IllustrationFRONTAL COLLISION AT 50MPH AND AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLY. IF NOT FOR SEAT BELTS, CRASH WOULD HAVE BEEN FATAL.*AK
1997 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: 4 of 35 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 12 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. 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.
9 crash reports2 fire reports0 injury reports
Air Bags complaints
6 reportsTHE VEHICLE HIT A TREE HEAD-ON AT 40MPH, AND NEITHER DRIVER'S SIDE NOR PASSENGER'S SIDE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. DEALER INSISTS THAT THERE IS NO PROBLEM. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH THE BRAKING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING THE BRAKING SYSTEM TO BE INOPERATIVE WHICH CAUSED A FRONTAL IMPACT. BOTH AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. NO PRIOR PROBLEMS WITH BRAKING SYSTEM. *AK
DURING FRONTAL IMPACT AT 30 MPH, THE DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
WHILE APPLYING ABS BRAKES THEY FAILED TO STOP VEHICLE WHICH WAS BEING DRIVEN AT 40 MPH, RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT. ALSO BRAKE PEDAL WENT COMPLETELY TO FLOOR OF VEHICLE. THERE WAS NO DEPLOYMENT OF DRIVER'S OR PASSENGER'S SIDE AIRBAGS. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT APPROX 40 MPH COMING TO INTERSECTION ,150-200 YARDS AWAY , LIGHT TURNED RED, WENT TO APPLY BRAKES VEHICLE DID NOT STOP. STOOD ON BRAKES, NOTHING HAPPENED, HIT SIDE OF ANOTHER VEHICLE WITH THE FRONT, AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. SEAT BELT WAS WORN. THIS DEFECT RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT, AND COULD HAVE CAUSED INJURIES.…
Read full complaint
WHILE DRIVING AT APPROX 40 MPH COMING TO INTERSECTION ,150-200 YARDS AWAY , LIGHT TURNED RED, WENT TO APPLY BRAKES VEHICLE DID NOT STOP. STOOD ON BRAKES, NOTHING HAPPENED, HIT SIDE OF ANOTHER VEHICLE WITH THE FRONT, AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. SEAT BELT WAS WORN. THIS DEFECT RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT, AND COULD HAVE CAUSED INJURIES. 820963 DUPLICATE OF 818194, POSTED ON 03-NOV-98. *AK
Official recalls
198V040000 · 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.
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.