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2016 Land Rover Discovery

Gas

Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD
1 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-10-26

Safety Signal

89 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record

RecallsNHTSA campaigns 2

Complaints4 crash reported 57

Crash ratingnot rated by NHTSA —

Fuel economybest combined, EPA 22 mpg

2026 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016

The 2016 Land Rover Discovery is sold in the U.S. as a gas large SUV. The most efficient version, the Discovery Sport, is EPA-rated at 22 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of B. Owners have filed 57 complaints, most often about the power train.

2016 Land Rover Discovery

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov

Configuration	Powertrain	Drive	Engine / motor	City	Hwy	Comb	Annual fuel*
Discovery Sport	Gas	4WD	2.0L 4-cyl turbo	20	26	22	$3,750

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 36511.

Emissions & certification

Source: EPA emission certificates

Configuration	Smog rating	Emission standard	Where it can be sold new	SmartWay
Discovery Sport	7–9 / 10	Bin 3 / California LEV-III SULEV30/PZEV	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	—

Certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S.

The smog rating scores tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and is comparable only within a model year. The standard is the federal bin or California tier the configuration was certified to. Both come from the EPA certificate behind the window sticker.

Specifications filed with NHTSA

Source: NHTSA vPIC

Dimensions Exterior

Body style	Sport Utility Vehicle [SUV]/Multipurpose Vehicle [MPV]
Doors	4
GVWR class	Class 1D: 5,001 - 6,000 lb (2,268 - 2,722 kg)

Engine Basics

Cylinders	4
Displacement	2 L
Engine configuration	In-Line

Engine Output

Horsepower

240 hp

Fuel Economy

Fuel	Gasoline

Transmission

Transmission	Automatic
Transmission speeds	9

Filed by the manufacturer with NHTSA under the federal vehicle-identification rule and decoded from the VIN pattern — not a manufacturer press kit, so it describes the configurations we could identify rather than every trim (seen: HSE, HSE Lux, SE). Figures for the trim you are looking at may differ.

Dimensions & weight

Source: Transport Canada

Length	181.1 in
Width (body, without mirrors)	74.4 in
Height	67.7 in
Wheelbase	107.9 in
Track, front	63.8 in
Track, rear	64.2 in
Curb weight	3,845 lb
Weight distribution, front/rear	56/44

Measured by Transport Canada for its Canadian Vehicle Specifications database, which covers the North American versions of each model — here one configuration: Sport. Where a range is shown, those versions differ. Width is the body without mirrors, which is why it can read narrower than a brochure figure. Before we used it we checked it against the US manufacturer press kits we hold (27 Sep 2026): wheelbase agreed within 1% on every vehicle we could compare, length on 98%, and the curb weight fell inside the manufacturer's range on 96%. Source dataset. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Licence.

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Recalls (2)

Source: NHTSA recall database

▲high

Suspension

Q650/Q651

220 vehicles 94% reported repaired built May 30, 2016 – Aug 24, 2016

Problem Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Land Rover Discovery Sport vehicles manufactured May 30, 2016, to August 24, 2016, and 2016-2017 Range Rover Evoque vehicles manufactured June 7, 2016, to August 26, 2016. The affected vehicles have front lower control arm fasteners that may fail due to an assembly error, possibly resulting in separation of the steering knuckle. Risk If the fasteners were to fail causing the knuckle to separate, vehicle handling may be affected, increasing the risk of a crash. Fix Land Rover will notify owners, and dealers will replace the hardware that connects the front lower control arm to the knuckle, free of charge. The recall began on January 27, 2017. Owners may contact Land Rover customer service at 1-800-637-6837. Land Rover's number for this recall is Q650/Q651.

Filed with NHTSARemedy instructions PDF

NHTSA campaign 16V889000 reported Dec 9, 2016 Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

○minor

Exterior Lighting

P077

14,731 vehicles 88% reported repaired built Sep 17, 2014 – Mar 5, 2016

Problem Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Land Rover Discovery Sport vehicles manufactured September 17, 2014, to March 5, 2016. In the affected vehicles, the license plate illumination lamp may fall out. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment." Risk Without license plate illumination, the vehicle may be difficult to identify at night. Fix Land Rover will notify owners, and dealers will replace both rear license plate lamp housings, free of charge. The recall began on June 21, 2016. Owners may contact Land Rover customer service at 1-800-637-6837. Land Rover's number for this recall is P077.

Filed with NHTSARemedy instructions PDF

NHTSA campaign 16V274000 reported May 6, 2016 Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.

NHTSA defect investigations

Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module — Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture open

From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf. Consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a subst

Opened Sep 17, 2021 · action EA21002 · the investigation’s page →

Whether any of this applies to one specific Discovery

A campaign covers a build range, not a model year, so two identical-looking cars from 2016 can differ. Both of these check a VIN against the manufacturer’s own list, free, in about ten seconds. Land Rover publishes its own lookup because federal rule 49 CFR 573.15 requires it to, and to keep it current to within seven days.

NHTSA VIN check →Land Rover’s own VIN lookup →

Hear about a recall before the letter does

The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2016 Land Rover Discovery, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database

57complaints filed

4 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 0 injuries · 0 deaths reported

Filed per year: 2016: 3 · 2017: 2 · 2018: 2 · 2019: 4 · 2020: 5 · 2021: 8 · 2022: 10 · 2023: 5 · 2024: 8 · 2025: 3 · 2026: 7

Most-cited components

Power Train 17

Engine 17

Unspecified 7

Steering 7

Service Brakes 7

Structure 6

In owners' own words

Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.

I experienced three incidents attributable to a malfunction of the turbocharger integrated exhaust manifold. The first two occasions the vehicle suddenly and inexplicably lost power slowing to approximately 5 mph. Acceleration only made the engine rev up but did not increase power.

Engine Oct 21, 2022 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11490298

The contact owns a 2016 Land Rover Discovery Sport. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power, and she heard a grinding noise coming from the engine compartment.

Power Train at 24,800 miles May 5, 2022 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11463539

The contact owns a 2016 Land Rover Discovery Sport. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50 MPH or above, the vehicle started wobbling with contact almost losing control of the vehicle. The wobbling lasted less than a minute before the vehicle would regain normal stability and function.

Electronic Stability Control at 74,000 miles Oct 19, 2021 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11437341

door pop open during driving, and will not latch. Notifications showing car door is open after incident happens…

Structure Jul 25, 2022 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11475772

The brake pedal started to feel spongy, then the car started firing alarms about low brake fluid pressure. Made it home and upon inspection found the Right Passenger Front brake line had ruptured and was spraying fluid everywhere. This is super dangerous luckily we didn't wreck.

Service Brakes Apr 10, 2022 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11460342

The lock actuators in my vehicle (except for the driver door and tailgate) have all failed. It started when my 2016 Land Rover was at approximately 118,000 miles, with the rear driver side door failing first. Then in the last 30 days, the rear passenger side door and the front passenger side door fail to lock or get stuck locked.

Electrical System Nov 10, 2021 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11440010

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Reported by Land Rover itself: 1 death-or-injury claim on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 1 injured, as claimed, not verified. Every Discovery model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.

When owners reported it

Reported at 51k

miles, typically

Half the 25 owner reports with an odometer reading on file fall between 25,000 and 74,000 miles. That is when problems get reported, which is not the same as when they start — and not a failure rate, because nobody knows how many of these cars never had a problem at all.

Too few readings for a curve — the 25 on file: 4 under 10k, 1 10k–20k, 2 20k–30k, 3 30k–40k, 2 40k–50k, 2 50k–60k, 4 60k–70k, 2 70k–80k, 2 80k–90k, 1 90k–100k, 2 100k–150k.

Odometer readings as filed by owners with NHTSA. Readings under 100 or over 400,000 miles are dropped as data entry rather than history, and a component needs at least 12 readings before a median is shown for it.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP

NHTSA has not published 5-Star crash ratings for this model year.

Service bulletins & campaigns

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications

Communicationsfiled with NHTSA 706

Most recentmanufacturer date 2026-03-10

Kindsas classified by NHTSA 688 service bulletins, 18 others

Most often about: Electrical System, Equipment, Power Train, Structure, Engine.

SSM76411 - 10MAR26 Other
2026-03-10 · Electrical System
Smart Key Deactivated message on instrument cluster and unable to start their vehicle
TUCC_FEB2026_22 Other
2026-02-13 · Engine
GTDI BRAZED TURBOCHARGER CRACK EXTENDED WARRANTY
D085 - 02FEB26 Service bulletin
2026-02-02 · Engine
GTDI Brazed Turbocharger Crack Extended Warranty
SSM76386 - 29AUG25 Other
2025-08-29 · Unknown Or Other
Body and Comfort (HMI) CAN related functions such as window switches or air conditioning may reset or become inoperable every 8-10 minutes while driving.
TUCC_JUN2025_57 Other
2025-06-14 · Suspension
There is a knocking type noise from the front of the vehicle while driving on rough roads.
TUCC_JUN2025_46 Other
2025-06-13 · Power Train
MIL on Instrument cluster.
SSM76301 - 11JUN25 Other
2025-06-12 · Suspension
Front Stabilizer Bar Link - Noisy
NAS25.05.005 - 19MAY25 Other
2025-05-19 · Unknown Or Other
Turbocharger Class Action Preliminary Settlement

A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.

Diagnostic trouble codes on file

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints

Codes documented against this model year in the federal record. A code appearing here does not mean this vehicle will set it — it means the code is part of this nameplate-year's documented history.

Code	What it means	Most often filed under	Where it appears
P0016	The crankshaft and camshaft are not where they should be relative to each other — timing, chain or phaser.	Engine	3 bulletins
P0017	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Engine	3 bulletins
P0026	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Engine	3 bulletins
P0341	The camshaft position signal is present but implausible.	Engine · Camshaft position sensor →	3 bulletins
P2096	After the catalyst, the mixture on bank 1 is reading lean.	Power Train	2 bulletins
P2097	After the catalyst, the mixture on bank 1 is reading rich.	Power Train	2 bulletins

Generic codes (the second character is 0 or 2) mean the same thing on every vehicle sold in the United States. Manufacturer-specific codes (1 or 3) mean whatever the automaker assigned, and no honest source can define them for you — which is why the ones here carry the evidence instead of a definition. A code is a link when enough separate federal documents name it across the catalogue to be worth a page of its own; the rest are listed here, where the vehicle is the context that makes them mean something.

At the New York inspection station

Source: New York State DMV

New York inspections 8.4%

failed emissions

357 initial inspections of 344 vehicles.

Measure	The 2016 Discovery	Every 2016 vehicle	Behind it
Failed the emissions check	8.4%	4.2%	356
Failed the safety inspection	2.0%	2.2%	357
Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit	0%	0.27%	357
Miles driven a year	9,208	10,028	odometer at inspection
Average odometer	94,860	103,109	odometer at inspection

New York’s emissions test on these model years is an on-board diagnostics check: it fails a car whose check-engine light is on or whose self-tests have not finished. First inspections only, so a car that failed and came back is counted once; private and special plates, not taxis, livery or commercial plates. A rate appears only where at least 200 inspections stand behind it. “Every 2016 vehicle” is every 2016 model-year car, SUV and pickup inspected in the same window, all makes. This is the state’s record of test results, not a reliability score by itself. Source: New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, Vehicle Inspections (data.ny.gov, Open NY terms).

Discovery by model year

all years, side by side →

Year Safety Recalls Complaints

2026 A 1 1 21 mpg 2025 B 3 6 21 mpg 2024 D 7 8 21 mpg 2023 D 7 11 22 mpg 2022 D 6 15 21 mpg 2021 D 6 11 21 mpg 2020 F 10 33 Park outside 2019 C 4 61 23 mpg 2018 C 5 59 23 mpg 2017 C 5 94 23 mpg 2016 this page B 2 57 22 mpg

Common questions about the 2016 Discovery

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

Does the 2016 Land Rover Discovery have any recalls?

NHTSA has posted 2 recall campaigns for the 2016 Land Rover Discovery. The most serious on file is 16V889000, covering Suspension. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.

How safe is the 2016 Land Rover Discovery?

NHTSA has not published a crash-test rating for the 2016 Land Rover Discovery yet. On the recall record WhichTrim grades it B (89/100), which measures open and severe recalls rather than crash protection.

What is the fuel economy of the 2016 Land Rover Discovery?

For the 2016 Land Rover Discovery, the best EPA combined figure is 22 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.

What are the dimensions of the 2016 Land Rover Discovery?

Transport Canada measured it at 181.1 in long, 74.4 in wide (body, without mirrors), 67.7 in tall, on a 107.9 in wheelbase. Curb weight: 3,845 lb. Those are its measurements of the North American versions; every figure is in the table above.

What do owners complain about on the 2016 Land Rover Discovery?

Owners have filed 57 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Land Rover Discovery, most often about power train, engine, unspecified. Of those, 4 involved a crash. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.

How clean is the 2016 Land Rover Discovery?

The EPA smog rating for the 2016 Land Rover Discovery runs 7 to 9 out of 10 across its configurations. That score covers tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, and it only compares vehicles within the same model year. It is certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S. Its configurations were certified to different standards — Bin 3, California LEV-III SULEV30/PZEV — which the table above lists per configuration.

Are there service bulletins for the 2016 Land Rover Discovery?

The manufacturer has filed 706 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2016 Land Rover Discovery, most often covering electrical system, equipment, power train. The most recent is dated 2026-03-10. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.

How does the 2016 Land Rover Discovery do at state inspection?

In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2016 Land Rover Discovery failed the emissions check on 8.4% of first inspections — higher than the 4.2% for every 2016 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 2.0% (every 2016 vehicle: 2.2%). The figures are New York State DMV’s own inspection records, first inspections only, and the table above sets each one against every vehicle of the same model year.

What we hold, and what an empty row means

Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.

Data	Held	Source	What it covers — or what empty means
Fuel economy & configurations	1 configurations	EPA certification records	Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures.
Emission certificates	1 configurations	EPA emission certificates	Smog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new.
Recalls	2	NHTSA recall campaigns	A complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags.
Owner complaints	57	NHTSA complaint database	Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold.
Crash ratings	none	NHTSA NCAP	NHTSA has not tested this model year. Cars are selected for testing, so untested is not unsafe.
Service bulletins	706	NHTSA manufacturer communications	Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall.
Investigations	1	NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation	Open and closed defect investigations, with the agency's own narrative.
Driver-assist crash reports	none	NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01	No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like.
Specifications filed with NHTSA	10 fields	NHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patterns	What the manufacturer filed under the federal VIN rule — a configuration, not the full trim ladder.
Measured dimensions	7 fields	Transport Canada, Canadian Vehicle Specifications	Length, width, height, wheelbase, track and curb weight, measured on the North American versions.
Trims, pricing & equipment	none	Manufacturer press kit	We have not transcribed a press kit for this model year yet. This is our gap, not the manufacturer's — the one row here where an empty cell means we are behind.

Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed nightly.

JSON for this page · API

2016 Land Rover Discovery

Specs & fuel economy

Emissions & certification

Specifications filed with NHTSA

Dimensions Exterior

Engine Basics

Engine Output

Fuel Economy

Transmission

Dimensions & weight

Factory warranty running out?

Recalls (2)

Suspension

Exterior Lighting

NHTSA defect investigations

Whether any of this applies to one specific Discovery

Hear about a recall before the letter does

Parts & accessories for the 2016 Land Rover Discovery

Owner complaints

Most-cited components

In owners' own words

When owners reported it

miles, typically

Crash ratings

Service bulletins & campaigns

Diagnostic trouble codes on file

At the New York inspection station

failed emissions

Discovery by model year

Common questions about the 2016 Discovery

Does the 2016 Land Rover Discovery have any recalls?

How safe is the 2016 Land Rover Discovery?

What is the fuel economy of the 2016 Land Rover Discovery?

What are the dimensions of the 2016 Land Rover Discovery?

What do owners complain about on the 2016 Land Rover Discovery?

How clean is the 2016 Land Rover Discovery?

Are there service bulletins for the 2016 Land Rover Discovery?

How does the 2016 Land Rover Discovery do at state inspection?

What we hold, and what an empty row means

Where to go next

Sources & method