AI Damage2002 Land Rover Discovery II: common problems
Owners of the 2002 Land Rover Discovery II filed 34 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and cooling and powertrain. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 34
- involving a crash
- 4
What fails most often
- 1 Engine and cooling 41% of all complaints
- 2 Powertrain 26% of all complaints
- 3 Service brakes 18% of all complaints
- 4 Steering 9% of all complaints
- 5 Air bags 3% of all complaints
- 6 Electrical system 3% of all complaints
- 7 Equipment 3% of all complaints
- 8 Parking brake 3% of all complaints
- Engine and cooling: 14 complaints (41% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 9 complaints (26% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Service brakes: 6 complaints (18% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Steering: 3 complaints (9% of all).
- Air bags: 1 complaints (3% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 34 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and cooling | 14 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 9 | 1 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| Steering | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Parking brake | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Structure | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
My abs sensor is defective and my brakes failed and crashed into a parked car.
While attempting to use the 2002 landrover discovery ii hill descent feature the gear shift mechanism came off in the consumer's hand. The vehicle had gone out of control while going down hill.
While turning the tc warning light illuminated. Consumer hit a curb, causing a minor vehicle collision. Dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem.
While driving 2002 land rober discovery 11, I swerved to miss a on coming car, the land rover locked up, went out of control, the seat belt & air bag did not work, I flew into the windshield, busted up my head, shoulder & knee.
Vehicle lost the brake fluid. No brakes. All lines and chassis rusted.
The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and the contact was informed that a head gasket was blown due to a coolant leak. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 80,000.
Land rover discovery ii well maintained at 112 miles presented slight coolant and oil leakage. Overheated twice. Coolant leak worsened resulting in visual inspection by owner. Severe coolant leak evident from right side rear head gasket and either left side front head gasket or front cover.
Land rover discovery series ii 2002 suffering from seemingly random appearance of three warning lights (always together) abs, traction control, hill descent. Known to many discovery owners as the three amigos these lights are apparently the result of a problem with the abs modulator and land rover insists it is not a…
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 6,426 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 18% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Discovery II has 33 complaints (7 years in the data). This year has 34, about average.
What to check before buying
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2002 Land Rover Discovery II?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine and cooling, powertrain, service brakes. Total complaints: 34. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: overheating, coolant loss (24%), engine failure or replacement (12%), brake failure (9%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2002 Land Rover Discovery II?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2002 Land Rover Discovery II from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2002 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.