2003 Land Rover Discovery

SINCE BUYING OUR LAND ROVER DISCOVERY IN FEBRUARY 2004 WE'VE EXPERIENCED NUMEROUS RECALLS AND PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR. FORTUNATELY, IT IS STILL UNDER THE MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY. THE PROBLEM OF CONCERN AT THIS POINT IN TIME IS AS FOLLOWS: WHEN BRAKING, THE LAND ROVER WOULD OCCASIONALLY LURCH FORWARD A LITTLE BIT...ALMOST JUMPING. ON OCT. 28, 2005 AT APPROXIMATELY 2:45 PM I PULLED OUT OF MY SUBDIVISION ONTO 180TH ST. IN ELKHORN, NE. I WAS HEADING SOUTH TOWARDS A STOP LIGHT AT THE JUNCTION OF 180TH ST. AND PACIFIC. THERE WHERE NUMEROUS CARS STOPPED AT THE LIGHT. I BELIEVE THE LIGHT HAD TURNED GREEN AND CARS WERE BEGINNING TO MOVE, BUT I WAS STILL BRAKING SLOWLY STARTING TO MOVE FORWARD AS THE CARS IN FRONT OF ME BEGAN TO MOVE. I FELT MY LAND ROVER LURCH FORWARD AND MY BODY WAS IMMEDIATELY PRESSED BACK INTO MY SEAT. AT THAT POINT THE LAND ROVER MADE IMPACT WITH A PIECE OF TORO IRRIGATION MACHINERY BEING TOWED BY THE VAN IN FRONT OF ME AND MY BODY WAS THROWN FORWARD. I WAS WEARING MY SEAT BELT. MY AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. THERE WAS OVER $7700 WORTH OF DAMAGE DONE TO THE FRONT OF THE LAND ROVER. *JB

WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKES THE CONSUMER NOTICED THAT BOTH PEDALS WERE CLOSE TOGETHER. THIS CAUSED THE CONSUMER TO APPLY THE BRAKE PEDAL OR THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BY MISTAKE. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS DESIGNED THAT WAY BY THE MANUFACTURER. *AK *SC

WE WERE APPROACHING THE TOLL BOOTHS FROM THE MASS PIKE AND MY HUSBAND LOOKED AT ME AND ASKED ME WHY WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY BRAKES. I FREAKED OUT AND DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN. WE WERE SURROUNDED BY CARS AND APPROACHING THE TOLL BOOTH VERY QUICKLY. WE WERE ABLE TO SLOW DOWN BEFORE WE CRASHED, BUT WE WERE AND NOW ARE VERY NERVOUS ABOUT DRIVING THIS VEHICLE NOT KNOWING IF THIS WILL OCCUR AGAIN. THE DEALERSHIP FIXED IT OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS AND SAID THAT A SECONDARY AIR INJECTION VALVE STUCK OPEN CAUSING HOT EXHAUST GASES TO FLOW THROUGH PIPES, AND MELTED VACUUM LINE TO MASTER CYLINDER. WE CALLED LAND ROVER COMPANY AND TOLD THEM ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD RESEARCH IT TO SEE IF THIS PROBLEM HAD EVER OCCURED WITH ANY OTHER VEHICLE. THEY RETURNED OUR CALL LATER ON IN THE WEEK AND SAID THAT IT HADN'T AND TECHNICALLY, WE DIDN'T LOSE OUR BRAKES, THEY JUST WEREN'T POWER ASSISTED! CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT-WE COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED!. *AK

I PARKED MY LANDROVER DISCOVERY IN THE GROCERY STORE PARKING LOT, PULLED THE KEY OUT AND WALKED TOWARD THE STORE. AFTER A CRASHING NOISE I TURNED AROUND TO SEE MY CAR HAD ROLLED BACK INTO A VAN. MY TRANSMISSION WAS STILL IN "DRIVE" AND I HAD BEEN ABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNIGTION. I CALLED MY LANDROVER DEALER. AFTER EXPLAINING WHAT HAPPENED I ASKED WHY THE KEY COULD BE REMOVED IN THE "DRIVE" POSITION, HE SAID HE DIDN'T KNOW AND WOULD HAVE TO LOOK INTO IT. HE THEN DIRECTED ME TO THE COLLISION CENTER FOR REPAIRS. THE NEXT DAY I FOUND OUT FROM A FRIEND WITH A DISCOVERY THAT HIS KEY CAN NOT BE REMOVED IN "DRIVE". WHEN I CALLED THE DEALER AGAIN HE TOLD ME THE KEY SHOULDN'T HAVE COME OUT. WHEN I QUESTIONED HIM AS TO WHY HE DIDN'T EXPLAIN THAT TO ME THE DAY BEFORE, HE TOLD ME I HAD MISUNDERSTOOD. HE WAS VERY EVASIVE WHEN I ASKED HIM WHY HE HAD NOT TOLD ME TO BRING MY CAR IN TO BE CHECKED. BASICALLY HE BLEW ME OFF. FROM THERE I INVESTIGATED ON MY OWN BY CALLING THE NTSB ON SEPTEMBER 25TH. AFTER TALKING TO A SAFETY STANDARD ENGINEER I WAS DIRECTED TO A COMPLIENCE ENGINEER. I LEARNED THAT ACCORDING TO THE FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD #114 NO CAR SHOULD BE ABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION UNLESS THE TRANSMISSION IS IN "PARK". I ALSO CALLED LANDROVER NORTH AMERICA. THEY HELPED EXPEDITE THE SITUATION. THE SERVICE MANAGER HERE FOUND THAT IT HAD BEEN LEFT IN THE "TRANSIT MODE" FROM DELIVERY OVERSEAS. HE SAID THE CARS ARE SUPPOSE TO BE CHECKED AT PORT AND AT THE DEALERSHIP. THEY HAD FAILED TO DO THE ROUTINE CHECK AND CHANGE THE COMPUTER OVER. IT TOOK THEM 4 WEEKS TO REPAIR MY CAR. LANDROVER OFFERRED TO INCURE THE $2500 COST. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A VERY BAD SITUATION IF MY CAR WOULD HAVE ROLLED BACK AND HIT A PERSON. I AM DISSAPOINTED IN THE LOCAL DEALER AND HOW THEY HANDLED THE SITUATION. I MADE A FORMAL COMPLAINT TO THE DEALERSHIP. AND THE NTSB HAS SHOWN MORE INTEREST THAN MY LOCAL DEALER. *AK

THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE ANCHORS FOR THE BOTTOM PORTION OF THE REAR SEAT SEAT BELTS ARE MOUNTED TOO FAR FORWARD ON THE REAR WHEEL WELL TO PROPERLY RESTRAIN A CHILD SAFETY SEAT. WE HAVE A BRITEX BABY SEAT. FROM WHAT I UNDESTAND FROM A CERTIFIED SEAT INSTALLER IS THAT ALL BABY SEATS DO NOT MOUNT PROPERLY IN THE LAND ROVER DISCOVERIES. THE SEAT ROTATES TO THE SIDE AND HAS SIGNIFICANT LATERAL MOVEMENT. I FEEL THIS IS UNSAFE.*AK *JB