2001 Land Rover Discovery II problems & reliability
31 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2001 Land Rover Discovery II, alongside 5 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
3 complaints report injuries (7 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 8 | 26% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 6 | 19% |
| Power Train | 5 | 16% |
| Electrical System | 4 | 13% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 4 | 13% |
| Steering | 2 | 6% |
| Visibility | 2 | 6% |
| Air Bags | 1 | 3% |
| Engine | 1 | 3% |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 12 reported components →Mileage when problems occurred
Among the 24 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 65,000 miles (middle 50% between 47,000 and 103,315 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“While driving, the drive shaft detached from the vehicle while in motion. There was a loss of drive and we could not use the transmission park function to put the car in park. Instead we had to use the emergency brake. *tr”
Power Train · filed Jun 3, 2014
“Tl* the contact owns a 2001 land rover discovery ii. The contact stated that while driving 30 mph, the vehicle erroneously accelerated. The vehicle was taken to a private mechanic where the throttle cable was replaced but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact that the vehicle…”
Vehicle Speed Control · filed Mar 21, 2013
“Tl* the contact owns a 2001 land rover discovery ii. The contact stated that the engine cooling failed causing the serpentine belt to fail. The active cornering enhancement (ace) pump banjo bolt lost torque and allowed fluid to leak past the joint. The contact was informed of the recall under nhtsa campaign id number…”
Engine · filed Aug 22, 2012
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
13 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2001 Land Rover Discovery II. The 10 most recent:
Presentation from Dealer Shop Foreman Conference Call
SFCC-14SEP17 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 14, 2017
"issue: reports have been received of engine damage occurring, which is caused by the use of non-approved engine induction / fuel injection cleaning equipment or materials. This includes, but is not limited to…
SSM56457 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 28, 2014
"issue: this ssm has been released to address the high number of speaker assemblies returned, many of which are deemed as no fault found . Cause: incorrect diagnosis."
SSM68378 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 23, 2013
Shuttle valve switch related anti-lock braking system /traction control /hill descent control warning lamp illumination troubleshooting. All land rover discovery series ii. *tt
700205 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 17, 2006
Troubleshooting anti-lock braking system (abs)/hdc/tc warning lamp illumination. Land rover discovery series ii. *tt
700704 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 17, 2006
Revised procedure and time for steering box installation. *sc
570305 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 16, 2005
Revised front shock replacement procedure and times-replaces the published information on gtr section 60.30.02. *sc
600205 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 16, 2005
Handbrake vibration noise. *tt
700604 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 28, 2004
Subject regarding dmtl-style evaps system pressure testing. *tt
010502 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 1, 2002
Information on vehicles experiencing fault code p1481 set at the engine management system. *tt
010502 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 1, 2002
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2001 Land Rover Discovery II has 5 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2001 Land Rover Discovery II?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Among complaints with usable mileage, the median reported incident mileage was 65,000 miles. This does not predict when a particular vehicle will develop a problem.