Problems · NHTSA complaints

1998 Land Rover Range Rover problems

Owners filed 24 complaints about the 1998 Land Rover Range Rover with NHTSA between Feb 1999 and Oct 2009. The most-cited component is suspension (4).

Complaints
24
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
3
Reported by owners
Fires
3
Reported by owners
Injuries
1
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Suspension4
  2. Visibility3
  3. Engine and engine cooling3
  4. Fuel system, other3
  5. Power train2
  6. Steering2
  7. Air bags2
  8. Service brakes, hydraulic2
  9. Electrical system2
  10. Fuel system, gasoline2

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 28, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
19998
20004
20012
20022
20031
20042
20052
20061
20071
20080
20091

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Suspension

4 reports
“DT: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE LIFTS UP. THE VEHICLE IS HARD TO CONTROL. THIS OCCURS AT ANY SPEED. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER REPLACED THE COMPRESSOR AND TWO SENSORS ON THE REAR SUSPENSION. THESE REPAIRS WERE COVERED BY THE WARRANTY. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALER FOR FURTHER INSPECTION OF THIS ONGOING PROBLEM. NO FURTHER REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE DUE TO THE EXPENSE. DURING THIS PROCESS THE VEHICLE WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED. *AK”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 20, 2005SuspensionODI 10145744

Visibility

3 reports
“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 RANGE ROVER. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH HE NOTICED THAT STEAM SUDDENLY STARTED TO ENTER THE VEHICLE THROUGH THE VENTS WHICH DISTORTED THE DRIVERS VISION. A LOCAL MECHANIC STATED THAT THE O RING FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 115000. UPDATED 12/07/09 *BF UPDATED 12/09/09.*JB”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 6, 2009VisibilityODI 10286530

Engine and engine cooling

3 reports1 fire3 related recalls
“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 LAND ROVER RANGE ROVER. APPROXIMATELY THREE HOURS AFTER PARKING THE VEHICLE, TWO POPPING SOUNDS WERE HEARD COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE VEHICLE THEN CAUGHT FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT STATED THAT THE FAILURE OF A HEAT SOURCE WITHIN THE ENGINE CAUSED THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. AS OF DECEMBER 18, 2007, NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER HAD INSPECTED THE VEHICLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 68,000. UPDATED 01-23-08. *KB UPDATED 01/23/08 *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 18, 2007Engine and engine coolingFire reportedODI 10212251

Fuel system, other

3 reports
“GAS GUAGE FAILED.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 1, 1999Fuel system, otherODI 607608

Power train

2 reports
“THE TRANSFER CASE IS STUCK IN NEUTRAL. *NM”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 23, 2006Power trainODI 10153525

Steering

2 reports1 crash
“MY HUSBAND AND I PURCHASED A 1998, LAND ROVER RANGE ROVER 4.6 HSE (VIN# [XXX]) FROM FRANKEL LAND ROVER HUNT VALLEY ON SEPTEMBER, 06, 2002. WE PURCHASED THE RANGE ROVER LAND ROVER CERTIFIED, WHICH CAME WITH A 12-MONTH/ 12,000 MILE WARRANTY AFTER ADDITIONAL INSPECTION WORK WAS DONE ABOVE AND BEYOND A MARYLAND STATE INSPECTION. AFTER HAVING THE RANGE ROVER FOR NEARLY FIVE MONTHS, IT INCURRED MAJOR PROBLEMS. THE RANGE ROVER BROKE DOWN TWICE WITHIN A WEEK. BELOW IS A SUMMARY OF EACH INCIDENT. INCIDENT #1 FEBRUARY 5, 2003 AT ABOUT 8PM I WAS DRIVING THE RANGE ROVER, HEADING HOME WHEN THE FIRST PROBLEMS AROUSE. THE RANGE ROVER WAS OVER HEATING. I NOTICED THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE READ HOT. THEN THE STEERING BECAME VERY HARD. WHEN I PULLED OVER, I NOTICED THE RANGE ROVER STARTED SMOKING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. I THEN GOT OUT OF THE RANGE ROVER AND NOTICED SOMETHING WAS DRIPPING UNDER THE BOTTOM OF THE TRUCK. THE RANGE ROVER WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. IT WAS ASSESSED THAT THE THERMOSTAT WAS THE PROBLEM. THIS SERVICE WAS COMPLETED 2/10/03. INCIDENT #2 FEBRUARY 15, 2003 AT ABOUT 2PM MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING THE RANGE ROVER TO WORK. WHILE DRIVING HE NOTICED THE RANGE ROVER STARTED TO…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 15, 2004Steering, Engine and engine coolingODI 10070179
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 28, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.