EN ES

Land Rover Discovery VIN Number Check

Enter a Land Rover Discovery VIN for a free NHTSA vPIC decode: build details and the NHTSA recalls for its model year. Owner reports follow below.

VIN prefixSAL

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

Vinny, the VinNumber key mascot
Land Rover Discovery

About the Land Rover Discovery

Land Rover has sold the Discovery in the US since the 1994 model year. Across those years NHTSA lists 33 vehicle recall campaigns and 784 owner complaints. The 2003 has the most complaints of any model year (111). EPA rates it at 12–23 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 years1994–2026
EPA classStandard Sport Utility Vehicle
NHTSA recall campaigns33
Owner complaints784 at NHTSA
Land Rover Discovery photographed at a US vehicle auction
Auction lot photo, for illustration
Generations

Land Rover Discovery at a glance

One generation in the data, 1994–2026: 33 NHTSA recall campaigns and 784 owner complaints.

1 / 1
Discovery
1994–2026Standard Sport Utility Vehicle
Land Rover Discovery (1994–2026)

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

1994200020052010201520202025
1994–2026

Land Rover Discovery

EPA classStandard Sport Utility Vehicle
EPA combined mpg12–23
NHTSA recalls33

Engines (EPA)

  • 3.9 L 8-cyl · 1994–1995
  • 4.0 L 8-cyl · 1996–2002
  • 4.6 L 8-cyl · 2003–2004
  • 3.0 L 6-cyl (supercharged) · 2017–2020
  • 3.0 L 6-cyl (turbo, diesel) · 2017–2020
  • 2.0 L 4-cyl (turbo) · 2021–2026
  • 3.0 L 6-cyl (turbo, mild hybrid) · 2021
  • 3.0 L 6-cyl (mild hybrid) · 2022
  • 3.0 L 6-cyl (turbo, supercharged, mild hybrid) · 2023–2026

Drive & transmission (EPA)

  • AWD/4WD
  • manual (1994–1995, 1997–1998), automatic (1994–2004, 2017–2026)

Known issues to check

Engine and cooling (172)Brakes (142)Electrical system (122)7 high-risk recall campaigns

Mentions in 784 NHTSA complaints.

Sample VIN pattern · DiscoverySALTY124?YA······NHTSA vPIC decodes it as a 2000 Land Rover Discovery, built in Solihull, United Kingdom
Check a Discovery VIN

Sources: EPA · NHTSA · vPIC

NHTSA campaign data

Which Discovery model years each recall covers

NHTSA data

NHTSA has 33 campaigns on file for Discovery model years 1994–2026, and the 2000 shows up in more of them than any other year (10), ahead of the 1999 (8). Move the line to your model year to see which apply.

2000
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 owners report

NHTSA data

Complaints peak with the 2003 (111 of 784). Tap any bar or generation.

784NHTSA complaints, 1994–2026
97mention a crash
37mention a fire
84injuries reported
Owner complaints by model yearDiscovery: 784 complaints · most for the 2003 (111)

Top complaint areas · Discovery

Mentions in 784 complaints, 1994–2026.

Engine and cooling172
Brakes142
Electrical system122
Powertrain (transmission, driveline)104
Speed control / acceleration64
Structure and body59
Crashes 97Fires 37Injuries 84

1994–2026

NHTSA data summary

The 2003 is the outlier. On its own it has 111 of the ’s 784 complaints (14%), more than any other Discovery model year. By area, nothing stands out. Engine and cooling leads with 172, with the brakes (142) and the electrical system (122) close behind.

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

Owner complaints · by model year

Discovery complaint breakdown by model year

NHTSA data

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

784complaints, 1994–2026
97mention a crash
37mention a fire
84injuries reported
4complaints report a death
Most complaints: 2003 (111), 1996 (75), 2000 (71)
’9575’9671’00111’03’20

2003 · 111 complaints

Crashes 13 · fires 4 · injuries 10

Engine and engine cooling35
Service brakes23
Engine16
Power train15
Vehicle speed control10

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

EPA fuel economy & emissions

Discovery CO₂, smog rating and yearly fuel cost

EPA data

EPA lists 36 Discovery versions for model years 1994–2026 (gas, diesel and hybrid). The lowest tailpipe CO₂ is 415 g/mi, for the 2023 hybrid. Pick a model year and powertrain to see each version.

Discovery1994–2026

12–23 mpg · CO₂ 415–741 g/mi

2025
21combined MPG
421CO₂ grams per mile (tailpipe)
$3,900EPA 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: Discovery · Auto (S8), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo — 21 MPG · 421 g/mi
Best (lowest) CO₂ by model year
35050065080095019952000200520102015202020251994 · Gas: 6841995 · Gas: 6841996 · Gas: 6351997 · Gas: 6351998 · Gas: 6351999 · Gas: 6352000 · Gas: 6842001 · Gas: 6842002 · Gas: 6842003 · Gas: 7412004 · Gas: 7412017 · Gas: 5002018 · Gas: 5002019 · Gas: 5002020 · Gas: 5002021 · Gas: 4362022 · Gas: 4362023 · Gas: 4362024 · Gas: 4212025 · Gas: 4212026 · Gas: 4252017 · Diesel: 4482018 · Diesel: 4482019 · Diesel: 4482020 · Diesel: 4482021 · Hybrid: 4352022 · Hybrid: 4352023 · Hybrid: 4152024 · Hybrid: 4572025 · Hybrid: 4572026 · Hybrid: 457
GasDieselHybrid

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. Greenhouse-gas ratings start with the 2013 model year. Source: fueleconomy.gov.

Compare rivals

Discovery vs BMW X5 vs Mercedes-Benz GLE

NHTSA + EPA data

Take 1994–2026. NHTSA lists 33 recall campaigns for the Discovery, against 113 for the BMW X5 and 73 for the Mercedes-Benz GLE. Pick a range to compare.

Land Rover Discovery

Model years 1994–2026

NHTSA recall campaigns
33
NHTSA owner complaints
784
EPA combined mpg
12–23
Engines (EPA)
4-cyl 2.0 L · 6-cyl 3.0 L · 8-cyl 3.9, 4.0, 4.6 L
Also listed
supercharged, turbo, diesel, mild hybrid
Drive (EPA)
AWD/4WD

Most-reported complaint areas (NHTSA)

  1. Engine and cooling 172
  2. Brakes 142
  3. Electrical system 122

BMW X5

Model years 1994–2026

NHTSA recall campaigns
113
NHTSA owner complaints
3,403
EPA combined mpg
13–27
Engines (EPA)
4-cyl 2.0 L · 6-cyl 3.0 L · 8-cyl 4.4, 4.6, 4.8 L
Also listed
diesel, turbo, plug-in hybrid, mild hybrid
Drive (EPA)
AWD/4WD, RWD

Most-reported complaint areas (NHTSA)

  1. Engine and cooling 984
  2. Air bags 691
  3. Electrical system 584

Mercedes-Benz GLE

Model years 1994–2026

NHTSA recall campaigns
73
NHTSA owner complaints
679
EPA combined mpg
14–25
Engines (EPA)
4-cyl 2.0, 2.1 L · 6-cyl 3.0, 3.5 L · 8-cyl 4.0, 5.5 L
Also listed
turbo, diesel, plug-in hybrid, mild hybrid, supercharged
Drive (EPA)
AWD/4WD, RWD

Most-reported complaint areas (NHTSA)

  1. Electrical system 151
  2. Engine and cooling 150
  3. Fuel system 81

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 VIN number location

Where to find the VIN on a Discovery

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

Dark blue Land Rover Discovery (fifth generation) SUV, front three-quarter view, with the VIN locations marked

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

Illustration: VinNumber.net

Photo: MercurySable99, CC BY-SA 4.0; edited and VIN pins added by VinNumber.net

Before purchasing a used Discovery, locate the VIN at the lower driver's windshield and compare it to the door jamb sticker, B-pillar label, and cargo area sticker.

  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 VIN questions

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

The 2003 leads with 111, ahead of the 1996 (75) and 2000 (71). Those first two alone make up 24% of the 784 Discovery complaints filed with NHTSA, not adjusted for sales.

How many recalls has the Land Rover Discovery had?

NHTSA’s recall records show 33 vehicle campaigns for model years 1994–2026, leaving out equipment and tire campaigns.

Which Land Rover Discovery recalls are high risk?

NHTSA’s record names a fire risk in 04V-203, 00V-036, 00V-423, 01V-229, 04V-006, 23V-044 and 24V-450. Each should show as closed on a VIN check.

What fuel economy does the Land Rover Discovery get?

It varies. EPA rates the 1994–2026 Discovery at 12–23 mpg combined, depending on engine and drive (fueleconomy.gov).

How does the Land Rover Discovery compare with the BMW X5 and Mercedes-Benz GLE on recalls?

For 1994–2026 models the Discovery has 33 NHTSA recall campaigns. The BMW X5 has 113, the Mercedes-Benz GLE 73. Complaints run 784, 3,403 and 679 in that order, with no sales adjustment.

Other Land Rover models

Check another Land Rover model

DefenderRange RoverRange Rover SportDiscovery SportFreelanderLR4
Related reading

Guides & alerts for used car buyers