2003 Land Rover New Range Rover 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 2003 Land Rover New Range Rover, 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
- Powertrain (other)2676.5%
- Suspension38.8%
- Driver assistance12.9%
- Body & structure12.9%
- Tires & wheels12.9%
- Other / unspecified12.9%
- Brakes12.9%
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
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
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.
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.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
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
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
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
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.
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
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
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
I RECENTLY PURCHASED A 2003 RANGE ROVER. AFTER DRIVING THE VEHICLE FROM THE DEALERS LOT TO MY HOME, I DECIDED TO TAKE MY FIANCE FOR A DRIVE. I DROVE DOWN A FAIRLY BUSY HIGHWAY WHICH IS LESS THAN ONE MILE FROM MY HOME. AS I PROCEEDED DOWN THE HIGHWAY, I ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE AND THE VEHICLE MADE A LOUD GRINDING NOISE AND BECAME IMMOBILE. LUCKILY, TRAFFIC WAS NOT EXTREMELY HEAVY AND OTHER DRIVERS ALLOWED ME TO DRIFT INTO THE MEDIAN. ONCE IN THE MEDIAN, I PLACED THE VEHICLE IN PARK AND ATTEMPTED TO PLACE IT IN GEAR SO THAT I COULD DRIVE AGAIN BUT IT CONTINUED TO MAKE THIS GRINDING NOISE AND WOULD NOT MOVE AT ALL. THE POLICE SHOWED UP AND CALLED A TOW TRUCK SO THAT I COULD GET OFF OF THE BUSY HIGHWAY. I CALLED THE CAR DEALERSHIP AND THEY WERE CONCERNED THAT I HAD JUST PURCHASED THE VEHICLE AND THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL EUROPEAN MECHANIC SHOP AND THE MECHANIC INDICATED THAT THE TRANSFER CASE WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. I WAS SHOCKED AS TO WHY THIS HAPPENED, SINCE THE VEHICLE APPEARED TO BE IN EXCELLENT CONDITION AND THE DEALER IS A REPUTABLE BUSINESS. THE QUOTE FOR THIS WORK IS $5000 AND I WAS ASKED BY THE DEALER IF I COULD COME UP WITH A PORTION COST FOR THE REPAIRS. SINCE THE INCIDENT, I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS VEHICLE AND THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON INCIDENT AMONG OTHER RANGE ROVER OWNERS OF MODELS 2002 THROUGH 2006. IN MY FINDINGS, THIS APPEARS TO BE A DESIGN FLAW AND MECHANICAL ISSUE, NOT TO MENTION A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN. I WOULD LIKE THIS COMPLAINT TO BE FILED WITH SIMILAR COMPLAINTS IN HOPES THAT A VEHICLE RECALL OR INSPECTION IS PROMPTED. *JB
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
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
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
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.
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 .