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The Land Rover brand is known for making high-end luxury SUVs that impress. The 2018 Land Rover Discovery is one model within the lineup that appears to have a lot to offer. This mid-size luxury SUV otherwise referred to as “Disco” by enthusiasts is supposed to “take you anywhere and everywhere in comfort and style.” Sadly, the vehicle rarely performs as intended and suffers from numerous troubles with the engine, powertrain and vehicle speed control.
Click on other model year to view more problems: 2021
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NHTSA Complaints for the 2018 Land Rover Discovery
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Power Train | |
| Engine | |
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Electrical System | |
| Fuel/propulsion System | |
| Vehicle Speed Control | |
| Visibility/wiper | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking | |
| Service Brakes | |
| Steering |
Engine
For the price paid on a 2018 Land Rover Discovery, it’s expected that the engine won’t just be powerful, but also competent. Yet, owners quickly discovered for themselves that it’s an overpriced motor that doesn’t function correctly.
One NHTSA complaint states, “There is a dangerous throttle lag when accelerating from a rolling stop. Many users have nearly had accidents like me. You press the throttle and it does nothing for like 2 seconds then suddenly engine picks up. It’s a gasoline V6 engine so it’s not turbo lag… and when you are actually stopped and accelerate it’s just fine. It’s just when slowly rolling it’s extremely dangerous.”
Aside from the lag, there are numerous other engine issues being discussed by the company. In fact, Land Rover has more than 40 manufacturer communications dedicated to the motor. Service Bulletin #SFCC_MAY19 explains how the engine fan might make excessive noise and continue to run after the car is off. Repair includes replacing a coolant pump on the SUV. The company might need to change the tagline to reflect the engine troubles. Maybe it should say, “take you anywhere, after a few seconds of waiting.”
Here are some actual complaints logged with the NHTSA about the 2018 Land Rover Discovery Engine Problems
LAGGY ACCELERATION AT “ROLLING STOP” SPEEDS OF 2-10 MPH. 2-4 SECOND DELAY MERGING INTO TRAFFIC OR TURNING INTO TRAFFIC. NO AMOUNT OF ACCELERATOR WILL ALLEVIATE THE LAG. SUPERCHARGED V6 GAS ENGINE.
ACCELERATOR HAS A SIGNIFICANT “LAG” WHEN GOING FROM A MOVING “STOP”. AS IF WHEN YOUR TURNING AND WANT TO ACCELERATE. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH LR AND THEY HAVE BEEN WORKING ON A SOFTWARE FIX FOR MONTHS. IT IS DANGEROUS!!
Powertrain
The powertrain consists of several components, including the transmission. On a luxury vehicle, such as the 2018 Land Rover Discovery, it’s perfectly natural to expect a smooth-shifting experience, but that’s not what drivers are encountering.
One look at the NHTSA website, reveals complaints such as this one. “When attempting to make evasive maneuvers during normal driving, there is a very significant delay after stepping on the accelerator. This is an intermittent problem and seems to happen when slowing down and then trying to accelerate. This has already almost resulted in 2 accidents. This has been reported to the dealer and I was advised there was nothing wrong. The service manager informed me in person there have been many complaints about this, but that the company has not been forthcoming with a remedy.”
We see the same thing when looking at the communications from Land Rover. Service Bulletin #SFCC_OCT19_21 does discuss a hesitation and speed fluctuation, but the issues are still under investigation without any resolution. In the meantime, customers are unable to respond to traffic the way they should. Probably the biggest “discovery” about this SUV is that it is truly a malfunctioning vehicle that isn’t worth the price paid.
Here are some actual complaints logged with the NHTSA about the 2018 Land Rover Discovery Transmission Problems
FROM A STANDSTILL, THE GAS PEDAL ACTUATION CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO LAUNCH INSTEAD OF SMOOTH ACCELERATION. FROM A ROLLING STOP, HITTING THE GAS PEDAL THERE IS A SEVERE LAG AS THE TRUCK SHIFTS TO THE NECESSARY GEAR AND MOVES AT THE EXPECTED RATE, AGAIN LURCHING THE OCCUPANTS
UPON ACCELERATION FROM A STOP OR LOW SPEED, THE VEHICLE NOTICEABLY LAGS CAUSING A SAFETY PROBLEM WHEN TURNING IN FRONT OF CROSSING TRAFFIC (LEFT HAND TURN) OR MERGING INTO TRAFFIC. THIS HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES AND I HAVE ATTEMPTED TO ADJUST MY DRIVING STYLE, BUT YESTERDAY WAS ALMOST HIT FROM BEHIND WHILE MERGING INTO TRAFFIC.
Vehicle Speed Control
With a luxury vehicle, one would assume that the vehicle would travel precisely at whatever speed the operator intends. Along with the hesitation issues, it’s clear that this Discovery model can’t seem to move at a steady speed.
Another NHTSA review says, “New vehicle, less than 600 miles, erratic gas pedal, start at stop sign, car lags/stalls. Been at dealership for 3 weeks, they tell me it is within Land Rover specs. Car severely hesitates when going from stop. Been almost hit broad side three times. This happens no matter if the ECO Stop/Start is active or not. Will not drive this vehicle, very dangerous. Not getting anywhere with dealer for help. Dealer says Land Rover is investigating. Also, back up camera non operative, third one installed, still not working and have to order from UK.”
Among these power issues, there is one more safety concern that should worry owners. NHTSA Campaign Number 18V625000 illustrates a recall on the 2018 Land Rover Discovery for a defective Forward Collision Avoidance system. It appears that the system can become disabled without telling the driver, leading to an increase in potential accidents. The last thing anyone needs while driving this Land Rover is an increased risk of crashing. With all the trouble getting it to run at a normal speed, it would be important to have functioning safety features, but Land Rover can’t seem to make that happen. Maybe, the significant discovery here is to avoid the Land Rover SUV at all costs.
Here are some actual complaints logged with the NHTSA about the 2018 Land Rover Discovery Forward Collision Avoidance Problems
WHEN VEHICLE IS UNDER 10 MILES AN HOUR OR BRIEFLY STOPPED AND PRESSURE IS REMOVED FROM ACCELERATOR, WHEN PRESSING ACCELERATOR TO MOVE AGAIN THERE IS A 1-2 SECOND DELAY IN RESPONSE. TRANSMISSION SEEMS TO BE IN WRONG GEAR THEN SHIFTS AFTER A DELAY RESULTING IN CAR NOT RESPONDING TO THROTTLE INPUT THEN JUMPING UNEXPECTEDLY. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE WHEN EXECUTING LEFT OR RIGHT TURNS INTO TRAFFIC SINCE CAR DOESN’T RESPOND AS EXPECTED AND NORMAL. VERY EASY TO REPRODUCE THIS ISSUE.
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About the Author:
Brian Jones spent more than 30 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.
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