2012 LAND ROVER RANGE ROVER SPORT

Typical onset: 60,000-100,000 mi

Symptoms: rattling on cold start that disappears when warm, metallic grinding from front of engine, check engine light with cam/crank correlation codes, sudden loss of power or complete engine seizure

Fix: The 5.0L V8 suffers from poorly-designed plastic timing chain guides and tensioners that disintegrate. Fragments get sucked into oil pickup, starving the engine. Often discovered only after catastrophic damage to bearings, pistons, and cylinder walls. Requires complete engine rebuild or replacement. Expect 40-60 hours labor for rebuild, 20-25 hours for used engine swap. Many engines are grenaded beyond rebuild when this fails.

Estimated cost: $12,000-22,000

Typical onset: 70,000-110,000 mi

Symptoms: transmission slipping or harsh shifts, milky/pink transmission fluid, overheating transmission, coolant loss with no external leaks, strawberry milkshake appearance in coolant reservoir

Fix: Internal failure of the transmission oil cooler inside the radiator allows coolant and ATF to mix. Once cross-contamination occurs, the transmission is typically destroyed and requires replacement or rebuild. Must replace radiator, flush entire cooling system, and rebuild/replace transmission. This is a total-loss scenario if not caught immediately. 18-24 hours labor for full repair.

Estimated cost: $6,500-11,000

Typical onset: 80,000-120,000 mi

Symptoms: whining or grinding noise from front of engine that increases with RPM, loss of boost pressure, reduced power output, belt squealing, check engine light with boost-related codes

Fix: The Eaton supercharger develops bearing wear in the snout, and the rubber coupler that connects it to the crankshaft deteriorates. Requires supercharger removal and rebuild or replacement. Can also damage the crankshaft snout if coupler fails completely. 12-16 hours labor for removal and rebuild, more if crankshaft is damaged.

Estimated cost: $3,500-6,500

Typical onset: 70,000-130,000 mi

Symptoms: suspension height errors on dash, vehicle sagging on one corner overnight, compressor running excessively, hissing from suspension, harsh ride or bottoming out

Fix: Air springs develop leaks, air lines crack at fittings, and the compressor overworks itself to death trying to compensate. Often multiple components fail in succession. Air spring replacement is 2-3 hours each corner, compressor is 3-4 hours. Many owners convert to coil springs to escape the cycle, but it affects ride quality and resale value.

Estimated cost: $1,200-3,500

Typical onset: 60,000-100,000 mi

Symptoms: coolant puddles under vehicle, coolant smell in cabin or engine bay, overheating, visible coolant weeping from front of engine, low coolant warning

Fix: The plastic thermostat housing and water pump develop leaks. The 5.0L V8 requires removing the supercharger to access the water pump, making this an expensive job. Thermostat housing cracks at the crossover pipe. Always replace both together when doing this job, along with all hoses. 8-12 hours labor due to supercharger removal.

Estimated cost: $2,000-3,500

Typical onset: 80,000-120,000 mi

Symptoms: fuel smell inside vehicle or in garage, visible fuel staining on top of tank, check engine light with fuel system codes, hard starting when tank is low, fuel gauge erratic readings

Fix: The fuel pump mounting flange develops cracks and leaks (subject of NHTSA recall but not all vehicles were properly fixed). Fuel pump itself can fail. Requires dropping the tank. 4-6 hours labor. If not caught, creates fire hazard and fuel starvation issues.

Estimated cost: $800-1,800

Typical onset: 90,000-140,000 mi

Symptoms: clunking from underneath when shifting from park to drive, grinding or whining from center or rear of vehicle, metallic shavings in differential fluid, binding in tight turns, 4WD system faults on dash

Fix: Transfer case chain stretch and bearing failures occur, especially if fluid service was neglected. Rear differential can develop bearing or gear failures. Both require removal and rebuild or replacement. Transfer case is 8-10 hours, rear diff is 6-8 hours. Catastrophic failures destroy internal components requiring full replacement.

Estimated cost: $3,000-6,500