2003 Land Rover Range Rover

SUMMARY:IN A LETTER DATED DECEMBER 2, 2008, FORD MOTOR COMPANY (FORD) NOTIFIED NHTSA THAT LAND ROVER IS CONDUCTING A SAFETY RECALL OF MODEL YEAR (MY) 2003 THROUGH 2005 RANGE ROVER VEHICLES BUILT AT THE SOLIHULL (UK) ASSEMBLY PLANT FROM JANUARY 3, 2002 THROUGH FEBRUARY 22, 2005, TO REPLACE THE FRONT DRIVESHAFT JOINT (NHTSA RECALL NO. 08V-635, LAND ROVER RECALL NO. P041). THE FRONT DIFFERENTIAL COUPLING SLEEVE AND THE PROPELLER SHAFT MAY BE MISALIGNED RESULTING IN SPLINE WEAR OVER TIME, WHICH MAY EVENTUALLY RESULT IN THE SPLINES SHEARING.THE DEFECT CONDITION CAN RESULT IN A LOSS OF PROPULSION AND SUBSEQUENT VEHICLE DISABLEMENT IN THE ROADWAY OR ON THE SHOULDER OF THE ROADWAY. FURTHERMORE, THE DEFECT CONDITION CAN ALSO CAUSE LOSS OF THE TRANSMISSION LOCK FUNCTION WHEN THE VEHICLE IS SHIFTED INTO THE PARK POSITION.THE LOSS OF THE TRANSMISSION LOCK FUNCTION CAN CAUSE A VEHICLE ROLLAWAY CONDITION IF THE EMERGENCY BRAKE IS NOT APPLIED AND THE VEHICLE IS UNATTENDED BY THE DRIVER. IN JULY 2008, LAND ROVER INITIATED A SERVICE ACTION (Q041) INSTRUCTING DEALERS TO INSTALL A REDESIGNED FRONT PROPELLER SHAFT, FRONT DIFFERENTIAL COUPLING AND HEAT SHIELD KIT TO ADDRESS THE MISALIGNMENT AND SUBSEQUENT SPLINE WEAR.THIS IS THE SAME REPAIR PROCEDURE THAT WILL BE USED IN SAFETY RECALL 08V-635.APPROXIMATELY 48 PERCENT OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLES (18,000) HAVE HAD THE REMEDY PERFORMED UNDER SERVICE ACTION Q041 AS OF DECEMBER 2, 2008. ODI BELIEVES THAT SUDDEN LOSS OF MOTIVE POWER WITHOUT WARNING AND FAILURE OF THE TRANSMISSION LOCK FUNCTION ARE SAFETY CONSEQUENCES THAT, PARTICULARLY IN THE CONTEXT OF THE HIGH FAILURE RATE OF THE SUBJECT COMPONENTS, REPRESENT AN UNREASONABLE RISK TO MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY AS STATED IN A RECALL REQUEST LETTER SENT TO FORD AND LAND ROVER ON NOVEMBER 6, 2008.LAND ROVER DOES NOT AGREE, BUT IS CHANGING ITS CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM TO A SAFETY RECALL AS ODI REQUESTED. LAND ROVER NOTED THAT IT WAS AWARE OF ONE ALLEGED ACCIDENT; HOWEVER, IT WAS UNAWARE OF ANY INJURY OR VEHICLE DAMAGE ASSOCIATED WITH THE ALLEGED ACCIDENT.LAND ROVER'S RECALL RESOLVES THE SAFETY DEFECT CONCERNS PURSUED BY THIS INVESTIGATION. THIS ENGINEERING ANALYSIS IS CLOSED.

IN RESPONSE TO AN INFORMATION REQUEST (IR) LETTER SENT BY THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI), FORD STATED THAT THE PRIMARY CAUSE FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE REPORTED FRONT DIFFERENTIAL/DRIVE SHAFT FAILURES IS A MISALIGNMENT OF THE JOINT BETWEEN THE TWO COMPONENTS.CERTAIN LEVELS OF MISALIGNMENT MAY OVER TIME CAUSE AN UNEVEN WEAR OF THE SPLINES.CONTINUED WEAR OF THE SPLINES MAY RESULT IN A SHEARING OF THE SPLINES AND THE INABILITY OF THE DRIVESHAFT TO TRANSFER TORQUE TO THE FRONT DIFFERENTIAL. TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE IN THE FIELD, FORD INITIATED A SERVICE CAMPAIGN IN JUNE 2003 TO CORRECT THE MISALIGNMENT ISSUE AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE FRONT DRIVE SHAFT AND/OR DIFFERENTIAL.THE SERVICE CAMPAIGN COVERED MODEL YEAR (MY) 2003 AND MY 2004 VEHICLES BUILT FROM APRIL 18, 2002 THROUGH JULY 3, 2003.IN PRODUCTION, FORD INTRODUCED A CHANGE TO THE LUBRICATING GREASE OF THE JOINT IN FEBRUARY 2003 AND A CHANGE TO THE ASSEMBLY PLANT ALIGNMENT PROCESS IN JULY 2003 TO ADDRESS THE MISALIGNMENT AND WEAR ISSUE. ODI IDENTIFIED ONE CRASH RELATED TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT.THE CRASH INVOLVED A SUBJECT VEHICLE BEING STRUCK IN THE REAR AFTER BECOMING DISABLED BY A FRONT DIFFERENTIAL/DRIVESHAFT FAILURE AND PULLING TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THIS PRELIMINARY EVALUATION HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS (EA07-012) TO FURTHER ASSESS THE SCOPE, FREQUENCY AND SAFETY CONSEQUENCES OF FRONT DIFFERENTIAL/DRIVESHAFT FAILURES IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLE POPULATION.

The contact owns a 2003 Land Rover Range Rover. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH on the highway, he felt a vibration and pulled over to inspect the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle then failed to exceed 35 MPH. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 119,000.

NHTSA ID

11467872

Incident

Jun 3, 2022

Mileage

119,000 mi

TAKATA RECALL MY AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON. THE AIRBAG LIGHT JUST STAY ON.

NHTSA ID

11084686

Incident

Apr 1, 2018

Mileage

116,000 mi

DRIVING DOWN A ROAD LOST POWER AND MADE GRINDING NOISE.

NHTSA ID

11045157

Incident

Nov 4, 2017

Mileage

118,502 mi

THE FIRST THING THAT HAPPENED WAS THE AC STOPPED WORKING AND REPLACED THE RESISTOR IN IT TWICE, THE SAME DAY IT WENT OUT A SECOND TIME THE BACK DRIVER SIDE WINDOW FELL. THE NEXT WEEK I WAS DRIVING HOME AND WAS ENTERING THE FREEWAY AND AS I ACCELERATED THE VEHICLE JERKED HARD AND PULLED BACK, AND WAS MAKING A SQUEAKING SOUND. IT CORRECTED BUT NOW IT KEEPS DOING IT. AND THE BRAKE FLUID A WEEK LATER LEAKED OUT AND I LOST POWER IN MY BRAKES. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE MY CAR!

NHTSA ID

11015683

Incident

Jun 12, 2017

Mileage

170,000 mi

CAR SHIPPED FROM FLORIDA TO PITTSBURGH. UPON ARRIVING I DROVE THE VEHILCE ON THE STREET AND IT STOPPED AND HAD TO WAIT TO START AGAIN. VEHICLE WAS ONLY ABLE TO BE DRIVEN A MILE AT A TIME BEOFRE INCIDENT RECURRED. ABS BREAK LATE STAYED ON FROM THE BEGINNING. TO START VEHILCE TWO WIRES HAD TO BE CONNECTED TOGETHER.TRANSMISSION NOT FUNCTIONABLE, STARTING PROBLEM, BRAKE PROBLEM AND ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. CONTACTED DEALER AND DEALER DENIED ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE. I HAD A MECHANIC VERIFY ALL PROBLEMS NOTED ABOVE TWO DAYS LATER.. RELAYED THE INFORMATION TO THE DEALERSHIP AND NOTHING WAS RESOLVED.

NHTSA ID

10956135

Incident

Dec 27, 2016

Mileage

83,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 LAND ROVER RANGE ROVER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION AND BRAKE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 83,000.

NHTSA ID

10955761

Incident

Jan 1, 2017

Mileage

83,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 LAND ROVER RANGE ROVER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL GRINDING SOUND FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE ALSO WAS MAKING A JERKING MOTION AND THE TRANSFER CASE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS EXPERIENCING THE FAILURE IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 08V635000 (POWER TRAIN) AND THE DRIVE SHAFT AND SPLINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000.

NHTSA ID

10873831

Incident

Jun 9, 2016

Mileage

160,000 mi

THE STEERING WHEEL ON THE VEHICLE TURNS BUT JUST MAKES A CLICKING NOISE AND DOES NOT ACTUALLY TURN THE WHEELS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10705248

Incident

Apr 9, 2015

Mileage

81,800 mi

The steering wheel may exhibit a vibration / shimmy while driving.

Issue: Powertrain Transmission Module Learn Adaption routine has been instated on SDD/Pathfinder.

The 'Service Required' warning text will not appear on the Instrument Cluster (IC) if a vehicle has reached its service point.

Presentation from Dealer Shop Foreman Conference Call

Situation: The steering wheel may exhibit a vibration / shimmy while driving.

"ISSUE THE WRONG COMPONENT MAYBE REPLACED WHEN TROUBLESHOOTING BLUETOOTH CONNECTIVITY IN CAR. CAUSE THE FRONT CONTROL DISPLAY INTERFACE MODULE(TOUCHSCREEN) HAS NO EFFECT ON BLUETOOTH CONNECTIVITY IN THE CAR AND AS SUCH MAY BE INCORRECTLY DIAGNOSED AND REPLACED AS THE SOURCE OF THE ISSUE."