IllustrationABS LIGHT IS ON. BRAKES APPEAR TO WORK NORMAL. OCCASIONAL, FOR NO APPEARANT REASON ABS KICKS ON AND CAUSES BRAKES VIBRATE/PULSE AND MAKE IT EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO STOP. AFTER THAT FOR A SHORT PERIOD THE ABS LIGHT IS OFF. CLOSEST DEALER IS 3 HOURS AWAY AND I CAN'T FIND ANYONE AROUD TO LOOK AT IT. *AK
1996 Land Rover Discovery
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Discovery 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
Limited mileage data: 11 of 65 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
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.
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 15 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Structure. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
4 crash reports0 fire reports4 injury reports
Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints
15 reportsVERY POOR EMERGENCY BRAKING AT LOW SPEEDS 30MPH AND SLOWER. WHEN EMERGENCY BRAKING IS REQUIRED LIKE IN A LEFT TURN LAND AND THE PRECEDING CAR DECIDES TO STOP INSTEAD OF COMPLETING THE LEFT TURN, YOU CANNOT STOP QUICKLY. AT HIGHER SPEEDS UP TO 25-30 MPH THE SAME SITUATION ARISES BUT YOU GENERALLY HAVE MORE TIME AND DISTANCE TO…
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VERY POOR EMERGENCY BRAKING AT LOW SPEEDS 30MPH AND SLOWER. WHEN EMERGENCY BRAKING IS REQUIRED LIKE IN A LEFT TURN LAND AND THE PRECEDING CAR DECIDES TO STOP INSTEAD OF COMPLETING THE LEFT TURN, YOU CANNOT STOP QUICKLY. AT HIGHER SPEEDS UP TO 25-30 MPH THE SAME SITUATION ARISES BUT YOU GENERALLY HAVE MORE TIME AND DISTANCE TO RECOVER.EHICLE HAS BEEN LOOKED AT BY INDEPENDEND GARAGES AND MOST RECENTLY, AGAIN, GONE OVER BY THE LANDROVER DEALER IN SCOTTSDALE AZ. I LIVE IN A HILLY AREA IN PRESCOTT AZ AND EVEN COMING OUT OF A STEEP DRIVEWAY AT LOW SPEEDS, SUDDEN BRAKE APPLICATION CANNOT LOCK THE BRAKES OR CAUSE ABS TO OCCUR ON DRY PAVEMENT. PERSONAL OBSERVATION IS THE VEHICLE STOPS QUICKER ON WET PAVEMENT BECAUSE ABS HAPPENS. I HAVE USED THE INTERNET AND NEWSGROUPS AND THE IMPRESSION IS THE BRAKES ON THE OLDER DISCOVERY SERIES OF LANDROVERS, 1995-6-7 IS NOT GOOD. I WOULD SUSPECT THAT THE DAMAGE FROM A REAR END COLLISION WHERE I RAN INTO SOMEONE WITHOUT BRAKE LIGHTS, WAS PROBABLY MADE WORSE (1997). EMERGENCY BRAKING HAPPEND, BUT AS I HAVE DESCRIBED, BRAKING IS MARGINAL.*AK
CONSUMER HAS SAFETY CONCERN INVOLVING THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM ON A 1996 LAND ROVER DISCOVERY I. *MR ANTI-LOCK BRAKE LIGHT ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. WHEN THE BRAKE LIGHT IS OFF, THE BRAKE PEDAL IS HARD MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO STOP THE VEHICLE. WHEN THE BRAKE LIGHT IS ON, THE VEHICLE IS SAFE TO STOP HOWEVER THERE ARE NO …
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CONSUMER HAS SAFETY CONCERN INVOLVING THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM ON A 1996 LAND ROVER DISCOVERY I. *MR ANTI-LOCK BRAKE LIGHT ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. WHEN THE BRAKE LIGHT IS OFF, THE BRAKE PEDAL IS HARD MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO STOP THE VEHICLE. WHEN THE BRAKE LIGHT IS ON, THE VEHICLE IS SAFE TO STOP HOWEVER THERE ARE NO ANTI-LOCK BRAKES. DEALER NOTIFIED. *TT *JB
BRAKES FALIED COMPREHENSIVELY WITH NO WARNING LIGHT. *AK
THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL SPEED SENSOR FAILED CAUSING PROBLEMS WITH THE ABS SYSTEM. THE WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATES INTERMITTENTLY AND THE BRAKES ARE NOT RELIABLE. *YH THE ABS ACTIVATED UNDER NORMAL BRAKING CONDITIONS. *NM
UNDER NORMAL BRAKING ABS IS ACTIVATED. DEALER REPLACED RIGHT WHEEL SPEED SENSOR. AT THIS TIME VEHICLE IS AT DEALERSHIP, SAME PART IS BEING REPLACED.*AK *YH
DURING NORMAL BRAKING, INTERMITTENTLY ABS LIGHT WOULD COME ON AND CAUSE EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS, APPLYING THE BRAKES HAS CAUSED THE ENGINE TO RACE, ACCELERATING THE CAR WHILE CAUSING THE BRAKE POWER ASSIST TO FAIL. WITHOUT POWER ASSIST, BRAKING REQUIRES VERY HIGH PEDAL PRESSURE AND MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT TO STOP THE CAR. THI
FAILURE WITH THIS VEHICAL HAS BEEN WITH; BRAKES, STEERING, ENGINE, MIRROR, FUEL INJECTION, DOOR WINDOW NOT WORKING, DOOR LOCKS FAIL, LINKAGE CONTROL FOR SPEED
WHEN APPLYING BRAKES ABS KICKS IN AND PEDAL STIFFENS. OWNER HAS TO PUMP BRAKE PEDAL. ONLY HAPPENS AT LOW SPEEDS, ESPECIALLY GOING DOWN HILL. DEALER HAS NOT SEEN VEHICLE. *AK
Official recalls
298V040000 · Air Bags:frontal; Vehicle Speed Control
Feb 24, 1998
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. AS A RESULT OF CHAFFING OF A CRUISE CONTROL WIRE, THE STEERING WHEEL ROTARY COUPLER CAN OVERHEAT AND INADVERTENTLY DEPLOY THE DRIVER'S AIR BAG.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIR BAG RESTRAINT SYSTEM WITHOUT WARNING CAN CAUSE A DRIVER TO LOSE VEHICLE CONTROL.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A FUSIBLE LINK WHICH WILL PROTECT THE ROTARY COUPLER FROM OVERHEATING.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Vehicle Speed Control
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. AS A RESULT OF CHAFFING OF A CRUISE CONTROL WIRE, THE STEERING WHEEL ROTARY COUPLER CAN OVERHEAT AND INADVERTENTLY DEPLOY THE DRIVER'S AIR BAG.
Consequence: DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIR BAG RESTRAINT SYSTEM WITHOUT WARNING CAN CAUSE A DRIVER TO LOSE VEHICLE CONTROL.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A FUSIBLE LINK WHICH WILL PROTECT THE ROTARY COUPLER FROM OVERHEATING.
Air Bags:frontal
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. AS A RESULT OF CHAFFING OF A CRUISE CONTROL WIRE, THE STEERING WHEEL ROTARY COUPLER CAN OVERHEAT AND INADVERTENTLY DEPLOY THE DRIVER'S AIR BAG.
Consequence: DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIR BAG RESTRAINT SYSTEM WITHOUT WARNING CAN CAUSE A DRIVER TO LOSE VEHICLE CONTROL.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A FUSIBLE LINK WHICH WILL PROTECT THE ROTARY COUPLER FROM OVERHEATING.
96V247000 · Structure:body:door:hinge And Attachments
Dec 12, 1996
THE RIGHT FRONT DOOR CAN FAIL TO LATCH FULLY WHEN CLOSING, CAUSING THE DOOR TO "BOUNCE" BACK OFF THE DOOR SEALS.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE UNEXPECTED OPENING OF THE DOOR INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE ACCIDENT OR PERSONAL INJURY.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL CORRECTIVE HARDWARE ON THE RIGHT FRONT DOOR. DELAERS WILL ALSO CHECK THE DOOR LATCHES FOR THE OTHER DOORS AT THE SAME TIME.
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
1PE96060 · Door Open While Driving
Opened Oct 21, 1996 · Closed Dec 16, 1996
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Structure
IT IS ALLEDGED THAT THE RIGHT FRONT DOOR OPENS WHILE DRIVING