2000 LAND ROVER DISCOVERY II Complaints

NO NOTICABLE EVENTS LEADING TO FAILURE... ABS / HDC / TRAC FAILURE ON A 2000 LAND ROVER DISCOVERY SERIES II. TRACTION CONTROL, ABS AND HILL DESCENT CONTROL DO NOT FUNCTION OR FUNCTION AT A DIMINISHED LEVEL. THREE LIGHTS REMAIN LIT ON THE DASH. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT CAN BE DONE TO RESOLVE THIS UNSAFE AND UNEXEPTABLE PROBLEM. *NM

MY WIFE AND I TOOK OUR '00 LAND ROVER DISCOVERY II TO ANZA BORREGO, CA FOR CAMPING. TO GET TO THE CAMPSITE WE HAD TO TAKE UNPAVED TRAILS OF CERTAIN DIFFICULTY RATING. MOST OF WHICH WERE RATED 4-5 WITH 10 BEING THE MOST DIFFICULT. ALL OF A SUDDEN, THE ABS/TC/HDC WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON PARTICULARLY ON CERTAIN SECTIONS OF THE TRAIL WHERE THERE WERE INCLINES, RUTS AND GULLEYS. WE GOT STUCK SO MANY TIMES AND EVEN AT ONE POINT ALMOST TIPPED ONE SIDE AS ONLY ONE WHEEL HAS POWER AND ALL THREE WERE RATHER STATIONARY. I COULDN'T GET PAST TRAILS THAT EVEN SOME STOCK VEHICLE WITH ADEQUATE CLEARANCE CAN MANAGE AND HAD TO BE PULLED AND WINCHED OUT. ON SOME OCCASIONS THE VEHICLE ALMOST SLID BACKWARDS AS THREE WHEELS WOULD NOT SPIN. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED AND IT NEVER HAPPENS WHEN ON PAVED ROADS OR HIGHWAYS OTHER THAN THE LIGHTS REMAIN LIT BUT ALL FOUR WHEELS HAVE TRACTION. *NM

ON 7/1/05 I WAS DRIVING MY 2000 LAND ROVER DISCOVERY SERIES II ON THE LEFT LANE OF I-75 S, IN CLEAR WEATHER, ON DRY PAVEMENT, NEAR THE 68 MILE MARKER IN KENTUCKY(COPASSENGERS-MY WIFE & SON) ENROUTE TO TENNESSEE. AROUND 1.45 PM TRAFFIC AHEAD STARTED SLOWING DOWN. I WAS DRIVING AT ABOUT 60 MPH, AND APPLIED THE BRAKE; THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY STARTED FISHTAILING AND SWERVING BADLY. I DID NOT FEEL THE PULSING OF THE ABS; THE VEHICLE SWERVED ACROSS THE RIGHT LANE & SHOULDER, HIT THE GUARD RAIL ON THE RIGHT, BOUNCED BACK, & TIPPED OVER ON TO THE RIGHT (PASSENGER SIDE) ON THE SHOULDER. MY WIFE SUSTAINED INJURIES TO HER RIGHT HAND & ARM DUE TO THE TIPPING OVER OF THE VEHICLE AND THE SHATTERING OF THE FRONT PASSENGER WINDOW GLASS, & WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL HOSPITAL BY EMS AMBULANCE. SHE WILL UNDERGO HAND SURGERY. THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED SERIOUS BODY DAMAGE AND WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL TOWING YARD. IT WAS DETERMINED NOT DRIVABLE BY MY AUTO INSURANCE COMPANY APPRAISER(THE VEHICLE IS STILL CAPABLE OF STARTING AND MOVING FORWARD AT THIS TIME). WE (MY WIFE AND I ) INFORMED LAND ROVER NORTH AMERICA IN MARYLAND OF THE INCIDENT; THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT SEND ANYONE OUT TO EXAMINE IT. THEY SUGGESTED WE CONTACT ANY LOCAL LAND ROVER DEALERSHIP WITH A SERVICE CENTER FOR A DETAILED EXAMINATION OF THE VEHICLE. THE (CLOSEST AVAILABLE) LEXINGTON LAND ROVER DEALER/SERVICE CENTER REFUSED, CITING CONFLICT OF INTEREST! THE VEHICLE REMAINS IN THE TOWING YARD, AWAITING A MOVE TO A SALVAGE YARD SOON. NO OTHER VEHICLES/PEOPLE WERE INVOLVED.WE GOT BACK HOME TO PENNSYLVANIA AFTER THE ACCIDENT. WE WOULD LIKE TO FIND OUT IF THE ABS FAILURE CONTRIBUTED TO THIS ACCIDENT. LAND ROVER HAS NOT MADE ANY ATTEMPT TO CONTACT OUR AUTO INSURANCE COMPANY, OR SHOWED ANY INTEREST IN TACKLING THIS PROBLEM, OTHER THAN GIVING US AN ADDRESS TO WRITE TO. THEREFORE, NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO ADDRESS/CORRECT THIS PROBLEM SO FAR.

NO OFF-ROAD OR DEEP WATER DRIVING OCCURRED PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. AT 49,550 MILES THE TRANSMISSION BECAME INOPERATIVE. VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE IN ANY GEAR. SUBSEQUENTLY FOUND WATER IN TRANSMISSION FLUID WHICH HAD DAMAGED TRANSMISSION PARTS REQUIRING COMPLETE NEW SYSTEM. AS THIS SYSTEM IS SUPPOSED TO BE A CLOSED SYSTEM NEITHER THE LOCAL LAND ROVER SERVICE MANAGER NOR THE AAMCO TECHNICIANS HAVE ANY IDEA HOW WATER COULD HAVE ENTERED THE SYSTEM. LAND ROVER OF NORTH AMERICA REFUSED ANY ACCOUNTABILITY. *JB

VARIOUS WARNING LIGHTS ACTIVATED INCLUDING ABS LIGHT, INDICATING FAILURE OF THE SYSTEMS ON MY 2000 LAND ROVER DISCOVERY II. PRIVATELY RETAINED MECHANIC IDENTIFIED THE ECU AS THE PROBLEM AND ALSO LOCATED A RECALL NOTICE REGARDING THIS PROBLEM. LOCAL LAND ROVER DEALERSHIP STATED THAT THE RECALL WAS NOT VALID AND THAT "THEY PUT THESE ON THE INTERNET ALL THE TIME." LAND ROVER NORTH AMERICA WAS CONTACTED VIA E-MAIL AND TELEPHONE MESSAGE AND HAS NOT RESPONDED. I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE NEW AND THE ONLY RECALL I HAVE RECIEVED CONCERNED THE ACCELLERATION CABLE SHORTLY AFTER I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN 2000. APPARENTLY THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP FINDS NHTSA RECALLS AS "THINGS ON THE INTERNET" NOT REQUIRING ANY ACTION. THIS IS PROBABLY TO BE EXPECTED FROM OUR LOCAL DEALERSHIP. HOWEVER, THE NON-RESPONSE FROM LAND ROVER NORTH AMERICA WAS UNEXPECTED.*AK

WHILE PULLING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE, THE ENGINE RACED AND THE CONSUMER HIT THE VEHICLE PARKED OPPOSITE OF HER. *PH THE WINDSHIELD WAS REPLACED BECAUSE THE HEATER WAS NOT WORKING. *JB

DURING A COLD WINTER DAY IN JANUARY, I TURNED ON MY HEATED SEATS WHICH BURNED THROUGH THE SEATS LEATHER COVER AND BURNED ME CAUSING ME TO NEARLY LOSE CONTROL OF MY VEHICLE. *AK

CRUISE CONTROL ACTIVATES WITHOUT DRIVER INPUT. EXPLANATION: CRUISE CONTROL IS SET (TO SPEED 1) AND USED THEN THE BRAKES APPLIED WHICH DEACTIVATES CRUISE CONTROL. CAR IS THEN ACCELERATED (TO SPEED 2) AFTER STOP. OCCASIONALLY, CRUISE CONTROL TAKES OVER (RESUMES WITHOUT CUSTOMER ACTIVATION) AND SETS ITSELF BACK TO SPEED 1 (SPEED PRIOR TO BRAKING). IN SOME INSTANCES SPEED 1 IS FASTER THAN SPEED 2 CAUSING CAR TO ACCELERATE INTO TRAFFIC AHEAD OF VEHICLE. *LA

WITH VEHICLE IN PARK POSITION AND KEY REMOVED FROM IGNITION, VEHICLE BEGAN TO ROLL BACKWARDS CROSSING THE STREET AND HITTING A TREE. CONSUMER TRIED TO GAIN CONTROL, BUT WAS THROWN FROM VEHICLE WHEN IT HIT THE TREE. UPON INSPECTION AFTER THE INCIDENT, CONSUMER FOUND THAT WHEN SHE PULLED THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION THE ACTUAL KEY METAL HAD DISENGAGED FROM THE REMOTE SENDING UNIT AND HAD REMAINED IN THE IGNITION. CONSUMER SUSTAINED INJURIES TO BACK AND TAIL BONE. *TT

VEHICLES BRAKE PEDAL HAS BEGUN TO SINK. THE DEALER INFORMED CONSUMER THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG AND THAT IT DOES NOT POSE A SAFETY PROBLEM. CONSUMER FEELS OTHERWISE. *JG