ENGINE STARTED KNOCKING AFTER I PURCHASED IT AND I HAD JUST GOT THE BEST RECOMMENDED OIL AN SPARK PLUGS / WIRES NO MONEY TO REPAIR
2003 Land Rover Discovery Ii
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2003 Land Rover Discovery Ii do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 35.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Discovery Ii years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
55 reports with mileage · 8 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 27 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Power Train complaints
5 reportsI HAVE EXPERIENCED WHAT APPEARS TO BE THE SAME OIL PUMP SYMPTOMS OTHERS HAVE COMPLAINED OF. DESPITE READING "FULL", MY TRUCK SEEMS TO HAVE DIFFICULTY ADEQUATELY LUBRICATING. SO, SOME DAYS IT'S SOUNDED LIKE A TANK!! *TR
A FEW DAYS BEFORE THE INCIDENT ON JULY 20TH, MY WIFE AND I HEARD A VERY SLIGHT NOISE. AT FIRST IT WAS ONLY OCCASIONAL AND SOUNDED LIKE SOMETHING WAS VIBRATING IN THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. AFTER A COUPLE MORE DAYS WENT BY, THE VIBRATING/RATTLING NOISE BECAME LOUDER AND BEGAN OCCURRING MORE OFTEN. WE DECIDED TO GO AHEAD AND MA…
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A FEW DAYS BEFORE THE INCIDENT ON JULY 20TH, MY WIFE AND I HEARD A VERY SLIGHT NOISE. AT FIRST IT WAS ONLY OCCASIONAL AND SOUNDED LIKE SOMETHING WAS VIBRATING IN THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. AFTER A COUPLE MORE DAYS WENT BY, THE VIBRATING/RATTLING NOISE BECAME LOUDER AND BEGAN OCCURRING MORE OFTEN. WE DECIDED TO GO AHEAD AND MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO GET IT CHECKED OUT AT THE SHOP. THE CAR WAS DUE FOR IT'S 75,000 MILE CHECKUP ANYWAY. I CALLED THE LAND ROVER DEALERSHIP IN CARY, NORTH CAROLINA FOR AN APPOINTMENT ON MONDAY, JULY 16TH, 2007 AND HAD TO WAIT UNTIL THURSDAY UNTIL A SCHEDULER GOT BACK TO US TO MAKE AN ACTUAL APPOINTMENT. THE EARLIEST THEY COULD TAKE US WAS THE FOLLOWING WEDNESDAY. IN THE MEANTIME, MY WIFE BECAME INCREASINGLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF DRIVING THE VEHICLE AS THE NOISE INTENSIFIED. ON THURSDAY, JULY 19TH SHE DROVE HOME FROM WORK AND BARELY MADE IT HOME THAT EVENING. SHE SUGGESTED CALLING ANOTHER REPAIR SHOP WITH A MASTER LEVEL LAND ROVER TECHNICIAN IN THE AREA TO SEE IF THEY COULD TAKE THE VEHICLE ANY EARLIER. AT THIS POINT, THE GRINDING NOISE WAS INCREASING AND IT INTENSIFIED WHEN YOU LET OFF THE GAS. IT SEEMED AS IF THE ENGINE WAS REVVING AT A HIGHER LEVEL THAN NECESSARY AND THE TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING. SHE WAS FRIGHTENED TO DRIVE IT AT A HIGH SPEED AND CALLED ME TO ALERT ME AS SHE WAS DRIVING HOME SHOULD ANYTHING HAPPEN TO HER. THE NEXT MORNING ON FRIDAY, JULY 20TH I CALLED THE OTHER LAND ROVER REPAIR SHOP IN TOWN AND THEY SAID THEY COULD TAKE THE VEHICLE THAT DAY. ON FRIDAY MORNING, I WAS ONLY ABOUT A MILE AWAY FROM HOME AND DRIVING ABOUT 30-40 MILES AN HOUR ON THE WAY TO THE REPAIR SHOP WHEN I HEARD A LOUD GRINDING SOUND AND THE TRANSMISSION BECAME TOTALLY DISENGAGED. WITH THE CAR NOW COMPLETELY INOPERABLE, I WAS STRANDED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND HAD TO CALL A TOW TRUCK. THE REPAIR SHOP TOLD US IT IS THE FRONT END DIFFERENTIAL AND WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED. *JB
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 EN…
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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. *NLM
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. *NLM
Official recalls
204V005000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip
Jan 6, 2004
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 VALVE COVERS.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CAN PRODUCE AN UNEXPECTED INCREASE IN STOPPING DISTANCE, WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR TOTAL LOSS OF SERVICE BRAKING FUNCTION, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.
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.
04V006000 · Engine And Engine Cooling
Jan 6, 2004
ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, THE ACTIVE CORNERING ENHANCEMENT (ACE) PUMP BANJO BOLT LOOSES TORQUE AND ALLOWS FLUID TO LEAK PAST THE JOINT.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THE FLUID FROM THE PUMP JOINT CAN IGNITE, RESULTING IN AN UNDER HOOD FIRE.
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. OWNER NOTIFICATION IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING MAY 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT LAND ROVER AT 1-800-637-6837.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
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