Engine complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
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. …
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. …
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.
Vehicle was service for oil change in a.m. Drove about 90 miles, vehicle overheated and had to be towed. Red fluid leaking. Called dealership and they said it could be the tranmission fluid. Simliar thing happened about 3 months ago on the way back from boston (2.5 hours away). Temperature gage shot up within 30 seconds and car overheated. Fluid leaked on highway. Had to get it towed. Wound up replacing entire engine that I had to pay for. Bill was over $4500. Dealership said it must have leaked out. I find this hard to believe as I get it serviced every 3,000 miles and have it parked the same place in the garage every day.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 Land Rover Discovery II. The contact stated that the engine cooling failed causing the serpentine belt to fail. The active cornering enhancement (ace) pump banjo bolt lost torque and allowed fluid to leak past the joint. The contact was informed of the recall under NHTSA campaign id number: 04V006000 (engine and engine cooling). The vehicle was taken to a dealer who verified that the vehicle was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 121,000.
Related 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.
Engine and engine cooling › Engine
Vehicle description: sport utility vehicles equipped with active cornering enhancement (ace). The high-pressure hydraulic pipe that runs from the ace pump to the ace valve block could fracture at its union with the pump.
Remedy: Dealers will install new hydraulic tubing.
Engine and engine cooling › Engine
Vehicle description: sport utility vehicles equipped with active cornering enhancement (ace). The high-pressure hydraulic pipe that runs from the ace pump to the ace valve block could fracture at its union with the pump.
Remedy: Dealers will install new hydraulic tubing.
Frequently asked questions
Which Land Rover Discovery II years have engine problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2003 (32), 2002 (14), 2004 (8), 2000 (6) and 2001 (5) model years. Engine complaints make up 51% of all complaints for the 2003.
Is there a recall for Land Rover Discovery II engine problems?
Yes — 3 recalls, including 04V-006 (engine and engine cooling, Jan 6, 2004); 00V-423 (engine, Dec 27, 2000); 00V-036 (engine, Feb 11, 2000). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Land Rover Discovery II engine problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 74,000 miles; 19% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the engine (22 mentions), followed by the engine › gasoline (2).
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.