Most common 2004 Land Rover Discovery II problems
Share of the 22 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 →
2004 Land Rover Discovery II recalls (1)
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.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 2 possible defects involving the 2004 Land Rover Discovery II:
Brake light switch failure
On June 16, 2005, the office of defects investigation (odi) opened a preliminary evaluation to investigate alleged stop lamp (brake) switch failures in certain model year (my) 2004 Land Rover discovery series ii vehicles.odi sent a letter to the manufacturer on June 24, 2005 requesting information about these and other Land Rover vehicles.analysis of manufacturer data shows a high failure frequency for stop lamp…
Brake light switch failure
On June 16, 2005, the office of defects investigation (odi) opened a preliminary evaluation (pe05-034) to investigate alleged stop lamp (brake) switch failures in certain model year (my) 2004 Land Rover discovery series ii vehicles.on October 14, 2005, the investigation was upgraded to an engineering analysis and the scope expanded to include certain my 2002 through 2005 freelander vehicles that use a substantially…
What 2004 Land Rover Discovery II owners say
Engine & cooling
2004 Land Rover Discovery II with 44K miles, under warranty, and recently serviced at dealership, spontaneously caught fire, while unoccupied, and turned off, to the point of complete destruction of engine & front end, did not destroy interior. Extremely lucky that others were not hurt, or not driving at time of occurrence.
Engine failure occurred at 63,000 miles. I was driving locally near my home when a popping sound came from the engine. It resulted in the engine light coming on and the engine shutting off at approx 30mph. The engine shut off LED to a loss of power steering in the truck. Luckily, I was able to gain control of the steering manually and pull the truck to the side of the road. Fortunately, I was not on the highway when this happened otherwise it May have been a completely different outcome. The dealer (Land Rover of parsippany) examined the vehicle and determined that engine (complete engine failure) had to be replaced. A number of theories were thrown around : low oil (changed every 3,000), sleeves dropped (no clue what that means), or age (my favorite since it was 2004 and I used it purely to go to the train and on weekends) but no matter what the truck is totalled w/o an engine. …
Brakes
Vehicle in motion traveling at approx 5-7 MPH. Zip code 06615 when 3 ABS sensor lights went on 1. Hill descent 2. ABS 3.traction control. Recent ABS shuttle switch replaced for same reported sensor lights failure. Vehicle was not on an incline and at an intersection and light. After passing intersection cars were entering street from side. Tried to slow down as car pulled out and could not. Another car pulled out.. Tried to move around car since car would not slow down. Upon putting more pressure anti lock vibration began and car had sensation of ' locking up ' on a wheel and felt as if the car was either sliding or 'not having any brake' control. And steering seemed to be affected. Had to cross oncoming car lane to veer away from cars pulling into my line as car was not handling properly. …
Failure of antilock service brakes. Defect first identified in March 2005, when hdc,ABS,tc and red brake light came on. Vehicle taken to Land Rover of wood bridge where they diagnosed a loose connector. These lights came on intermittently over the last several years, but went out on their own usually. In late 2008 the lights came back on and stayed on. Car taken back to lr in dec. 17, 2008 with 38805 miles. Failure of the ABS modulator was diagnosed, and warranty coverage was denied, despite what was a failure to diagnose and correct the problem in 2005. Repair was to be $3000 plus labor. I subsequently learned that there have been recalls issued for this problem and it appears the my VIN number falls within the range. However lr refuses to cover this repair. I have made 2 attempts with customer service to have lr repair this defect under warranty coverage without success. …
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2004 Land Rover Discovery II a good car?
Based on 22 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2004 Discovery II rates average: 33% 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 2004 Land Rover Discovery II?
The engine & cooling — 8 complaints, 36% of all complaints for this model year, most often about engine. Next are the brakes (5) and steering (2).
How many recalls does the 2004 Land Rover Discovery II have?
There is 1 recall for the 2004 Land Rover Discovery II, the most recent from January 6, 2004 (antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip). 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 2004 Land Rover Discovery II problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 61,000 miles; 38% 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.