1996 Land Rover Discovery

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 LAND ROVER DISCOVERY. WHILE ACCELERATING AT 10 MPH, THE VEHICLE LACKED COMPRESSION. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE CYLINDER WALLS WERE SCRATCHED, WHICH PREVENTED THE VEHICLE FROM GAINING HORSEPOWER. HE ALSO STATED THAT EXCESSIVE DIRT FROM THE DEFECTIVE FUEL TANK CAUSED THE ENGINE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 143,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 63,000.

AT HIGHER SPEEDS, ABOVE 55 MPH, ENGINE WOULD INTERMITTENTLY MISFIRE AND RETURN TO NORMAL IN UNPREDICTABLE SEQUENCES. LOSS OF POWER AND INABILITY TO ACCELERATE, ESPECIALLY ON HILLS, THE WORST CONSEQUENCE. CHARLOTTE DEALER SAID IT COULD BE A STICKY EXHAUST VALVE, OFFERED $2900 TO PERFORM AN EXHAUST VALVE JOB. I DECLINED AND DECIDED TO TAKE THE CYLINDER HEADS OFF MYSELF AND TAKE THEM TO A MACHINE SHOP WERE THEY COULD CLEAN OUT AND RE-GRIND THE VALVES FOR ABOUT $500. MACHINE SHOP SAID THERE WAS NO SIGNS OF STICKING VALVES BUT I DIDN'T MIND SINCE I GOT TO PLAY AROUND AND TAKE THE ENGINE APART. THE ENGINE RAN GREAT AFTERWARDS BUT THIS DIDN'T FIX THE PROBLEM. FINALLY TOOK CAR TO AN ENGLISH CAR SPECIALIST IN RALEIGH, NC. THEY DETERMINED IT WAS A SPEED SENSING TRANSMITTER. THIS DEVICE TELLS THE CAR'S COMPUTER HOW FAST THE CAR IS MOVING. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, IT WAS GETTING A SIGNAL OF 130 MPH. THINKING IT WAS MOVING TOO FAST, THE CAR WILL AUTOMATICALLY MISFIRE IN AN EFFORT TO SLOW IT DOWN. THEY REPLACED THE SPEED SENSOR (FOR $120) AND THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR OLDER LRS AND THE DEALERS SHOULD KNOW THIS. THEY USE IT AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO CHARGE FOR A MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE VALVE JOB. *JB

LAND ROVER HAS A SAFETY RECALL ACTION L#B156 AND THE FEDERAL VEHICLE RECALL GOVERNMENT HAS THEIRS AS 04V20300. LAND ROVER BUILT A DEFECTIVE FUEL TANK THAT WILL LEAK AND INSTALLED IT IN MY VEHICLE WHEN IT WAS NEW. LAND ROVER NOW WANTS ME TO PAY FOR THE FUEL PUMP WHICH NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AS A RESULT OF THE RECALL. I FIND THIS DEMAND UNREASONABLE BOTH ON ITS POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE AND MY OUT OF POCKET COST, AND THAT THEY WILL ONLY REPLACE THE FUEL TANK AND SEAL, WHILE DISTURBING 10 YEAR OLD HOSES/PUMPS/FUEL LINES ECT. WHEN CONTACTED LAND ROVER SAID THAT WAS THEIR POLICY. WHERE IS THE SAFETY IN THIS RECALL? *NM

CONSUMER WAS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH FUEL PUMP. WHEN THE VEHICLE GOT HOT, IT ACTED AS IF IT WAS GOING TO CUT OFF, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE WEATHER WAS HOT. ALSO, ENGINE CHECK LIGHT KEPT COMING ON. SHE TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, THEY TOLD HER THEY HAD TO PUT IT ON A COMPUTER. THIS VEHICLE WAS GIVING HER PROBLEMS, AND SHE DID NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO. *AK

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 ANTI-LOCK BRAKES. DEALER NOTIFIED. *TT *JB