Problems · by component
2003 Land Rover Discovery Series Ii engine and engine cooling problems
35 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2003 Land Rover Discovery Series Ii cite engine and engine cooling, 32% of all 111 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
35
32% of all complaints
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
What owners say about the engine and engine cooling
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“OIL PUMP FAILURE. LAND ROVER ISSUED A TECHNICAL ADVISORY TO ALL OF THEIR DEALERS IN MARCH 2003 WARNING THAT DUE TO A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT IN THE ENGINE BLOCK DOWELS BEING MISDRILLED WHERE OIL PUMP HOUSING IS MOUNTED, THAT THE MISALIGNMENT CAUSES THE OIL PUMP HOUSING TO BE STRESSED EVENTUALLY CAUSING THE OIL PUMP TO FAIL. THE ONLY EFFECTIVE REPAIR IS TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE IN 2006 WHICH HAD COME OFF LEASE. I HAD IT SERVICED AT LAND ROVER DEALER IN SOUTHAMPTON NY AND THEY NEVER ADVISED ME THAT THIS WAS A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT AND THAT MY VEHICLE FELL WITHIN THE VIN RANGE REFERRED TO IN THE TECHNICAL ADVISORY. OTHER CONSUMERS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AND THERE ARE OVER 30,000 VEHICLES CURRENTLY ON THE ROAD WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM. WHY IS THERE NOT A RECALL AND WHY DOES LR NOT REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE ENGINES? *TR”
“WHILE DRIVING LOW MILEAGE 2003 DISCOVERY II SE7, ENGINE BEGAN TO KNOCK IN UPPER ENGINE AREA ON DRIVER SIDE. PULLED INTO LOCAL REPAIR SHOP IMMEDIATELY AND WAS TOLD IT WAS NOT A ROD AS THE NOISE DISSIPATES WHEN IDLED ABOVE 1000 RPM. TOOK IT TO A LOCAL LAND ROVER SHOP AND WAS TOLD IT WAS EITHER A BAD OIL PUMP OR THE SLEEVE IN THE CYLINDER AT THE BACK OF THE ENGINE HAS COME LOOSE AND IS KNOCKING UP AGAINST THE HEAD GASKET. TECHNICIAN PRIVATELY INDICATED BOTH ARE KNOWN ISSUES AND THAT A NEW ENGINE IS REQUIRED IN EITHER CASE AND THAT LR NORTH AMERICA KNOWS OF THE ISSUES AND HAS REFUSED TO ASSIST OWNERS OR ISSUE A RECALL. COST OF NEW ENGINE IS BETWEEN $8,000 AND 12,000 DEPENDING ON WHO YOU TALK WITH. SINCE THE ONLY REAL ISSUE SO FAR IS THE NOISE FACTOR (SOUNDS LIKE A DIESEL WHILE IDLING), TECHNICIAN FURTHER ADVISED IT WOULD BE BEST TO KEEP DRIVING THE LR UNTIL IT COMPLETELY FAILED AS THE PRICE OF NEW ENGINE WOULD NOT BE MORE AND I SHOULD GET AS MUCH FROM THE ORIGINAL AS POSSIBLE. REQUEST NHTSA LOBBY ON BEHALF OF OWNERS TO GET THIS ISSUE RESOLVED BETWEEN OWNERS AND LRNA. ISSUES ARE OBVIOUS MANUFACTURING DEFECTS AND LR SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE PROBLEM AND…”
“I OWN A 2003 LAND ROVER DISCOVERY SE. THIS VEHICLE ONLY HAS 57,000 MILES AND HAS BEEN VERY WELL MAINTAINED. RECENTLY I NOTICED A TAP COMING FROM THE ENGINE. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK IT OVER TO THE LOCAL LAND ROVER DEALER. AFTER A COUPLE OF DAYS, I WAS INFORMED THAT IT NEEDED A NEW ENGINE IN ORDER TO FIX THIS PROBLEM, AT A COST OF $14,000. WHAT A JOKE! THERE IS A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM WITH THESE TRUCKS MAINTAINING ADEQUATE OIL PRESSURE IN ORDER TO KEEP THEM RUNNING PROPERLY. ONCE AGAIN THE CONSUMER GETS THE SHAFT. I AM NOW STUCK, ALONG WITH A LOT OF OTHER LR OWNERS, FACED WITH A HUGE REPAIR BILL. THIS MATTER SHOULD HAVE BEEN LOOKED INTO AS A POSSIBLE RECALL. *TR”
“CONDUCTED AN OIL CHANGE NOV 2010 ENGINE FAILED NOV 2010 ENGINE STILL HAS FULL OIL 2003 LAND ROVER DISCOVERY ENGINE FAILURE. DUE TO OIL PUMP FAILURE. THIS A KNOWN MANUFACTURE DEFECT THAT LAND ROVER WILL NOT REPAIR. *TR”
“I HAVE EXPERIENCED WHAT APPEARS TO BE THE SAME OIL PUMP SYMPTOMS OTHERS HAVE COMPLAINED OF. DESPITE READING "FULL", MY TRUCK SEEMS TO HAVE DIFFICULTY ADEQUATELY LUBRICATING. SO, SOME DAYS IT'S SOUNDED LIKE A TANK!! *TR”
“I HAVE 2003 LAND ROVER, DISCOVERY CAR THAT REQUIRES CONSTANT REPLACEMENT OF THE NAVIGATION SYSTEM AND ITS RADIO/CD PLAYER. THIS IS MY FIFTH REPLACEMENT SINCE THE PURCHASE OF THE CAR. IN ADDITION TO THIS, THE ENGINE OIL CONSTANTLY LEAKS...TOOK IT IN FOR REPAIR NUMEROUS TIMES BUT THE PROBLEM CONTINUES. THE ENGINE LIGHT IS ALWAYS ON....TOOK IT IN A FEW TIMES AND THE DEALERSHIP REPAIR CENTER SAID IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL SENSOR PROBLEM. THE BRAKE AND ABS LIGHTS WOULD COME ON AND GO AWAY ON ITS OWN. SINCE MARCH 2010, THE BRAKE AND ABS LIGHTS DECIDED TO STAY LIT. WILL TAKE IT IN FOR VEHICLE INSPECTION AT THE DEALERSHIP. JUST YESTERDAY, ALL MY PASSENGER WINDOWS CAN NOT BE MOVED UP OR DOWN WITH THE WINDOW CONTROLLER. A SIMILAR PROBLEM WAS REPORTED TO THE MANUFACTURE NUMEROUS TIMES ON BOTH THE DRIVER AND THE PASSENGER WINDOWS. THEY WERE REPLACED EACH TIME IT WAS TAKEN IN. THIS IS A LEMON CAR AND I SHOULD HAVE HAD IT REPORTED BACK IN 2003 WHEN I FIRST PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. *TR”
Showing 6 of 35 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 12, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.