1994 Land Rover Discovery Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1994 Land Rover Discovery, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Tires & wheels320.0%
- Interior & seats320.0%
- Brakes213.3%
- Engine16.7%
- Fuel system16.7%
- Steering16.7%
- Airbags16.7%
- Transmission16.7%
- Body & structure16.7%
- Driver assistance16.7%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE EARLY MODEL YEAR LT230 TRANSFER CASE INPUT GEAR DID NOT PROVIDE FOR LUBRICATION TO THE MAINSHAFT. THIS CAUSES EXCESSIVE WEAR ON THE MAINSHAFT SPLINES, EVENTUALLY LEADING TO FAILURE OF THE MAINSHAFT. SYMPTOMS INCLUDE EXCESSIVE LASH, AND CLONKING WHEN SHIFTING. ONCE THE MAINSHAFT FAILS, THERE IS NO POWER TO THE DRIVETRAIN. THIS DEFECT WAS CORRECTED AT THE FACTORY WITH A CROSS-DRILLED GEAR IN 1997, BUT NO RECALL WAS EVER ISSUED. THE PROBLEM IS WELL DOCUMENTED ON THE INTERNET.
FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRE (P235 70 R16) EXPERIENCED SIDEWALL TIRE SEPARATION, DEALER INFORMED THAT THE TIRE SHOULD BE CHANGED IMMEDIATELY, BUT LATER SAID THAT HE COULDN'T ASSIST THE CONSUMER IN A TIMELY MANNER AND LET THE CONSUMER DRIVE ON THE BAD TIRE, CONSUMER FEELS THE DEALER SHOULD HAVE CHANGED THE TIRE SINCE IT WAS AN EMERGENCY. *SLC
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Interior & seats
Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE SUPPORT WEBBING OF THE DRIVERS SEAT IN THIS VEHICLE FAILED IN TENSION. THE POINT OF FAILURE WAS NEAR THE MIDPOINT OF THE WEBBING SPAN. IT IS MY BELIEF THAT THE METAL SPRING SUPPORT PLACES A NORMAL FORCE ON THE TOP SURFACE OF THE WEBBING WHEN THE DRIVER'S SEAT IS IN USE. THE RELATIVELY HARD, METAL SPRING RUBS THE SURFACE OF THE WEBBING AS THE DRIVER'S WEIGHT IS SHIFTED ON THE SEAT. EVENTUALLY THIS CAUSES A WEAK AREA IN THE WEBBING AND THE TENSION PLACED ON THE WEBBING BY ITS CONNECTION WITH THE FRAME OF THE SEAT IS TOO GREAT FOR THIS WEEK AREA. THUS THE WEBBING SNAPS APART AT THIS LOCATION. WHEN THE WEBBING SNAPS, THE DRIVER IS SUBJECT TO A SUDDEN DROP IN SITTING HEIGHT. THIS WAS APPROXIMATELY 3 INCHES FOR ME. HAD THIS SUDDEN CHANGE IN SITTING HEIGHT OCCURRED WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE, UNDESIRED OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE COULD HAVE OCCURRED. *JB
THE DRIVERS SEAT COLLAPSED IN THE SEAT SECTION. I WAS DRIVING THE CAR WHEN THE SEAT SUDDENLY FAILED AND DROPPED ABOUT 3-INCHES. THE SUPPORT SECTION OF THE SEAT FAILED. HOWEVER, THE LEATHER SEAT COVER HELD MY WEIGHT, BUT THE SUPPORTING STRUCTURE FAILED COMPLETELY. UNDER MANY CIRCUMSTANCES THIS COULD HAVE BEEN DIFFICULT AND COULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. I CONSIDERED THE FAILURE TO BE OF A SAFETY NATURE AND WELL OUTSIDE OF THE DEFINITION OF NORMAL WEAR. I REPORTED THIS FAILURE TO MY LOCAL LAND ROVER DEALER AND REQUESTED LAND ROVER NORTH AMERICA BE ADVISED OF THIS UNUSUAL FAILURE. I PURCHASED TWO 1994 LAND ROVER DISCOVERY VEHICLES, NEW IN 1994. BOTH OF THESE VEHICLES HAVE NOW HAD THIS SAME FAILURE. THAT LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THIS IS A DESIGN OR MANUFACTURING DEFECT. I AM A REGISTERED PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER IN THE FIELD OF SAFETY. MY PRIMARY FIELD IS AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT INVESTIGATIONS, BUT I HAVE DONE IN EXCESS OF FIFTY AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT INVESTIGATIONS AND RECONSTRUCTIONS.*AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT ABS BRAKE PROBLEM. . WHEELS LOCK WHEN TRAVELING ON A NON TRACTION ROAD. *AK....TWO YEAR'S AGO THE CONTACT'S DAUGHTER WAS INVOLVED IN TWO COLLISIONS DUE TO ABS FAILURE ON FRESH WET SNOW. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH ABS BRAKE FAILED. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
DURING MANUFACTURE AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF FLEXIBLE GASKET SEALANT MATERIAL WAS USED TO SEAL THE OIL PAN TO THE ENGINE. THE EXCESS MATERIAL ENDED UP IN THE OIL PAN, AND WAS PICKED UP BY THE OIL PUMP. THIS MATERIAL BLOCKED THE OIL PUMP PICKUP SCREEN, STARVING THE ENGINE OF OIL UNTIL IT EVENTUALLY OVERHEATED, SEIZED, AND FAILED.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
RECALL 04V203000 CONCERNING LAND ROVER FUEL TANKS: CONSUMER NOTICED FUEL LEAKING FROM A CRACK IN THE PLASTIC FUEL TANK. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THAT RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK *NM
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
MY STEERING ROD FELL OFF AND I COULD NOT STEER THE CAR! THIS IS HIGHLY UNUSUAL AND RARE AND I THINK IT WARRANTS AN INQUIRY AND RESPONSE. THIS CAR IS SOLD AND ADVERTISED AS THE ULTIMATE RUGGED OFF ROAD VEHICLE. I DO NOT DRIVE UNDER THOSE CONDITIONS BUT RATHER ORDINARY CONDITIONS. THIS WAS A POTENTIALLY FATAL PROBLEM IF I WERE DRIVING UNDER DIFFERENT CONDITIONS. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHILE DRIVING AT 25 MPH CONSUMER WAS UPSET AND SLAMMED THE CONSOLE, AND BOTH FRONT AIR BAGS DEPLOYED, PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT THERE WAS NO LIGHT INDICATION OF ANY DEFECTS OF THE AIR BAG. ALSO, HORN WAS STUCK AS RESULT CONSUMER HAD TO PULL OUT A FUSE. *AK *EH *JB
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Transmission
Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules.
From owner reports, verbatim
DEFECTIVE TRANSFER CASE REPLACED THREE TIMES. THIS MAY HAVE CAUSED A CRASH. ALSO, THE THROTTLE LINKAGE FAILURE CAUSED SUDDEN ACCELERATION, COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A CRASH. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE BODY MOUNTS ARE CRACKED, CAUSING VEHICLE TO MALFUNCTION. *YC
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
DEFECTIVE TRANSFER CASE REPLACED THREE TIMES. THIS MAY HAVE CAUSED A CRASH. ALSO, THE THROTTLE LINKAGE FAILURE CAUSED SUDDEN ACCELERATION, COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A CRASH. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .