Land Rover Recalls Range Rover and Range Rover Sport for Improperly Bonded Body Panels

10 months ago - 31 December 2023, autoevolution

Land Rover's quality woes date back to 1967, the year when Leyland Motors absorbed the Rover Company. The latest recall involving Land Rover involves only a handful of Range Rover and Range Rover Sport vehicles produced for model year 2024.

As it happens, Jaguar Land Rover determined that 29 vehicles may feature misapplied structural adhesive. Think adhesive that's not bonding the body panels together as intended, resulting in reduced structural capability. The British automaker cannot rule out the risk of a fuel leak in the event of a rear-end collision.

JLR became aware of this condition in October 2023 by means of a report from the Solihull assembly plant's trim and final line. Said report alleged that certain components – including a floor panel bearing part number M8E228407AE – were difficult to fit. Subsequent investigations revealed a bead of adhesive in the wrong position on the underside of the bodyshell, which prompted further investigations.

First and foremost, Jaguar Land Rover determined that it's not an isolated matter, therefore issuing a stop-shipment order in early October 2023. The engineering department then performed physical testing, which revealed compromised structural capability. The matter was ultimately progressed to the Recall Determination Committee, which concluded that a safety recall should be conducted.

JLR isn't aware of any warranty claims or field reports related to this concern. The 29 potentially affected vehicles were produced for model year 2024 at Solihull in the period between October 3 and October 13. Dealers will be instructed on January 4 to remedy the problem. In addition to resealing the concerned panel, service technicians also have to install two additional rivets for extra peace of mind.

There will be no charge for this repair. Owner notification letters will be mailed on or before February 9. Owners may contact Jaguar Land Rover North America at 1-800-637-6837 or the NHTSA at 1-888-327-4236 for additional information. The easiest way to find out whether your Range Rover or Range Rover Sport is recalled is to run the 17-character VIN on LR's website or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's website.

Codenamed L460 and L461, the fifth-gen Range Rover and third-gen Range Rover Sport are based on the MLA-Flex vehicle architecture. This platform supports multiple levels of electrification, starting with a 48-volt mild hybrid. The order books for the first-ever Range Rover Electric will open in 2024, yet the zero-emission sport utility vehicle isn't expected to hit dealer lots before 2025. The jury is still out whether this fellow is a 2025 or a 2026 model.

In the meantime, prospective customers are presented with a choice between inline-six and vee-eight muscle. The lesser powerplant can be had as a plug-in hybrid with 550 metric ponies to its name. Dubbed P550e, the plug-in hybrid is listed as fully reserved for the 2024 model year on Land Rover's website.

The same applies to the Range Rover Sport SV Edition One, which is the most powerful Land Rover in production as of December 2023. From a BMW-supplied V8, the $180,300 sport utility vehicle is much obliged to belt out 635 metric horsepower.