19 Common Problems Of A Range Rover Velar (L560)

What kind of problems does a Range Rover Velar usually have? In this blog, we’ve outlined the most important things you should watch for when you’re in the market for a Range Rover Velar. In the rest of the article, we’ll discuss every single problem in detail. Furthermore, we’ll tell you how to identify it, fix it and how much it costs to fix. Read on!

Common problems of a Range Rover Velar are foggy windshields, cracked sunroofs, and door handles that get stuck in colder temperatures. Furthermore, air suspension leaks are widespread, as well as Bluetooth pairing issues and the infotainment screen going blank.

However, that doesn’t tell the whole story. In the rest of the article, we’ll discuss every single problem in detail. Furthermore, we’ll let you know how to identify it, fix it and how much it costs to fix. Read on!

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Interior Issues

1. Cabin Creaking Noises

Over time all cars develop noises that originate from within the cabin. Mostly, it is due to components/screws becoming loose due to vibrations, poor reinstallation of trims after maintenance work, or plain old plastic announcing its age. Whatever the reason, cabin noise is like a fly that constantly keeps on pestering without actually doing any harm.

Before we delve into the various sources of cabin noise and how to locate and mitigate them, the cabin noise is often due to coins/screws/pins in the ashtray or coin holder or an empty can rattling under the seat. So as a first step, look out for these sources and clear them out. After you finish that, a few usual suspects need to be looked at next.

Dashboard Rattling

The dashboard houses quite a bit of wire, electronics, and other elements that feed the display, the steering, and the onboard infotainment systems, so it’s expected to be the source of most cabin noise.

If you hear the dashboard rattle, it could be due to specific driving conditions aggravated over time. Loose parts will vibrate more if you pass by rough terrain, and loose trim parts are often the source of the rattle from the dash. Check for loose screws rattling against the components they are supposed to hold in place.

Check for trims that may not have been tightly put in place after a maintenance task or because of frequent accessing; these no longer fit snugly. The best remedy is to place some padding, Velcro, or foam tape for a tight fit in such situations.

Think I’ve found the location of the rattle!!

With the drivers door closed there is a small gap between the door and protruding dash. If I wedge my hand in that gap the rattle disappears! So, not sure if the door or the dash is the issue. Hope it’s the door!

Source

Noise Due to Loose Fixtures

Elements like the doors, ashtray, and glove compartment, frequently opened and closed, will ultimately become a source of cabin noise. The ashtray guides and the ashtray itself may rub against each other, producing a rattle. Similarly, the glove compartment latch and its hinges will clatter, and the door with its windows, lock system, and speakers/tweeters will produce an orchestra of noise if not taken care of properly.

Fixing these annoying rattle and clatter may not be problematic but locating the source is a test of patience. But once you get rid of them, you will surely enjoy your next ride much more.

2. Seat Belt Automatic Retractors May Deactivate Early

The Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) makes it possible to secure a child seat without using a seat belt locking clip. The Range Rover Velar had a severe issue where the seat belt automatic retractors did not engage properly, which prevented proper installation of the child seat, which increased the risk of injury in case of an accident.

For Velars with this issue (the 2020 – 2021 models), Range Rover issued a recall (21V668000) where dealers would inspect and replace the seat belt assemblies if required, free of charge.

3. Fogged Windshield And Windows

Winter driving has perils, and if your windshield and windows get fogged, the challenge increases. Velar users have complained about condensation and fogging on the windshield and windows affecting visibility. The issue is so intense that even the defogger does not help.

Investigation revealed that this happens because the air inlet door linkages for the ventilation system may detach. It prevents it from clearing internal fogging or condensation of windshields or windows. Range Rover had to recall affected vehicles due to this issue.

The remedy is a software update to control the length of movement of the ventilation actuator arm, which helps remove the condensation inside the cabin. The recall reference number is N143.

Exterior Issues

4. Cracked Sunroof

Whereas Range Rovers Land Rovers are known for jammed or leaky sunroofs, Velar’s owners must deal with cracked sunroofs. Owners have been surprised to discover cracked sunroofs or moonroofs, and they cannot explain the reason for the crack. The crack, if left unattended, invariably expands and then lets water inside the car.

The only remedy is to have it replaced, which costs a bundle, on average, about $1000, including labor.

5. Door Handle Problems

Range Rover Velar has a history of door handle problems and what is annoying is that some owners have reported these within a day of owning the vehicle. In contrast, others have been somewhat lucky to encounter it after a few days to a few months. Let us see what these problems are.

Lack of Lubrication

On a Velar, when you unlock the car, the door handles automatically extract to allow you to enter the vehicle. Once the vehicle starts moving, the handles retract. However, the handles get stuck and do not retract in some cases. It can also happen when you exit the vehicle and lock it. This phenomenon can happen to only one or all door handles.

The door handle will stay open for a while and eventually pop in with an audible thud. Fortunately, it is nothing more than an annoying problem fixed by lubricating the door handle hinge.

Door Extraction and Retraction Issue Due to Cold Weather/Ice Accumulation

It is strange but still shows what can happen if you miss details. To start, the door handle mechanism of Velar is not very sturdy, and to top it, the electric motor that extracts and retracts the door handles is of a smaller capacity than what is required.

In harsh winters, snow can form around door handles that hinder extraction or retraction because once ice accumulates and hardens, the electric motor does not have sufficient horsepower to break the shackles. The way around this is to remotely pre-warm the cabin or spray some ice defroster on door handles, and soon enough, things would be back to normal.

The long-term solution is to spray some polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) spray, which is ideal for use in places where wet lubricants do not work. Spraying PTFE on door handles will help ice to slide off easily. In the video below, you can see how to apply this fix in 10 seconds.

Crooked Handles or Failure of Doors to Open

These are two issues but can be grouped as one because of their origin, and this is the only one that will need part replacement from the dealership.

The first manifestation of this issue is that the door handle fails to extract when unlocking remotely, and it is impossible to open the doors from inside. The other face of this problem is that once the handle retracts, it stands at an angle instead of parallel to the door, as is typical. Both these problems stem from a faulty door handle mechanism.

The door handle replacement is, on average, $332, with parts costing $237 and $95 for labor.

6. Exterior Lighting

One of the features of modern cars is the Auto High Beam (AHB) system which is a very convenient night driving feature. What it does is that the cameras mounted on the windshield wipers detect oncoming traffic, and if there is none, the system automatically switches to a high beam. When any oncoming traffic is detected, it reactivates the low beam.

Jaguar Land Rover recalled many Range Rover, Range Rover Sports, Range Rover Discovery, and Range Rover Velar models because the instrumental panel failed to notify the driver when high beams were illuminated automatically. It incidentally did not meet the requirements of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108 and hence had to be recalled.

The recall number, in this case, is N556, and dealers are required to update the vehicle software free of charge.

Engine Problems

7. Crankshaft Issue

Crankshaft pulley retaining bolt might become damaged in various 2019 models of Range Rover and Land Rover, including Velar, equipped with V6 or V8 engines, resulting in engine failure.

As a result, Land Rover owners were notified about the replacement of the crankshaft center retaining bolt by dealers free of charge.

8. Fuel Leak in Engine Compartment

Many Land Rover 2018 equipped with 2.0 L engines, including Velar, have issues with fuel leaking in the engine compartment. The fuel rail end caps leak, resulting in fuel vapor or liquid fuel leaking into the engine compartment.

Several vehicles were recalled, and fuel rails were replaced by dealers free of cost. The recall number is N138.

Also read: Types Of Gas A Range Rover Velar Takes (Explained)

Transmission Problems

11. Transmission Fault Indication

Transmission problems are never trivial, and this issue is no different. While driving, “Transmission Fault” pops on the instrument panel, followed by “HDC Not Available System Fault,” Adaptive Dynamics Fault,” and “Stability Control Not Available” messages. The car then loses power, and when it stops, it is impossible to change the gear to PARK mode.

Shutting off the engine will allow shifting to PARK, but you cannot change to DRIVE or REVERSE.

After over 2 weeks of trying to isolate the problem, it turned out that the valve assembly body mechatronics/tcm was bad

Source

The only remedy is to change the Transmission Control Module, which costs about $800, including labor.

Suspension Problems

12. Bouncy Ride

The Range Rover Velar has generally been spared of suspension problems that have plagued other modes, notably Range Rover Evoque. However, suspension problems cannot be ignored.

Velar’s owners have reported that the vehicle vibrates excessively while in motion because of the normal wear and tear, which results in a bouncy ride and may reduce the driver’s control over the car. Although worrisome, a scheduled maintenance service quickly resolves the problem.

13. Air Spring Issues

Air Spring Leak

A common suspension problem in all Range Rovers involves air leaking from the air spring. Air may leak because of the wearing out of the rubber on the air springs, which creates holes. Air may also leak because of incorrect installation of the struts or if these fall out of place, puncturing the air springs.

Symptoms of air spring leak bumpy ride, air compressor running non-stop, and sagging of the leaky air spring end. The video below explains how to find these leaks on an LR3, but the process is the same for the Velar.

Leaky springs initially cause the car to sag from the end from where the air leaked. It may lead to the compressor overworking to compensate for the leak, eventually resulting in the compressor failing.

Customer reports warning lamp illuminates combined with a message stating that only normal height is available. When interrogated with diagnostic equipment the following fault codes may be present: C1A20-64, C1131-92

Source

Fault Compressor

A faulty compressor will not be able to adjust the air springs for optimal ride quality—The result is a failed air suspension system. Symptoms of a defective compressor are lowered ride height and whining and grinding sounds when driving. The only remedy is to replace it.

Broken Valve Blocks

The function of valve blocks is to circulate air throughout the suspension system. Several things can happen if these get damaged. Mostly air leaks out from the suspension system leading to vehicle sagging, which sets the compressor into non-stop mode.

The other issue, which leads to immediate damage, is the leaking of excessive air into the compressor. The only remedy is to replace the broken valve blocks. The compressor cost is about $800, while the cost of valve blocks is about $210.

Electronics Issues

Electronics are at the heart of all modern cars’ comfort, safety, and entertainment features. Therefore it should not come as a surprise that many problems car owners encounter have something to do with electrical circuits and electronic gadgets. Range Rover Velar has also been plagued with electrical/electronic problems. A few are listed below.

14. Transmission stuck in PARK condition

Velar owners have found their car’s transmission stuck in PARK out of the blue. It looks like a transmission issue for the unsuspecting, but a faulty brake light switch is to be blamed. The car’s computer detects the faulty bulb, deems the vehicle dangerous to drive, and locks the car in PARK.

The only way forward (or whichever way you want to go) is to replace the faulty bulb. The cost of Velar’s brake light bulb is about $7.00.

15. Overnight Battery Drain

This one has got to be up there with the most frustrating issues. Overnight you park your car, and it refuses to start in the morning. You wonder what happened. You forgot to lock the car, and the infotainment system did not shut down. None of your fault, but this is how Range Range has been designed.

So next time, remember to lock the car. They could have done a better job with Velar’s electrical system design on Range Rover’s part.

16. Bluetooth Pairing Issues

Velar owners have reported Bluetooth pairing and functionality issues for handheld devices. This seems to be a problem with the 2018 – 2022 models.

Some users have complained of not being able to use the phone’s call function when connected; others have pointed out that when connected, initially, the car can use the phone as a source for playing music but is unable to do so after a while. Finally, once discovered by Velar’s Bluetooth, the car’s system can’t forget the device.

If you are experiencing any of these problems, then the only option is to update the software version.

Display Issues

The owner’s struggles with Velar’s central display are nothing new, and Range Rover has failed to get a grip on this problem with issues still popping up in the latest models. Below we list a few of the major recurring problems.

17. Blank Top Screen

If you shut down the top screen, do not tilt it back, and turn off the car’s ignition, the screen will go blank completely. It will be followed by the bottom screen randomly blinking. Once it is in this mode, the problem cannot be rectified, and the only solution is to replace the control unit. The part costs about $1400.

18. All Screens Turning Off

Another central console display issue involves all screens going blank while driving. The driver has no access to information from the vehicle and can be, in some cases, hazardous. Depending on your Velar’s model following are some of the solutions.

If your vehicle has been manufactured before 2020 and equipped with Touch Pro Duo Infotainment System, then software update 18D should solve it unless the central control unit is broken. In that case, you’d need to replace the part.

If you have a newer Range Rover Velar with PIVI or PIVI Pro Infotainment System, and you have this issue, there is no permanent solution. You can try resetting the system 3 to 4 times or shutting off the car and locking it for five or more minutes. But this just temporarily restores the screen. In the video below (even though it’s in the Defender), you can see how to reset this screen in 2020 – 2022 models.

19. The Screen Is Stuck on The Rearview Camera

A software glitch in Velar causes the central console’s screen to get stuck in the rear view camera screen while the lower screen goes blank. It happens while reversing. The solution is to shut off the vehicle and lock the doors until the illuminated red hazard light goes off. It is an indication that the vehicle is asleep.

Once the light goes off, unlock and restart your vehicle, and everything should be working again.