Model year record
2003 Land Rover New Range Rover recalls & problems
The 2003 Land Rover New Range Rover has no safety recalls on file with NHTSA, and 31 owner complaints. The most-reported problem area is power train (31 complaints).
Safety recalls
No safety recalls have been filed for the 2003 Land Rover New Range Rover.
Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. A recall listed here may already have been fixed on a particular car: enter its 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls.
What owners report
| Problem area | Complaints | Typical mileage* |
|---|---|---|
| Power trainDriveline › Differential unit; Driveline › Driveshaft | 31 | 62,455 mi |
| SuspensionFront | 3 | 123,000 mi |
| Service brakes, hydraulic | 1 | — |
| Equipment | 1 | — |
| StructureBody | 1 | — |
| Vehicle speed control | 1 | — |
*Median odometer reading when the problem happened, where owners gave one. One complaint can name several problem areas.
Recent owner complaints
- Power train
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.
- Power train
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.
- Structure › Body
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…
- Suspension
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
- Power train › Driveline
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
- Power train › Driveline › Differential unit
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
- Power train › Driveline › Differential unit
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.…
- Power train › Driveline › Differential unit
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
Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.
NHTSA defect investigations
- FRONT DIFF. / PROPELLER SHAFT FAILUREClosedLed to recall 08V635000
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…
- FRONT DIFFERENTIAL/DRIVESHAFT FAILUREClosed
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…