Error Messages and Warning Lights in Land Rover and Jaguar Cars

Although Land Rover and Jaguar vehicles are premium quality and very good to drive, they can hardly be called reliable cars. The number of common problems is just astonishing and people keep reporting new issues once every new model enters the market.

That's why I managed to gather quite a lot of stats about the common issues. And in this article, I will tell you about the most common error messages and warning lights you may see in Land Rover and Jaguar vehicles. Also, I will share quick ideas on the reasons and possible fixes for these problems.

And I will give you links for better understanding the nature of a certain problem and finding proper fixes.

"Restricted Performance" message in Land Rover

The "Restricted Performance" warning in your Land Rover or Jaguar car means that the electronic control systems have found some problem with sensors and actuators in your powertrain. To avoid engine or transmission damage, the computer has limited the power and speed of your car.

This message basically tells you that the vehicle is now in limp mode and you should carefully and slowly drive it to the nearest dealership. So, this message doesn't tell you about a certain problem. You will need to use the scanner and also look at other warnings on the dash to understand what's going wrong.

Restricted performance message highlights:

• Common reasons:fault codes in the ECU, powertrain problems
• How to fix:read the codes, look at other warnings
• Possible consequences:engine loses power, engine may stall
• Priority level:High
• Can you drive?Carefully
• DIY repair:Impossible
• Repair price range:$200-$1,500

"Charging System Fault" message in Land Rover

Both Land Rover and Jaguar brands use the same engines, so this message may appear on the dashboards of both brands.

If you see the "Charging System Fault" error message, there is a high chance that the problem is with one of these three units: alternator, 12V battery, and wiring. Also, it's pretty rare but possible that the voltage regulator may fail.

So, this message means that the battery doesn't get the proper charging voltage and is going down. If you ignore the message, the battery will die and you will get stranded.

Also, checking the voltage of the battery itself is important. Because sometimes the dying battery may trigger this message by fooling the computer into thinking that the actual problem is in the alternator.

Charging system fault message highlights:

• Common reasons:alternator, battery, or wiring problems
• How to fix:check the voltage in various conditions, charge the battery
• Possible consequences:when battery dies, you will get stranded
• Priority level:High
• Can you drive?Yes
• DIY repair:Possible but may be complicated
• Repair price range:$150-$800

"Low Battery, Please Start Engine" message in Land Rover

It's not that uncommon for Land Rover or Jaguar owners to see a pretty weird message on their dashes saying "Low Battery, Please Start Engine". This means that the system registers poor battery voltage and tries to save the battery from completely degrading by applying the alternator's power.

This usually may happen after the car has been inactive for several days or even weeks. The message will pop up before the engine is started. But it may also attack you suddenly when the battery is about to die.

When this happens, I would also check the alternator and see if it produces the proper voltage to charge the battery.

Low battery, please start engine message highlights:

• Common reasons:alternator or battery problems
• How to fix:check the voltage in various conditions, charge the battery, replace the battery
• Possible consequences:when battery dies, you will get stranded
• Priority level:High
• Can you drive?Yes
• DIY repair:Possible
• Repair price range:$150-$300

"Gearbox Fault" message in Land Rover

This is one of the scariest error messages you can get in a premium car. Replacing the transmission in a Jaguar or Land Rover may cost you a fortune. So, whenever you see the "Gearbox Fault" message in these vehicles, you may experience the worst moments in your driver's experience.

But the gearbox fault warning very often pops up in these vehicles because of other problems like shifter assembly issues, various sensors being faulty, or software issues. I can't say that Land Rover and Jaguar cars have great transmissions but the message still may warn you about other things, not the transmission death.

Proper inspection is needed and ignoring this problem is not a wise solution.

Gearbox fault message highlights:

• Common reasons:shifter issues, TCU problems, transmission issues
• How to fix:check the codes, take it in for inspection
• Possible consequences:transmission may fail if ignored
• Priority level:High
• Can you drive?Carefully
• DIY repair:Impossible
• Repair price range:$300-$4,500

"Park Brake Requires Calibration" message in Land Rover

When you see the "Park Brake Requires Calibration" message on the dash of your Land Rover or Jaguar, there is a high chance that the parking brake control module is having a problem. Usually, this is not a serious problem and you can solve it just by disconnecting the battery for 5-7 minutes and letting it reset.

But if this doesn't help, you should also check the battery voltage. If the battery is OK, there is a chance that the electric parking brake motor is malfunctioning. Now, this is a bad thing if your park brake is activated and the car can't move.

In this case, you will need the car to be towed to a good mechanic who will inspect the vehicle and solve the issue.

Park brake requires calibration message highlights:

• Common reasons:battery issues, parking brake control module problems, parking brake motor issues
• How to fix:disconnect the battery for some time, check the battery voltage
• Possible consequences:car may not move as the EPB will be locked
• Priority level:High
• Can you drive?Only if the EPB isn't activated
• DIY repair:Impossible
• Repair price range:$250-$1,500

"Blind Spot Sensor Blocked" message in Land Rover

There are two possible reasons why you see the "Blind Spot Sensor Blocked" message in Land Rover or Jaguar vehicles.

The first reason is the actual blockage. In this case, the parking aid may also not be working and the adaptive cruise control may malfunction or refuse to work. Just clean the rear bumper carefully and you'll be fine.

The second option is the glitch in the software that LR hasn't managed to tackle yet. All you have to do is turn off the blind spot monitoring and the reverse traffic detection functions in your vehicle and then turn them on again. The problem should vanish after that.

Blind spot sensor blocked message highlights:

• Common reasons:blocked rear sensors, software glitch
• How to fix:clean bumper, turn off and on BSM and RTD functions
• Possible consequences:BSM and rear traffic detection won't be working
• Priority level:Low
• Can you drive?Yes
• DIY repair:Possible
• Repair price range:$0

"Suspension Fault, Normal Height Only" message in Land Rover

If you see the "Suspension Fault, Normal Height Only" message in a Jaguar or Land Rover vehicle, it's not hard to understand that the issue is with the air suspension.

In most cases, you will have just a simple little issue like a clip on one of the air lines failing and having a leak. But in some cases, the exhaust valve in the compressor may feel bad and require replacement.

While some compressors in LR and Jaguar cars are rebuildable, others require replacement. This will significantly affect the eventual price of the repair.

Suspension fault, normal heigh only message highlights:

• Common reasons:air lines leaking, compressor valves leaking
• How to fix:good inspection and professional repair only
• Possible consequences:the car may eventually fall to the minimal ride height
• Priority level:High
• Can you drive?Carefully
• DIY repair:Impossible
• Repair price range:$300-$2,500