Most common 2001 Land Rover Discovery II problems
Share of the 31 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Land Rover Discovery II complaints by model year
Best Discovery II years: 2004, 1999, 2001. Years to avoid: 2003, 2000. Compare all years →
2001 Land Rover Discovery II recalls (5)
Engine and engine cooling
On certain sport utility vehicles, the active cornering enhancement (ace) pump banjo bolt looses torque and allows fluid to leak past the joint.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the vehicles for leakage. If no leakage is evident, the banjo bolt will be re-tightened. If leakage is evident, the banjo bolt and dowty washers will be replaced.
Service brakes, hydraulic › Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip
Certain sport utility vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standards no. 105, "hydraulic and electric brake systems," and no. 135, "passenger car brake systems." the anti-lock braking system (ABS) modulator valve cover retaining bolts can crack due to stresses transmitted by the flexing…
Remedy: Dealers will strengthen the ABS modulator assembly valve covers and replace the retaining bolts. Owner notification is exepcted to begin during May 2004. Owners should contact Land Rover at 1-800-637-6837.
Vehicle speed control
On some sport utility vehicles, the accelerator cable could have become kinked during vehicle assembly, resulting in chaffing of the cable. Continued chaffing can lead to breakage of the interior cable strands.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the damaged cables where necessary. Owner notification began March 6, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the…
Service brakes, hydraulic › Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip
On certain sport utility vehicles, contamination of an anti-lock braking system (ABS) sensor can cause the ABS electronic control unit (ECU) to incorrectly interpret the sensor signal, resulting in inappropriate ABS activation.
Remedy: Dealers will install a new ECU. Owner notification began March 6, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time…
Equipment › Mechanical › Winch
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with warn industries' winch kits. A power interrupt solenoid, possibly included in the winch assembly, can develop an electrical leak path to ground.
Remedy: Dealers will call owners to arrange for an inspection time to determine if a defective power interrupt solenoid was installed. If it was, the solenoid will be replaced. Owner notification began August 13, 2001.
What 2001 Land Rover Discovery II owners say
Brakes
While attempting to park in a parking lot, my wife applied the brakes, which caused our 2001 Land Rover Discovery II to suddenly accelerate. The harder she pushed, the more it accelerated. Fortunately, she hit a concrete encased light standard before hitting anyone or another vehicle. She was not hurt, although very traumatized, but the vehicle hit so hard, it crumpled the whole front end, effectively totaling the vehicle. I was dismayed to see the number of Land Rover sudden acceleration incidents when I googled it. It certainly appears there is a design flaw which has not been successfully resolved thru any recall efforts by Land Rover. I intend to pursue legal recourse.
I was driving my Land Rover Discovery II on a parking lot and was about to park, as I turned the wheel to get to the parking space I applied the brake, which became hard as a rock and the vehicle didn't slow down, I crashed into the vehicle that was parked on the other side of the parking space. Prior to the accident I had , what is know in Land Rover forum as the 3 amigo lights, which are the t/c, h/d and ABS light that are on at the same time. The brakes completely failed, again the pedal was hard as a rock and couldn't be pushed down.
Speed control & acceleration
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 Land Rover Discovery II. While driving at 50-55 MPH, the vehicle began to shake abnormally. The contact applied the brakes and the vehicle independently accelerated. The contact attempted to stop the vehicle by applying the brakes but to no avail. The vehicle crashed into a cement barrier. The vehicle did not stop but proceeded to accelerate across two lanes and crash into a guardrail. The vehicle was spun rapidly and stopped while facing oncoming traffic. Three passengers were injured and sustained wrist, ankle, neck, head and back injuries as well as whiplash. A police report was available. The vehicle was destroyed. The contact was able to locate a recall for the failure but did not confirm if her vehicle was included in the recall. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000.
Owner was driving at approximately 5 MPH and vehicle surged forward and began accelerating. Vehicle went across a ditch, and landed up side down. Vehicle was totaled. There were no injuries. Also, upon impact, air bags failed to deploy. Consumer stated that there was a recall in 2002 concerning and accelerator problem. The recall was for his model and year vehicle and believes it's possibly related the sudden acceleration he experienced.
Transmission & drivetrain
We were in route to my nieces graduation on route 76 which is a 55 MPH road. With absolutely no warning the front drive shaft at about 45 MPH came apart from the transmission side and caused the front tires to lock up sending myself ,my wife and my nephew careening off the road. We were very lucky, narrowly missing a pole. The truck itself was not damaged by the accident because we stayed on basically grass, but it scared us all. However the truck was damaged by the drive shaft severely, as it tore up everything in its path. The speedo cable, exhaust, and it punched a hole in the top of the transmission destroying it. I have the old drive shaft(what's left of it) and already purchased a new one not realizing at that point that the tranny was destroyed until I replaced it and took a closer look. …
I pulled car into a parking place, turned off the car, removed the key from the ignition without realizing the car was in "drive." when I returned, the car had rolled across the parking lot hitting another vehicle. I spoke with the lr dealership who confirmed this was not possible and was accused of leaving the car in "neutral." I tested this theory to find that I could remove the key from the ignition in any gear. The lr representative advised that a plastic part in the steering column occasionally breaks permitting the key to be removed with the shifter in gears other than "park." I was advised to make sure to use the emergency brake until I sell the car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2001 Land Rover Discovery II a good car?
Based on 31 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2001 Discovery II rates average: 18% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Discovery II at the same age. It is one of the best Discovery II years by this measure. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2001 Land Rover Discovery II?
The brakes — 8 complaints, 26% of all complaints for this model year, most often about antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip › abs warning light. Next are the speed control & acceleration (6) and transmission & drivetrain (5).
How many recalls does the 2001 Land Rover Discovery II have?
There are 5 recalls for the 2001 Land Rover Discovery II, the most recent from January 6, 2004 (engine and engine cooling). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Land Rover Discovery II?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2004, 1999 and 2001. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2003 and 2000. See the full Land Rover Discovery II years comparison.
At what mileage do 2001 Land Rover Discovery II problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 65,000 miles; 32% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.