2003 LAND ROVER DISCOVERY Complaints

FRONT DRIVESHAFT BROKE AND CAUSE VEHICLE TO LOSE CONTROL. VEHICLE IS NOT DRIVABLE. ALL FLUID LEAKED OUT OF THE TRANSFER BOX. *TR

THE PROBLEM IS WITH OUR 2003 LAND ROVER DISCOVERY. THE PROBLEM OCCURS ALMOST DAILY. THE TRACTION CONTROL, ABS, AND HILL DESCENT (REFERRED TO AS THE THREE AMIGOS). I FEEL THIS IS VERY MUCH A SAFETY RECALL DUE TO LACK OF BRAKING AND TRACTION WHEN THESE LIGHTS ALL ARE ON. WHEN THESE LIGHTS ARE ON THE TRACTION CONTROL DEVICE DOES NOT FUNCTION. DUE TO LIVING IN ILLINOIS WEATHER THIS CREATES PROBLEMS DRIVING ON SNOW AND ICE COVERED ROADS-IN WHICH IN OUR AREA WE SEEM TO BE HAVING A SHORTAGE ON SALT FOR THE ROADS. THE FULL REASONING AS TO WHY I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE WAS TO NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT ROAD CONDITIONS (I DIDN'T THINK PROBLEMS WITH SYSTEM FAILURES WOULD OCCUR WITH THE COST OF THESE VEHICLES) I FEEL THIS IS A RECALL PROBLEM. PUTTING MANY PEOPLES LIVES IN JEOPARDY WHO ACTUALLY FEEL THEY ARE SAFE WHILE DRIVING UNTIL THEY EXPERIENCE THE FAILURE OF THIS SYSTEM IN THESE VEHICLES WHILE ON A WEEKEND TRIP OR FOUR WHEELING AS WHICH THEY WERE DESIGNED TO DO. THIS IS NOT A PROBLEM THAT I CREATED ON MY VEHICLE THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT THE COMPANY CREATED WHEN THEY PRODUCED THESE VEHICLES AND SOLD THEM. I DO NOT FEEL IT IS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO CORRECT THEIR FLAW THAT THEY MADE IN THE PRODUCTION OF THESE VEHICLES WITH DEFECTIVE SYSTEM ALLOWING FAILURE DURING DRIVING CONDITIONS IF A SYSTEM FAILS THAT IS DEFECTIVE. AS TO ANY DEATHS RELATED IN THIS INCIDENT -THE ANSWER WOULD BE AS OF THIS TIME NO AND I PRAY THAT DOES NOT HAPPEN, AND I DO NOT BELIEVE THE POLICE WHERE CALLED BECAUSE I'M QUITE SURE THEY COULD CARE LESS IF THE TRACTION CONTROL OR MY ABS ARE FUNCTIONING PROPERLY AND THANK GOD THAT I DID NOT HAVE ANY PROPERTY DESTRUCTION OR CRASHES YET. *TR

BOLT ON OIL PUMP LOST TORQUE THAT CAUSED OIL LOSS AND ENGINE OVERHEATING AND HEAD GASKET FAILURE. OCCURRED ONE TIME AND HAD OIL PUMP REPAIRED. EXPANSION RESERVOIR TANK REPLACED. PLENUM LINES REPLACED. HEAD GASKET REPLACED. ACCORDING TO DESIGN FLAW INDICATED BY LAND ROVER AMERICA, THIS ISSUE IS HIGHLY LIKELY TO OCCUR AGAIN. *TR

2003 LAND ROVER DISCOVERY II EXPERIENCED SUDDEN OIL PUMP FAILURE WHICH WILL REQUIRE AN ENTIRE ENGINE REPLACEMENT. THIS PROBLEM WAS RECOGNIZED AS A MANUFACTURING ERROR PER A LAND ROVER TECHNICAL ALERT TA03 1201 ISSUED IN 2003 BUT WAS NOT DIVULGED TO THE PUBLIC AND HAS NOT GENERATED A RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER REFUSES TO SIGNIFICANTLY ASSIST WITH REPLACEMENT DESPITE THEIR PREVIOUS IDENTIFIED ERROR AND CLEAR CONSUMER EXPECTATION THAT OIL PUMP MALFUNCTIONS AND/OR ENGINE REPLACEMENTS ARE NOT EXPECTED AFTER 5 YEARS/60K MILES OF USE WITH A NORMALLY MAINTAINED ENGINE. *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY '03 LAND ROVER DISCOVERY II HOME FROM WORK AND IT SUDDENLY DIED. IT RESTARTED ABOUT AN HOUR LATER SO I DROVE IT TO THE AUTO SHOP. THEY, AFTER TALKING WITH LAND ROVER DIRECTLY, SAID THE ENGINE WASN'T GETTING ENOUGH OIL AND WE WOULD NEED A NEW ENGINE!!! WE GET OUR LAND ROVER SERVICED VERY REGULARLY SO THERE SHOULDN'T BE ANY ISSUES LIKE THIS ESPECIALLY FOR AN '03 WITH 70,000 MILES. WITH THE WAY THE ECONOMY IS, THIS IS RIDICULOUS! NOW THEY'RE TELLING US WE HAVE TO PAY $5,000 FOR A USED ENGINE WITH 40,000 MILES. I NOTICED A TON OF OTHER PEOPLE HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM WITH THE OIL PUMP FROM THE '03 LAND ROVERS. HELP!!! *TR

LAND ROVER NEEDS TO RECALL ALL AFFECTED DISCOVERY VEHICLES WITH OIL PUMP PROBLEMS. I HAVE HAD A TICKING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE WHICH MY MECHANIC SAYS IS CAUSED FORM LACK OF OIL. AFTER RESEARCHING THE PROBLEM, I HAVE FOUND SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHERE THIS HAS HAPPENED DUE TO A PRODUCTION ERROR. AND THE ONLY FIX IS REPLACING THE ENTIRE ENGINE? I'M AMAZED THIS PROBLEM HAS NOT GOTTEN MORE ATTENTION! *TR

LAND ROVER DISCOVERY II ABS FAULT. I CANNOT DRIVE MORE THAN 5 MILES WITHOUT THE ABS, HILL DESCENT CONTROL, AND TRANSFER CASE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATING. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS FAULT IS A RESULT OF AN ABS SYSTEM FAILURE. AFTER FAULT HAS BEEN RECEIVED BY THE CARS COMPUTER, ABS IS NON-RESPONSIVE. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AFFECTING MANY OF THE LAND ROVER DISCOVERY VEHICLES ON THE ROAD. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR INTO MY MECHANIC WHO HAS BEEN UNABLE TO PINPOINT THE PROBLEM. APPARENTLY MORE THAN ONE ELEMENT TO THE ABS SYSTEM IS DEFECTIVE. THIS OCCURS EVERYDAY AND I'M STILL WORKING ON A RESOLUTION. I CANNOT SELL THE CAR IN GOOD CONSCIOUS WITH SUCH A HAZARDOUS PROBLEM. *TR

LAND ROVER TECHNICAL ALERT TA03-1201 OIL PUMP FAILURES ON 2003 DISCOVERY II VEHICLES MAY BE THE RESULT OF A MANUFACTURING ERROR. VINS 3A771801 - 3A808362 ARE THE AFFECTED VEHICLES. THE ALERT STATES THE ONLY EFFECTIVE REPAIR IS ENGINE REPLACEMENT. I'VE BEEN TOLD LAND ROVER WILL NOT PAY FOR THIS REPAIR. WHY? *TR

WE HAVE A 2003 LAND ROVER DISCOVERY W/ 47K MILES ON IT. ON FRIDAY NIGHT, AUGUST 15TH 2008, WE STARTED TO DRIVE DOWN OUR STREET WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE ENGINE SOUNDED LIKE A DIESEL TRUCK. IT WAS HORRIBLE. WE ALSO HAD A RED OIL LIGHT. THE CAR FELT SLUGGISH, SOUNDED HORRIBLE & HAD AN OIL LIGHT ON SO WE TURNED AROUND AND PARKED THE LAND ROVER BEFORE THE ENGINE SEIZED UP. WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IT COULD BE & DETERMINED THAT OUR OIL PUMP HAS FAILED. I AM UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE IS A TECHNICAL DEFECT THAT WAS ISSUED ON MARCH 14, 2003, BUT NO RECALL. THIS IS QUITE DISTURBING SINCE THE MANUFACTURING IS ADMITTING TO FAULT, BUT IS NOT SETTING UP A RECALL FOR THIS ITEM. WITH THE PRICES OF GAS, FOOD, UTILITIES AND THE GENERAL STATE OF OUR ECONOMY, I DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES TO FIX THIS RIG AT THIS TIME. I AM HOPING THAT THE DEALERSHIP WILL FIX THIS ISSUE SINCE IT IS A MANUFACTURER'S (SELF ADMITTED) DEFECT. WE TRIED CALLING THE DEALER ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 16TH 2008 BUT THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT IS CLOSED. WE DON'T KNOW WHERE ELSE TO TURN FOR HELP BUT TO THE DEALER. AND, FROM READING OTHER FORUM POSTS FROM OTHER INDIVIDUALS SUCH AS MYSELF IT APPEARS THAT THE DEALERSHIPS ARE LESS THAN HELPFUL IN RESOLVING THIS DEFECT. GOOD BUSINESS IS GOOD BUSINESS -- AND... BAD BUSINESS IS BAD BUSINESS. PLEASE HELP!!!!! *TR

IN THE FALL OF 2007, AT APPROX. 75,000 MILES I BEGAN TO NOTICE A PERIODIC RHYTHMIC TAPPING FROM THE ENGINE OF MY 2003 LAND ROVER DISCOVERY 2. MY MECHANIC SUGGESTED USING A THICKER GRADE OIL. THE NOISE QUIETED BRIEFLY THEN RETURNED MORE CONSISTENTLY, BEGINNING AS SOON AS THE VEHICLE WOULD WARM UP. IN DECEMBER, AFTER CONSULTING WITH LOCAL LAND ROVER DEALER SERVICE, MY MECHANIC REMOVED THE CYLINDER HEADS, "DE-COKED" THE VALVES, REPLACED GASKETS, BOLTS, LIFTERS, SPARK PLUGS, PLUG WIRES AND DRIVE BELT AT A COST OF $2340. THE NOISE CONTINUED. IN MAY OF 2008, AFTER MORE RESEARCH AND CONSULTING, MY MECHANIC DISASSEMBLED THE ENGINE , REPLACED LIFTERS, CHECKED THE CAMSHAFT, END FLOAT AND PUSH RODS, SUBSTITUTED THE ROCKER ARM ASSEMBLIES -- UNABLE TO FIND A CLEAR LINK, THE ENGINE WAS REASSEMBLED. THIS TIME THE BILL WAS $903.26. MY MECHANIC, WHO KNOWN FOR 10 YEARS AND TRUST COMPLETELY WAS BAFFLED. SENSING A UNDERLYING OIL PRESSURE ISSUE, HE ONCE AGAIN CONSULTED A LOCAL LAND ROVER DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT -- THEY THEN MENTIONED A PROBLEM LAND ROVER HAD BEEN HAVING WITH A BADLY MACHINED OIL PUMP HOUSING. WE RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM AND IN FACT FOUND (POSTED ON THE INTERNET BY ANOTHER 2003 DISCOVERY OWNER) AN INTERNAL TECHNICAL ALERT DETAILING A MANUFACTURING ERROR IN THE OIL PUMP HOUSING THAT MAY LEAD TO FAILURE. REPLACEMENT OF THE COMPLETE ENGINE WAS THE ONLY RECOMMENDED RESOLUTION. THE COST OF WHICH IS APPROX. $10,000. WORRIED THAT MY VEHICLE WOULD SHUT DOWN AT ANY MINUTE, I RETURNED TO THE DEALER WHERE I PURCHASED IT - THEY OFFERED ME $1,000 AS A TRADE IN FOR A NEW VEHICLE. AND THEN TOLD ME I SHOULDN'T BE DRIVING IT IN THAT CONDITION. MY VEHICLE IS NOW WORTHLESS DUE TO THE DAMAGE CAUSED BY A CRITICAL PART THAT WAS DISCOVERED TO BE FAULTY BY THE MANUFACTURER WHILE I WAS JUST 7 MONTHS INTO MY 5 YR./50,000 MILE WARRANTY. I BELIEVE THAT THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR REPAIRING THE DAMAGE. 8TR