Land Rover recalls 500 Range Rover SUVs over improperly welded seat frame

Land Rover has issued a recall that applies to 500 units of the last-generation Range Rover built during the 2022 and 2023 model years. The SUVs included in the campaign were manufactured with a second-row seat frame whose latch may not have been correctly welded.

Assigned recall number 23V-252 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the recall exclusively affects seven-seater Range Rover models built between February 11 and June 10, 2022. Land Rover notes that the defect is present in 100% of the SUVs being recalled, though it stresses that it’s not aware of accidents, injuries, fires, warranty claims, or field reports related to the problem.

Like many of its predecessors, the last-generation Range Rover came standard with 60/40-split folding rear seats; it’s the bigger part located on the driver’s side of the cabin that’s at the root of the problem. The company explains that “the seat frame may have a latch installed with a defective weld,” meaning the seat isn’t correctly secured even if it’s in the upright position. In turn, this increases the risk of an injury in the event of an accident. Land Rover points out that a warning message appears in the instrument cluster if the seat isn’t properly latched.

Owners of affected SUVs will receive more details about the recall by mail starting on June 2, 2023. It sounds like the fix is fairly simple: Land Rover technicians will inspect the latch and replace the frame if needed. If the welds look fine, no further action is needed.

If this sounds familiar, it’s likely because BMW recalled a handful of 3 Series, X3, and X4 models earlier in 2023 for a very similar issue; in those cars, the front seat frames weren’t properly welded to the seat rails. There’s no relation between the two recalls, however. Although both companies point out that the problem comes from a supplier, they source seats and seat-related parts from different companies.