Most common 2003 Land Rover Discovery II problems
Share of the 63 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 →
2003 Land Rover Discovery II recalls (2)
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.
What 2003 Land Rover Discovery II owners say
Engine & cooling all 32 →
After owning my brand new 2003 Land Rover Discovery for about 5 weeks, I was driving on a highway when the oil light came on. Within seconds the vehicle began making and odd noise. I pulled off to the side of the highway and by the time I got out of the vehicle, it was on fire. The entire front end of the vehicle burnt off. Land Rover has refused to take responsibility for their defective vehicle and will do nothing about this situation. In addition, everyone that I have dealt with at Land Rover has been rude, inconsiderate and evasive. They have also refused to pay for the personal items that were in the vehicle and damaged because of the fire.
My husband bought me the 2003 Land Rover Discovery as a 2006 christmas gift. The car had approximately 46,000 miles on it. We were driving it and heard a pop & the car just died. I had the car a little over a month. There was oil & chunks of metal under the car. We had it towed home as the dealership was hours away. My husband looked through the parts book & found that it was possibly the front engine cover/oil pump. I did some research on the internet & found Land Rover issued a technical alert entitled 2003 Discovery series II oil pump failures, #t03 1201, on March 14, 2003 to its dealers. It advised that the dowel pins on the block did not align correctly with the oil pump. This caused oil starvation , which in turn, caused engine failure. It clearly stated the defect was the result of a manufacturing error. …
Brakes
1. Applied the brakes. 2. Every time I apply brakes after vehicle has been started 3. Dealer claims there is nothing which can be done... Apparently all such models have this issue, which generates the question as to why Land Rover has not been made to do something about this, much like what would have been done had such an issue been incurred with a Chevrolet, Ford or Toyota? This issue has already been recorded as service bulletin NHTSA item no. 10016118? This demonstrates there are recognized problems with the ABS modulator and system, resulting in the ABS/ emergency brake / hill descent and traction control lamps illuminating on the dash, which May cause the ABS system to incur failure when needed? …
Anti lock brake failure; multiple lights illuminte whe heavy braking down hills. All brake pads and rotors are new. Lights on dash extinguish upon restart. Very poor braking almost allowing vehicle to travel into cross traffic. Felt as though anti-lock system stopped functioning with standard braking remaining. Happended several times with myself and wife driving vehicle. Brought to dealer and looked up info on internet. Dealer indicated is was the antilock brake system modulator. Many complaints on Rover websites about this going fairly early in life of vehicle. Dealership told my wife that there was still normal braking if lights are on,but it should not be used like your braking with antilock systems. I do not believe that landrover has not addressed this issue. This problem as caused several close calls when braking on limited hills. …
Transmission & drivetrain
Second occurrence of transmission failure after only three days of driving. Land Rover was taken to dealership for repairs on 3 April 2003 and returned to me on 7 April 2003. On 10 April 2003, and 100 miles later, while making a left turn across a busy, main thoroughfare the transmission failed leaving me stopped across the entire middle of the lane of fast approaching on-coming traffic. My Land Rover went back to the dealership on 10 April 2003 and remains there today 14 April 2003 while the cause is researched. Very dangerous "broadside" accident potential.
Stored fault for output shaft speed transducer sensor for transmission. Vehicle won't move faster than 2 or 3 miles per hour. Won't shift gears. Dangerous when merging with traffic or making a left turn in oncoming traffic.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2003 Land Rover Discovery II a good car?
Based on 63 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2003 Discovery II rates avoid: 2.1× as many complaints as a typical year of the Discovery II at the same age. It is one of the Discovery II years we suggest avoiding. 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 2003 Land Rover Discovery II?
The engine & cooling — 32 complaints, 51% of all complaints for this model year, most often about engine. Next are the brakes (14) and transmission & drivetrain (5).
How many recalls does the 2003 Land Rover Discovery II have?
There are 2 recalls for the 2003 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 2003 Land Rover Discovery II problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 58,000 miles; 27% 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.