RoadVitals

2003 Land Rover New Range Rover Owner Complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full

Data refreshed

Complaints on fileComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
31
Latest Oct 21, 2018
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
2
Filed in the last 12 monthsReports filed with NHTSA in the trailing 365 days. Recent volume reflects attention and vehicle age as much as anything else.
0
Reports on file since Apr 19, 2005

What this page shows

Our database holds 31 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2003 Land Rover New Range Rover. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Complaints, most recent first

Showing 1–25 of 31 · page 1 of 2

Powertrain (other)
Filed Oct 21, 2018

WHILE DRIVING ON THE NEW JERSEY TURNPIKE TRAVELING AT A SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 65-70 MILES AN HOUR MY TRUCK SUDDENLY MADE A LOUD NOISE AND IT FELT LIKE THE BRAKES LOCKED UP AND MELT GRINDING SOUNDS. I HAD IT TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP AND WAS TOLD IT WAS FRONT DIFFERENTIAL FAILURE.

NHTSA ID
11141695
Incident
Aug 13, 2018
Mileage
179,000 mi
Driver assistancePowertrain (other)
Filed Jul 1, 2015

DRIVING UP A HILL AND STARTED TO LOSE POWER. EVENTUALLY LOST ALL POWER ON HIGHWAY AND HAD TO PULL OVER AND WAIT FOR A TOW TRUCK TO COME.

NHTSA ID
10731618
Incident
Jul 1, 2015
Mileage
64,000 mi
Body & structureSuspension
Filed Mar 13, 2014

IN OCTOBER 2013 WHILE I TOOK MY CAR TO A PRIVATE GARAGE FOR OIL CHANGE. THE MECHANIC NOTICED THAT THE FRAME ON MY VEHICLE WAS ROTTED OUT . HE CALLED ME INTO THE GARAGE AND SHOWED ME THE PROBLEM. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE LAND ROVER DEALERSHIP WERE THE CAR WAS PURCHASED NEW AND THEY HAVE BEEN DOING THE SERVICE ON THE VEHICLE SINCE IT WAS NEW . I INFORMED THE SERVICE MANAGER OF THE ISSUE AND I QUESTIONED THE FACT THAT NO ONE AT THE DEALERSHIP EVER MENTIONED THE RUST ISSUE ON MY VEHICLE. THE SERVICE MANAGER ASKED ME TO DRIVE UP TO THE DEALERSHIP SO THEY CAN TAKE A LOOK AT IT. ONCE AT THE DEALERSHIP THE SERVICE MANAGER PUT UP THE CAR ON THE LIFT AND WAS SHOCKED TO SEE HOW BAD THINGS WERE. HE TOOK PICTURES OF THE FRAME AND CONTACTED LAND ROVER MAIN OFFICE AND SENT THEM THE PICTURES. LAND ROVER MAIN OFFICE CONTACTED ME AND TOLD ME THAT THEY HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE BUT THEY MADE THE DECISION NOT TO COVER FIXING THE PROBLEM ALTHOUGH IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE . MY CONCERN IS THAT ONE DAY THIS CAR IS GOING TO BREAK IN HALF AND A MAJOR ACCIDENT WOULD OCCUR BECAUSE OF IT. I REALLY NEED YOUR HELP. *TR

NHTSA ID
10568995
Incident
Oct 7, 2013
Mileage
127,000 mi
Suspension
Filed Jun 9, 2013

THE RANGE ROVER IS EQUIPPED WITH ELECTRONIC CROSS LINKED AIR SUSPENSION (WITH VARIABLE RIDE HEIGHT). VARIABLE HEIGHT SUSPENSION SYSTEM SWITCHES FROM LOW TO HIGH ON ITS OWN AND CREATES A GREATER RISK FOR ROLL OVER. WHEN THE CAR IS OPERATING ON THE HIGH MODE, WITHOUT THE DRIVER BEING AWARE BECAUSE IT SWITCHES ON IT'S OWN, IT MEANS THAT THE CAR IS IN GEAR FOR OFF ROAD AND PUTS ROAD TURNS MORE DANGEROUS, WITH HIGH POSSIBILITY OF A ROLL OVER. THE VEHICLE ON A NORMAL TURN AROUND 20 MILES AN HOUR SPEED ALMOST LOST CONTROL DUE TO SYSTEM SWITCHING TO HIGHER SUSPENSION SETTING ON ITS OWN WITHOUT MY CONTROL. *TR

NHTSA ID
10515921
Incident
Jun 9, 2013
Mileage
123,000 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Jun 12, 2008

MY 2003 RANGE ROVER HSE SUFFERED A FAILURE OF THE FRONT DIFFERENTIAL AND DRIVESHAFT. A COMMON AND KNOWN ISSUE TO LAND ROVER. I WAS TRAVELING DOWN THE INTERSTATE AND SUDDENLY LOST ALL FORWARD MOMENTUM. I HAD TO IMMEDIATELY FIND A SAFE PLACE TO PULL OVER AND PUT ON THE HAND BRAKE TO KEEP THE VEHICLE FROM ROLLING. IT WOULD NOT MOVE. IT WAS TOWED TO A REPAIR FACILITY AND THE BROKEN PARTS WERE REPLACED. IT WAS FIXED WITH NEW PARTS, BUT THEY ARE THE SAME DESIGN OF THE ONES THAT FAILED. I WAS TOLD THERE IS NOT PERMANENT FIX PROVIDED BY LAND ROVER AND THIS WILL HAPPEN AGAIN. *TR

NHTSA ID
10230869
Incident
Jun 1, 2008
Mileage
75,965 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Apr 20, 2008

MY 2003 RANGE ROVER HSE DIFFERENTIAL DIED WITHOUT WARNING. I HAD TO BE TOWED HOME ($200) + $1500 TO FIX IT WITH AN AFTER MARKET DIFFERENTIAL. *TR

NHTSA ID
10225190
Incident
Apr 12, 2008
Powertrain (other)
Filed Apr 14, 2008

BOUGHT CAR JULY 2007 WITH 35,000 MILES; 3 DAYS AFTER I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WITH MY LITTLE GIRL IN THE CAR AND THE BRAKES LOCKED THEN THERE WAS A GRINNING NOISE, HAD TO CHANGE 4 LANES TO GET TO THE SHOULDER, NEARLY GOT RUN OVER BY A TRUCK..CAR WOULD NOT STOP WHEN I PUT IT ONTO PARK..IT WAS ROLLING DOWN THE SHOULDER HAD TO PULL UP HAND BRAKE. NEARLY DIED. CAR TOWED FOUND OUT IT WAS FRONT DIFF..PAID $4000 FROM MY POCKET. EIGHT MONTHS LATER SAME THING..FRONT DIFF WENT..COMPLAINED TO DEALER..THEY WERE RUDE AND ARROGANT..CALLED ROVER HEAD OFFICE..COMPLAINED TO THEM..THEY TOLD ME THEY WOULD GET BACK TO ME..THEY NEVER DID..WILL NEVER BUY A ROVER AGAIN..THE WORST CAR, THE WORST SERVICE EVER. *TR

NHTSA ID
10224423
Incident
Jul 1, 2007
Mileage
35,000 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Mar 20, 2008

WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK LATE AT NIGHT MY 2003 RANGE ROVER STOP AND THE INDICATOR DIRECTED ME TO PUT MY CAR IN NEUTRAL. WHEN I STEPPED ON THE GAS I HEARD A LOUD GRINDING SOUND. I WAS STRANDED AT 1AM ON A WEEK NIGHT WAITING FOR A TOW TRUCK RANGE ROVER SHOULD RECALL THIS PROBLEM WITH THE DIFFERENTIAL ESPECIALLY IF SO MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING THIS ISSUE AND WE PAID OVER 80,000 FOR OUR CARS. *TR

NHTSA ID
10221822
Incident
Mar 17, 2008
Mileage
80,200 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Jan 29, 2008

WHILE DRIVING MY 2003 RANGE ROVER ON THE FREEWAY, THE FRONT DIFFERENTIAL SUDDENLY FAILED WITH NO ADVANCE WARNING. LOST ALL PROPULSION. WAS BARELY ABLE TO GLIDE ONTO THE SHOULDER. THIS IS A KNOWN, SIGNIFICANT SAFETY DEFECT THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED ALREADY. ONLY HAVE 50,000 MILES ON THE CAR. IT IS WELL MAINTAINED. REQUIRES TOTAL REPLACEMENT OF THE FRONT DIFFERENTIAL BY THE DEALER. THERE IS A 2 WEEK DELAY IN GETTING REPLACEMENT PARTS; THIS IS A WELL KNOWN, TOO-COMMONLY-OCCURRING DEFECT. RANGE ROVER SHOULD BE PROTECTING THEIR REPUTATION BETTER. *TR

NHTSA ID
10216455
Incident
Jan 27, 2008
Mileage
49,900 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Oct 1, 2007

FRONT DIFFERENTIAL FAILURE. *TR

NHTSA ID
10204582
Incident
Sep 29, 2007
Mileage
20,000 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Sep 28, 2007

WHILE DRIVING ON THE EXPRESSWAY THE FRONT DIFFERENTIAL WENT OUT ON MY 2003 RANGE ROVER WITH ONLY 52,000 MILES. I WAS DRIVING 60MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE LOST POWER FROM THE TRANSMISSION AND I ALMOST LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE IN TRAFFIC. I WAS ALMOST REAR-ENDED AND WAS UNABLE TO STEER VEHICLE TO SIDE OF THE ROAD. *TR

NHTSA ID
10204362
Incident
Sep 28, 2007
Mileage
52,000 mi
Other / unspecifiedPowertrain (other)
Filed Aug 30, 2007

2-9-05-DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. VEICHLE SHUT DOWN ON MOTORWAY, VEHICLE MAKING LOUD GRINDING NOISE WILL NOT MOVE IN ANY GEAR. HAD TO WAIT TO BE TOWED BACK TO DEALERSHIP. IT WAS A FAULTY FRONT FIF ASSEMBY.REPLACE FRONT FIFF AND ALIGN. REPLACE DRIVE SHAFT. 8-23-07-DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY. VEICLE MAKING GRINDING NOISE WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY. HAD TO PULL OVER THE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. CAR WAS TOWED INTO SHOP AFTER 4 HOURS OF WAITING ON THE HIGHWAY AND BEING TOWED. FRONT DIFF AND DRIVE SHAFT SPLINES STRIPPED. REPLCED FRONT DIFF AND DRIVESHAFT

NHTSA ID
10201298
Incident
Aug 23, 2007
Mileage
77,470 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Jul 15, 2007
1 injury reported

DIFFERENTIAL FAILURE ON MY 2003 LAND ROVER RANGE ROVER. ALMOST GOT KILLED WHILE TRAVELING ON THE FREEWAY AT 65 MPH WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER. STOPPED AND PUT IN PARK AND VEHICLE STILL MOVED!! FINALLY USED HANDBRAKE TO STABILIZE AND CALLED A TOW TRUCK. *TR

NHTSA ID
10196411
Incident
Jul 15, 2007
Mileage
84,082 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Jul 11, 2007

FAILURE OF FRONT DIFFERENTIAL/DRIVESHAFT ON A 2003 LAND ROVER RANGE ROVER WITH 48,000 MILES. NO ACCIDENT INVOLVED, EXCESSIVE WEAR IDENTIFIED BY DEALER DURING ROUTINE SERVICE AND CLANKING"NOISE IDENTIFIED BY OWNER UPON SHIFTING FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE. PROBLEM WAS CONSISTENT WITH OTHER REPORTED FAILURES IN SAME MODEL WITH BMW DRIVE TRAIN. DIFFERENTIAL/DRIVESHAFT WAS SERVICED TWICE IN 2004- ONCE DUE TO AN OWNER COMPLAINT OF A GRINDING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT DIFFERENTIAL ,AND ONCE DUE TO A SERVICE BULLETIN FROM LAND ROVER. DIFFERENTIAL WAS REPLACED ON 11 JULY 2007 AT A COST OF $2300.00 TO VEHICLE OWNER. LAND ROVER CONTINUED TO LACK ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF PROBLEM AND FAILURE TO ISSUE A FORMAL RECALL WAS CREATING A SAFETY HAZARD FOR OWNERS OF PRE JAGUAR DRIVE TRAIN RANGE ROVER . *AK

NHTSA ID
10196138
Incident
Jul 11, 2007
Powertrain (other)
Filed Jul 11, 2007

2003 RANGE ROVER, I WAS DRIVING AT 50 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN WITHOUT ANY PRIOR WARNING THE CAR MADE A VERY LOUD METALLIC GRINDING NOISE. A WARNING MESSAGE TOLD ME TO IMMEDIATELY PUT INTO NEUTRAL, I WAS DOING 50 MPH IN MORNING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. THE CAR LOST DRIVETRAIN POWER, AND I WAS LUCKILY ABLE TO CHANGE LANES AND COAST INTO THE BREAKDOWN LANE, NARROWLY MISSING A PILE UP ACCIDENT. THE CAR WAS FLAT BEDDED TO A LAND ROVER DEALERSHIP. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE FRONT DIFFERENTIAL/DRIVESHAFT WAS BURNED OUT. I ASKED IF THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM ON THIS VEHICLE. THEY SAID YES! SEEMINGLY IT COULD HAPPEN ANYWHERE BETWEEN 30000 AND 100000 MILES . THIS CAR HASD 7500. MILES ON IT) I ASKED IF RANGE ROVER KNEW ABOUT IT AND HAD RECALLED THE CAR. THEY SAID THAT RANGE ROVER HAD BULLITINS SINCE 2003 AFTER THE CAR WAS INTRODUCED, BUT HAD NOT ACCEPTED THIS AS A FAULT OR ISSUED ANY SAFETY RECALLS. THIS WAS A DISGRACE, AND THE NHTSA NEEDED TO ADDRESS THIS. THE PROBLEM WA S WELL DOCUMENTED ON THE RANGEROVER.NET WEBSITE.*AK

NHTSA ID
10196095
Incident
Jul 11, 2007
Mileage
75,000 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Jun 19, 2007

I WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT AND WHEN IT TURNED GREEN VEHICLE MOVED FOR ABOUT HALF A BLOCK THEN THERE WAS THIS NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT THAT IMMEDIATELY DISABLED THE TRUCK IN TRAFFIC . THE TRUCK JUST STOPPED INSTANTLY, ENGINE STILL RUNNING, BUT TRUCK WON'T MOVE. I HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALER, AND WAS TOLD IT WAS A FAULTY DIFFERENTIAL AND DRIVESHAFT. *AK

NHTSA ID
10193750
Incident
Jun 6, 2007
Mileage
62,213 mi
Brakes
Filed Jun 12, 2007

CAR IS A 2003 RANGE ROVER HSE AND HAS ONLY 41K MILES ON IT. WHEN MY HUSBAND STOPPED AT THE CORNER TO TAKE A RIGHT TURN, THERE WAS A HORRIBLE METAL-ON-METAL GRINDING SOUND. THE CAR WAS INOPERABLE AND HAD TO BE TOWED.

NHTSA ID
10193067
Incident
Jun 7, 2007
Powertrain (other)
Filed Jun 12, 2007

2003 RANGE ROVER HAD FRONT DIFFERENTIAL REPLACED AT 50K MILES. AT 80K MILES CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN 30MPH AND SUDDENLY MADE LOUD GRINDING NOISE AND COASTED TO A STOP IN A HIGH SCHOOL ENTRANCE. AT THIS POINT THE VEHICLE COULD NO LONGER MOVE UNDER IT'S OWN POWER. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED FOR REPAIR. FORTUNATELY THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED AT LOW SPEEDS. HAD THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED ON A BUSY HIGHWAY HIGHER SPEEDS, IT IS UNCLEAR IF WE WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SAFELY NAVIGATE OUR WAY OUT OF TRAFFIC.

NHTSA ID
10193009
Incident
Jun 6, 2007
Mileage
83,000 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed May 1, 2007

FRONT DIFFERENTIAL ASSEMBLY. *TR

NHTSA ID
10189361
Incident
Apr 30, 2007
Mileage
62,697 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Apr 2, 2007

FRONT DRIVE SHAFT SPLINE FAILURE. DRIVING ON FREEWAY APPROX. 60 MPH AROUND TOWN. LOUD METAL GRINDING NOISE. NO VEHICLE ACCELERATION RESPONSE. VEHICLE SLOWLY ROLLED TO STOP. PULLED OVER TO SIDE. TOWED VEHICLE TO LR DEALER. RECEIVED EST. OF $3500 TO REPLACE SHAFT AND FRONT DIFFERENTIAL DECLINED AND ARRANGED FOR TOW TO HOME. AFTER A WEEK OF RESEARCH, PURCHASED AFTERMARKET DRIVESHAFT. INSTALLED MYSELF AND WORKING GREAT. DID NOT HAVE TO REPLACE FRONT DIFFERENTIAL. *JB

NHTSA ID
10186780
Incident
Jan 11, 2007
Mileage
67,000 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Mar 12, 2007

FRONT END DIFFERENTIAL FAILURE ON 2003 RANGE ROVER. *JB

NHTSA ID
10184897
Incident
Feb 17, 2007
Mileage
92,973 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Mar 12, 2007

FRONT END DIFFERENTIAL FAILURE, SECOND TIME. *JB

NHTSA ID
10184887
Incident
Jul 18, 2005
Mileage
66,737 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Mar 12, 2007

FAILURE OF FRONT END DIFFERENTIAL WITH 24,396 MILES ON 2003 RANGE ROVER III HSE. *JB

NHTSA ID
10184886
Incident
Jul 23, 2003
Mileage
24,396 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Oct 12, 2006
Crash reported

RANGE ROVER FRONT DIFFERENTIAL FAILURE - LEADING TO LOCK UP OF TRANSMISSION. IF I HAD BEEN TRAVELING AT SPEED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT WOULD HAVE OCCURRED. THE VEHICLES SHOULD ALL BE RECALLED BY THE MANUFACTURER AS IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE. DO WE NEED TO WAIT UNTIL SOMEBODY IS KILLED? NM

NHTSA ID
10170601
Incident
Oct 10, 2006
Mileage
40,000 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Sep 28, 2006

1)NONE REGULAR AND UNEVENTFUL DRIVING. 2)TOTAL LOSS OF DRIVE POWER WHILE DRIVING, WITHOUT ANY PREVIOUS SYMPTOMS, LEAVING ME STRANDED IN BETWEEN THE EMERGENCY LANE AND RIGHT LANE OF HIGHWAY. SECOND TIME 3RD LANE OF FREEWAY RIGHT AFTER SERVICE FROM THE DEALER FROM THE FIRST INCIDENT. 3) THE FAILURE WAS A MISALIGNMENT BETWEEN THE DRIVESHAFT AND THE FRONT DIFFERENTIAL ON A 2003 LAND ROVER, RANGE ROVE. *JB

NHTSA ID
10169526
Incident
Sep 25, 2006
Mileage
50,000 mi

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.

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