Are Range Rovers reliable? Faults and costs by model

Some Range Rovers are reliable and some are not, and the gap between models is wider than the reputation suggests. In What Car?'s 2026 Reliability Survey, the Range Rover Sport scored 96.6% and topped its luxury car class, while the Evoque scored 76.4% and finished bottom of the small SUV class, with Land Rover as a brand last of 30 makers at 84.9%.

So the useful question is not whether Range Rovers are reliable, but which Range Rover, with which engine and what service history. This guide takes each model in turn: what owners report, the recalls, the faults that cost real money and the checks worth making before you buy.

Range Rover reliability at a glance

The table below uses What Car?'s model by model breakdown from its 2025 survey, the most recent detail published for every model, alongside the 2026 headline scores where What Car? has released them.

Two patterns stand out. Land Rover paid for most repairs on these younger cars, so owners rarely faced big bills, but many cars spent more than a week in the workshop. And the faults that matter most once a car is out of warranty are often not the ones that show up in a survey of cars up to five years old.

Range Rover: 2013 to 2022 and 2022 on

The fourth generation Range Rover, built from 2013 to 2022, scored 94.1% in What Car?'s 2025 survey. Owners reported a fault on 27% of cars, mostly bodywork glitches and electrical problems, and Land Rover paid for all of the repairs, though some cars took more than a week to put right.

The current Range Rover, on sale since 2022, had eight recalls listed by What Car? at the time of writing. They include an oil filter housing made from the wrong grade of plastic that could crack and leak oil onto hot engine parts, rear lamps on 2022 and 2023 cars that could fail, a badly machined cam carrier on some 2023 six cylinder petrol engines, and two security software updates in 2024 to reduce the risk of theft.

Every Range Rover in this period rides on air suspension, and that is where many older cars need money spent. A leaking air spring, a worn compressor, a sticking valve block or a failed height sensor will all bring up a suspension warning. Our guide to the Range Rover suspension fault message explains what each warning means and how far you can drive.

Range Rover Sport: 2013 to 2022 and 2022 on

The 2013 to 2022 Range Rover Sport is the best performer in the line up today. It topped What Car?'s luxury car class in the 2026 survey at 96.6%. In the 2025 detail, 28% of cars had a fault, brakes and bodywork were the main complaints, and every repair was free.

The survey covers cars up to five years old, and the full history of this generation is longer. Auto Express counted 22 recalls on this generation of Range Rover Sport, starting with chafing wiring within a month of launch and running to faulty seatbelt pretensioners in August 2022. In between came campaigns for loose wheel nuts, doors unlatching on the move, brake servo failure and a crankshaft pulley bolt that could fracture. Its buyer's guide also warns of poor panel alignment and water leaks from the tailgate and sunroof, which can upset the electrics.

The current Range Rover Sport, from 2022, scored 94.2% in 2025 with a low 16% fault rate. The problems reported were the plug in hybrid battery pack, the exhaust and the electrics. Land Rover covered every repair, but every car reported spent more than a week off the road.

Range Rover Velar: 2017 on

The Velar has improved. What Car? reported faults on 27% of cars in its 2025 survey, down from 46% the year before, for a score of 90.5%. Minor bodywork faults were the most common complaint, followed by engine and interior trim issues, and Land Rover paid for all of them.

What Car? listed 15 recalls for the Velar at the time of writing. They range from leaking fuel rail end caps in 2018 and a ventilation fault that could fog the windscreen, to a fractured crankshaft pulley bolt in 2019, a water pump drive belt that could fail and cut coolant flow in 2023, and an oil filter housing that could crack in 2024.

The engine to research carefully is the 2.0 litre Ingenium diesel. What Car? says early versions gained a reputation for timing chain wear, oil dilution and diesel particulate filter problems, especially on cars used mainly for short trips, because the filter cannot clean itself properly. It advises checking that servicing was done on time and that the engine starts cleanly from cold without rattling or smoke. Auto Express adds infotainment glitches and pop out door handles that can freeze shut in sub zero weather.

Range Rover Evoque: 2011 to 2019 and 2019 on

The current Evoque, from 2019, scored 90.5% in 2025 with 27% of cars reporting a fault, mostly air conditioning and electrical problems plus some hybrid battery issues. Most repairs were free, but 8% cost owners between £1,000 and £1,500, and 70% of affected cars spent more than a week in the workshop. In the 2026 survey its score fell to 76.4%, the lowest in the small SUV class.

The first generation Evoque, from 2011 to 2019, is now the one most buyers find at affordable prices, and Autocar's used buying guide, updated in March 2025, lists the faults to look for:

• Oil dilution on the 2.0 Ingenium diesel: a service warning plus a strong smell of fuel can mean diesel is reaching the sump during particulate filter regeneration, which thins the oil and can cause severe engine damage.

• Timing chain stretch: a stretched chain can upset the timing and damage the engine.

• Turbo failure: whining, whistling or lost power, at £1,500 to £2,000 to replace.

• High pressure fuel pump: hard starting or poor power, at £500 to £800.

• Four wheel drive pump: a "traction reduced" message can mean a blocked Haldex oil pump, at £800 to £1,000.

• Nine speed automatic: a thump when you select drive may need a software update, and some early boxes could drop into neutral.

• Panoramic roof: the glass can crack.

What the common faults cost to put right

Most survey cars were under warranty, so the costs owners face later come from published repair prices. These are third party figures, quoted before any work on a specific car:

Recall work costs nothing at a Land Rover retailer, whatever the age of the car. Check any registration with the free vehicle recall checker on GOV.UK before you buy or book a repair.

What regular servicing prevents

Servicing will not stop a faulty batch of parts from failing, but it does decide how well an engine copes with the known weak points. The three that matter most on Range Rovers are oil, short trips and the suspension.

• Oil on time, every time. Diesel dilution and timing chain wear both get worse on old or thinned oil. On a car used mainly for short journeys, follow the service message rather than waiting for the maximum interval.

• A proper run now and then. A diesel particulate filter needs a sustained drive to clean itself. If the car only does school runs, a longer run every couple of weeks helps the filter regenerate.

• Suspension checks at each service. A slow leak from an air spring makes the compressor work harder, so catching it early can save the compressor too.

Land Rover sets a schedule for each model and engine, and the later services add filters, fluids and spark plugs. Our guide to Land Rover and Range Rover service costs explains how the schedule works and what each stage includes.

Checks to make before you buy a used Range Rover

1. Service history: look for regular oil changes at or before the interval, with itemised invoices, especially on 2.0 diesels.

2. Recalls: run the registration through GOV.UK's recall checker and ask for proof that open recalls were done.

3. Air suspension: raise and lower the car through every height, check it sits level after standing, and listen for a compressor that runs for a long time.

4. Warning lights: every light should go out after start up. A diagnostic scan reads stored fault codes that a clear dashboard will not show.

5. Cold start: on diesels, listen for rattles and look for smoke when the engine starts from cold.

6. Electrics and water: test the infotainment, cameras and door handles, and check the boot floor and footwells for damp from tailgate or sunroof leaks.

Range Rover reliability questions

Which Range Rover is the most reliable?

On current survey data, the 2013 to 2022 Range Rover Sport. It topped What Car?'s luxury class in 2026 with 96.6%, and the full size Range Rover came third in the same class with 93.8%.

Which Range Rover is the least reliable?

The Evoque. It scored 76.4% in What Car?'s 2026 survey, the lowest in the small SUV class, and the first generation car has a list of known engine and gearbox faults to check before you buy.

Are Range Rovers expensive to fix?

They can be once the warranty ends. Air suspension parts run from about £155 for a height sensor to more than £1,000 for a compressor at UK specialists, and an Evoque turbo costs £1,500 to £2,000, according to published figures.

Are Range Rover recalls free?

Yes. Recall work is carried out free of charge at a Land Rover retailer, and you can check any car on the GOV.UK vehicle recall checker.

Can an independent garage service a Range Rover under warranty?

Yes. Under the UK Motor Vehicle Block Exemption Order, as the Competition and Markets Authority explains, an independent service does not in itself void the warranty, provided the work follows Land Rover's schedule and uses parts of matching quality.

Range Rover servicing and diagnostics near High Wycombe

Wheels VT is an independent Land Rover and Range Rover specialist at Southside Farm, Wooburn Green, High Wycombe, trading since 2001. We service Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, Velar and Evoque models to Land Rover's schedule with genuine parts, and diagnose warning lights and air suspension faults.

Servicing starts from £100 plus VAT and computer diagnostics from £78 plus VAT. See our Land Rover and Range Rover servicing page, call 01494 670922 or book online. If you are weighing up a different model, our guide to Land Rover Defender reliability covers the old and new Defender.