Land Rover VIN Decoder: How to Read a Range Rover or Defender VIN (SAL)

A Land Rover or Range Rover VIN starts with SAL. Positions 4 and 5 name the model line (GS or KP for Range Rover, WR for Range Rover Sport, YB for Velar, ZJ for Evoque, RG for Discovery, CP or CR for Discovery Sport, EK for the new Defender in our decodes), position 10 is the model year, and position 11 is the plant: A for Solihull, H for Halewood, 2 for Nitra in Slovakia. Decode it on vPIC, then run open recalls, because a few Land Rover campaigns cover suspension and air bag parts you really want fixed.

We ran Land Rover patterns through NHTSA's free vPIC decoder on October 13, 2026, with real check digits, from a 2014 supercharged Range Rover to a 2024 mild-hybrid one. The reason we bother: used Range Rover listings mix up Sport, Velar and full-size models all the time, and the price gap between them is huge. If the 17 positions are new to you, start with how to decode a VIN.

Positions 1-5: SAL and the model code

vPIC lists the maker as Jaguar Land Rover Limited for every SAL pattern we tried; Jaguars from the same company start with SAJ or SAD instead. The fourth and fifth characters were the quickest way to tell the models apart. SALGS decoded to the previous Range Rover (a 2014 Supercharged with a 5.0-liter V8, a 2019 HSE with the AJ126 3.0 six). SALKP decoded to a 2024 Range Rover SE with a 3.0-liter mild hybrid. SALWR was Range Rover Sport, SALYB was Velar, SALZJ was Evoque, SALRG was Discovery, SALCP and SALCR were Discovery Sport, and SALEK was a 2020 Defender 110 with a 2.0-liter four. So a "Range Rover" listing whose VIN starts SALZJ is an Evoque, and it should be priced like one.

Positions 6-8: body and engine

The rest of the middle block carries body, restraint and engine detail. In our runs, a 2018 Discovery returned the AJ126 3.0-liter V6 with all-wheel drive, a 2021 Range Rover Sport HSE Silver Edition returned the AJ20P6 3.0 inline six as a mild hybrid, and a 2020 Evoque returned the AJ20P 2.0 four. That engine field is worth more than the badge on the tailgate, which anyone can buy online. The weak spot: our 2019 Velar pattern decoded the model and plant but no engine, and a 2022 Defender guess returned only the year and plant. When vPIC goes blank, read the door-jamb label and the under-hood emissions label, then match them to the service history.

Positions 9-11: check digit, year and plant

Position 9 is the check digit from 49 CFR 565.15. A cloned VIN copied off a real truck still passes it, so treat it as a typo filter only. Position 10 is the model year: E was 2014, H was 2017, J was 2018, K was 2019, L was 2020, M was 2021, N was 2022 and R was 2024 in our runs. Position 11 is the plant. A came back as Solihull for Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, Velar and Discovery. H came back as Halewood for Evoque and Discovery Sport. 2 came back as Nitra, Slovakia, for the Defender. If the seller swears the Defender was built in England and position 11 says 2, the VIN wins.

Cross-shopping something domestic in the same price band, like a Ford Expedition? Our Ford VIN decoder covers that brand's codes, which follow a completely different layout.

Recalls that matter on a used Land Rover

Run the full VIN, because these campaigns follow build dates. The one we would chase hardest on older trucks is suspension. Recall 25V-514 covers about 121,500 2014-2017 Range Rover and Range Rover Sport SUVs whose front upper knuckle joint may crack and let the suspension arm detach; dealers inspect and add a bracket or replace the knuckle, and owner letters went out May 11, 2026. An earlier campaign, 24V-840, covered about 16,800 2014-2016 Range Rovers for the same failure. Letters only went out this spring, so assume a used one is unrepaired until you see the paperwork.

Newer models have a big air bag campaign. Recall 26V-389 covers about 250,900 2020-2026 Defenders, 2021-2026 Discoverys and 2022-2026 Range Rovers whose driver air bag clockspring connector may corrode so the bag does not deploy; dealers apply a protective gel, and letters went out August 3, 2026. Recall 23V-044 covers about 6,700 2019-2023 SUVs with a blocked cam carrier oil channel that can leak oil, and 26V-599, filed in September 2026, covers a DC-DC converter that can fail and cut drive power across several models. Our post on checking recalls by VIN shows how to look each one up.

History, inspection and price

Car and Driver's Defender page and Range Rover page cover trims and engines by year. Honestly, an air-suspension SUV with a thin service record is a gamble regardless of what the history report says, so budget for a pre-purchase inspection at a shop that knows these trucks. The report still matters for salvage brands, odometer gaps and insurance claims, which come from the DMV, insurer and shop records CARFAX describes as its sources. Pull it yourself; seller PDFs get edited. Buying from a lot? Our dealer buying checklist covers the paperwork. As of mid October 2026, a CARFAX report through us is about $5.50 as a guest or about $4.50 as a member, and a CARFAX plus AutoCheck bundle is about $6.75, against roughly $39.99 to $44.99 at retail. Confirm at checkout. We are a licensed CARFAX and AutoCheck reseller, not affiliated with CARFAX, AutoCheck, or Experian.

Sources

• NHTSA vPIC VIN Decoder
• 49 CFR 565.15 VIN requirements
• NHTSA: Land Rover recall report 25V-514 (front knuckle)
• NHTSA: Land Rover recall report 26V-389 (driver air bag connector)
• NHTSA: JLR recall report 26V-599 (DC-DC converter)
• Car and Driver: Land Rover Defender
• Car and Driver: Range Rover
• CARFAX: Vehicle History Reports