2003 LAND ROVER DISCOVERY Complaints

HILL DESCENT CONTROL TRACTION CONTROL AND THE ABS LIGHT CONSTANTLY LIGHT UP, I JUST BOUGHT MY CAR,(LESS THAN 2 MONTHS AGO) WHEN APPLIED BRAKES SOMETIMES DO NOT WORK PROPERLY. I WENT TO THE DEALER WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR ONLY TO BE TOLD THAT THERE IS NO WARRANTY ON ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS, I TOOK THE CAR TO A SERVICE DEALER AND I WAS TOLD THAT IT WILL COST APPROXIMATELY 2500 DOLLARS! I HAD OTHER PROBLEMS AND I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH MY PURCHASE. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT ALL DISCOVERIES HAVE THIS PROBLEM I FEEL THAT THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE, THIS IS MY 3RD LAND ROVER AND THEY ALL HAD ABS FAILURE. *JB

ABS, TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT AND HILL DESCENT LIGHT STAYS ON. THE ABS BRAKES ARE NOT WORKING. THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT MY BRAKE FLUID WAS NOT CHANGED ACCORDING TO RECOMMENDED WARRANTY STANDARDS. I'VE DONE SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT OTHERS WHO OWN THIS VEHICLE HAVE ALSO HAD ABS MODULE MALFUNCTIONS OR DEFECTS. *NM

2003 LAND ROVER DISCOVERY S. TODAY VEHICLE SURGED AFTER APPLYING PEDAL AND WOULD NOT STOP...OR SHOULD SAY WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO STOP AND ALMOST RESULTED IN CAR PLUNGING INTO ON COMING TRAFFIC. I KNOW BELOW I'VE ONLY LISTED ONE FAILURE BUT ONCE IS ENOUGH IT IS JUST LUCK MY WIFE WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD OUT OF TRAFFIC. I CALLED LAND ROVER NORTH AMERICA SHORTLY AFTER BUYING VEHICLE TO FIND OUT IF ANY RECALLS WERE LISTED FOR VEHICLE AFTER FINDING A RECALL THAT DEALT WITH EXACTLY THE SAME PROBLEM. HOWEVER THEY TOLD ME THE RECALL DID NOT APPLY TO MY VIN...THEN ONLY A WEEK LATER I HAVE THE EXACT PROBLEM WITH MY LAND ROVER. THE CAMPAIGN NUMBER THAT APPLIES: NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 03V133000. *NM

REAR DOOR LATCHING MECHANISM FAILURE. I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE REAR DOOR LATCH STICKING AND NOT OPENING TO CATCH THE REAR DOOR. WHEN THE DOOR IS CLOSED IT EITHER BOUNCES BACK BECAUSE THE LATCH IS STUCK IN A CLOSED POSITION OR CLOSES BUT IS NOT SECURE. AS I WAS DRIVING UP THE ROAD AND TURNING ONTO A TWO LANE HIGHWAY THE REAR DOOR VIOLENTLY FLEW OPEN CAUSING THE HINGE TO DEFORM AND SUBSEQUENTLY CAUSING THE FAILURE OF THE DOOR TO CLOSE AT ALL. REAR DOOR IS RACKED IN ITS' POSITION AND THE LOCK SET IS NOW 3" INCHES + OFF KILTER. LAND ROVER QUOTES A COST OF $1000.00 TO REPAIR. MY AUTO BODY SHOP SAYS THAT IT IS SO COMMON THAT LAND ROVER/FORD QUOTES LABOR TIME TO REPAIR. PEOPLE OR ANIMALS COULD HAVE BEEN IN THE BACK CARGO AREA, BELONGINGS COULD HAVE FALLEN IN FRONT OF ANOTHER VEHICLE CAUSING AN ACCIDENT...ANYTHING COULD HAVE HAPPENED WITH TERRIBLE CONSEQUENCES. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY LAND ROVER. *NM

LOSS OF CONTROL WHILE BRAKING HARD DUE TO THE LOCATION OF THE POWER SEAT CONTROLS. DRIVERS HIP PUSHES THE SEAT BELT BUCKLE IN TO THE DRIVERS SEAT CONTROL SWITCH. WHEN BRAKING HARD, THE SWITCH IS PUSHED FORWARD, BY THE HIP. THIS CAUSES THE SEAT TO PUSH THE DRIVER INTO THE STEERING WHEEL. THE EVENT HAPPENED LATE AT NIGHT WITH NO TRAFFIC, SO THERE WAS NO DAMAGE. TRUCK WAS NOT STOPPED IN THE DESIRED LOCATION. WE HAVE REMOVED THE FUSE TO THE SEAT MOTORS TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. TRUCK SHOULD HAVE AN INTERLOCK THAT PREVENTS THE SEAT FROM OPERATING WITH THE TRANSMISSION IN DRIVE. *JB

ON MARCH 25, 2006 MY FAMILY WAS ON I-75 IN OUR 2003 DISCOVERY SE. WE WERE IN A CONSTRUCTION ZONE AND A PERSON SEVERAL CARS AHEAD MADE A SUDDEN LANE CHANGE CUTTING OFF A DRIVER AHEAD OF IN OUR LANE. HE BRAKES SUDDENLY. THE TRUCK FOLLOWING STRUCK HIM. I WAS ALREADY SLOWING DOWN DUE TO THE HEAVY TRAFFIC. HOWEVER, I STRUCK THE TRUCK. IT WAS NOT A HEAVY COLLISION AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY, I WAS STRUCK FROM BEHIND BY AN 18 WHEELER. UPON IMPACT, MY DISCOVERY BURST INTO FLAMES IN THE BACK. THE IMPACT AGAIN DROVE MY VEHICLE IN TO THE TRUCK AHEAD. THIS TIME IT WAS A VERY HEAVY IMPACT (THE HOOD CRUMPLED AND THE WINDSHIELD SHATTERED) BUT THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. WE JUST BARELY GOT OUT (I HAD 2ND DEGREE BURNS TO SIDE OF FACE AND HAND) I AM CONCERNED THAT 1.) THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AT LEAST THE SECOND TIME AND 2.) THE VEHICLE BURST INTO FLAMES ON IMPACT. *JB

DISCOVERY 2 ABS ISSUES, MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH ABS SYSTEM. UPON APPLICATION ADDS A BIT OF TIME TO YOUR ANTICIPATED STOPPING DISTANCE. VERY DANGEROUS CAN LEAD TO SERIOUS ACCIDENT DEALER SHOP CANNOT FIND HOW TO FIX IT AND LIGHTS AND ABS WARNING LIGHTS ARE ON CONSTANTLY. ABS SYSTEM IS NOT ENGAGED WHEN NEEDED. *NM

2003 DISCOVERY II AND THE THREE MAIN LIGHTS ILLUMINATING, TWO TIMES THEY HAVE BEEN ON AND STAY ON, SOMETIMES NOW THEY TURN ON AND OFF. TRACTION CONTROL, ABS AND HILL DESCENT CONTROL. THIS WILL BE MY THIRD TRIP TO THE DEALER FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE STEERING WHEEL WAS MISALIGNED WHILE MAKING TURNS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO ADJUSTED THE STEERING WHEEL, BUT THIS DID NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO THE DEALER AGAIN AND THE DRAG LINK WAS REPLACED, BUT THIS DID NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. DURING ANOTHER VISIT, THE DEALER NOTICED THE BRACKET ON THE FRAME WHERE THE FRONT TRACK BAR BOLTS WAS FRACTURED. ADDITIONALLY, THE DEALER DETERMINED THE FRACTURE WAS CAUSED BY A COLD WELD OR WAS NOT WELDED PROPERLY WHEN MANUFACTURED, HOWEVER THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED BY THE SERVICE DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS EVENTUALLY TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT FRAME SHOP FOR REPAIR. THE VEHICLE WAS PLACED ON A FRAME ALIGNMENT MACHINE; THE BRACKET WAS BENT BACK INTO PLACE AND WELDED. THE CONTACT IS CONCERNED BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS POSSIBLY MANUFACTURED WITH THIS DEFECTIVE FRAME WELD AND IT APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN WELDED MECHANICALLY. THE EXHAUST SYSTEM WAS MISALIGNED WHICH CAUSED THE TAIL PIPE TO RATTLE. THE WAS A FLUID LEAK COMING FROM THE TRANSFER BOX DUE TO A FAILED INPUT SHAFT SEAL. UPDATED 04/06/06. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH THE BRAKES FELT AS IF THEY WERE GRIPPING WHILE BEING APPLIED. THIS IN TURN CAUSED THE CONTACT TO REAR END ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE HAD MINIMAL DAMAGE TO THE FRONT END. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP. THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AND THE HEAD LIGHTS HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN ALERTED.