43 of the
276 complaints filed about the Land Rover Discovery Sport
are about the transmission —
16% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2016.
43
Complaints
16%
Share of all complaints
2
Crashes
1
Fires
Transmission & Drivetrain complaints by model year
I continue to have an intermittent issue with my car throwing itself into park. It happened once in 2024, 2025 but now three times in the last two weeks. This is becoming incredibly unsafe as while driving the car puts itself into park while in motion. The insurance company will not repair due to it being intermittent. I do not know what to do but I need this documented for safety reasons
NHTSA complaint #11755346 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I am reporting what I believe is a safety‑related defect involving the automatic transmission in my 2022 Land Rover Discovery Sport, VIN [XXX]. Approximately five months after the factory warranty expired, at around 44,000 miles, the transmission began slipping unexpectedly, and the vehicle would not accelerate above roughly 25–35 mph. This occurred while driving, creating an unsafe condition. I needed to make a left turn across traffic, but because the vehicle would not accelerate properly and could not safely match the speed of other vehicles, I judged it too dangerous to change lanes and complete the left turn. Instead, I had to make a right turn, pull into a driveway, turn around, and continue straight to avoid an unsafe lane change. A vehicle that cannot respond normally to throttle input presents a risk when merging, changing lanes, or crossing intersections. The symptoms are transmission slipping under acceleration, limited maximum speed, and abnormal drivability. To my knowledge, this is not due to driver error or poor maintenance. The problem has been reproduced and observed by an authorized Land Rover dealer (Land Rover of Alexandria, Alexandria, VA), which provided an estimated repair cost of about $7,000, indicating a major transmission or control‑system fault. The vehicle and transmission are available for inspection upon request. I understand there have been prior recalls and technical bulletins involving Land Rover transmission control issues (including a recall where certain Discovery Sport and Range Rover Evoque vehicles could unexpectedly shift into neutral due to sensor and software calibration problems). My vehicle’s behavior—loss of proper drive, slipping, and limited speed—raises similar safety concerns even if the failure mode is not identical. I am concerned that there may be ongoing transmission control or calibration issues that could affect safety. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11754980 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While driving approximately 30 mph in June 2024, my 2018 Land Rover Discovery Sport unexpectedly displayed Gearbox Fault and Brake Fault warnings and shifted itself into Park while the vehicle was moving. The vehicle became immobilized in the roadway and could not be shifted out of Park for an extended period. The identical failure occurred again in July 2025 and July 2026. During the 2025 and 2026 events, the vehicle again became locked in Park and left me stranded. During the 2026 incident, the failure occurred twice within approximately fifteen minutes, and each event required approximately thirty minutes of repeatedly applying the brake pedal and cycling the electronic parking brake before the transmission would release. Land Rover dealerships have recovered transmission diagnostic trouble codes, including P099B-14 (Shift Solenoid G Control Circuit Low), and have repeatedly diagnosed the likely cause as an internal transmission valve body and/or internal transmission wiring harness failure. The Warranty Company - Fidelity Warranty Services (Carmax) has consistently refused to cover the repair of this vehicle stating that it must be replicated in front of the warranty technician. This is an intermittent issue which means it can not be replicated on demand. Instead of working with me, they continue to have me drive a vehicle which can put me and others at risk This failure has now occurred over three consecutive years and creates a significant safety concern because the vehicle can unexpectedly become immobilized and lose propulsion. I am submitting this complaint because I believe this may represent a recurring safety defect.
NHTSA complaint #11754166 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The engine timing chain, timing chain tensioner, and chain guides failed/stretched prematurely at 54,715 miles. The parts are currently installed in the vehicle / available for inspection upon request. Premature failure or slipping of the timing chain tensioner can cause the engine to misfire, skip timing, or fail catastrophically without warning while driving. A sudden loss of engine power or sudden engine stall at highway speeds creates an immediate crash hazard and leaves the vehicle disabled in active traffic. Yes, the issue was diagnosed and confirmed by Land Rover Allentown (service visit on 07/17/2026 at 54,715 miles), which confirmed engine noise/timing chain wear requiring full assembly replacement. It was inspected and diagnosed by an authorized dealership service department (Land Rover Allentown). No police or insurance inspection was involved as there was no crash. Loud metallic rattling noises from the engine bay upon startup and acceleration, engine misfires, and rough idling. Symptoms began shortly before the July 2026 service visit at around 54,000 miles.
NHTSA complaint #11753480 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Vehicle engine shut down and completely lost power. Technician inspected and found intake camshaft actuator came loose from camshaft. On this vehicle it simply uses tension from the bolt torquing. There is no keyway to prevent this. Vehicle engine is destroyed. Very unsafe design.
NHTSA complaint #11748857 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2018 Land Rover Discovery Sport. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, and while the vehicle was idling, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle lost motive power and the transmission failed to shift properly. The contact conducted was able to retrieve DTC: P1315, P0304, P0316, P054A and P0014. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 72,000.
NHTSA complaint #11733602 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Started car, placed transmission in 'reverse' and backed up into a public thoroughfare zone thinking enough time was alloted to place vehicle in 'drive' and merge into traffic. Car would not go into 'drive' nor would it go back into 'reverse' let alone 'neutral. So after realizing the car was reporting a transmission fault and placing itself back into 'park' each time, due to a transmission sensor detection issue. I was stranded in traffic. After calling for towing service, we learned that only a few could drag the car up onto a transport bed using wheel skids, since all four tires were locked up. This model does not have a manual neutral override feature. Poor design, placing my wife, who is handicapped, into a perilous situation.
NHTSA complaint #11733493 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While stopped in traffic with the vehicle’s automatic engine start-stop feature engaged, the vehicle failed to respond when the accelerator was pressed. The engine had shut off normally due to the start-stop system, but when attempting to move again, the vehicle did not accelerate and appeared temporarily disabled. A “Gearbox fault detected” warning message was displayed. In other occurrences, a “Charging system fault detected” warning appeared immediately after restart. The vehicle required an ignition cycle (turning the vehicle off and back on) to regain normal operation. This condition has occurred on multiple occasions over the past year, including recently, and is intermittent and difficult to reproduce on demand. This condition creates a safety risk because the vehicle can become temporarily immobilized in active traffic, including at stoplights and intersections, leaving the driver unable to proceed as expected. The vehicle has been inspected multiple times by authorized Land Rover dealers for related electrical and charging system issues. Components such as the battery have previously been replaced, but the condition has continued to occur. At this time, the issue has not been consistently reproduced by the dealer. Warning messages associated with the incidents include “Gearbox fault detected” and “Charging system fault detected.” These warnings typically appear during or immediately after an automatic engine restart event. The vehicle remains available for inspection.
NHTSA complaint #11716334 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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 complaint #11709287 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
It was not prior dash lights or warnings. I was driving and out of nowhere a light I never saw before in the dash went off. It said “Gearbox Failed”. Then a minute later the car shutdown. Diagnostic: the transmission was dead. Thanks God I was near my home and I stopped in the driveway. I don’t know what could happen in the middle of the highway at high speed. They also found the heat seals covering the muffler and the turbo system. Broken and loose. Worst brand ever.
NHTSA complaint #11680556 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Transmission stop working suddenly, no lights ON, the car just stopped in the middle of the road. Turbo system cause sudden acceleration . Heat shields get rusty and break.
NHTSA complaint #11676596 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION:COLUMN SHIFT ASSEMBLY
The contact owns a 2018 Land Rover Discovery Sport. The contact stated that the gear shifter failed to shift into park(P). Several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the gear shifter assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 55,700.
NHTSA complaint #11674368 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On my Discovery Sport HSE 2019 the engine light came on first. I made sure the gas cap was tightly secured. After a couple of days, upon starting the car, there became a rough sounding startup. The car began to turn off when stopped at red lights. I turned ECO mode thinking that it was the problem. The car began to also slow up after a couple of days while driving to work... no matter how far I pressed the gas pedal - it would only go 10mph. The display went haywire with warnings so I pulled over to read the display. The display showed, Stability Control Not Available', 'Gearbox Faulty', 'Parking Beak Faulty', 'ATPC Not Available'. At his point I turned the car off and tried to start it up again. However, I could not turn the dial to place the gear in park, drive, reverse or neutral. I had to get my car towed. The gears were locked. This car is problematic and dangerous. I see most people in this forum have stated that their Discovery Sport just stopped while driving and almost caused what could have been some serious accidents.
NHTSA complaint #11673449 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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 [XXX] 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. When the vehicle halted, it prompted my HUD with a 'select gear to maneuver.' In which, the only way to resolve the issue was to turn manually swap gears back to drive, as the system malfunctioned. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11644940 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Manufacturer confirmed this VIN number should be included in prior recall compaings related to all electrical, a/c unit, and “infotainment in-control” software for vehicle.
NHTSA complaint #11641509 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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 complaint #11624376 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Timing chain broke while driving ~30 MPH on [XXX] [xxx]around 2:30pm pt. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11621958 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2017 Land Rover Discovery Sport. The contact stated that while the transmission was shifted to drive(D), the vehicle failed to respond immediately. Additionally, the vehicle lost motive power while driving. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The following messages were displayed: "Gear Box Fault", "Forward Collision Fault", "Hill Descent Fault", and several other unknown messages were displayed. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that the body harness needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 117,000.
NHTSA complaint #11610306 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
08/19/24 Monday Time: 3:05 pm Picking up daughter from school car completely stop while driving around traffic, started beeping, shift gear knob went down on its own and car stopped in front of school traffic almost causing an accident where I could have been hit. No warning symbol came on or anything. 08/15/24 Thursday Time: 5:45-5:50 Wife was on her way to work and was on the feeder about to be getting on the freeway and car did the same thing almost causing an accident with her over the same issue. This has happened a few time’s already and truly fear for my families life and mine as well.
NHTSA complaint #11609508 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
In early February, from a stop, I made right turn and the car just coasted and a "gear box fault" warning message appeared. I was fortunate enough that no one was behind me and I was able to coast into an empty parking lot right around the turn where I shut off the car. I started the car and it drove fine. I carefully drove it home. I saw other incidents of this "gear box fault" happening to other drivers by searching that on the internet, including someone driving on a major highway. I had the car towed to the dealer since I certainly believed this could easily have been an accident if there was someone behind me. The dealer indicated the car needed a new transmission. My car has under 56,000 miles and the warranty I had purchased ran out Oct. 2023. The company has declined to provide any assistance with the transmission cost due to vehicle age and warranty.
NHTSA complaint #11573954 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.