Problems · NHTSA complaints

2012 Land Rover Range Rover Sport problems

Owners filed 52 complaints about the 2012 Land Rover Range Rover Sport with NHTSA between Mar 2013 and Aug 2026. The most-cited component is engine (17).

Complaints
52
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
2
Reported by owners
Fires
3
Reported by owners
Injuries
1
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Engine17
  2. Fuel/propulsion system13
  3. Power train9
  4. Fuel system, gasoline8
  5. Electrical system5
  6. Suspension3
  7. Vehicle speed control3
  8. Service brakes3
  9. Steering2
  10. Engine and engine cooling2
  11. Air bags2
  12. Exterior lighting2
  13. Visibility/wiper2
  14. Latches/locks/linkages1

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 5, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
20134
20141
20150
20164
20172
20184
20196
20201
20213
20228
20231
20245
20255
20268

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Engine

17 reports1 fire
“Vehicle experienced a complete electrical failure while driving. The vehicle is a 2012 Range Rover Sport. At approximately 25 mph, the engine shut off, all exterior and interior lights went out, and the steering wheel locked in the straight‑ahead position. I temporarily lost control of the vehicle and was only able to stop safely because I was traveling at low speed. This incident created an immediate crash risk. An independent mechanic inspected the vehicle but could not identify the cause, noting vehicle in Fail Safe - scan showed multiple lost communication codes. See the full report attached for more details. This appears to be a serious safety defect consistent with known electrical shutdown and steering lock issues reported in similar Land Rover models. I am filing this report to document the safety hazard and request investigation.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 8, 2026Steering, Electrical system, EngineODI 11755587

Fuel/propulsion system

13 reports1 fire
“My 2012 Range Rover HSE Sport, after repeated calls and asking to speak to the appropriate parties about my car, finally got a call and said that the the safety recall was completed to [XXX] and I could pick up my car. He/She said that I would need an engine and I just needed to come in a pick up the keys and car.car was driveable. After the members refused for 30 days not to repair the safety recall, and upon my insistence, "they" said it was complete. The defect was with the manufacturer call to fix my car. The dealership members were very rude and noncompliant. I asked that they would reach out to the manufacturer and my request to the manufacturer was that honor and fix the engine at in good faith and their expense to the dealership.their expense. I have reached out to the manufacturer aa well Jaguar Land Rover North America LLC who has a foreign business in [XXX] and [XXX] and not being transparent with contacts and demands. I have rented a car for almost 3 months and certainly since the Dealership refused for 30 days not to repair my car because of the safety, I feel that those days of extended car rental and the fact the dealership refuse to fix my car,…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 1, 2026Engine, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11741337

Power train

9 reports1 crash
“Had a recall. I wasn't available on the date or a week or so after the appointment date. An ex of mine that had no authority to take my Range Rover into the dealership for the recall to get fixed, used my driver's license to get a rental Land Rover to use while my Range Rover was supposedly being fixed for the leaking fuel tank recall. So, Land Rover didn't care that it wasn't me getting to drive a $70,000 Land Rover while mine was getting fixed for recall. I figure out what happened & where my vehicle was & got the rental back to me in order to go get my vehicle back. I got to take it home,2 days later transmission messed up wouldn't shift out of park,started over heating,& I had to pull it with a rope from the store back home to park it. When I looked under the vehicle cause I was trying to figure out why it was majorly overheating, I then realized the gas was just pouring out near the transmission pan, which is where the fuel line runs from the top of the gas tank. My recall was for the fuel tank leaking originally. Now, Land Rover refuses to fix this major safety hazard/defect, stating that the gas pouring out doesn't stem from the recall. Which is complete…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 14, 2025Power train, Engine, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11680703

Fuel system, gasoline

8 reports1 related recall
“The contact owns a 2012 Land Rover Range Rover Sport. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V635000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). After the recall repair, the vehicle unexpectedly ran out of fuel even though the instrument panel indicated approximately 90 miles to empty. The contact added fuel and resumed driving; however, the vehicle ran out of fuel while the display showed approximately 50 miles to empty. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer again. Upon inspection, the local dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the engine needed to be replaced due to a coolant line leak. The mechanic reported that there were no diagnostic trouble codes retrieved, and that the vehicle failed to remain running. The manufacturer was contacted, and informed that a specialist would inspect the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 143,764.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 19, 2026Engine and engine cooling, Fuel system, gasoline, EngineODI 11719050

Electrical system

5 reports
“In January 2025 I noticed light ticking/knocking at startup, idle, and while driving. On January 23, 2025 I searched online for how to check the oil level and for an L322 dipstick location (there is none). Only after finding a YouTube video with an undocumented override (double-pressing the “Cancel” button) was I able to see the oil level on January 31, 2025, and it showed zero. I added oil immediately, but the knocking gradually worsened over the following months until very loud clattering began on July 4, 2025. The electronic oil level monitoring and warning system failed. When I followed the owner’s manual procedure to check the oil, the display repeatedly showed “Oil Level Not Available” and never gave any low-oil or no-oil warning, even when the actual oil level was zero. Because this system is the only way to check oil level on this vehicle (there is no dipstick), it prevented me from knowing the engine had no oil. The engine then suffered progressive internal bearing/rod damage and now makes extremely loud clattering. The vehicle and components are still in my possession and are available for inspection upon request. The system’s failure meant I…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 24, 2025Electrical system, Unknown or other, EngineODI 11701275

Suspension

3 reports
“When curving left, driving 50mph, the slightest bump, such as a lane marker makes the front passenger wheel bounce independently from the other three tires and makes the steering wheel shake. It's possible to lose control. The problem has been identified as a control arm. I have had this problem repaired 3 times. Why does this keep happening, specifically to that side? Repairs took place in 2016, 2018, 2024”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 15, 2024SuspensionODI 11577576
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 5, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.