Are Range Rovers still really unreliable?

Range Rover has had its share of problems in the past but is that terrible reputation for reliability still deserved? MotoMan attempts to answer that question by living with the updated for 2024 mild hybrid Range Rover Velar P400 SE. He takes the learning from the Range Rover Velar and compares it against real world data from @landrover and Range Rover owners. The answer may surprise you.


#LandRover #RangeRover #Velar #RangeRoverVelar


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[electrikoptik]

The fact of the matter is that Land Rover still score yearly low when it comes to reliability, build quality etc according to Consumer Reports and JD Power. Back in 2021 Land Rover’s CEO admitted they have a reliability/quality issue and he vowed to tackle this. That CEO stepped down last year 😂.

[aaaaachew]

I will never buy another Land Rover product. Had 2021 Evoque and 2023 Velar, both were disasters. They were under warranty but they spent more time at the dealership than in my driveway. What baffles me is they seem to be clueless as the fact that it’s hurting their reputation because both the reality and perception of unreliability Is now with them like a badge.

[ckm-mkc]

My Jaguar F-Pace - mechanically identical to the Velar - has destroyed two turbos in 67k miles.... Some things you can live with, like failing buttons, electronics, etc. But a catastrophic failure like a turbo is a big problem....

[cincyrovers]

I had an LR4 for ten years and it was mostly reliable until the 70k mile mark. Between then and when I sold it with 95k miles, I put in nearly ten grand into fixing it. I had a Discovery 5 for five years and that was dead reliable - not a single issue. I’ve had my 2021 Defender P300 for three years now and the only thing that broke was the computer for the fuel pump, and that broke at 1500 miles. I’m now at 32k and it’s been pretty much flawless. I have a lot of friends with these and if you take care of them, they usually will take care of you.

[joshuapinter]

Have had a Range Rover Sport Supercharged for 6 years now. Nothing catastrophic but lots of little things. Certainly reliable enough. As with any high-end vehicle, the repair/maintenance cost is 3 - 4 times a non-luxury vehicle.

Two main things that contribute to this bad rap of reliability:

1. It has a lot of leading edge tech for its day so lots more (especially electronics) to go wrong.

2. It has a lot of sensors for everything and so if something is even slightly wrong, it'll let you know, unlike many simpler cars that won't let you know and you're blissfully unaware.

I would always recommend owning a second car (ideally a simpler one) if you own a Range Rover, for when things inevitably go awry.

All that being said, I would never recommend them to anybody but I absolutely love mine and will continue to buy them and maintain them.

[notsodelusional]

To be fair, almost any vehicle with air ride suspensions are subject to expensive repairs.

[ronnymb]

After 100, 000 miles?! I was a service rep at a Rover dealer. We had a brand new Sport sitting on the new vehicle delivery pad with collapsed air suspension. Needless to say the guy did not want to sign the papers on it and wanted another one 😅

[johnciummo]

I have owned a Disc, LR3 and RR Sport. No major problems. Currently have a 2016 LR4 HSE SV6. 59k miles on it. Fantastic car. The key is to change the oil every 5, 000 miles and follow the maintenance schedule and your good.
The drive is just wonderful. The command seating is fantastic.

[TheZakk]

Here’s an owners perspective:

I have owned 4 over the last 15 years. The worst was my 2001 P38 with 4.6. That car was a pig and seriously unreliable, though it never left me stranded. The last three I owned were all 5.0 Supercharged and full size RR’s. I have put on average 80k miles on each… and I’ve never had any major failures. I always opt to extend my warranty just in case but nothing major has ever been an issue. The last model (2019 LWB) had a bad motor mount and control arm bushings at 50k miles. Would have been $4k repair but warranty covered it. Otherwise I’ve been very happy with each I owned and really enjoyed piloting them. I would get another but pricing is high so I will wait to find a nice CPO in a couple of years. In other news, my Taycan 4S has been extremely unreliable and spends way too much time at the dealer for service. Again, never had to have it towed… but way too many small annoying things. Luxury cars can be a bit finicky 😅

[AllIsWell_]

We took delivery of a 2023 Range Rover Sport brand new. Knock on wood - No issues to date. Quality is exceptional. Generally - same consensus with other members of the community. 2023 was the last model year with physical controls/knobs so we were stoked to get hold off one. I think the Ford ownership phase was devastating for JLR. The new MLA Flex platforms with the new generation of Range Rovers are ground up Tata investments and are faring better.

[Gandrewjm]

My dad and uncle have had various RR vehicles, over the past 20+ years, without any major issues. They rarely go off road and never miss a servicing date. Whereas a friend had serious engine problems with a RR he purchased back in 2012, although he admits to pushing it maybe too hard in the first 1k miles of ownership.

I really like the latest generation of the RRS but the 10 month waiting period (now up to 18 months I'm told) was a deal breaker for me. I'll hold on to my aging GLE for a while longer and see if RRS availability improves.

[ScottSonnier-sq]

My wife is on her 2nd Evoque. Current 2020 is the P300 top of the line and she loves it. Has 25K on it and never been in the shop. All city driving. Previous model was a 2017 and again had no issues. Guess we have been lucky!!

[JamaicanMeCrazy]

I like that you respond to many comments but you know they definitely are less vehicles still.... Planned obsolescence. I've always thought of range as a tragedy. Such beautiful cars that i wouldn't touch used

[johnbryson]

Had a new Discovery, top trim, 2021 I think. Waited six months for delivery. Lovely car. CEL came on at 250 miles. Walked in at 9 Mos. of use, all sorts of electrical problems. They took it back, canceled the lease. Never again. So sad, nicely designed product. Dealer support is terrible in my US locale.

[doggedlydetermined]

Had a Sport Supercharged that I recently sold with 80k miles. Zero issues.

[LXY-XYD]

As an owner of the new Defender, I had a warning for the air suspension locked once that I couldn't adjust the ride height. Once I restarted the car next morning, the problem was disappeared. Also occasionally the speakers become a bit muffled.

They tend to fix themselves with a restart 😂

[NileshR]

My family has had a 2008 LR3 HSE since we got it brand new & it's got a little over 125k miles on it at this point. That car has taken me through middle school, high school, & college. It's got the naturally aspirated 4.4L V8 which I think is from Ford so that might've helped its reliability engine-wise. It's had other electrical issues but it's been free of major problems

[tayne]

I’ll save you 16minutes, the answer is yes.

[carynmcentee]

I love these vehicles, I really do but they are a vehicle to lease and turn in at the end of your lease, not buy. I can't see reliability improving any time soon.

[tictocbang]

After 6 LRs and 3 Jaguars, my experience is the reliability varies. Every one had an issue with parts fitment, and all developed significant buzzes and rattles. Every one felt sloppier as the mileage rose. Washy suspension, etc. Our Discovery spent 8 of its first 12 months in the shop. It was a lemon, along with 4 other LRs in the dealership at the same time.