls
Many cars are recalled so that faults can be put right. Recall work shouldn’t cost you a penny, and they’ll make your car safer or more mechanically robust. Checking if your car has been recalled is easy
Choose the right breakdown cover
You may already have a breakdown policy through your home insurance or new-car warranty so check to avoid paying twice
Ensure you have breakdown cover
Thousands of What Car? readers deliver their verdict on the best breakdown companies helping you to choose the best cover
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About the writer
Name: Mark Pearson
Title: Used cars editor
Follow Mark Pearson on
Mark Pearson has been a motoring journalist for more than 15 years and is currently the used cars editor for What Car?.
Mark spent his formative years at the BBC, where, at various times, he scheduled, broadcast and archived television and radio programmes and researched, wrote and produced promotional material.
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