A free, printable 40-point checklist for viewing a used Land Rover Discovery 4 or Discovery 5
This free checklist is two pages, covers 40 practical checks, and is designed to print or use on your phone while you're viewing a Discovery 4 or Discovery 5. It's general viewing guidance only — not a professional inspection, a guarantee of condition, or HMC's approval of a vehicle — but it can help you ask the right questions and spot things worth investigating before you commit.
Illustrative promotional artwork — not a photograph of the actual checklist document.
A low asking price can look attractive, but the purchase price is only part of the cost of owning a Discovery. Missing service history, overdue timing-belt work, worn suspension, DPF issues, water leaks or warning lights can quickly turn a cheap vehicle into an expensive one.
Our free 40-point Discovery 4 and Discovery 5 checklist helps you organise your viewing, ask the right questions and identify items that may need further investigation before you buy.
It is useful whether you are buying privately or from a dealer. It is not a professional inspection or a guarantee of condition, but it can help you avoid overlooking important checks.
If the vehicle is near Chesham, Newtown Garage can discuss a more detailed inspection using suitable diagnostic equipment and workshop facilities. Always agree the inspection scope and cost before booking.
Download the free checklist and take it with you when viewing a Discovery.
The checklist is written for anyone viewing a used Discovery 4 or Discovery 5, whether you're buying privately, from a general used-car dealer, or from a specialist. It's free, ungated — no email, payment or account needed — and suitable for every engine, trim and model year across both generations, though some items apply only where that feature is fitted.
Across two A4 pages, the checklist walks through six practical sections:
Print the checklist or save the PDF to your phone before you set off. Fill in the registration, mileage, seller details and price at the top, then work through each section in order — tick Satisfactory, Investigate Before Buying or Attention Required for each applicable check, and leave anything you can't test blank rather than guessing. Use the notes section at the end to record anything you want to query with the seller or budget for afterwards.
Paperwork and history checks exist because a Discovery's logbook rarely tells the whole story — mileage inconsistencies, unresolved recalls or missing service stamps are often the first sign of a vehicle that hasn't been looked after properly. Timing-belt or timing-chain evidence matters because a snapped belt on an interference engine can write off the engine entirely, yet it's invisible on a casual look. Cold starts reveal issues a warmed-up demonstrator drive can hide, while suspension, brake and underbody checks catch wear and corrosion that affect safety and resale value. Electrics and water-ingress checks matter because damp carpets or intermittent faults are notoriously expensive to trace on both generations of Discovery. A proper road test brings all of this together, surfacing gearbox, drivetrain and steering issues that are easy to miss standing still.
Even with every box ticked, a diagnostic scan and a ramp inspection are still worthwhile. A viewing checklist relies on what can be seen, heard and tested in a short window — it can't replace fault codes read from the vehicle's systems or a proper look underneath on a ramp. Where a result is marked Investigate Before Buying, treat that as a prompt to dig further, not a reason to walk away automatically.
A vehicle that satisfies every check on this list is not guaranteed to be fault-free, and this checklist is not a professional inspection, a warranty, or HMC's approval of any specific vehicle. Requirements vary by model, engine and specification, and a viewing cannot confirm every fault. If you're unsure about any finding, or the vehicle's history and condition can't be fully verified, arrange an independent inspection before you commit to buying.
Free, two pages, 40 checks. No email, payment or account required.
Personal use: download, print and complete for your own private purchase. Except where permitted by law, commercial reuse, resale, republication, rebranding or alteration of the checklist content requires HMC's written permission. Please share this page's link rather than redistributing the PDF elsewhere.
General guidance only: this is not a professional inspection, a guarantee of condition or HMC approval of a vehicle. Requirements vary by model and engine. HMC is independent and is not affiliated with Jaguar Land Rover.
