Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2003 Land Rover Range Rover owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2003 Land Rover Range Rover. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH on the highway, he felt a vibration and pulled over to inspect the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle then failed to exceed 35 MPH. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 119,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Land Rover Range Rover. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 65 MPH, there was an abnormal grinding sound from underneath the vehicle. The vehicle also was making a jerking motion and the transfer case warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. The mechanic stated that the vehicle was experiencing the failure in NHTSA campaign number: 08V635000 (power train) and the drive shaft and spline needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 160,000.
The first thing that happened was the ac stopped working and replaced the resistor in it twice, the same day it went out a second time the back driver side window fell. The next week I was driving home and was entering the freeway and as I accelerated the vehicle jerked hard and pulled back, and was making a squeaking sound. It corrected but now it keeps doing it. And the brake fluid a week later leaked out and I lost power in my brakes. I am afraid to drive my car!
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Land Rover Range Rover. The contact stated that the transmission and brake warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failures. The approximate failure mileage was 83,000.
On two occasions my drive shaft and front differential separated. I was driving on the highway in January of 2004 and had 26,000 miles on my car when I experienced a loud grinding noise and lost power to the vehicles. The message center told me to put the car in neutral. I was on a hill and the transmission did not hold . I rolled back into traffic on the off ramp until I came to a somewhat flat part of road and was able to get the emergency brake to hold. It took over two week to have the vehicle fixed Land Rover would not release the parts to fix my vehicle. The second time happened one week after my 60,000 mile service. I did this service early. The car had 58,000 miles the second time the drive shaft and front differential did the same thing. I experienced a loud grinding noise like the bottom was falling out of the car. I was once again traveling at about 60 miles per hour. …
The first time the front differential went I was pulling onto my street. All of a sudden, out of no where, there was a loud metal on metal grinding noise. I immediately stepped on the brake, but by that time the truck wasn't going anywhere anyway. I put the truck into park, and walked to the house extremely annoyed that this could happen to a new vehicle. I went back out and started the truck and put it into drive, which yielded a loud grinding noise. I had no clue what was wrong, but it was obvious that I wasn't driving anywhere. When the tow truck came for it, it was immovable on it's own. There was no pre-warning to this event, the truck was still under warranty, and Land Rover, I thought, fixed the problem. However, the same problem occurred again last week in tucson, arizona. (May 06) the truck now has 55,000 miles and is not under warranty. …
Without any warning, I started to hear a "metal-on-metal" loud grinding noise coming from underneath the vehicle while it was moving forward, regardless of whether the brakes were applied or whether it was in drive or neutral. This was immediately reported to my Land Rover dealership in warwick, ri. Land Rover advised that the car was not safe to drive. So, it was brought to the dealership to be diagnosed. It had front differential and drive shaft failure. Previously, Land Rover had inspected this front drive shaft and differential under a Land Rover technical service bulletin, to prevent the drive shaft and differential failure. This occurred when the vehicle was under warranty. When the failure ultimately occurred, the vehicle could not be driven and it was out of warranty. Cost to fix by the dealership was $2,700. …
My son was driving on the 105 freeway in the carpool lane when my 2003 Range Rover suddenly made metal noises and failed. He narrowly avoided being hit and was able to pull to the side. Front drive shaft and differential or slip differential was to blame. This was supposed to have been fixed by Land Rover during my service in May 2004 due to many complaints of failure and vehicle suddenly stopping even at high freeway speed. With the help of police and aaa, my car was towed to nearest Range Rover authorized mechanic in culver city, california. Since my car only recently crossed 40,000 miles, it was no longer under warranty. Cost to fix was $2700. We called Land Rover to complain that this should not have happened if it was already fixed. They wanted my car to be towed to thousand oaks dealer since that's where the original fix took place in May 2004. …
I was driving my 2003 Range Rover that I just bought used 2 weeks earlier. As I was driving, the car started making severe grinding noises and lost power. I could not steer that well and was in the middle of the road. I managed to get barely enough power to make it to the side of the road and pull into a parking lot. This event was without any warning and the car made the worst grinding noises in the world. I had it towed to a local repair shop and they informed me that this vehicle has a recall on it to address the problem, which is a failed driveshaft / axle / differential operation. Because it was recalled, I had it towed to Land Rover and they are now saying that they can't fix the problem until the axle is repaired, which they say is not part of the recall. I believe it is part of the recall and they should be covering this at no cost. …
I had to have my 2003 Land Rover Range Rover repaired for this very same problem in December, 2007. The dealer wanted much more than what I had paid for per the attached repair bill from euro car. When I received this letter, I called Land Rover north America and was told that I had to go through an authorized dealer to get reimbursed. I went to www.landroverusa.com per the recall letter and they show that plaza Land Rover st. Louis, 11830 olive street road, st. Louis, mo 63141 is the only retailer here in st. Louis. I called them and they refused to submit any paperwork because I did not get it repaired there. I find this very unacceptable as st. Louis is a huge metropolitan area and I do not believe that plaza motors should have sole claim on getting a Range Rover fixed in order to get reimbursement for recall notices. That would mean they would have a monopoly. …
Related recalls
Power train › Driveline › Driveshaft
Land Rover is recalling 19,168 my 2003-2005 range Rover vehicles. The front differential coupling sleeve and the propeller shaft May be misaligned, resulting in spline wear over a period of time. As the wear between the propeller shaft and the differential spline coupling progresses, noise and vibration are expected.
Remedy: Dealers will install a revised design of the propeller shaft, the flange kit and heat shield kit. The recall began on January 6, 2009. Owners May contact Land Rover at 1-800- 637-6837.
NHTSA investigations
Front differential/driveshaft failure
In response to an information request (ir) letter sent by the office of defects investigation (odi), Ford stated that the primary cause for the majority of the reported front differential/drive shaft failures is a misalignment of the joint between the two components.certain levels of misalignment May over time cause an uneven wear of the splines.continued wear of the splines May result in a shearing of the splines…
Front diff. / propeller shaft failure
Summary:in a letter dated December 2, 2008, Ford motor company (Ford) notified NHTSA that Land Rover is conducting a safety recall of model year (my) 2003 through 2005 range Rover vehicles built at the solihull (uk) assembly plant from January 3, 2002 through February 22, 2005, to replace the front driveshaft joint (NHTSA recall no. 08v-635, Land Rover recall no. P041).
Transmission complaints in other Range Rover years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2003 Land Rover Range Rover?
NHTSA has 74 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2003 Land Rover Range Rover, 76% of the model year's 97 complaints. The component named most often is driveline › differential unit (47 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2003 Land Rover Range Rover transmission problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 08V-635 (driveshaft, Dec 3, 2008). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2003 Land Rover Range Rover transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 65,000 miles, and 6% before 25,000 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.