Range Rover Transmission Woes: Grinding & Shifting Issues

Hey there! I have some experience working on cars and dealt with a very similar issue on my 2002 Range Rover Sport Hybrid. What you're describing sounds exactly like what I experienced. For me, it turned out to be a defective valve cable connection. The grinding and whining during shifts were the major red flags. Got it fixed at my regular workshop, they diagnosed it pretty quickly since they'd seen this before on Range Rovers. The whole thing cost me about 170 Euro, which wasn't too bad considering how worried I was it might be something worse! Before I share more specific advice, could you tell me if you notice the problem more when the engine is cold or after it's warmed up? Also, have you checked your transmission fluid level recently? Those details would help me confirm if it's the same issue I had. By the way, these symptoms can vary between different Range Rover models, so knowing your exact trim level would be helpful too.

Thanks for the detailed reply! Mine's just hit 53291 KM and had its latest service two months ago. You know, it's interesting you mention the valve cable connection because the grinding is definitely worse when the car's warmed up, especially after about 15-20 minutes of driving. I checked the transmission fluid last week and it looks clean, at the right level too. Could be the same issue as yours, honestly, if it only costs around that much to fix, I'd be pretty relieved! Been dreading it might be something way more expensive. Did your mechanic mention anything about preventative maintenance for this issue?

Hey again! Yeah, those symptoms you're describing sound exactly like what I went through with my Range Rover. Honestly, when I had the same issue, the warm-up behavior was identical, that grinding getting worse after 15-20 minutes was what really made my mechanic zero in on the valve cable connection. Since you asked about preventative maintenance, my mechanic actually gave me some solid advice after fixing mine. He recommended checking the valve cable connections every 25,000 KM or so. It's not part of the regular service schedule, but he said it's worth doing, especially on our hybrid models. Also suggested keeping an eye on the transmission fluid quality, even if it's at the right level, it can degrade faster when these issues pop up. What's interesting is that after I got it fixed, I learned that quite a few other Range Rover owners had similar experiences around the 50-60K mark. You're right at that sweet spot with your mileage. Quick tip though, when I got mine fixed, I also had them do a full transmission diagnostic scan. Only cost a bit extra but gave peace of mind that nothing else was brewing. Might be worth asking about when you take yours in. Would love to hear how it goes when you get it checked out. These hybrids can be tricky, but once you sort these little quirks, they're fantastic cars!

Thanks so much for all this info, it's super helpful! I'm actually feeling way more confident now about getting this fixed. I'll definitely ask about that transmission diagnostic scan when I take it in, seems like a smart extra step. Really good to know about the 25,000 KM check on those valve cable connections too. That's exactly the kind of maintenance tip I was hoping to learn about. You know what's funny? I was literally losing sleep thinking this could be a massive repair bill, so hearing that it's likely this specific issue and relatively affordable is such a relief! I've already called my mechanic and booked it in for next week. They said they're familiar with this problem in Range Rover hybrids, just like you mentioned. Thanks again for taking the time to share your experience. I'll probably check my transmission fluid more regularly now too, even after this gets fixed. You're right, these hybrids are amazing when they're running properly. I'll let you know how it goes after the repair!