2021 Land Rover Discovery: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
11 NHTSA owner complaints · 5 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Owner complaints: 11 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 2.2
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
The contact owns a 2021 Land Rover Discovery. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, several unknown warning lights were illuminated, and the vehicle stalled in the middle of the roadway. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V248000 (Electrical System). The vehicle was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. The dealer retrieved several fault codes associated with the…
I own a 2021 Land Rover Discovery with VIN [XXX] , and I am experiencing issues that align with the national recall for the MHEV battery. My vehicle’s start-stop functionality fails intermittently, and the system is in an “offline state,” disrupting communication and critical functions. Additionally, due to these MHEV battery errors, my vehicle cannot receive over-the-air updates provided by Land Rover, further impa…
This is an update to Complaint Number 11436854, submitted on 10/14/2021, 5:53:21 PM Additional service has been performed on the vehicle to identify and correct random electrical faults interrupting the safe operations of this vehicle. Service record generated by Land Rover Boise, ID (RO Number 520844) is attached as an uploaded file. This RO indicates the third repair by Land Rover dealers that have serviced this v…
Recalls: 5 campaigns (4 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 26V389000 | Air Bags:Frontal | Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2020-2026 Land Rover Defender, 2021-2026 Discovery, and 2022-2026 Range Rover vehicles. The driver’s air bag clockspring connector may corrode, which can cause the air bag not to deploy as intended. |
| 26V458000 | Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera | Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2021-2025 Land Rover Discovery vehicles. Water may not be able to drain away from the rearview camera due to insufficient drain holes, which may result in damage to the rearview camera. |
| 26V248000 | Electrical System:Propulsion System:Dc/Dc Converter | Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Land Rover Range Rover Velar and Land Rover Discovery, 2020-2023 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque, 2019-2024 Land Rover Range Rover Sport, 2020-2024 Land Rover Range Rover, 2020 Land Rover Discovery Sport, 2020-2024 Land Rover Defender, 2021-2024 Jaguar F-Pace, and 2021-2022… |
| 21V457000 | Electrical System:12V/24V/48V Battery | Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Land Rover Discovery vehicles. A loose contact between the battery ground stud and the chassis may result in various electrical faults, possibly causing a loss of electrical power or the vehicle to shut down while driving. |
| 21V668000 | Seat Belts:Front:Retractor | Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2021 Range Rover, 2022 Range Rover Sport, 2020-2021 Range Rover Velar, Discovery Sport, 2020-2022 Discovery, and Defender vehicles. The seat belt automatic locking retractors may deactivate early, which can prevent the child restraint system from securing properly. |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a mid-size premium car of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 21 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $3,600
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Electrical System9 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Power Train4 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Unknown Or Other4 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Fuel/Propulsion System1 complaints · typical job: Fuel pump or injector replacement (3.5 h labour + parts)$680–$1,620
- Engine1 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Steering1 complaints · typical job: Electric power-steering rack or column motor replacement (5.0 h labour + parts)$1,020–$2,500
Other Land Rover Discovery years
Land Rover Discovery years to avoid, and the best years to buy →
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2021 Land Rover Discovery?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Electrical System (9 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2021 Land Rover Discovery a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 78/100, computed from 11 NHTSA complaints and 5 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2021 Land Rover Discovery's most common problem?
9 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2021 Land Rover Discovery sit in the Electrical System group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement: about 3.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $540–$1,310 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2021 Land Rover Discovery cost to run per year?
About $5,011 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $25,058 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2021 Land Rover Discovery have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 5 recall campaign(s) for the 2021 Land Rover Discovery, 4 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 12/06/2026. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other luxury midsizes of about the same age.
What will a 2021 Land Rover Discovery really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Thin evidence — 11 complaints, 5 recalls on record
- 11 NHTSA complaints on record (2.2/yr of exposure) — better than a typical year of this model (3.0/yr)
- 5 recall campaigns, 4 touching safety-critical systems
- Thin complaint record — this score is held close to the model's own average rather than read as evidence of quality