1998 Land Rover Range Rover: common problems

Owners of the 1998 Land Rover Range Rover filed 24 complaints with NHTSA, most often about fuel system and suspension. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 24
involving a crash: 3

What fails most often

1 Fuel system 21% of all complaints
2 Suspension 17% of all complaints
3 Engine and cooling 13% of all complaints
4 Visibility 13% of all complaints
5 Air bags 8% of all complaints
6 Electrical system 8% of all complaints
7 Powertrain 8% of all complaints
8 Service brakes 8% 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: 5 complaints (21% of all).
Suspension: 4 complaints (17% of all).
Engine and cooling: 3 complaints (13% of all).
Visibility: 3 complaints (13% of all).
Air bags: 2 complaints (8% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.

Engines and transmissions

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

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

Drive: AWD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 24 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

smoke, burning smell, fire4 · 17%
airbags did not deploy1 · 4%
brake failure1 · 4%
fuel system, fuel smell1 · 4%
steering or power steering problems1 · 4%
transmission slipping1 · 4%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Fuel system	5	0
Suspension	4	0
Engine and cooling	3	0
Visibility	3	0
Air bags	2	2
Electrical system	2	0
Powertrain	2	0
Service brakes	2	0
Steering	2	1

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

The drivers air bag did not deploy, however the passenger air bag deployed. The consumer was injured.
Air bags · crash · 2004-12-13 · NHTSA complaint #10009739
When driving at 10--15 mph and upon attempting to make a right hand turn steering wheel locked up, causing loss of vehicle control, resulting in vehicle hitting an embankment.also, all power steering fluid had leaked out of vehicle. Consumer has contacted dealer. Please provide any further details.
Steering · crash · 2001-04-19 · NHTSA complaint #886281
Consumer was traveling 50-60 mph and was involved in a frontal crash in which neither driver's side nor passenger side air bags deployed. Consumer has contacted the manufacturer. Please provide any further details.
Air bags · crash · 2000-02-09 · NHTSA complaint #856614
Tl 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.
Visibility · 2009-10-06 · NHTSA complaint #10286530
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.
Engine and cooling · 2007-12-18 · NHTSA complaint #10212251
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.
Suspension · 2005-12-20 · NHTSA complaint #10145744
Failure of electronic air suspension while driving at highway speeds.
Suspension · 2005-06-23 · NHTSA complaint #10126310
There is a strong ring or halo developing on the glass that is making it near impossible to see through. I believe the problem is due to the auto dim feature that heats up the special glass to auto dim. Anyway, I contacted the manufacturer at [phone] opt 9 ext 2949 and talked with a heather.
Visibility · 2004-11-12 · NHTSA complaint #10098733

When owners complained

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

19998
20003
20013
20022
20043
20052
20061
20071
20091

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 7,585 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 21% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Range Rover has 25 complaints (41 years in the data). This year has 24, about average.

What to check before buying

Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1998 Land Rover Range Rover?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: fuel system, suspension, engine and cooling. Total complaints: 24. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (17%), airbags did not deploy (4%), brake failure (4%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1998 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 1998 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.

Other 1998 models

Land Rover Discovery 1998

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.