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Land Rover Discovery Sport VIN Number Check

A free NHTSA vPIC decode tells you which Land Rover Discovery Sport you are looking at. Then check its model year against 15 NHTSA recall campaigns and what owners have reported.

VIN prefixSAL

Free decode plus the NHTSA recalls for its model year. 17 characters, no I, O or Q.

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Land Rover Discovery Sport

About the Land Rover Discovery Sport

Land Rover has sold the Discovery Sport in the US since the 2015 model year. Across those years NHTSA lists 15 vehicle recall campaigns and 178 owner complaints. The 2016 has the most complaints of any model year (52). EPA rates it at 20–22 mpg combined. A free VIN decode gives you NHTSA vPIC’s record for the car (model year, engine, plant) and the NHTSA recalls for its model year. It won’t show theft, flood or lemon-law history.

US model years2015–2026
EPA classSmall Sport Utility Vehicle
NHTSA recall campaigns15
Owner complaints178 at NHTSA
Land Rover Discovery Sport photographed at a US vehicle auction
Auction lot photo, for illustration
Generations

Land Rover Discovery Sport at a glance

One generation in the data, 2015–2026: 15 NHTSA recall campaigns and 178 owner complaints.

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Discovery Sport
2015–2026Small Sport Utility Vehicle
Land Rover Discovery Sport (2015–2026)

Photo: Vauxford, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

201520202025
2015–2026

Land Rover Discovery Sport

EPA classSmall Sport Utility Vehicle
EPA combined mpg20–22
NHTSA recalls15

Engines (EPA)

  • 2.0 L 4-cyl (turbo) · 2015–2026
  • 2.0 L 4-cyl (turbo, mild hybrid) · 2020

Drive & transmission (EPA)

  • AWD/4WD
  • automatic (2015–2026)

Known issues to check

Engine and cooling (62)Powertrain (transmission, driveline) (43)Electrical system (29)2 high-risk recall campaigns

Mentions in 178 NHTSA complaints.

Sample VIN pattern · Discovery SportSALCR2BG?GH······NHTSA vPIC decodes it as a 2016 Land Rover Discovery Sport HSE, built in Halewood, England
Check a Discovery Sport VIN

Sources: EPA · NHTSA · vPIC

NHTSA campaign data

Which Discovery Sport model years each recall covers

NHTSA data

NHTSA has 15 campaigns on file for Discovery Sport model years 2015–2026, and the 2020 shows up in more of them than any other year (5), ahead of the 2023 (3). Move the line to your model year to see which apply.

2020
Air bag inflator, fire risk or do-not-drive/park-outside advisorySafety recallCanada only
Pick a row
What to ask

Source: NHTSA recall database, vehicle campaigns only; row text is NHTSA’s summary. A listed year does not mean every car is covered, so check the VIN.

Canada rows: Transport Canada recalls database. Transport Canada recalls that match an NHTSA campaign are folded into that row by VinNumber.net; rows with the Canadian flag have no NHTSA match. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada · Transport Canada.

Owner reports · NHTSA complaints

What Land Rover Discovery Sport owners report

NHTSA data

Between them, the 2016 and 2017 hold 91 of the 178 complaints, or 51%. Tap any bar or generation.

178NHTSA complaints, 2015–2026
7mention a crash
1mention a fire
2injuries reported
Owner complaints by model yearDiscovery Sport: 178 complaints · most for the 2016 (52)

Top complaint areas · Discovery Sport

Mentions in 178 complaints, 2015–2026.

Engine and cooling62
Powertrain (transmission, driveline)43
Electrical system29
Brakes23
Fuel system22
Steering14
Crashes 7Fires 1Injuries 2

2015–2026

NHTSA data summary

The 2016 is the outlier. On its own it has 52 of the ’s 178 complaints (29%), more than any other Discovery Sport model year, and owners across the generation name engine and cooling most often (62 mentions), then powertrain (43).

Counts: NHTSA complaints file, records to October 1, 2026, one count per complaint; areas are NHTSA component groups.

Owner complaints · by model year

Discovery Sport complaint breakdown by model year

NHTSA data

Hybrid Discovery Sport versions count alongside gas ones. Tap a year to see its top systems.

178complaints, 2015–2026
7mention a crash
1mention a fire
2injuries reported
Most complaints: 2016 (52), 2017 (39), 2018 (22)
’1552’1639’1722’18’20’25

2016 · 52 complaints

Crashes 4 · fires 0 · injuries 0

Engine14
Power train13
Service brakes7
Steering6
Structure6

Systems as NHTSA names them; a complaint can list several. Source: NHTSA complaints data, records to October 1, 2026.

EPA fuel economy & emissions

Discovery Sport CO₂, smog rating and yearly fuel cost

EPA data

EPA lists 15 Discovery Sport versions for model years 2015–2026 (gas and hybrid). The lowest tailpipe CO₂ is 395 g/mi (2019). Pick a model year and powertrain to see each version.

Discovery Sport2015–2026

20–22 mpg · CO₂ 395–437 g/mi

2025
20combined MPG
437CO₂ grams per mile (tailpipe)
$4,100EPA yearly fuel cost
6/10Smog rating
1 = worst · 10 = cleanest
4/10Greenhouse gas rating
California LEV-III SULEV30 · Federal Tier 3 Bin 30Emission standard
Cleanest gas version of 2025: Sport · Auto (S9), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo — 20 MPG · 437 g/mi
Best (lowest) CO₂ by model year
3504004505005502015202020252015 · Gas: 4012016 · Gas: 4012017 · Gas: 4062018 · Gas: 3952019 · Gas: 3952020 · Gas: 4272021 · Gas: 4372022 · Gas: 4372023 · Gas: 4372024 · Gas: 4372025 · Gas: 4372026 · Gas: 4372020 · Hybrid: 422
GasHybrid

Annual fuel cost is EPA’s estimate at its current fuel-price assumptions (15,000 miles a year, 55% city driving), so older years are priced at today’s fuel prices. Smog rating and emission standard can differ by sales area (federal vs. California); both are shown. Source: fueleconomy.gov.

Compare rivals

Discovery Sport vs BMW X3 vs Audi Q5

NHTSA + EPA data

Take 2015–2026. NHTSA lists 15 recall campaigns for the Discovery Sport, against 48 for the BMW X3 and 28 for the Audi Q5. Pick a range to compare.

Land Rover Discovery Sport

Model years 2015–2026

NHTSA recall campaigns
15
NHTSA owner complaints
178
EPA combined mpg
20–22
Engines (EPA)
4-cyl 2.0 L
Also listed
turbo, mild hybrid
Drive (EPA)
AWD/4WD

Most-reported complaint areas (NHTSA)

  1. Engine and cooling 62
  2. Powertrain (transmission, driveline) 43
  3. Electrical system 29

BMW X3

Model years 2015–2026

NHTSA recall campaigns
48
NHTSA owner complaints
932
EPA combined mpg
16–30
Engines (EPA)
4-cyl 2.0, 3.0 L · 6-cyl 3.0 L
Also listed
turbo, diesel, plug-in hybrid, mild hybrid
Drive (EPA)
AWD/4WD, RWD

Most-reported complaint areas (NHTSA)

  1. Electrical system 259
  2. Engine and cooling 244
  3. Structure and body 90

Audi Q5

Model years 2015–2026

NHTSA recall campaigns
28
NHTSA owner complaints
799
EPA combined mpg
21–27
Engines (EPA)
4-cyl 2.0 L · 6-cyl 3.0 L
Also listed
turbo, supercharged, diesel, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, mild hybrid
Drive (EPA)
AWD/4WD

Most-reported complaint areas (NHTSA)

  1. Electrical system 213
  2. Engine and cooling 200
  3. Forward collision avoidance 136

NHTSA recalls (vehicle campaigns for all powertrain versions; equipment and tire campaigns left out), complaints (not sales-adjusted) and 5-Star overall ratings for the latest year rated for all three; EPA mpg, engines and drive. Rivals: same EPA class, picked by VinNumber.net.

Land Rover Discovery Sport VIN number location

Where to find the VIN on a Discovery Sport

Tap a spot. Every location should show the same 17 characters.

Black Land Rover Discovery Sport (first generation) SUV, front three-quarter view, with the VIN locations marked

Photo: Hans Haase, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped

Illustration: VinNumber.net

Photo: HJUdall, CC0; edited and VIN pins added by VinNumber.net

Locate the Discovery Sport's VIN at the base of the driver's side windshield. Door jamb sticker and a B-pillar label are the secondary locations. Discovery Sport uses unibody construction, so no frame rail stamp is present.

  1. Windshield plateRead it through the glass at the base of the driver's side windshield.
    Source: 49 CFR 565.13(f) (NHTSA): VIN inside the passenger compartment, readable through the glazing next to the left windshield pillar
  2. Door jamb labelOpen the driver's door: the certification label on the B-pillar lists the VIN.
    Source: 49 CFR 567.4 (NHTSA): certification label with VIN at the driver door hinge pillar, latch post or door edge
The title, registration and insurance card show the VIN as well. All locations should match.
FAQ

Common Land Rover Discovery Sport VIN questions

Which Land Rover Discovery Sport model years have the most owner complaints?

The 2016 leads with 52, ahead of the 2017 (39) and 2018 (22). Those first two alone make up 51% of the 178 Discovery Sport complaints filed with NHTSA, not adjusted for sales.

How many recalls has the Land Rover Discovery Sport had?

NHTSA’s recall records show 15 vehicle campaigns for model years 2015–2026, leaving out equipment and tire campaigns.

Which Land Rover Discovery Sport recalls are high risk?

NHTSA’s record names a fire risk in 18V-087 and 20V-683. Park-outside advisories came with 20V-683. Each should show as closed on a VIN check.

What fuel economy does the Land Rover Discovery Sport get?

It varies. EPA rates the 2015–2026 Discovery Sport at 20–22 mpg combined, depending on engine and drive (fueleconomy.gov).

How does the Land Rover Discovery Sport compare with the BMW X3 and Audi Q5 on recalls?

For 2015–2026 models the Discovery Sport has 15 NHTSA recall campaigns. The BMW X3 has 48, the Audi Q5 28. Complaints run 178, 932 and 799 in that order, with no sales adjustment.

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