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HV Battery Fire Risk — Under-Torqued Busbar Bolt
No owner-observable symptom prior to failure; potential HV battery arcing or smoke; vehicle fire.
Catastrophic2023
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Range Rover Sport PHEV recall 24V380 — clutch defect causes sudden loss of drive. Does your P460e or P550e qualify under California lemon law?
The 2023-2026 Range Rover Sport PHEV — sold as the P460e and P550e — pairs a 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged inline-six with a 105 kW electric motor and a 31.8 kWh high-voltage battery. On paper it delivers hypercar straight-line performance, 40-plus miles of electric range, and the same elevated cabin as the gas Sport. In practice, owners of the PHEV generation have encountered a transmission that can strand them on the highway, a high-voltage battery with a confirmed fire-risk recall, and a recurring engine oil leak from the same Ingenium I6 engine shared with the gas variants — plus seven additional recalls covering lights, body structure, and interior safety. NHTSA recall 24V380 is the headline concern for PHEV buyers: out-of-specification clutch plates inside the hybrid transmission can overheat, contaminate hydraulic fluid, and shift the transmission into neutral without warning while the vehicle is moving. For owners in California, any of these defects — alone or combined — may support a lemon-law buyback or replacement under the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act.
The issues owners report most, ranked by severity — each one verified against a cited NHTSA source.
No owner-observable symptom prior to failure; potential HV battery arcing or smoke; vehicle fire.
Transmission unexpectedly shifts into neutral while driving; vehicle will not move under power; transmission fault warning may appear; jerky power delivery before failure.
Oil leak visible beneath vehicle or in engine bay; burning oil smell; oil warning light may illuminate; potential smoke from engine compartment.
Rearview camera and 3D surround-view camera images disappear or fail to display during or after driving; warning message may appear; camera may recover on restart.
Extremely loud engine cooling fan (reported >80 dB) activates when vehicle is plugged into a standard household outlet or low-output EVSE for AC charging; fan runs continuously and loudly for hours during charge cycle.
Right-side brake lights, turn signals, reversing lights, and marker lights fail to illuminate; warning message for lamp failure on instrument cluster.
A settled Margarian Law case on this exact model, published with the actual settlement math.
Open any defect for the symptoms and why it matters for a California lemon-law claim. Each is tied to a cited NHTSA source.
No owner-observable symptom prior to failure; potential HV battery arcing or smoke; vehicle fire.
Even affecting 1 unit, an HV battery fire risk recall on a PHEV supports a safety-related nonconformity argument. If the vehicle was repurchased/replaced under recall remedy, that repair visit counts toward lemon-law repair attempts.
Full HV battery pack replacement (recall remedy under NHTSA 23V568).
Transmission unexpectedly shifts into neutral while driving; vehicle will not move under power; transmission fault warning may appear; jerky power delivery before failure.
Sudden loss of drive at speed is a safety defect. If transmission was replaced or multiple repair attempts made within the lemon-law period, this is a strong qualifying defect. The hybrid transmission is a unique PHEV component.
Transmission inspection and replacement as necessary (recall remedy under NHTSA 24V380).
Oil leak visible beneath vehicle or in engine bay; burning oil smell; oil warning light may illuminate; potential smoke from engine compartment.
Fire risk from engine oil leak on a PHEV — where the HV battery is co-located in the chassis — is a qualifying safety nonconformity. Counts as a repair attempt if the vehicle was brought in under this recall.
Dealer replaces oil filter housing, filter element, and o-rings (recall remedy under NHTSA 24V450).
Rearview camera and 3D surround-view camera images disappear or fail to display during or after driving; warning message may appear; camera may recover on restart.
Loss of federally mandated rearview camera is a safety defect and a FMVSS noncompliance. Strong lemon-law claim if unresolved or recurrent after repair.
Dealer replaces NFSM module (recall remedy under NHTSA 24V678).
Extremely loud engine cooling fan (reported >80 dB) activates when vehicle is plugged into a standard household outlet or low-output EVSE for AC charging; fan runs continuously and loudly for hours during charge cycle.
A PHEV that emits excessive noise during its primary charging function is a functional nonconformity. If software update does not resolve the issue, repeated dealer visits can count toward lemon-law thresholds.
HVAC software update via JLR SDD diagnostic tool or OTA update (TSB SSM76080).
Right-side brake lights, turn signals, reversing lights, and marker lights fail to illuminate; warning message for lamp failure on instrument cluster.
Inoperative brake lights are a safety defect and FMVSS 108 noncompliance. ~4,347 units affected — significant population. Qualifies as a safety-related repair attempt if vehicle was brought in under this recall.
Dealer replaces right-side tailgate and body-mounted light assemblies (recall remedy under NHTSA 23V871).
Second-row center armrest storage compartment lid will not stay latched or pops open on its own; loose objects may fly forward in a hard stop or crash.
Interior safety restraint nonconformity (FMVSS 201). ~2,749 Range Rover Sport units affected. Repair visit counts toward lemon-law total if done within the lemon period.
Dealer replaces latch locking arm with revised design and material (recall remedy under NHTSA 23V324).
Panoramic sunroof side finisher trim piece separates from the roofline while driving; may strike following vehicles or pedestrians.
Ongoing open recall (remedy still in development as of Jun 28, 2026). An unresolved recall with no available fix means the vehicle remains in a nonconforming state — directly supports a lemon-law claim for 2023-2026 PHEV owners.
Dealer inspects and secures panoramic sunroof side finisher trim at no charge (recall remedy under NHTSA 26V097).
open
Panoramic sunroof side finisher trim was not properly secured during production and can detach while driving.
closed
A silicon chip inside the Near Field Sensing Module (NFSM) is missing thermal interface material. Without proper heat dissipation, the module enters reset mode and the 3D surround/rearview camera images stop displaying.
closed
Incorrect specification plastic used in the oil filter housing cracks over time with normal vehicle use, allowing engine oil to leak into the engine compartment.
closed
Clutch plates inside the hybrid transmission were manufactured outside specification. Substandard plates cause excessive heat buildup, material degradation, and transmission oil contamination that blocks the hydraulic system.
closed
Moisture accumulates inside the right-side tailgate and body-mounted lamp assemblies, causing those lights to fail.
closed
Body panels were improperly bonded during production, reducing the vehicle's structural strength.
closed
A bolt connecting the HV battery busbar to the battery module connector was not tightened to the required clamp force at the assembly plant. The under-torqued joint can arc and generate excessive heat, potentially puncturing the battery casing.
closed
Second-row seat armrest storage compartment latch may fail due to substandard material specification and design, preventing the lid from staying latched.
Every item below comes from this vehicle's documented defects. The more you recognize, the more a free case review is worth your time.
California's Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act applies to new and certified pre-owned vehicles purchased or leased in California. It requires the manufacturer to repurchase or replace your vehicle if a warranty defect substantially impairs its use, value, or safety and cannot be fixed after a reasonable number of attempts.
For a safety defect — such as sudden loss of drive from the hybrid transmission, or an HV battery fire risk — California law presumes a reasonable number of attempts has been exceeded after just two repair visits for the same issue. For non-safety defects, the presumption is four attempts or 30 cumulative days out of service.
An open recall with no available remedy (Recall 26V097, panoramic sunroof trim) means the vehicle is in a legally nonconforming state. Every visit where the dealer cannot perform the recalled repair is a documented attempt.
If you win, you are entitled to a full refund — purchase price, taxes, fees, and financing costs, less a usage offset — or a comparable replacement. The manufacturer is required to pay your attorney's fees. This is a general summary of California law and is not legal advice; the outcome of any specific claim depends on your repair history and vehicle documentation.
“Could not duplicate” doesn't mean the defect isn't real. Here's exactly what to do to protect a potential California lemon-law claim.
Document the moment it happens. Photos, video, and screenshots of any warning lights — with the date and the mileage.
Get a repair order every visit — even “found nothing.” That paperwork is the foundation of a claim.
Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Note any recall that has no available remedy yet.
Track your out-of-service days. California law counts the cumulative days your vehicle spends in the shop.
Keep loaner & rental records. Alternate-transport paperwork during long repairs matters.
Save everything in one place. Symptoms, dates, repair orders, and every repeat visit — the intermittent ones especially.
PHEV owners face an additional challenge: hybrid system failures are harder for dealers to replicate because they often depend on specific driving or charging conditions. Here is how to protect your claim:
1. For the transmission (recall 24V380): describe the exact circumstances — speed, driving mode (EV, Hybrid, Sport), battery state of charge at the moment of failure. Write this down before arriving at the dealer and get it on the repair order.
2. For the charging fan noise (TSB SSM76080): bring the vehicle with a low state of charge and a Level 1 or slow Level 2 cable. Ask the service advisor to plug it in during the inspection period and document the noise level on the repair order. Reference SSM76080 specifically.
3. For any HV battery or electrical fault: ask for every DTC (Diagnostic Trouble Code) stored in both the HV battery management system and the PHEV control module. Get the printout — do not accept a verbal 'all clear.'
4. For the sunroof trim recall (26V097): the remedy is still under development as of June 2026. Ask the dealer to document in writing that the recall is open, no remedy is available, and your VIN is in the affected range. This is a documented, unresolved safety nonconformity.
5. Track every date in and out of the dealer, every loaner car, and every repair order. California lemon law counts days out of service — 30 cumulative days triggers the presumption. Parts sourcing delays for PHEV-specific components (transmission, HV battery) routinely exceed 30 days.
6. If your transmission was replaced under recall 24V380, that repair visit counts toward your lemon-law repair total. Keep the repair order showing what was replaced.
The Range Rover Sport PHEV L461 is a technology showcase with a recall portfolio that demands scrutiny. The hybrid transmission clutch recall (24V380) is the issue most likely to affect a current owner: sudden loss of drive at speed from a manufacturing defect in a vehicle's core drivetrain is about as serious as lemon-law defects get. Compound that with an open sunroof recall (26V097) that has no remedy as of mid-2026, a fire-risk engine oil recall that shares its I6 engine with the gas Sport, and a charging fan so loud owners have measured it above 80 dB — and you have a vehicle that has cost some owners far more aggravation than its premium price tag implied. If your PHEV Sport has been to the dealer for any of these issues, knowing your rights costs nothing.
— The Margarian Law team
If your 2023-2026 Range Rover Sport PHEV (P460e or P550e) has had the hybrid transmission replaced, been in for a recall repair, or has an open recall with no available remedy — or if you have spent cumulative time waiting at the dealer for PHEV-specific parts — your repair history may qualify under California's lemon law. A free case evaluation takes about 15 minutes and costs you nothing unless we win.
Yes. NHTSA recall 24V380 (JLR campaign N903) covers 2024 Range Rover Sport PHEV units built between September 4 and November 9, 2023. The clutch plates inside the hybrid transmission were manufactured outside of specification. Substandard plates build up excessive heat during operation, degrade, and contaminate the transmission's hydraulic fluid. Once the hydraulic circuit is blocked, it cannot actuate the clutch pack, and the transmission shifts to NEUTRAL — leaving the vehicle unable to move under its own power. The remedy is dealer inspection and transmission replacement as necessary at no charge. Owners reported loss of drive at under 5,000 miles; if your transmission was replaced, that visit counts as a lemon-law repair attempt.
No. Jaguar Land Rover issued Technical Service Bulletin SSM76080 in September 2023 specifically for this problem on 2023MY L461 PHEV models. The engine cooling fan runs at full speed during AC (plug-in) charging with a low-output home charger or Level 1 EVSE — creating noise owners have measured above 80 dB — because the HVAC software incorrectly commanded maximum fan speed during slow charging cycles. The fix is an HVAC software update applied by the dealer via JLR's SDD diagnostic equipment, or delivered over the air if eligible. If the software update has been applied and the fan noise persists, or if you have returned for the same complaint more than once, those visits can contribute to a California lemon-law claim.
Yes, though it affected only 1 confirmed US unit. NHTSA recall 23V568 (JLR N786) covers a single 2023MY Range Rover Sport PHEV built on February 8, 2023. A bolt connecting the HV battery busbar to the battery module connector was not tightened to the required clamp force at the Solihull plant. The under-torqued joint can generate an electrical arc, create excessive heat, and — in the worst case — puncture the HV battery casing and cause a vehicle fire. The remedy is full HV battery pack replacement. If your 2023 Range Rover Sport PHEV has not had this checked, confirm with your dealer whether your VIN is affected.
Yes. NHTSA recall 23V871 (JLR N830) covers approximately 4,347 2023MY Range Rover Sports — including PHEV variants — built between July 1 and November 30, 2022. Moisture accumulates inside the right-side tailgate and body-mounted lamp assemblies because of inadequate housing seals. The result is failure of the right-side brake light, outer marker, reversing, and turn indicator lights — an FMVSS 108 noncompliance that reduces vehicle visibility and increases crash risk. Owners often discover the problem when another driver or a police officer points it out. The remedy is dealer replacement of the right-side tailgate and body-mounted light assemblies at no charge.
Yes. NHTSA recall 26V097 (JLR D095), issued February 2026, covers approximately 178 combined Range Rover and Range Rover Sport units from 2023 through 2026 model years, including PHEV variants. The panoramic sunroof side finisher trim was not properly secured during production and can detach at speed, becoming a projectile and road hazard. As of June 2026, Land Rover has not released a final remedy — interim owner letters were mailed April 21, 2026, but no dealer repair procedure is available. Under California lemon law, an open recall with no available fix means your vehicle is currently in a nonconforming state; every dealer visit where the repair cannot be performed is a documented attempt toward your claim.
Potentially yes. Under California's Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act, a transmission replacement performed under recall 24V380 counts as a repair attempt for a safety defect — the same defect that caused sudden loss of drive. If the transmission failure recurs after that replacement, or if you had additional unrelated safety defects (tail lamp failure, battery warning, oil leak) that required additional dealer visits during the warranty period, the cumulative repair history may satisfy the lemon-law threshold. California also applies a 30-day out-of-service presumption: if your vehicle spent 30 or more cumulative days at the dealer — including time waiting for a transmission to arrive — that alone can establish a claim. Keep every repair order and loaner agreement. Whether your specific situation qualifies depends on your complete repair history; this is not legal advice.
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