The only MLA-Flex vehicles from Jaguar Land Rover have been hit with a safety recall over a transmission issue. According to Jaguar Land Rover North America, the clutch plates of the ZF-supplied 8HP had been incorrectly manufactured.
The British automaker highlights that only the hybrid version of the ZF 8HP is affected, meaning that only plug-in hybrids feature incorrectly manufactured clutch plates. In addition to excessive heat and material degradation within the clutch pack, transmission oil contamination is also noted. JLR claims that said problems may result in a blocked hydraulic system, leading to the inability to operate the automatic tranny's clutch pack.
This, in turn, forces the ZF 8HP to shift into neutral without any prior warning, therefore increasing the risk of a crash. The British manufacturer received the first report over said condition back in November 2023. Over in the United States of America, the company is aware of 13 claims and field reports with receipt dates ranging from December 28, 2023 and February 16, 2024.
Thankfully for JLR's legal department, there have been no accidents or injuries as a result of the aforementioned concern. Dealers will have to run a diagnostic test for determining if the clutch packs are operating as intended. Any transmission that fails the diagnostic test will be replaced at no charge whatsoever to affected customers. Owner notifications will be mailed by July 26, 2024.
Regarding the affected vehicles, the grand total is 19 examples of the 2024 model year Range Rover and Range Rover Sport. Based on production records, the vehicles were assembled at JLR's Solihull facility in the United Kingdom between September 4, 2023 and November 9, 2023.
Photo: Land Rover
The part number of the eight-speed automatic transmission is R8E2-7000-AE, whereas the supplier is ZF's Blythe Valley Business Park-based subsidiary. The fourth-generation 8HP is assembled in Germany at ZF's Saarbruecken facility.
Currently the priciest Range Rovers on sale in the US market, the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport are listed as 2025 models at $107,900 and $83,700 before destination charge. Lower down the spectrum, the rear-biased Velar starts at $61,500, whereas the front-biased Evoque is $49,900.
Range Rover and Range Rover Sport customers are presented with a choice between mild- and plug-in hybrid powertrains, beginning with a mild-hybrid sixer. The range-topping engine option is a BMW-sourced V8 with mild-hybrid assistance. Said engine replaces JLR's 5.0L supercharged V8.
Its most powerful application in JLR's lineup to date is the Range Rover Sport SV, which belts out 626 horsepower and 553 pound-feet (750 Nm) of torque. This very engine will carry over to the Land Rover Defender OCTA. When it comes to plug-in hybrids, the P550e is the punchiest of the bunch, for it produces 550 metric ponies (543 horsepower).
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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