Mawwah, N.J. – June 29, 2018 – Jaguar Land Rover North America has recalled almost 2,000 vehicles potentially equipped with defective fuel gauges, according to documentation submitted to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. The campaign affects multiple models across the Land Rover brand, including:

• 2017 Land Rover Range Rover sport utility vehicles produced between Oct. 25, 2016, and Jan. 17, 2017.
• 2017 Land Rover Range Rover Sport SUVs produced between Aug. 30, 2016, and Jan. 20, 2017.
• 2017 Land Rover Discovery SUVs produced between Sept. 28, 2016, and Jan. 10, 2017.

Jaguar suspects all of the vehicles referenced in the action contain the defective parts.

The Defect

Affected models contain fuel gauges that incorrectly indicate low fuel levels. In the event that the defective features misinterpret gasoline levels, sudden engine shut off may occur as the vehicles in question are designed to cease operation when the available fuel range drops below 17 miles. Such an event may increase the likelihood of an accident.

Therefore, Jaguar Land Rover believes the defect poses a serious safety hazard to occupants. However, the British automaker has yet to receive reports connecting the problematic fuel gauges to any accidents or injuries.

Owners of recalled vehicles will see low fuel warning lights prior to engine shut off. In some cases, owners may be able to restart their vehicles and regain motive power following such an event. However, engineers have found that the vehicles never fully regain full operability.

Timeline of Events

In April 2018, the Jaguar Land Rover Product Safety and Compliance Committee received several electronic product quality reports from dealers in the U.S. market outlining instances in which multiple Land Rover models seemed to display incorrect fuel level readings. The group reviewed these reports April 10, 2018, and decided to initiate an official investigation. Throughout April and May 2018, Jaguar engineering personnel tested 2017 Land Rover Range Rover and Discovery models and successfully replicated the issue. Technical specialists also found that the defective fuel gauges initiated engine shut off.

Following this initial inquiry, Jaguar embarked on a more exhaustive root cause investigation. This evaluation revealed that the body control modules installed in the affected vehicles were transmitting incorrect fuel levels to fuel gauges due to misconfigured microcontrollers, which were communicating incorrect fuel levels during their transitions from initialization to sleep-wake mode. The PSCC evaluated these findings May 8, 2018, and moved the issue on to the Jaguar Land Rover Recall Determination Committee.

The RDC reviewed the situation May 17, 2018, and determined that a recall was necessary due to the safety hazard posed by engine condition that accompanies the defect. The automaker informed dealers of the forthcoming recall campaign June 7, 2018.

The Solution

Jaguar Land Rover has directed dealers to install new software in the affected vehicles free of charge, according to an NHTSA recall acknowledgement document. The car manufacturers intends to reach out to owners via first-class mail on or around July 16, 2018. Owners in need of assistance prior to the start of the recall can connect with Jaguar Land Rover customer service representatives by calling (800) 637-6837. Callers should use the internal recall identification code N206. Owners can also contact the NHTSA directly using its Vehicle Safety Hotline at (888) 327-4236.