IllustrationANTI-LOCK SYSTEM ACTIVATES AT LOW SPEED AFTER REVERSING FROM A PARKING SPACE WHILE TRAVELING FORWARD AT RANDOM TIMES. FULL PEDAL FORCE IS REQUIRED TO STOP VEHICLE SPEEDS 10-20 MPH THEN CONDITION CLEARS FOR HOURS OR DAYS. *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
What owners actually said
35 reportsON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, DASHBOARD WENT BLANK WHILE DRIVING LOSING ALL POWER, DEALER FOUND THAT THE SECURITY SYSTEM HAD FAILED, CAUSING IT TO CUT THE IGNITION SWITCH, THEN AFTER HAPPENING AGAIN DEALER SAID THE PROBLEM WAS CASUED BY A DEFECTIVE CRANK SHAFT SENSOR.
CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 35MPH ON PAVEMENT ROAD WHEN ANOTHER VEHICLE STARTED BEEPING. HE PULLED OVER AND LADY IN THE OTHER VEHICLE TOLD HIM THAT THERE WERE FLAMES COMING FROM UNDERNEATH OF VEHICLE. CONSUMER CALLED FIRE DEPARTMENT THAT VEHICLE WAS BURNING TO A CRISP. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. *AK
FRONTAL COLLISION AT 50MPH AND AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLY. IF NOT FOR SEAT BELTS, CRASH WOULD HAVE BEEN FATAL.*AK
ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS TOO CLOSE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL. WHEN CONSUMER ATTEMPTS TO PRESS BRAKE PEDEAL, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, AT TIMES, IS ALSO PRESSED. THIS DEFECT HAS CAUSED CONSUMER TO BE INVOLVED IN A CRASH. *AK *ML
WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS APPLIED SOMETIMES THE PEDAL GOES TO THE FLOOR, AND SOMETIME IT'S HARD. BRAKES DO NOT RESPOND IN SOME SITUATIONS. ALSO, THE ANTI-LOCK SYSTEM MAKES A GRINDING NOISE WHEN IT ACTIVATES, BUT IT DOES NOT RESPOND. VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN THREE ACCIDENTS BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
TRANSMISSION SEAL.
THE 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
VEHICLE FROM A STANDSTILL WAS PUT IN REVERSE GEAR, WHILE THE BRAKE WAS APPLIED ATTEMPTED TO BACK THE VEHICLE UP, THE TRUCK ACCELARATED AT AN HIGH RATE OF SPEED IN REVERSE GEAR ON ITS OWN.
WHEN YOU PUT THE VEHICLE IN REVERSE, THE ENGINE ACCELERATES TO A HIGH RATE OF SPEED AND TAKE OFF IN REVERSE GEAR. THE ONLY WAY TO STOP THE VEHICLE IS TURNING THE IGNITION OFF.
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.