2003 Land Rover Discovery II problems & reliability
63 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2003 Land Rover Discovery II, alongside 2 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 (8 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling → | 27 | 43% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic → | 11 | 17% |
| Engine | 5 | 8% |
| Power Train | 5 | 8% |
| Air Bags | 4 | 6% |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 3 | 5% |
| Traction Control System | 3 | 5% |
| Unknown OR Other | 3 | 5% |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 2 | 3% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 21 reported components →Mileage when problems occurred
Among the 55 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 58,000 miles (middle 50% between 46,903 and 78,905 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Engine started knocking after I purchased it and I had just got the best recommended oil an spark plugs / wires no money to repair”
Power Train · filed Dec 11, 2016
“We were driving straight on I 5. In red bluff california headed to lodi ca.the car just started making a noise and then the vehicle started swiirving left to right with control or response from the steering wheell we hit going 65mph.and we were smashed into a guard rail head on. Then spun out all over the freeway. Car…”
Unknown OR Other · filed Jul 7, 2016
“The steering air bag blowout for nothing, the vehicle was stationary the motor was working I'm whasing the land rover and that happened, I'm confuse.”
Air Bags · filed Dec 25, 2015
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 2003 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
Incorrect a/c refrigerant label. Land rover discovery series ii. *tt
820404 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 20, 2004
Handbrake vibration noise. *tt
700604 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 28, 2004
Revised t-box removal procedure. *tt
440104 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 27, 2004
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 2003 Land Rover Discovery II has 2 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 2003 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 58,000 miles. This does not predict when a particular vehicle will develop a problem.