RoadVitals

2021 Land Rover Discovery Sport Problems

Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
4
Latest Jan 6, 2026
Components namedHow many of our component categories appear on at least one report for this model year. One report can name several.
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Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
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What this page shows

Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2021 Land Rover Discovery Sport, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Reports by component

Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category

  • Engine233.3%
  • Powertrain (other)233.3%
  • Electrical116.7%
  • Steering116.7%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Each component in detail

What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words

Engine

Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.

2
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

Major misfires in the engine cylinders at 56800 miles. I bought the car from Willis Auto in Des Moines Ia in October of 2021 Brand new. I am the one and only driver/owner of this vehicle. I came out of my home in Omaha Ne on or about [XXX], to which I attempted to drive my vehicle. The car engine began shaking and would not stay on. I then had the car towed in to Land Rover of Omaha which is the closest Land Rover dealership. I was initially told everything was fine except it needed to change the spark plugs. To which I agreed to have the repairs done. I was later notified that the car that I have is notorious for engine failure around 60k. I was told that the suggested repairs would be a new engine priced at 27k. I am under my LR warranty for length of ownership being under for years, however the mileage is over 6,800 miles. So I would not be covered under my power train warranty. This engine failure is definitely not just a one off situation. The dealership has said they don't understand why it is failed and have confirmed that it should not be failing this soon. I believe this is something that JAGUAR Land Rover is aware of any dispite that knowledge they are continuing to sell these cars and pass the costly repairs on to the unsuspecting consumer. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID 11624376 · filed Nov 9, 2024

The vehicle has a transmission problem. The vehicle will shut off at a stop and will come out of gear. I have been sitting at a traffic light and when the light turns green the car will not move (it goes back into neutral). When this happens I have to turn the engine off and restart the car before it will go into drive. When I back out of my driveway onto the main road and then place the vehicle in drive the vehicle will not go into gear leaving me and the car stranded in the road. This vehicle is going to get me injured or killed. Someone is going to hit me because I cannot move out of the way. I have almost been hit numerous times because I cannot get out of the way of oncoming traffic. The car has been back to the manufacturer 3 times now (this time they have had the car 22 days and it is still not repaired). No warning lights have come on before the incident, however the check engine light will appear after the car fails to go into gear.

NHTSA ID 11434223 · filed Sep 24, 2021

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Powertrain (other)

Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.

2
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

My Land Rover Discovery Sport has experienced six separate stalling / loss-of-propulsion events, all of which created dangerous highway situations. On multiple occasions, the vehicle either entered limp mode or stalled completely while traveling at approximately 65 mph, endangering all lanes of traffic and forcing unsafe maneuvers to reach the shoulder. These incidents occurred without warning at random times and completely disappearing after a restart. Two of these stalling events occurred after the vehicle was inspected and “diagnosed” by an authorized Land Rover dealer for 400$ and returned to me as having no issues. Both of those post-diagnosis failures required towing back to the dealer at my own cost. One of the six incidents required a 911 call due to the vehicle stalling in active freeway traffic and creating an immediate safety hazard. The issue is intermittent and often clears temporarily after the vehicle is shut off, making it difficult for dealers to reproduce. However, the defect consistently reappears shortly after driving. The vehicle has now been in the possession of an authorized Land Rover dealer for approximately 3.5 months, and no repair or root cause has been identified. The vehicle remains undrivable and unsafe to operate. I am concerned this represents a systemic defect, potentially software-related, that causes sudden loss of propulsion and stalling at highway speeds without warning.

NHTSA ID 11709287 · filed Jan 6, 2026

Major misfires in the engine cylinders at 56800 miles. I bought the car from Willis Auto in Des Moines Ia in October of 2021 Brand new. I am the one and only driver/owner of this vehicle. I came out of my home in Omaha Ne on or about [XXX], to which I attempted to drive my vehicle. The car engine began shaking and would not stay on. I then had the car towed in to Land Rover of Omaha which is the closest Land Rover dealership. I was initially told everything was fine except it needed to change the spark plugs. To which I agreed to have the repairs done. I was later notified that the car that I have is notorious for engine failure around 60k. I was told that the suggested repairs would be a new engine priced at 27k. I am under my LR warranty for length of ownership being under for years, however the mileage is over 6,800 miles. So I would not be covered under my power train warranty. This engine failure is definitely not just a one off situation. The dealership has said they don't understand why it is failed and have confirmed that it should not be failing this soon. I believe this is something that JAGUAR Land Rover is aware of any dispite that knowledge they are continuing to sell these cars and pass the costly repairs on to the unsuspecting consumer. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID 11624376 · filed Nov 9, 2024

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Electrical

Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

The ignition does not turn on or the car will not power on with the key. The car has been at the dealership for a month and they have been unable to repair what is clearly an electronic problem with the vehicle. The power button in the ignition does not power up and the vehicle does not start.

NHTSA ID 11486155 · filed Sep 24, 2022

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Steering

Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

The ignition does not turn on or the car will not power on with the key. The car has been at the dealership for a month and they have been unable to repair what is clearly an electronic problem with the vehicle. The power button in the ignition does not power up and the vehicle does not start.

NHTSA ID 11486155 · filed Sep 24, 2022

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .