AI Damage2004 Land Rover Discovery II: common problems
Owners of the 2004 Land Rover Discovery II filed 22 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and cooling and service brakes. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 22
- involving a crash
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Engine and cooling 27% of all complaints
- 2 Service brakes 23% of all complaints
- 3 Engine 9% of all complaints
- 4 Steering 9% of all complaints
- 5 Electrical system 5% of all complaints
- 6 Exterior lighting 5% of all complaints
- 7 Latches, locks, linkages 5% of all complaints
- 8 Powertrain 5% of all complaints
- Engine and cooling: 6 complaints (27% of all).
- Service brakes: 5 complaints (23% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine: 2 complaints (9% of all).
- Steering: 2 complaints (9% of all).
- Electrical system: 1 complaints (5% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 22 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 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Other | 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.
Upon putting more pressure anti lock vibration began and car had sensation of ' locking up ' on a wheel and felt as if the car was either sliding or 'not having any brake' control. And steering seemed to be affected.
Was stopped w/ brake applied, accelerator pedal accelerated without applying foot causing vehicle to race out of control at a high speed crashing into property and other vehicles. There was no brake pressure when I pumped the brakes to get it to stop.
The contact stated that while at a stop light, the oil pressure warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis where it was stated that the oil pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was not notified. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000. *
Discovery land rover defect in the oil pump, it exploded, heard a loud bang and it damaged engine, the car is now junk and I am not buying another expensive part for this vehicle. There are forums all over the internet of this happening to many people.
The contact stated that while having the vehicle serviced by a private mechanic, it was discovered that the frame was perforated due to rust. The contact was also informed by the technician that the vehicle was unsafe to drive. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted about the failure.
Engine failure occurred at 63,000 miles. I was driving locally near my home when a popping sound came from the engine. It resulted in the engine light coming on and the engine shutting off at approx 30mph. The engine shut off led to a loss of power steering in the truck.
(1)initial new power steering rack/box leaked and replaced with refurbished steering box on 12/15/2008, auto mileage at 26,916. The new steering box which came with the new vehicle should not have failed so soon as well as at such a low mileage.
The contact stated that the engine would exhibit an unusual ticking noise. The vehicle was taken to the dealer six times while under warranty and various repairs were done but the failure persisted.
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 7,904 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 22% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Discovery II has 33 complaints (7 years in the data). This year has 22, below average.
What to check before buying
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- 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 2004 Land Rover Discovery II?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine and cooling, service brakes, engine. Total complaints: 22. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (18%), knocking, grinding or other noise (14%), steering or power steering problems (14%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2004 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 2004 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 2004 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.