1998 Land Rover Discovery problems & reliability
33 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1998 Land Rover Discovery. 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.
5 complaints report injuries (9 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1998 Land Rover Discovery vehicles were involved in 2 fatal crashes with 1 occupant death. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 5 | 15% |
| Steering | 5 | 15% |
| Air Bags | 4 | 12% |
| Seat Belts | 4 | 12% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 4 | 12% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 2 | 6% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 6% |
| Power Train | 2 | 6% |
| Unknown OR Other | 2 | 6% |
| Visibility | 2 | 6% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 18 reported components →Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Tl* the contact owned a 1998 land rover discovery. While driving and depressing the brake pedal, flames appeared under the dashboard. A fire report was filed. A police report was not filed. The local fire department extinguished the fire. The contact sustained bruises to the left shoulder and left leg while jumping…”
Engine · filed Apr 4, 2019
“I began to back out of a parking space. As my car cleared the parking space, I was turning my steering wheel as I backed out, I heard a click at the steering wheel and suddenly had no steering whatsoever. My steering wheel just spins free, easily, and the steering wheel no longer controls the front tires. It appears…”
Steering · filed Dec 15, 2013
“Tl* the contact owns a 1998 land rover discovery. The contact stated that the vehicle was involved in a crash and the air bags deployed. As a result, there was an explosive spark which caused the driver's clothing to ignite. The driver sustained burns to the right hand and the left arm became blistered. Also, the…”
Air Bags · filed Jul 11, 2012
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
8 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1998 Land Rover Discovery.
The 'Service Required' warning text will not appear on the Instrument Cluster (IC) if a vehicle has reached its service point.
SFCC_08MAR18_16 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 8, 2018
Presentation from Dealer Shop Foreman Conference Call
SFCC-14SEP17 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 14, 2017
Technical Bulletin: Squeaks & Rattles Kit Availability
LTB00389NAS3 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 19, 2013
"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
A number of right hand exhaust manifolds on 1997 and 1998 my vehicles that are susceptible to cracking. Service action exhaust manifold replacement. *tt
112 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 24, 2003
Recall d217 - land rover has determined that certain vehicles have fuel filler necks which may drop below the top surface of the mounting grommet resulting in a poor seal with the fuel cap. *tt
SA00RE05 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 14, 2000
Delamination of the door bin material cover. *tt
761398NAS · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 2, 1999
Situation on repair requirements for painted plastic trim. *yc
760198NAS · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 6, 1998
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
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1998 Land Rover Discovery in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
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 1998 Land Rover Discovery?
- · 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.