Most common 2002 Land Rover Discovery II problems
Share of the 34 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 →
2002 Land Rover Discovery II recalls (3)
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…
What 2002 Land Rover Discovery II owners say
Engine & cooling
Land Rover Discovery II well maintained at 112 miles presented slight coolant and oil leakage. Overheated twice. Coolant leak worsened resulting in visual inspection by owner. Severe coolant leak evident from right side rear head gasket and either left side front head gasket or front cover. Oil leak isolated to left side valve cover. Engine undergoing teardown to determine damage extent and repairability. Estimate $2,500 assuming steel cylinder liners have not moved out of position. Proposed repair action to replace left and right head, front cover, oil pan, valley, throttle body, gaskets, water pump, thermostat, and possibly radiator. Research suggests engine replacement with "top hat" cylinder liners.
Land Rover Discovery II well maintained at 112 miles presented slight coolant and oil leakage. Overheated twice. Coolant leak worsened resulting in visual inspection by owner. Severe coolant leak evident from right side rear head gasket and either left side front head gasket or front cover. Oil leak isolated to left side valve cover. Engine undergoing teardown to determine damage extent and repairability. Estimate $2,500 assuming steel cylinder liners have not moved out of position. Proposed repair action: replace left and right head, front cover, oil pan, valley, throttle body, gaskets, water pump, thermostat, and possibly radiator. Research suggests engine replacement with "top hat" cylinder liners.
Transmission & drivetrain
Traveling south of columbus, oh on interstate, going between 55-65 MPH. Car began to shake, sudden loud noise (as if tire blew or we hit an object) and we pulled to the side of the road as black smoke billowed up and into the car. Turned off vehicle and exited. Upon inspection the tires were fine. Called aaa and had car towed to nearest Land Rover dealer in dublin, oh. Next day we were told the drive shaft "came apart" and then damaged the transmision and catalytic converter pipe, along with doing extensive damage to the floor board. We were also told that we were "lucky" the car came to a safe stop. Our car was "totaled" as the damages quoted were as much as the car was worth, according to Land Rover dublin. They showed us the kbb price of $10,000 and the damage quote was $8,900. We had the car towed to a relative's home in pa. (it is closer than our home in tn).
Land Rover Discovery II front drive shafts will always fail catastrophically between 60,000 to 70,000 miles. Every Land Rover forum discusses this and the consensus is that Land Rover should have reported this to NHTSA as a safety issue. When they break the consequences include the shaft going into the passenger compartment or traveling at a high rate of speed into nearby cars. Every Discovery II on the road has these front shafts fail and the owners of the vehicles have never been warned of this extreme danger.
Brakes
The brake pedal is very soft. The traction control and ABS lights flash on at-will. Took the vehicle into Land Rover anaheim hills who determined the ABS modulator is going out and will need to be replaced. Purchased the vehicle with approximately 74K miles. Mileage when taken to dealership was 78,490. Five days after purchasing vehicle, had the rear brake pads replaced; yet, no improvement on braking distance, feel of brake pedal. When pumping the brake pedal rapidly twice, the brakes stop responsively. Otherwise, the brake pedal depresses a number of inches before actually halting the vehicle.
Land Rover Discovery II front drive shafts will always fail catastrophically between 60,000 to 70,000 miles. Every Land Rover forum discusses this and the consensus is that Land Rover should have reported this to NHTSA as a safety issue. When they break the consequences include the shaft going into the passenger compartment or traveling at a high rate of speed into nearby cars. Every Discovery II on the road has these front shafts fail and the owners of the vehicles have never been warned of this extreme danger.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2002 Land Rover Discovery II a good car?
Based on 34 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2002 Discovery II rates average: 1.2× as many complaints as a typical year of the Discovery II at the same age. 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 2002 Land Rover Discovery II?
The engine & cooling — 14 complaints, 41% of all complaints for this model year, most often about engine. Next are the transmission & drivetrain (9) and brakes (7).
How many recalls does the 2002 Land Rover Discovery II have?
There are 3 recalls for the 2002 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 2002 Land Rover Discovery II problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 80,000 miles; 15% 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.