Land Rover bulletin Discovery_N861_16MAY25
What it saysOn certain 48V Mild Hybrid Electric Vehicle (MHEV) battery enters an offline state and no longer communicates or functions as intended. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Land Rover filed this with NHTSA as a manufacturer communication dated May 16, 2025, received Jun 5, 2025, about the power train. It names 1 model year (2020). A manufacturer communication is not a safety recall: it is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a condition, and whether the work is paid for depends on the warranty in force. Quoting the number at a service desk can save a diagnosis.
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What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationOn certain 48V Mild Hybrid Electric Vehicle (MHEV) battery enters an offline state and no longer communicates or functions as intended. Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) might be illuminated, loss of start/stop functionality and no communication during diagnostic sessions.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Discovery_N861_16MAY25 | Other | May 16, 2025 | 11019265 | PDF, 204 KB |
The summary is NHTSA’s abstract of the document, as filed under 49 CFR 579.5. One communication is usually filed as several documents — the bulletin, a dealer notice, an owner letter — and the number on any of them finds this page. A PDF link is shown only once NHTSA’s own server has been seen to serve that document; the rest are checked over the following nights. Quote the number at a service desk; it is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Model years it names
Source: as the manufacturer filed themA vehicle page’s bulletin list shows the newest few communications filed against that model year; the count there is every one.
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What owners reported
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners of the 1 model year this bulletin names have filed 33 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 6 of them name Power Train — the same broad component group this bulletin is filed under. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so that means the same area of the vehicle, not necessarily the same fault.
The engine timing chain, timing chain tensioner, and chain guides failed/stretched prematurely at 54,715 miles. The parts are currently installed in the vehicle / available for inspection upon request.
2020 Land Rover Discovery · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Jul 29, 2026 · ODI 11753480
A complaint is one owner’s account, not a defect finding, and a bulletin is not a recall. Nothing here says this bulletin was issued because of these complaints, or that the repair it describes fixed them. Complaint files on this site begin in 2015.
More bulletins about the power train
Source: same model, same component group45 other manufacturer communications filed against the Land Rover Discovery under the same component group (power train), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Land Rover list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| N881 Discovery 18SEP26 | Other | Oct 7, 2026 | Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) may illuminate if the vehicle is refueled within 15 seconds of turning the engine off. |
| N881 Discovery 21AUG26 | Other | Aug 21, 2026 | Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) may illuminate if the vehicle is refueled within 15 seconds of turning the engine off. |
| N881 Discovery 17JUL26 | Other | Jul 17, 2026 | Powertrain Control Module (PCM) Software Update |
| N881 Discovery 16JUN26 | Other | Jul 8, 2026 | Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) may illuminate if the vehicle is refueled within 15 seconds of turning the engine off. |
| N881 Discovery 15MAY26 | Other | May 16, 2026 | Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) may illuminate if the vehicle is refueled within 15 seconds of turning the engine off. |
| SSM76454 - 12MAY26 | Other | May 12, 2026 | Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) is illuminated on the instrument panel. |
| N881 Discovery 17APR26 | Other | Apr 17, 2026 | Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) may illuminate if the vehicle is refueled within 15 seconds of turning the engine off. |
| N881 DISCOVERY 20MAR26 | Other | Mar 20, 2026 | The Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) may illuminate if the vehicle is refueled within 15 seconds of turning the engine off. |
Quote the number at the service desk. It is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Every manufacturer communication NHTSA holds for Land Rover, by the number printed on the letter.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5Is Land Rover Discovery_N861_16MAY25 a recall?
No. A manufacturer communication is a manufacturer communication filed with NHTSA under 49 CFR 579.5; a safety recall carries an NHTSA campaign number (two digits, a letter, six digits) and a federal duty to repair for free. Check the vehicle’s recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls, or on its page here.
Is the Discovery_N861_16MAY25 repair free?
Not automatically. A service bulletin describes how to diagnose or repair a condition; who pays depends on the warranty in force, any extension, and the dealer. Quoting the number can save a diagnosis either way.
Which vehicles does Discovery_N861_16MAY25 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 1 model year: 2020 Land Rover Discovery. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.