About Land Rover Cars
Land Rover vehicles are off-road models introduced by the British Rover company in 1948. The vehicle was an unusual turn for the company which was known for making more comfortable suburban sedans and even fast touring cars. Rover experimented with gas turbine engines and other innovations under the direction of brothers Maurice and Spencer Wilks.
The original Land Rover was influenced by Jeep and even built on a Jeep chassis. Leyland Motor Corp. took over Rover in 1967 but kept the successful Land Rover in its own division. The first Range Rovers, made by Land Rover, were produced in 1970. The company decided in 1974 to pull out of the American market due to competition from Japanese 4x4 vehicles. In 1988 British Aerospace took possession of Land Rover when Leyland folded, then in 1994 Rover became part of BMW. Ford Motor Co. purchased Rover in 2006 for about $7.4 million, then sold it and Jaguar in 2008 to Tata Motors, a multinational vehicle and construction equipment company based in India.
Quick Facts
-
Land Rover Range Rover
is the most-recalled Land Rover vehicle
-
Land Rover Freelander
is the least expensive car from Land Rover starting from
$ 24,975.00
-
Land Rover Range Rover Velar
has an MPG of
26 miles/gallon / 30 miles/gallon
which is the highest gas mileage in the city and on highways
-
Land Rover Defender
has the most trims available with 3 variations released
Number of Land Rover Sales in the United States
Land Rover U.S. Sales Reports - By Month
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 5,281 | 4,917 | 6,778 | 5,311 | 5,382 | 4,643 | 5,011 | 5,225 | 5,855 | 7,199 | 6,539 | 8,441 |
| 2016 | 5,655 | 6,417 | 8,733 | 5,188 | 4,950 | 5,705 | 6,075 | 6,031 | 5,637 | 5,532 | 5,659 | 8,279 |
| 2017 | 6,163 | 5,747 | 7,965 | 5,211 | 4,993 | 5,760 | 5,915 | 6,320 | 6,407 | 5,477 | 6,801 | 7,980 |
| 2018 | 6,446 | 6,828 | 10,972 | 6,448 | 7,103 | 6,982 | 6,209 | 7,179 | 6,966 | 7,846 | 8,547 | 10,617 |
| 2019 | 7,385 | 8,151 | 9,492 | 7,165 | 7,337 | 6,593 |
Land Rover Car Sales in The United States from 2015 to 2019
| Year | Car Sales |
|---|---|
| 2015 | 70,582 |
| 2016 | 73,861 |
| 2017 | 74,739 |
| 2018 | 92,143 |
| 2019 | 46,123 |
Average Pricing for Land Rover Popular models
| Popular Land Rover Models | Average Price |
|---|---|
| Range Rover | $ 81,913.28 |
| Range Rover Sport | $ 59,457.76 |
| Discovery | $ 36,513.02 |
| Range Rover Evoque | $ 30,654.92 |
| LR4 | $ 50,133.86 |
| LR3 | $ 46,648.90 |
| LR2 | $ 32,630.22 |
| Freelander | $ 26,850.47 |
| Discovery Sport | $ 41,168.34 |
| Defender 90 | $ 30,760.48 |
| Range Rover Velar | $ 62,804.73 |
| Defender 110 | $ 39,900.00 |
| Defender | $ 53,725.00 |
Interesting Facts About Land Rover
The first models of the Land Rover had steering wheels in the middle of the dashboard, and tank-like tracks were optional equipment on the Series II Cuthbertson model – for crossing Scotland’s boggy Highlands without sinking in.
Land Rovers were provided to students undertaking the Oxford and Cambridge Expeditions in order to promote the brand. In 1954 students “raced” Land Rovers the length of Africa and back, about 25,000 miles. In 1955-56 recent graduates traveled in Land Rovers 18,000 miles for six months, starting from Europe and moving across the Middle East to India, Thailand, and Singapore.
Queen Elizabeth, Monarch of the United Kingdom, has some 25 rare and custom-made automobiles at her disposal, but she’s been photographed more than once driving herself around London in a Range Rover Landaulet, a custom version. She has also driven Princess Kate Middleton and others in her Land Rover Defender, a rugged vehicle with off-road capability.
After 20 years supporting teams on the Camel Trophy off-road race in the Amazon basin, Land Rover created the G4 Challenge, a similar cross-country race, in which the winner got a Land Rover. After several years of the race, a television show was spun off the experience. Called Odyssey: Driving Around the World, it featured seven individuals driving 41,000 miles through 26 countries, all in standard (stock) Land Rover vehicles.
At least 400,000 Land Rovers were sold worldwide for the 2015-2017 models. Europeans purchase the most, but China has held steady at about 90,000 models per year while North America’s purchases have increased from around 58,000 vehicles per year in 2012 to about 80,000 per year in 2017.
The 1987 Range Rover was the first model released in the U.S. Among its options were a picnic basket containing crystal wine glasses and trays, as well as a waterproof cover for the rear seat.
Upgrades included in the 1992 Range Rover were traction control and air suspension. Yes, instead of springs and traditional shock absorbers these vehicles boasted a small compressor that filled shock absorber-like tubes with pressurized air for the comfiest, luxurious ride then available.
How to Identify and Decode Land Rover VINs
Land Rover uses the standardized Vehicle Identification Number system for all U.S. vehicles. The first three digits of the VIN number are known as the World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI). The WMI is assigned by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) and is regulated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). NHTSA is responsible for vehicle safety recalls. Vehicles being recalled can be identified by the VIN through the NHTSA website.
All U.S. Land Rover vehicles will have SAL for the WMI. Land Rover vehicles are built in various parts of the world, including India and Brazil. Non-U.S. vehicles may have different variations of VIN numbers that vary from the standardized version used on U.S. vehicles.
Land Rover uses several codes for the WMI. The first character is the Country of Origin identifier. All Land Rover vehicles use the character S in the first position to indicate Europe as the country of origin.
The second character refers to the specific region of manufacture. In the case of Land Rover, this character will be the letter A, indicating the United Kingdom as the specific region.
The third character of the WMI is the manufacturer code. Land Rover is always represented by the letter L.
Characters in positions four through eight are used to describe specific factory-equipped options. These characters identify the model, series, engine, and other important information.
Land Rover vehicles sold in the U.S. will use the fourth and fifth characters to identify the model of Land Rover. The following codes are used:
| AE | Discovery III / Lr3 SE (7 persons) (for USA) |
| AD | Discovery III / Lr3 SE (5 places) (for USA ) |
| AG | Discovery III (IV) / Lr4 HSE (7 persons) (for USA) |
| AK | Discovery III (IV) / Lr4 (7 persons) (for USA) |
| DH | Defender 110 (for USA) |
| DX | Defender 90 (for USA) |
| DV | Defender 90 (for USA) |
| FP | Freelander II / Lr2 SE (for USA) |
| FR | Freelander II / Lr2 (for USA) |
| FS | Freelander II / Lr2 SE w / Tech Pack (for USA) |
| HC | Range Rover I (Classic) 108 " |
| JY | Discovery I of (for USA) |
| ME | Range Rover III of (for USA) |
| MF | Range Rover III of the HSE (5 seats) (for USA) |
| MN | Range Rover III of (for USA) |
| NE | Freelander I of the HSE (for USA) |
| NM | Freelander I of (for USA) |
| NY | Freelander I of SE (for USA) |
| PV | Range Rover II of (for USA) |
| SF | Range Rover Sport (for USA) |
| TY | Discovery II of (for USA) |
| VP | Range Rover Evoque |
| VR | Range Rover Evoque |
| VT | Range Rover Evoque |
| VV | Range Rover Evoque |
The character used in the sixth position identifies the body type. Land Rover uses the following codes for U.S.-based vehicles:
| 1 | wagon 3 door |
| 1 | wagon, 5 doors (Defender, Range Rover) |
| 2 | Universal, 5 Doors |
| 2 | 2-door open (Defender) |
| 3 | wagon 3 door (Defender, Range Rover Classic) |
| A | 5 door |
| B | soft top |
| C | 3 door |
| M | 5 door |
All Land Rover vehicles in the U.S. indicate the engine type in the seventh character of the VIN. The following codes are used:
| 1 | 3.5 liter petrol the V8, injection |
| 2 | 2.5-liter petrol V6 (Freelander) |
| 2 | 3.7 liter petrol, injection of |
| 2 | 3.9 liter petrol, injection (Defender) |
| 2 | 4.0 liter gasoline, injection (Defender) |
| 3 | 4.0 liter gasoline V8 |
| 3 | 4.2 liter gasoline V8 |
| 4 | 4.2 liter gasoline, injection, supercharging |
| 4 | 4.6 liter gasoline V8, injection |
| 5 | 4.0 liter gasoline, injection |
| 5 | 4.4 liter gasoline, injection |
| 5 | 2.5 liter turbo |
| 6 | 4.6 liter gasoline V8, injection |
| 7 | 2.5 liter turbo (with neutralizer) |
| 8 | 2.5 liter turbo (with neutralizer) |
| A | 4.4 liter gasoline |
| B | 2.0 liter gasoline turbo (240 hp) (II Freelander, Range Rover, Evoque) |
| D | 5.0 liter gasoline V8 |
| C | 3.0 liter turbo |
| E | 2.0 liter gasoline, fuel injection |
| F | 2.5 liters, turbo (without catalyst) |
| G | 2.5 liter gasoline, injection (by Ford) |
| L | 3.5 liters of gasoline, injection |
| M | 3.9 liter gasoline, injection |
| P | 4.0 liter gasoline, injection |
| V | 3.5 liter gasoline, Carburetor |
| Y | 2.0 liter petrol, injection |
Position eight identifies the steering wheel and transmission type for all U.S. Land Rover vehicles.
| 0 | (Range Rover Sport) |
| 2 | left wheel, automatic gearbox 5CT (Freelander) |
| 3 | wheel to the right, the automatic gearbox |
| 4 | wheel to the left, automatic gearbox |
| 7 | Right wheel, manual |
| 8 | wheel to the left, manual |
| 9 | (Range Rover Sport) |
| G | left wheel, automatic gearbox 6CT |
The character in position nine is known as the check digit. This character refers to the fractional or decimal result of a mathematical algorithm that transposes the letters and numbers. This allows for the verification of a valid VIN. The ninth character will be a value of 0 to 9 or the letter X.
Position 10 is the year of manufacture. The following codes are used:
| A | 1980, 2010 |
| B | 1981, 2011 |
| C | 1982, 2012 |
| D | 1983, 2013 |
| E | 1984, 2014 |
| F | 1985, 2015 |
| G | 1986, 2016 |
| H | 1987, 2017 |
| J | 1988, 2018 |
| K | 1989, 2019 |
| L | 1990, 2020 |
| M | 1991, 2021 |
| N | 1992, 2022 |
| P | 1993, 2023 |
| R | 1994, 2024 |
| S | 1995, 2025 |
| T | 1996, 2026 |
| U | 1997, 2027 |
| W | 1998, 2028 |
| X | 1999, 2029 |
| Y | 2000, 2030 |
| 1 | 2001, 2031 |
| 2 | 2002, 2032 |
| 3 | 2003, 2033 |
| 4 | 2004, 2034 |
| 5 | 2005, 2035 |
| 6 | 2006, 2036 |
| 7 | 2007, 2037 |
| 8 | 2008, 2038 |
| 9 | 2009, 2039 |
Position 11 identifies the specific factory at which the Land Rover vehicle was built. All U.S. Land Rovers will use one of the following codes.
| A | Solihull, UK (Solihull) |
| H | Heywood, UK (Haywood) |
The remaining characters in positions 12 through 17 are the unique vehicle serial number. Serial numbers are not consecutive and do not indicate an early or late production vehicle. Rather, they are somewhat like a fingerprint that allows for the identification of specifics related to the manufacture and assembly of the vehicle.
Safety and Recalls for Land Rover Cars
Front airbag inflators are recalled for not deploying appropriately in the following models:
- 2016 Land Rover Range Rover and Range Rover Sport vehicles.
A recall was issued for certain engine parts in the v6 supercharged 2015 Range Rover Sport vehicle manufactured November 16, 2014, and one 2015 Range Rover LR4 vehicle manufactured November 11, 2014, which may malfunction and cause engine failure.
Door latch failures affect the following vehicles for which there is a recall:
- 2013-2016 Range Rover vehicles manufactured July 26, 2012, to March 9, 2015.
- 2014-2016 Range Rover Sport vehicles manufactured February 18, 2013, to March 5, 2015.
A hose affecting the vehicle’s ability to brake has been recalled in the following models due to the potential for rupture:
- 2013-2014 Range Rover vehicles manufactured August 16, 2012, to January 8, 2014.
- 2014-2015 Range Rover Sport vehicles manufactured May 7, 2013, to February 12, 2015.
Tire pressure indicator sensors have been known to malfunction and are being replaced by a recall on the following vehicles manufactured September 16, 2013, to June 30, 2014:
- 2014 Range Rover and Range Rover Sport.
- 2013-2014 Range Rover LR4.
Airbag inflators have been recalled in a large number of Land Rover vehicles as exposure to humidity could cause the part to malfunction. Land Rovers affected by the recall include:
- 2012 Land Rover Range Rover vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan) and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A."
- 2009 Land Rover Range Rover vehicles, originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia, or "Zone B."
- 2007-2008 Land Rover Range Rover vehicles originally sold, or ever registered in Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
- 2007-2011 Land Rover Range Rover vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A."
- 2007-2008 Land Rover Range Rover vehicles, originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, or "Zone B."
Front brake hoses are the subject of a recall affecting 2006-2012 Land Rover Range Rover vehicles manufactured April 15, 2005, to September 4, 2012.
A product used on sunroofs may fail and allow the roof to detach, prompting a recall of 2012-2013 Land Rover LR4 vehicles manufactured August 15, 2012, to September 18, 2012.
Land Rover Recalls
Land Rover had 1074 from 1980 to 2024 of which the most recalled model is 1988 Land Rover Range Rover and the least is 2014 Land Rover LR2. Land Rover had the most recalled during 2015.
| Model | Number of Recalls |
|---|---|
| 1988 Land Rover Range Rover #1 with most recalls | 5 |
| 2009 Land Rover Range Rover #2 with most recalls | 4 |
| 1999 Land Rover Discovery #3 with most recalls | 3 |
| 1991 Land Rover Range Rover #4 with most recalls | 3 |
| 2016 Land Rover Discovery Sport #5 with most recalls | 2 |
| 2010 Land Rover LR2 #6 with most recalls | 2 |
| 2006 Land Rover Range Rover #7 with most recalls | 2 |
| 2019 Land Rover Discovery #8 with most recalls | 16 |
| 2016 Land Rover LR4 #9 with most recalls | 1 |
| 2014 Land Rover LR2 #10 with most recalls | 1 |
