Used Land Rover Discovery Sport 2014-present reliability review

What should I look for in a used Land Rover Discovery Sport?

What are the most common problems with a used Land Rover Discovery Sport?

Interior quality

There has been a higher-than-normal incidence of complaints about squeaks, rattles and other interior quality issues with the Discovery Sport, and while these might seem inconsequential, they’re sometimes difficult to solve, so if the car you’re testing is rattly and it annoys you, don’t assume it’ll be an easy fix.

Electrics

Discovery Sport owners have also reported quite a few electrical foibles, so make sure you check all the electrics work and take note of any warning lights on the dashboard or odd behaviour from the infotainment system.

Bodywork

Discovery Sports are more likely than other SUVs to have been used for light-to-medium off-road work. That being the case, it’s worth checking around the lower bodywork for scuffs, cracks and other signs of damage incurred while off road.

Is a used Land Rover Discovery Sport reliable?

Historically, the Land Rover Discovery Sport isn't a reliable car. And that is borne out by our latest What Car? Reliability Survey. It placed 10th out of 12 cars in the 7-seater class in our most recent survey with an overall score of just 84.1%. The only cars to finish below it were the Audi Q7 and the Seat Tarraco.

Reliability rating 84.1%

The proportion of Land Rover Discovery Sport cars that went wrong wasn’t excessively high (22%), but 25% of the faulty ones were undriveable and half were out of action for more than a week. Still, 92% of repairs were done for free. The air-con, electrics and infotainment gave the most grief.

Owners reported faults with 36% of Discovery Sports, with air-con and engine electrics issues the most common, followed by engine and bodywork. Three-quarters of cars were fixed for free, but 5% cost £1000 or more. Most cars remained driveable, but 20% took more than a week to repair.

Land Rover as a brand didn't fare any better, coming 27th out of 30 manufacturers with an overall score of 87.1%. Only Alfa Romeo, MG, Nissan and Vauxhall finished below it.

Reliability rating 87.1%

It comes as little surprise that Land Rover fared so similarly to sister brand Jaguar in this year’s reliability survey, given how long the two have shared a parent company. None of the Land Rover models featured in our survey excelled in terms of reliability, although the Range Rover Evoque does stand out as the most problematic car in the range.

Many owners of both the current car and the 2011-2019 Range Rover Evoque had faults to report, around half of which took more than a week to put right. Fortunately, Land Rover paid to fix things in most cases.

If you'd like to see the full reliability list, head to the What Car? Reliability Survey pages for more information.

Used Land Rover Discovery Sport reliability: the owners' view

As part of our annual survey, readers said the Discovery Sport has mixed reliability and dealer service experiences.

Owners reported frequent issues, particularly with warning lights and electrical faults. Several readers highlighted problems with the infotainment system, which led to costly and repeated repairs.

Many found the dealership experience frustrating, with complaints about long wait times for repairs and parts availability. A few noted that while the initial service was satisfactory, follow-up visits for unresolved issues were often necessary, adding to the inconvenience.

However, some owners did report positive experiences, praising dealerships for their courteous service and the comprehensive coverage provided by the extended warranties.

Despite these positives, the overall sentiment points to an inconsistency in both reliability and dealer service, suggesting room for improvement in addressing and managing customer concerns effectively.