2003 LAND ROVER DISCOVERY II Complaints

WE BOUGHT A NEW 2003 LAND ROVER DISCOVERY II FROM LAND ROVER OF MILFORD, CT IN 12/03. WE HAVE CHANGED THE OIL FAITHFULLY EVERY 3,000 MILES AND HAD THE NECESSARY SERVICES DONE AND WERE AT 44,724 MILES. WE WERE DRIVING HOME FROM VT A MONTH AGO AND THE OIL LIGHT WENT ON. I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED AND CHECKED THE OIL, WHICH WAS FULL. I TURNED ON THE CAR AND THE ENGINE IMMEDIATELY STARTED MAKING A STRANGE SOUND. I CALLED LAND ROVER ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE AND OUR WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED 28 DAYS PRIOR TO THIS. WE HAD IT FLAT BEDDED HOME TO CONNECTICUT IMMEDIATELY. THEN WE HAD IT FLAT BEDDED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE OIL PUMP HAD BLOWN AND THE ENGINE HAD SEIZED. AT FIRST THEY SAID THEY WOULD NOT PAY FOR IT AS IT WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. I DID EXTENSIVE RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET REGARDING THIS PROBLEM AND FOUND OUT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE OIL PUMPS ON THE 03 DISCOVERY MODELS AND IN FACT THERE WAS A TECHNICAL RECALL FOR THAT YEAR. WHEN WE ASKED THE SERVICE MANAGER ABOUT THAT, HE SAID THAT IF IT WAS A FAULTY OIL PUMP IT WOULD HAVE BLOWN BY 20,000 MILES AND NOT GONE TO 44,000 MILES. WE SENT THEM DOCUMENTATION OF ALL THE SERVICES WE HAVE HAD DONE ON THE CAR AND THEY AGREED TO PAY FOR HALF OF THE COST OF THE ENGINE. WE STILL DON'T HAVE A CAR, AS THEY HAVE STILL NOT RECEIVED AN ENGINE. (AND THEY DID NOT OFFER US A LOANER CAR FOR THE INTERIM). NOW TODAY I WAS DOING FURTHER RESEARCH AND FOUND ON THE EDMUNDS WEBSITE 3 OTHER 03 DISCOVERY IT'S WITH 40,000, 57,000 AND 60,000 MILES ON THE ENGINES THAT HAD THE EXACT SAME THING HAPPEN. SO OBVIOUSLY IT IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT IF IT IS HAPPENING TO SO MANY CARS. AND THAT IS JUST THE ONES WE KNOW ABOUT ON THE EDMUNDS WEBSITE FORUM. *JB

I ACCELERATED TO PASS AND HEARD A MUFFLED POP BUT INITIALLY HAD NO OTHER INDICATION OF A PROBLEM. AFTER DRIVING CAUTIOUSLY FOR ABOUT 1.5 MILES THE OIL PRESSURE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. AT THIS POINT I PULLED OVER TO CHECK ON THE CAR. NO ANOMALIES WERE FOUND, SEEMED NORMAL. SO I DROVE ON FOR ANOTHER .5 MILES WHEN I BEGAN HEARING RANDOM, BUT DISTINCT CLANKING AND RATTLES. AT THIS POINT I DETOURED TO A KNOWN SAFE SPOT AT NO MORE THAN 10-15 MPH FOR APPROX. 1 MILE BEFORE THE VEHICLE BEGAN ACTING AS IF IT WOULD STALL. I SHUT DOWN AND HAD IT TOWED. DUE TO MY CONNECTIONS IN THE LR OWNERS COMMUNITY, AND IN TALKING WITH A WELL KNOWN INDEPENDENT LR MECHANIC, WITHIN HOURS OF THE INCIDENT I HAD LRNA'S TA03 1201 IN MY HANDS WITH SEVERAL PEOPLE TELLING ME THAT IT SOUNDED AS IF MY SYMPTOMS WERE EXACTLY WHAT THEY THEMSELVES HAD ENCOUNTERED. THE TECH ADVISORY IN QUESTION STATES THAT, "...THE ONLY EFFECTIVE REPAIR CURRENTLY AVAILABLE IS REPLACEMENT OF THE COMPLETE ENGINE..." SO, I WAS SURPRISED WHEN LR CONTACTED ME WITHIN A FEW HOURS TO TELL ME THAT MY VEHICLE WOULD BE READY FOR PICK UP THE NEXT DAY. I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO RETRIEVE THE CAR UNDER PROTEST (THEY DID NOT INITIALLY PROVIDE A LOANER, AND ONLY PROVIDED A RENTAL AFTER MORE THAN 24 HOURS) AND EVEN WHEN I PRESENTED THE TA TO THEM, THEY REFUSED TO, OR WERE UNABLE TO, SHOW ME THAT THE REPAIRS THEY MADE SUPERSEDED THOSE INDICATED IN LRNA'S OWN DOCUMENTATION ON THIS ISSUE. I CONTACTED THE OWNER OF THE FRANCHISE -- THEY DID NOT RETURN MY CALLS. I WROTE A LETTER TO THEM. I WROTE A LETTER TO LRNA AND CALLED THE CORPORATE HQ SEVERAL TIMES. THEIR STATEMENT WAS THAT IT WAS UP TO THE DEALER. I EVEN HAD AN INSURANCE AND WARRANTY LAWYER TELL ME THAT I HAD AN EXTREMELY STRONG CASE -- IF IT HAPPENS AGAIN. OUR WARRANTY IS NOW EXPIRED, AND WE AWAIT THE DAY WHEN THE OIL PUMP WILL FAIL AGAIN BECAUSE LRNA DID NOT REPAIR THE ACTUAL PROBLEM, THEY MERELY REPLACED THE PARTS THAT WERE BROKEN BECAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. *JB

AS I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, THE OIL LIGHT CAME ON AND THE ENGINE BEGAN TO MAKE LOUD CLANGING NOISE. AS I BEGAN TO PULL OVER, THE CAR STALLED. I CALLED LAND ROVER CUSTOMER SERVICE AND WAS INFORMED THAT ALTHOUGH I WAS STILL UNDER THE MILEAGE,THAT MY WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED 5 DAYS EARLIER. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO LOCAL LAND ROVER DEALER AND WAS INFORMED THAT LAND ROVER WOULD NOT COVER THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER CONCLUDED THAT VEHICLE NEEDS A NEW MOTOR. AN INDEPENDENT LAND ROVER REPAIR FACILITY HAS CONCLUDED THAT ENGINE FAILURE WAS THE RESULT OF OIL PUMP FAILURE. LAND ROVER ISSUED A TECHNICAL BULLETIN ON MARCH 14, 2003 STATING THAT ENGINE FAILURES ON '03 AND '04 DISCOVERY ARE THE RESULT OF MANUFACTURING ERROR ON THE OIL PUMP. VEHICLE STILL NEEDS A NEW MOTOR, LAND ROVER HAS BEEN VERY UNCOOPERATIVE EVEN WHEN PRESENTED WITH THE TECH ALERT (TA03 1201). I AM 2 MONTHS WITH OUT A VEHICLE. CAR IS AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION. *NM

MY 2003 LAND ROVER DISCOVERY RECEIVED ITS SCHEDULED 60K SERVICE THEN AT 65K THE OIL PUMP FAILED AND CAUSED A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE ENGINE. ALTHOUGH THERE ARE SEVERAL DOCUMENTED CASES SIMILAR TO MINE LAND ROVER DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY OR PLAN TO RECALL. THE CONSUMER IS LEFT WITH A POTENTIAL DANGER AND CONSIDERABLE FINANCIAL BURDEN. I HAVE TRIED TO RESOLVE THIS WITH LAND ROVER WHO AT THIS TIME IS NOT WILLING TO HELP OR TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. AT THIS TIME I CAN NOT RECOMMEND THE LAND ROVER LINE OF VEHICLES TO ANYONE AFTER OWNING ONE MY SELF FOR THE LAST 12 YEARS. *NM

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

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