1987 Land Rover Range Rover: common problems

Owners of the 1987 Land Rover Range Rover filed 3 complaints with NHTSA, most often about fuel system and powertrain. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 3

What fails most often

1 Fuel system 33% of all complaints
2 Powertrain 33% of all complaints
3 Vehicle speed control 33% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Fuel system: 1 complaints (33% of all).
Powertrain: 1 complaints (33% of all).
Vehicle speed control: 1 complaints (33% of all).

Engines and transmissions

US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.

3.5 L · petrol · 8 cyl
automatic, 4-speed

Drive: AWD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 3 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

fuel system, fuel smell1 · 33%
rust, corrosion1 · 33%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash	Technical service bulletins (TSB)
Fuel system	1	0	0
Powertrain	1	0	0
Vehicle speed control	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.

Dt*: the contact stated that there was a strong smell of gasoline inside the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a private mechanic shop, where it was determined that the bottom of the fuel tank was corroded. The private mechanic shop was able to repair the fuel tank.
Fuel system · 2006-07-19 · NHTSA complaint #10162875
While driving at 60 mph vehicle took off, and the consumer couldn't stop vehicle until vehicle slowed down ,and consumer turned the ignition switch off and vehicle came to a stop.
Vehicle speed control · 1999-01-22 · NHTSA complaint #833970

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

19961
19991
20061

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 17,150 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 47% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Range Rover has 25 complaints (41 years in the data). This year has 3, below average.

What to check before buying

Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1987 Land Rover Range Rover?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: fuel system, powertrain, vehicle speed control. Total complaints: 3. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: fuel system, fuel smell (33%), rust, corrosion (33%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1987 Land Rover Range Rover?

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 1987 Land Rover Range Rover 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.

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.