2003 LAND ROVER DISCOVERY Complaints

SINCE BUYING OUR LAND ROVER DISCOVERY IN FEBRUARY 2004 WE'VE EXPERIENCED NUMEROUS RECALLS AND PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR. FORTUNATELY, IT IS STILL UNDER THE MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY. THE PROBLEM OF CONCERN AT THIS POINT IN TIME IS AS FOLLOWS: WHEN BRAKING, THE LAND ROVER WOULD OCCASIONALLY LURCH FORWARD A LITTLE BIT...ALMOST JUMPING. ON OCT. 28, 2005 AT APPROXIMATELY 2:45 PM I PULLED OUT OF MY SUBDIVISION ONTO 180TH ST. IN ELKHORN, NE. I WAS HEADING SOUTH TOWARDS A STOP LIGHT AT THE JUNCTION OF 180TH ST. AND PACIFIC. THERE WHERE NUMEROUS CARS STOPPED AT THE LIGHT. I BELIEVE THE LIGHT HAD TURNED GREEN AND CARS WERE BEGINNING TO MOVE, BUT I WAS STILL BRAKING SLOWLY STARTING TO MOVE FORWARD AS THE CARS IN FRONT OF ME BEGAN TO MOVE. I FELT MY LAND ROVER LURCH FORWARD AND MY BODY WAS IMMEDIATELY PRESSED BACK INTO MY SEAT. AT THAT POINT THE LAND ROVER MADE IMPACT WITH A PIECE OF TORO IRRIGATION MACHINERY BEING TOWED BY THE VAN IN FRONT OF ME AND MY BODY WAS THROWN FORWARD. I WAS WEARING MY SEAT BELT. MY AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. THERE WAS OVER $7700 WORTH OF DAMAGE DONE TO THE FRONT OF THE LAND ROVER. *JB

I HAVE A 2003 DISCOVERY II AND THE ABS MODULATOR IS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THREE MAIN LIGHTS ILLUMINATING CONSTANTLY AND THEY ARE TRACTION CONTROL, ABS AND HILL DESCENT CONTROL, WHEN THE LIGHTS ILLUMINATE IN AMBER COLOR WHILE I'M DRIVING I HAVE NO USE OF TRACTION CONTROL AND ABS ALSO MY BRAKES DON'T WORK WELL. *NM

WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKES THE CONSUMER NOTICED THAT BOTH PEDALS WERE CLOSE TOGETHER. THIS CAUSED THE CONSUMER TO APPLY THE BRAKE PEDAL OR THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BY MISTAKE. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS DESIGNED THAT WAY BY THE MANUFACTURER. *AK *SC

WE WERE APPROACHING THE TOLL BOOTHS FROM THE MASS PIKE AND MY HUSBAND LOOKED AT ME AND ASKED ME WHY WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY BRAKES. I FREAKED OUT AND DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN. WE WERE SURROUNDED BY CARS AND APPROACHING THE TOLL BOOTH VERY QUICKLY. WE WERE ABLE TO SLOW DOWN BEFORE WE CRASHED, BUT WE WERE AND NOW ARE VERY NERVOUS ABOUT DRIVING THIS VEHICLE NOT KNOWING IF THIS WILL OCCUR AGAIN. THE DEALERSHIP FIXED IT OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS AND SAID THAT A SECONDARY AIR INJECTION VALVE STUCK OPEN CAUSING HOT EXHAUST GASES TO FLOW THROUGH PIPES, AND MELTED VACUUM LINE TO MASTER CYLINDER. WE CALLED LAND ROVER COMPANY AND TOLD THEM ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD RESEARCH IT TO SEE IF THIS PROBLEM HAD EVER OCCURED WITH ANY OTHER VEHICLE. THEY RETURNED OUR CALL LATER ON IN THE WEEK AND SAID THAT IT HADN'T AND TECHNICALLY, WE DIDN'T LOSE OUR BRAKES, THEY JUST WEREN'T POWER ASSISTED! CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT-WE COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED!. *AK

2003 LAND ROVER DISCOVERY II -- ON 3 SEPARATE OCASIONS. PASSENGER AND DRIVER WINDOW MOTOR/REGULATOR FAILURE RESULTS IN FAILURE OF WINDOW TO OPEN OR CLOSE. FAILURE CAUSES LOUD CRASHING SOUND WITHIN DOOR ITSELF, AND CAUSES WINDOW TO SLIP DOWN INTO DOOR STRUCTURE. IRST INCIDENT WAS IN SEPT. 2003, UNDER WARRANTY, TO PASSENGER SIDE. SECOND INCIDENT WAS SEPT. 2004 TO SAME PASSENGER SIDE---$277. FOR REPLACEMENT. THIRD INCIDENT WAS OCT.22, 2004 TO DRIVER'S SIDE--$277 FOR REPLACEMENT. DEALER HAS ADMITTED TO DESIGN FLAW BUT HAS NOT COVERED COST OF REPLACEMENT, ONLY 10% DISCOUNT. *AK

AFTER DEALERSHIP PERFORMED ABS VALVE COVER BOLT RECALL 04V005000 REPAIRS VEHICLE EXPERIENCES EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED.*AK

AFTER OWNING MY BRAND NEW 2003 LAND ROVER DISCOVERY FOR ABOUT 5 WEEKS, I WAS DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY WHEN THE OIL LIGHT CAME ON. WITHIN SECONDS THE VEHICLE BEGAN MAKING AND ODD NOISE. I PULLED OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY AND BY THE TIME I GOT OUT OF THE VEHICLE, IT WAS ON FIRE. THE ENTIRE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE BURNT OFF. LAND ROVER HAS REFUSED TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR DEFECTIVE VEHICLE AND WILL DO NOTHING ABOUT THIS SITUATION. IN ADDITION, EVERYONE THAT I HAVE DEALT WITH AT LAND ROVER HAS BEEN RUDE, INCONSIDERATE AND EVASIVE. THEY HAVE ALSO REFUSED TO PAY FOR THE PERSONAL ITEMS THAT WERE IN THE VEHICLE AND DAMAGED BECAUSE OF THE FIRE. *JB

IN AUGUST 2003 I PURCHASED A 2003 LAND ROVER DISCOVERY AT BARRET JAGUAR-LAND ROVER IN MCALLEN, TX. SHORTLY AFTER I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE I BEGAN TO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE HAS LESS THAN 12K MILES AND HAS BEEN IN THE SERVICE SHOP ON 4 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. JANUARY 16, 2003 I DISCUSSED MY DISSATISFACTION WITH THE DEALERSHIP MANAGER JOEL GARCIA, AS A RESULT OF THE LACK OF CONCERN I SEEK HELP TO RESOLVE MY PROBLEMS. I FEEL I STRUGGLED TO GET A BRAND NEW VEHICLE OF MY DREAMS IN ORDER TO AVOID PROBLEMS, HOWEVER I FEEL SPENDING 40K FOR A PROBLEMATIC VEHICLE IS UNJUSTLY. I REQUEST ANY KIND OF HELP GETTING THIS RESOLVED SINCE THE DEALERSHIP MANAGER BASICALLY IMPLIED THAT A FAVOR WAS DONE IN ORDER FOR ME TO FINANCE THIS VEHICLE(THIS IS WHY I HAD TO SIGN BLANK CONTRACTS AND NEVER GIVEN COPIES OF THIS SALE) WHICH I HAVE REQUESTED WITH NO ANSWER. *CB

I PARKED MY LANDROVER DISCOVERY IN THE GROCERY STORE PARKING LOT, PULLED THE KEY OUT AND WALKED TOWARD THE STORE. AFTER A CRASHING NOISE I TURNED AROUND TO SEE MY CAR HAD ROLLED BACK INTO A VAN. MY TRANSMISSION WAS STILL IN "DRIVE" AND I HAD BEEN ABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNIGTION. I CALLED MY LANDROVER DEALER. AFTER EXPLAINING WHAT HAPPENED I ASKED WHY THE KEY COULD BE REMOVED IN THE "DRIVE" POSITION, HE SAID HE DIDN'T KNOW AND WOULD HAVE TO LOOK INTO IT. HE THEN DIRECTED ME TO THE COLLISION CENTER FOR REPAIRS. THE NEXT DAY I FOUND OUT FROM A FRIEND WITH A DISCOVERY THAT HIS KEY CAN NOT BE REMOVED IN "DRIVE". WHEN I CALLED THE DEALER AGAIN HE TOLD ME THE KEY SHOULDN'T HAVE COME OUT. WHEN I QUESTIONED HIM AS TO WHY HE DIDN'T EXPLAIN THAT TO ME THE DAY BEFORE, HE TOLD ME I HAD MISUNDERSTOOD. HE WAS VERY EVASIVE WHEN I ASKED HIM WHY HE HAD NOT TOLD ME TO BRING MY CAR IN TO BE CHECKED. BASICALLY HE BLEW ME OFF. FROM THERE I INVESTIGATED ON MY OWN BY CALLING THE NTSB ON SEPTEMBER 25TH. AFTER TALKING TO A SAFETY STANDARD ENGINEER I WAS DIRECTED TO A COMPLIENCE ENGINEER. I LEARNED THAT ACCORDING TO THE FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD #114 NO CAR SHOULD BE ABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION UNLESS THE TRANSMISSION IS IN "PARK". I ALSO CALLED LANDROVER NORTH AMERICA. THEY HELPED EXPEDITE THE SITUATION. THE SERVICE MANAGER HERE FOUND THAT IT HAD BEEN LEFT IN THE "TRANSIT MODE" FROM DELIVERY OVERSEAS. HE SAID THE CARS ARE SUPPOSE TO BE CHECKED AT PORT AND AT THE DEALERSHIP. THEY HAD FAILED TO DO THE ROUTINE CHECK AND CHANGE THE COMPUTER OVER. IT TOOK THEM 4 WEEKS TO REPAIR MY CAR. LANDROVER OFFERRED TO INCURE THE $2500 COST. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A VERY BAD SITUATION IF MY CAR WOULD HAVE ROLLED BACK AND HIT A PERSON. I AM DISSAPOINTED IN THE LOCAL DEALER AND HOW THEY HANDLED THE SITUATION. I MADE A FORMAL COMPLAINT TO THE DEALERSHIP. AND THE NTSB HAS SHOWN MORE INTEREST THAN MY LOCAL DEALER. *AK

WHILE PULLING INTO THE DRIVEWAY THE ACCELERATOR STUCK. THE DRIVER HAD TO APPLY EXCESSIVE FORCE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS UNDETERMINED. *AK *SCC *JB