Range Rover Sport L494 buying guide

2013 to 2022. An L494 suits a buyer who wants a fast, comfortable SUV and will check the engine history and recalls carefully.

Big jobs

3.0 TDV6 crankshaft. Crankshaft failure is reported on the 3.0 diesel, as on the earlier 2.7, with causes including weak spots in the crank, misplaced bearing shells and oil starvation. One owner faced a 22,500 pound engine bill.
Power loss, DPF and battery drain. Power loss can be a vacuum leak, an airflow sensor or the catalyst, the DPF can block, and battery drain is common. Early SDV6s were recalled for a cable chafing on a pipe.
Front differential fluid. The front diff fluid should be changed every 40,000 miles; low fluid wears the diff and shows as a whine at steady speed.
Air suspension and front arm bushes. A wonky ride height with a warning light suggests an air suspension fault, and a front knock at low speed is usually the lower arm bushes.

Parking brake and brake hose recall. The parking brake actuator can fault and stop the brake releasing, which wrecks the discs. Petrol 3.0 and 5.0 V8 cars were recalled for brake vacuum hoses that could chafe and rupture.
Tailgate and sunroof leaks, door latches. The tailgate and sunroof can leak from poor sealing, parking sensors are vulnerable to water, and doors can stay unlocked. A 2015 recall covered non latching doors on cars built March 2012 to May 2015.
Electrics and airbag recalls. Reported electrical faults include windows, remote locking, mirror adjustment, touchscreen, indicators and the head up display. Recalls covered passenger airbags, seatbelt pretensioners and a blank virtual display.

Researched 2026-11-05. General guidance from owner and specialist sources. Check the specific car with an independent inspection.