2016 Land Rover Discovery Sport problems & reliability
50 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2016 Land Rover Discovery Sport, alongside 2 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2016 Land Rover Discovery Sport vehicles were involved in 2 fatal crashes with 0 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine → | 13 | 26% |
| Power Train → | 13 | 26% |
| Service Brakes | 7 | 14% |
| Structure | 6 | 12% |
| Unknown OR Other | 6 | 12% |
| Electrical System | 5 | 10% |
| Steering | 5 | 10% |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 2 | 4% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 2 | 4% |
| Wheels | 2 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 16 reported components →Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“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.”
Power Train · filed Jul 7, 2026
“The braking system failed, specifically a brake line rupture/failure that resulted in a complete loss of braking function. The vehicle is currently located at AAA or IAA facility, because it was totaled after an accident. The loss of braking function created an immediate and severe safety hazard. My wife was unable to…”
Service Brakes · filed May 26, 2026
“My vehicle just turned 10 years old. It has a little more than 66,000 miles on it and very well maintained. It was operating fine with no issues up until the day I went to get into it last Friday. I started it up without issue, put it into drive and found that could not steer it. I actually had to have it put on a car…”
Steering · filed Mar 18, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
Engineering Analysis EA21002 · opened Sep 17, 2021 · open
Technical service bulletins
281 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2016 Land Rover Discovery Sport. The 10 most recent:
Smart Key Deactivated message on instrument cluster and unable to start their vehicle
SSM76411 - 10MAR26 · Other · issued Mar 10, 2026
Gtdi brazed turbocharger crack extended warranty
TUCC_FEB2026_22 · Other · issued Feb 13, 2026
GTDI Brazed Turbocharger Crack Extended Warranty
D085 - 02FEB26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 2, 2026
Body and Comfort (HMI) CAN related functions such as window switches or air conditioning may reset or become inoperable every 8-10 minutes while driving.
SSM76386 - 29AUG25 · Other · issued Aug 29, 2025
There is a knocking type noise from the front of the vehicle while driving on rough roads.
TUCC_JUN2025_57 · Other · issued Jun 14, 2025
MIL on Instrument cluster.
TUCC_JUN2025_46 · Other · issued Jun 13, 2025
Front Stabilizer Bar Link - Noisy
SSM76301 - 11JUN25 · Other · issued Jun 12, 2025
Turbocharger Class Action Preliminary Settlement
NAS25.05.005 - 19MAY25 · Other · issued May 19, 2025
Telematic tcu2 modules no longer available
TUCC_MAY2025_28 · Other · issued May 9, 2025
Telematic TCU2 Module 2015-2017MY No Longer Available
SSM76313 - 25APR25 · Other · issued Apr 25, 2025
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2016 Land Rover Discovery Sport has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2016 Land Rover Discovery Sport?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.