2003 Land Rover Discovery problems
NHTSA has received 69 complaints about the 2003 Land Rover Discovery, and 29% of them involve engine. After that come brakes (13%) and drivetrain & axles (13%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 69 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Engine 29% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 12 and 4
- Injuries and deaths
- 4 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 73,000 miles 59 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 5 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 4 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 7 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 15 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 10 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 10 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 4 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 2 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 2 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Among the 59 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 73,000 miles. For engine specifically, the median reported mileage is about 97,000 miles (19 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 12 complaints mention a crash; 4 complaints mention a fire; 4 injuries reported. Its complaints are more severe on average than those of 85% of model years in our database.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2003 ranks 8th most-complained-about out of 11 model years of the Land Rover Discovery with enough data (24 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 1 safety recall campaign.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 land rover discovery. While driving 2 MPH and making a right turn, the vehicle accelerated without warning. As a result, it crashed into a curb, drove over the sidewalk, and into the street. The brake pedal was applied and the vehicle stopped. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer (land rover paramus, 405 nj-17, paramus, nj), but no failure codes were located. The vehicle was not repaired. A police report was filed.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 land rover discovery. While the contact's spouse was driving 45 MPH around a curve, the vehicle hydroplaned, left the road, and crashed into a culvert and a highway sign. The vehicle rolled over multiple times. The contact stated that the anti-lock braking system warning indicator was illuminated. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained injuries to the spine, which required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic.
Oil pump failure. Land rover issued a technical advisory to all of their dealers in march 2003 warning that due to a manufacturers defect in the engine block dowels being misdrilled where oil pump housing is mounted, that the misalignment causes the oil pump housing to be stressed eventually causing the oil pump to fail. The only effective repair is to replace the engine. I purchased this vehicle in 2006 which had come off lease.
Purchased land rover discovery less then a month ago, since then the dash board looks like a christmas tree with the number of warning lights that are on. Was told by the dealer that the ABS modulator was out and it would $3500.00 just for the part, even though I researched it and found a repair kit for under a $100. However, the most recent warning light is the oil light and the car over heats in a very short amount of time, and knocks and bings.