Land Rover Range Rover Sport Common Problems & Known Faults (UK)
If you are considering buying a used Land Rover Range Rover Sport, there are several major reliability issues worth knowing about first. Our garage database tracks 2 known faults for this model, 2 of them rated high severity. Every one below is a repair bill a seller has good reason not to mention.
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Generation 1 of 12 known faults · 21 owner reports · 4 good notes
Land Rover Range Rover Sport L405 / L494 (2013 to 2022) problems
Engine/EmissionsHigh severity📝 Editorial
3.0 SDV6 and 2.7 TDV6 crankshaft bearing spinning and crankshaft snapping, causing catastrophic engine failure
Rough guide
£8000-15000
Typical symptoms
loud knocking from bottom of engine
sudden engine seizure while driving
no prior warning lights before failure
Affected vehicles
Engines:
3.0 SDV6 / 2.7 TDV6
Typical mileage:
60000-100000 miles
3 more owner reports back this up
September 2021A 2014 Range Rover Sport 3.0 diesel engine seized at 63,000 miles, with the failure attributed to a snapped crankshaft.
February 2019A 2009 Range Rover Sport suffered crankshaft failure at 75,000 miles, requiring a complete new engine due to a hollow crankshaft design.
March 2018A 2010 Range Rover 3.0 TDV6 engine failed at 60,000 miles due to a collapsed main bearing, rendering the original engine unrepairable.
🔍 We have a specific pre-purchase check for this faultCheck an advert →
SecurityHigh severity📝 Editorial
Extreme vulnerability to keyless relay theft, causing massive insurance premiums or outright refusal to insure in the UK
Rough guide
£1000-2000
Typical symptoms
car stolen off driveway overnight without keys
insurance quotes exceeding £5000 per year
insurers refusing coverage entirely in London/cities
Affected vehicles
Engines:
All
Typical mileage:
0-100000 miles
🔍 We have a specific pre-purchase check for this faultCheck an advert →
What owners report on the L405 / L494
21 single reports, unconfirmed
One owner each, in their own words rewritten as a line, and not counted in our risk scoring. A fault joins the list above once a second report or an editorial source backs it.
Engine · October 2022A 2017 Range Rover Sport 3.0 diesel engine failed at 32,750 miles; Jaguar Land Rover covered 90 percent of the new engine cost.
Bodywork · May 2021The entire top rear spoiler, including the brake light strip, detached from a 2019 Range Rover Sport Autobiography on a windy day.
Suspension and steering · January 2020Rear wheel bearings on a 2015 Range Rover Sport began to show wear at 47,000 miles, requiring attention.
Engine · December 2019A low mileage Range Rover Sport V6 diesel experienced oil contamination just 3,700 miles after its last service.
Engine · November 2019A 2016 Range Rover Sport 3.0 V6 diesel displayed "restricted performance" and an engine warning light at 45,000 miles, after mainly short runs.
Engine · August 2019A 2015 Range Rover Sport, purchased from a Land Rover dealer with full service history, suffered an engine failure.
Gearbox and clutch · July 2019A leaking rear differential pinion seal was discovered on a 2015 Range Rover Sport, with an estimated repair cost of £1,100.
Interior · May 2019Driving a 2017 Range Rover Sport 5.0 SVR caused acute discomfort for the occupant.
Electrics · November 2018A 2006 Range Rover Sport experienced electrical problems that a small garage could not resolve, even after seven months of work.
Engine · November 2018A 2016 Range Rover Sport repeatedly cut out, spending 20 weeks in dealer service centres since the problem began under warranty.
Engine · June 2018Problems were reported with the oil monitoring system of a 2015 Range Rover Sport, causing concern for the owner.
Engine · December 2017The turbocharger on a 2014 Range Rover Sport failed after only 20,000 miles, requiring replacement.
Bodywork · November 2017A tailgate fault was reported on a 2015/64 Range Rover Sport, affecting its functionality.
Engine · May 2017A used 2016 Range Rover Sport caught fire in a supermarket car park while being parked, completely burning out the engine compartment.
Engine · March 2017A 25,000 mile Range Rover Sport 3.6 TDV8 had intermittent starting issues, possibly due to missing starter ring teeth, despite multiple starter motor replacements.
Suspension and steering · September 2016An orange air suspension light reappeared on a 2009 Range Rover Sport TDV8 after the compressor and front height sensors were replaced, suggesting an airbag leak.
Electrics · June 2016A 2015 Range Rover Sport suffered intensely frustrating ignition module software problems, leaving the vehicle stranded multiple times.
Electrics · October 2014A 2013 Range Rover Sport 3.0 diesel had intermittent charging problems, steering control failures, and instrument panel lights flaring.
Bodywork · July 2014The hatchback seal on a 2013 Range Rover Sport shrank, creating a gap of up to 10mm where it met the bumper cover.
Engine · November 2013Turbos on a four-year-old Range Rover Sport TDV8 with 68,000 miles self-destructed, possibly due to coked oil feed pipes.
Engine · December 2011A 2007 2.7 TDV6 engine with 60,000 miles was trashed when the oil pump casing sheared, causing the timing belt to detach.
What owners like about the L405 / L494
4 notes
January 2014The 2.7 TDV6 and 3.6 TDV8 engines in this model did not feature Diesel Particulate Filters until 2010.
This model offers an enjoyable driving experience, making it a pleasure to operate on various roads.
The vehicle demonstrates excellent steering and handling characteristics, especially when fitted with Pirelli Scorpion 19-inch STR tyres.
This model is exceptionally capable in off-road conditions, demonstrating significant prowess on challenging terrain.
Sellers rarely admit these faults outright
We track 5 specific phrases sellers use in adverts to soft-pedal these exact issues. Paste any Land Rover Range Rover Sport advert and we check it in seconds.
Interval is 7 years or 112,000 miles. Note there are two belts on this engine (front primary timing belt and rear fuel pump belt). Both must be replaced together. It is an interference engine, so failure is catastrophic.
Always confirm against the vehicle handbook. Intervals vary by engine, and several manufacturers revised theirs after failures in service.
Repair costs are typical UK ranges, not quotes. Actual cost depends on condition and garage.Data last verified: June 2026
Land Rover Range Rover Sport buying questions
Is a used Land Rover Range Rover Sport reliable?
The Land Rover Range Rover Sport has 2 known faults in our database, 2 of them rated high severity. The most serious are engine (3.0 SDV6 and 2.7 TDV6 crankshaft bearing spinning and crankshaft snapping) and electrics (extreme vulnerability to keyless relay theft). None of them makes the car a bad buy on its own; the risk is a seller who knows and says nothing.
Which Land Rover Range Rover Sport years should I avoid?
No Land Rover Range Rover Sport year is a write-off, but the L405 / L494 (2013 to 2022) carries the most serious faults: engine and electrics. Year matters less than whether the specific car has had the known fixes, so check the history for them.
What should I check when viewing a used Land Rover Range Rover Sport?
Ask the seller about the engine and electrics faults on this page and whether they have been fixed, with invoices. On the test drive watch for loud knocking from bottom of engine and car stolen off driveway overnight without keys. Read the MOT history for repeat advisories, then paste the advert into the free check, which reads it against its known faults before you travel. Check a Land Rover Range Rover Sport advert →
What is the real MPG of a Land Rover Range Rover Sport?
Owners report 27.2 mpg on average across the Land Rover Range Rover Sport engines with data, about 83% of the official combined figure. The gap between official and real-world economy varies a lot by engine, so the Real MPG page lists every engine and generation separately, from 523 owner submissions. Land Rover Range Rover Sport Real MPG by engine →
Where this Land Rover Range Rover Sport fault data comes from
If you used to check the Honest John “Good & Bad” section before the site closed in 2026, this page is where that information now lives. We rebuilt the Land Rover Range Rover Sport owner-report history from the archived Honest John dataset, added our own research, specialist and owner-club sources and DVSA recall data, and we keep it free. Each fault above is badged with its source. The same data feeds our free advert check, which reads a listing against every known fault for the exact engine and year.
Knowing what a Land Rover Range Rover Sport goes wrong with is half of it. The rest is reading the advert and checking the car's history before you hand any money over.