Land Rover bulletin N796
What it saysA concern has been identified where certain vehicles are failing to complete existing Software Over The Air (SOTA) updates for the Vehicle Domain Controller (VDC), PIVI and Gateway Module A (GWM). NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Land Rover filed this with NHTSA as a manufacturer communication dated Jun 21, 2024, received Jul 11, 2023, about the electrical system — 7 documents under this number: N796 RANGE ROVER, N796 DISCOVERY, N796 DEFENDER, N796-RANGE ROVER and 3 more. It names 8 model years (2020–2022). 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 communicationA concern has been identified where certain vehicles are failing to complete existing Software Over The Air (SOTA) updates for the Vehicle Domain Controller (VDC), PIVI and Gateway Module A (GWM). These vehicles have now been stopped from future SOTA attempts and require a wired intervention. A software update to the TCU and GWM is required
Documents filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N796 RANGE ROVER | Other | Jun 21, 2024 | 11003807 | PDF, 202 KB |
| N796 DISCOVERY | Other | Jun 21, 2024 | 11003806 | PDF, 198 KB |
| N796 DEFENDER | Other | Jun 21, 2024 | 11003804 | PDF, 187 KB |
| N796-RANGE ROVER | Other | May 17, 2024 | 11001264 | PDF, 173 KB |
| N796-DISCOVERY | Other | May 17, 2024 | 11001263 | PDF, 198 KB |
| N796-DEFENDER | Other | May 17, 2024 | 11001262 | PDF, 188 KB |
| N796 | Service bulletin | Jun 21, 2023 | 10239027 | PDF, 209 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.
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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 8 model years this bulletin names have filed 283 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 98 of them name Electrical System — 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.
2021 Land Rover Discovery 48V mild hybrid (MHEV). Recurring 12V system failures: repeated depleted/dead 12V batteries and no-start events. The 12V battery has failed and been replaced three times during my ownership (two documented at a franchised Land Rover dealer and an independent shop), plus a prior replacement under the previous…
2021 Land Rover Discovery · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Jun 4, 2026 · ODI 11742136
Engine light came on while at a stop light, engine faltered completely and car stalled. Would not restart. Shifted car into Park and tried multiple times to restart, finally got it restarted. Rolled forward per the flow of traffic and engine died again in the middle of the intersection putting me directly in harm’s way.
2020 Land Rover Defender · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA May 9, 2022 · ODI 11463932
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).
2021 Land Rover Discovery · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Aug 19, 2026 · ODI 11757979
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 electrical system
Source: same model, same component group150 other manufacturer communications filed against these Land Rover models under the same component group (electrical system), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Land Rover list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSM76510 - 23SEP26 | Other | Sep 23, 2026 | Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) stored in the Battery Charging Control Module (BCCM). The DTC may be unable to be cleared. |
| SSM76510 - 16SEP26 | Other | Sep 16, 2026 | Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) stored in the Battery Charging Control Module (BCCM). The DTC may be unable to be cleared. |
| D103 | Emissions | Sep 8, 2026 | D103 Emission Recall Owner Letter |
| D101 | Emissions | Sep 8, 2026 | D101 Emission Recall Owner Letter |
| D100 | Emissions | Sep 8, 2026 | D100 Emission Recall Owner Letter |
| SSM76110 - 21AUG26 | Other | Aug 22, 2026 | Vehicles on display e.g. in a showroom whilst being supported by a showroom 12v support unit, these vehicles require an additional fuse to b… |
| N955 Range Rover 21AUG26 | Other | Aug 21, 2026 | A quality concern has been identified where there may be a missing fixing on the Mild Hybrid Electric Vehicle (MHEV) battery harness which i… |
| SSM76110 - 19AUG26 | Other | Aug 20, 2026 | Vehicles on display e.g. in a showroom whilst being supported by a showroom 12v support unit, these vehicles require an additional fuse to b… |
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 N796 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 N796 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 N796 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 8 model years: 2022 Land Rover Defender, 2021 Land Rover Defender, 2020 Land Rover Defender, 2022 Land Rover Discovery, 2021 Land Rover Discovery, 2021 Land Rover Discovery Sport and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.