2018 Land Rover Discovery: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2018 Land Rover Discovery
On the 2018 Land Rover Discovery, the failure owners report most often is other powertrain problem, with 7 reports on file. Across every failure mode on this year, half the dated reports were filed before 12,500 miles. Overall it scores 78 out of 100, severe risk for a 2018.
Severe risk for a 2018 — 82nd riskiest of the 251 2018 vehicles we can rate. 53 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork.
What owners report breaking
Owners have reported 22 named failure modes on the 2018 Land Rover Discovery, and the three most-reported carry 32% of everything filed, which is an unusually even spread for one model year.
Other powertrain problem leads with 7 reports and about 0.9 per 1,000 vehicles.
Other engine problem follows with 5 reports, median 1,300 miles.
Other body or interior problem follows with 5 reports, median 60,000 miles.
By system, the reports fall mostly into body (14), transmission (8) and engine (7).
The mileage the reports cluster at
32 of the reports on the 2018 Land Rover Discovery came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 12,500 miles.
Cumulatively, 81% by 50,000 miles and 91% by 100,000 miles of the dated reports had been filed.
The busiest stretch is between 0 and 10,000 miles, which alone holds 44% of the dated reports.
81% of the dated reports were filed below 36,000 miles, which is early enough that a fair number of these cars were still under a factory warranty when the owner complained.
Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens
Showing the 12 most-reported failure modes of 22. The full list is in the table below.
How reports accumulate
Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. A curve that climbs early is a car with early problems, whatever its total.
- Line share of reports filed by that mileage
- Dashed the median reported mileage
What happens when these parts fail
Across the named modes, 3 mention a crash. Those are the words owners used in their own complaints, and NHTSA does not verify them, but they are the closest thing in this data to a measure of what a failure actually did.
The average severity weight across every report on this year is 3.81, where a stalled engine or a failed airbag weighs many times more than a rattling trim panel, and a figure this high means the reports are dominated by failures with safety consequences rather than annoyances. The weighting is set out in full on the methodology page.
What the top failures cost to put right, as editorial estimates for an independent US shop rather than figures from NHTSA: other powertrain problem at $400–$4,500, other engine problem at $300–$4,000, other body or interior problem at $200–$2,000 and liftgate, tailgate or trunk failure at $250–$1,500. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.
32% of the reports on this year sit in the engine, transmission, drivetrain or cooling systems — the four where a repair bill is usually four figures.
Every reported failure mode
| Failure mode | System | Reports | With reading | 25th | Median | 75th | Per 1,000 | Typical repair | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other powertrain problem | transmission | 7 | 7 | — | 2k | — | 0.9 | $400–$4,500 | High |
| Other engine problem | engine | 5 | 5 | — | 1k | — | 0.7 | $300–$4,000 | High |
| Other body or interior problem | body | 5 | 1 | — | 62k | — | 0.7 | $200–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Liftgate, tailgate or trunk failure | body | 4 | 2 | — | 20k | — | 0.5 | $250–$1,500 | Moderate |
| Other electrical problem | electrical | 4 | 2 | — | 54k | — | 0.5 | $250–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Other visibility problem | glass | 4 | 3 | — | 16k | — | 0.5 | $150–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Sunroof failure or glass breakage | body | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.4 | $700–$4,500 | High |
| Brake line, hose or caliper failure | brakes | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.3 | $250–$1,600 | Critical |
| Other speed control problem | adas | 2 | 2 | — | 500 | — | 0.3 | $250–$2,000 | Critical |
| Timing chain, belt or tensioner failure | engine | 1 | 1 | — | 110k | — | 0.1 | $1,200–$4,500 | Critical |
| No-start or intermittent start failure | engine | 1 | 1 | — | 17k | — | 0.1 | $200–$1,800 | Moderate |
| Water pump failure | cooling | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $500–$2,200 | High |
| Overheating | cooling | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $400–$3,500 | High |
| Shifter, linkage or stuck-in-park failure | transmission | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $250–$1,400 | High |
| Fuel leak or fuel odor | fuel | 1 | 1 | — | 81k | — | 0.1 | $300–$2,500 | Critical |
| Wiring harness or short circuit | electrical | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $400–$3,500 | High |
| Backup camera failure | infotainment | 1 | 1 | — | 200 | — | 0.1 | $250–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Rust or structural corrosion | body | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $500–$6,000 | High |
| Window regulator or power window failure | body | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $250–$900 | Moderate |
| Other fuel system problem | fuel | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | — | 0.1 | $300–$2,200 | High |
| Other steering problem | steering | 1 | 1 | — | 12k | — | 0.1 | $350–$2,400 | High |
| Other driver assistance problem | adas | 1 | 1 | — | 27k | — | 0.1 | $250–$1,800 | High |
| Unclassified problem | other | 4 | 3 | — | 12k | — | 0.5 | — | Moderate |
Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.
How often, against how many were built
Scaled by an estimate of how many of these cars exist, the 2018 Land Rover Discovery draws about 7.1 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 87th percentile of complaint rates among 2018 vehicles we can rate.
That denominator is the weakest number on the page and it is fair to say so plainly. Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound.
The working figure is 7,465 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2018 vehicles, which is what the risk score uses, is far more robust than the rate itself.
Recalls on the 2018 model year
NHTSA has issued 4 recall campaigns covering the 2018 Land Rover Discovery, affecting an estimated 10,502 vehicles. A recall is a different kind of evidence from a complaint: it is the regulator and the manufacturer agreeing that something has to be fixed, and the fix is free for as long as the car exists.
The campaigns cover latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch, exterior lighting:headlights, exterior lighting and forward collision avoidance: automatic emergency braking. Whether the work was actually done on the car in front of you is a question only the VIN can answer, and the manufacturer or NHTSA will answer it free.
One caution about reading these together: a recall usually raises the complaint count for the same part, because owners who read about it go and file. The mileages stay informative; the counts get noisy.
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
29,861 vehicles 2023-06-01- Defect
- Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2017-2020 Land Rover Discovery vehicles. The UniLatch Keyless Vehicle (KV) entry function may fail to properly latch the rear passenger doors, which can result in the doors opening while driving. In addition, the instrument cluster open-door warning light may fail to alert the driver of this condition.
- Consequence
- Rear passenger doors that open while driving can increase the risk of a crash. An instrument cluster warning light that fails to alert the driver about unsecured doors can increase the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will disable the UniLatch Keyless Vehicle (KV) entry function, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 26, 2023. Owners may contact Land Rover customer service at 1-800-637-6837. Land Rover's number for this recall is N798.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
26,805 vehicles 2021-02-25- Defect
- Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC. (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2018-2020 Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, Discovery, and Range Rover Velar vehicles. The Auto High Beam (AHB) system does not indicate through the instrument cluster when the high beams are illuminated automatically. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
- Consequence
- The driver may be unaware that the high beams are illuminated, reducing visibility for oncoming traffic, and increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Land Rover will notify owners, and dealers will update the vehicle software, free of charge. The recall began April 7, 2021. Owners may contact Land Rover customer service at 1-800-637-6837. Land Rover's number for this recall is N556.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
1,553 vehicles 2020-03-12- Defect
- Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Discovery vehicles equipped with low line headlight assemblies. When towing a trailer with the trailer lights connected to the trailer socket and the vehicle's Daytime Running Lights (DRL) are on, the trailer lights may not function.
- Consequence
- If the trailer lights are not working, following traffic won't be aware the vehicle is slowing down or stopping, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Land Rover will notify owners, and dealers will update the Body Control Module software, free of charge. The recall began April 13, 2020. Owners may contact Land Rover customer service at 1-800-637-6837. Land Rover's number for this recall is N428.
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
86 vehicles 2018-09-13- Defect
- Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2018 Land Rover Range Rover, Land Rover Range Rover Sport and Land Rover Discovery vehicles. The Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) system may be disabled without warning the driver that the system is not functional.
- Consequence
- If the AEB does not intervene when needed, without warning, there would be an increased risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Land Rover will notify owners, and dealers will update the vehicle software, free of charge. The recall began October 17, 2018. Owners may contact Land Rover customer service at 1-800-637-6837, Option 9. Land Rover's number for this recall is N227.
Recall work is free at a franchised dealer regardless of the car's age. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before assuming it was done.
How it ranks in the 2018 field
The score at the top of the page, placed among its peers. The zones are the same thresholds the scorer applies, read out of the scorer itself, so the picture and the band word cannot disagree.
Scores are ranked within the model year, never across years, because an older car has had longer to accumulate reports.
- Left fewer and less serious reports
- Right more, or worse
- Marker this vehicle
Better and worse years of the same car
Severe risk for a 2018 — 82nd riskiest of the 251 2018 vehicles we can rate. The comparison is always within the same model year, so an older car is never penalised for having had longer to break.
Across the 14 model years of this car that carry enough reports to score, 1999 comes out best at 57 and 2018 worst at 78, with 2018 itself at 78.
If the model year is negotiable, 1999, 2022, 2021, 1997, 2004, 1998, 2002, 1996, 2000, 2020, 2017 and 2003 score lower than 2018 by a margin worth acting on. Same body, same engines, different luck — usually a supplier change or a mid-cycle fix, which the complaint data can show but never explain.
Within the 2016–2022 generation specifically, 2022 is the strongest year at 57 and 2018 the weakest at 78.
Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.
Shorter is better. Years with too few reports to score are shown without a bar rather than as a zero, because no data is not good news.
Within the 2016-2022 generation, 2022 Land Rover Discovery scores best at 57 and 2018 Land Rover Discovery worst at 78.
Where these figures stop being useful
53 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork. Every count on this page is therefore a floor: it is the number of owners who went to the trouble of filing with a federal agency, which is a small and self-selected fraction of the owners who had the fault.
Of those 53 reports, 32 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 60% of the sample rather than all of it. Owners also round: readings pile up on multiples of ten thousand, which is why this site publishes "about 90,000 miles" and not "91,438".
The failure modes are assigned by software reading the owner's own words, which is accurate in bulk and wrong in individual cases. A mode with a handful of reports may contain a misfiled one.
And nothing here predicts what one car will do. These are other people's complaints, filed years apart, on cars maintained by strangers. Read the page as a map of where this model year has previously gone wrong, then have the specific car in front of you inspected.
Questions this page answers
What are the most common problems with the 2018 Land Rover Discovery?
The most-reported failures are other powertrain problem (7 reports, median 2,000 miles), other engine problem (5 reports, median 1,300 miles) and other body or interior problem (5 reports, median 60,000 miles). Counts come from owner complaints filed with NHTSA, which are voluntary, so they show what owners bothered to report rather than every fault that occurred.
Is the 2018 Land Rover Discovery reliable?
It scores 78 out of 100 on our risk index, which is severe — 82nd riskiest of the 251 2018 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 2018 vehicles, not a prediction about any individual car, and it is built from complaint rates, severity and how early failures appear.
Which year of the Land Rover Discovery is best?
Within the 2016–2022 generation, 2022 scores best at 57 out of 100 and 2018 worst at 78. Same body, same engines, different luck.
Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.
What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car
Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed