From Older Range Rover Sports to a Much Bigger Investigation
Last year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) began investigating a front suspension issue in 2014 to 2017 Range Rover Sport SUVs after owners reported cracks in the aluminum steering knuckle. That part is what links the main steering and suspension pieces together, so any fracture there is a big deal. The first investigation covered almost 92,000 vehicles, which eventually led to a recall of over 121,000 Range Rover and Range Rover Sport SUVs.
Now, the investigation is much bigger. NHTSA has moved it up to an Engineering Analysis and is now looking at both the Range Rover Sport and the full-fat Range Rover from 2014 through 2022. That means over 330,000 vehicles are under review.
Land Rover
What Exactly Is Failing
The reason for the bigger investigation? According to NHTSA documents, more reports have come in, and it turns out newer models use almost the same steering knuckle design. In fact, two of the latest complaints were about 2020 and 2021 Range Rovers, so this isn’t just an old SUV problem.
The main issue is cracks forming at the point where the upper control arm connects to the steering knuckle. If that spot breaks, the upper suspension arm can actually come loose.
That’s when things get serious. If the upper suspension arm separates, you could lose control of the vehicle. This isn’t just about a rough ride or weird noises – it’s a real risk to steering and safety.
So far, investigators have found 236 unique cases after sorting through owner and manufacturer reports. There’s been one crash linked to the problem, but no injuries or deaths have been reported.
Land Rover
What Owners Should Do
If you own a 2018-2022 model Range Rover, there’s no recall yet. This is still just an investigation, not a recall notice. It may or may not lead to a recall, depending on what the NHTSA discovers.
Still, if you hear clunks from the front, notice steering feels off, or get sudden alignment problems or noises when turning, don’t ignore them. Those could be early signs of suspension trouble. If you have an older Range Rover, check if it’s already under recall 25V514.
For now, NHTSA is still determining whether this problem is bigger than they thought and whether more Range Rover owners could be at risk.
About the author
Jacob Oliva
Senior Editor, Autoblog