2004 Land Rover Discovery Consumer Reviews

Purchase lease from dealer, dealer serviced while under warranty after that used independent who serviced foreign vehicles. Rebuild engine with new sleeve at racing shop at 147000. Restored exterior and interior to original. Always some issue with warning lights but it’s a LR so it’s to be expected. It’s never let me down but it’s not my primary vehicle anymore.

I bought this vehicle a few years ago and have had lots of problems. This vehicle is a money pit it will always need repairs. Be careful of the VIN number year some of these vehicles have bad piston sleeves and will require later head gasket repair. Here is the items I've had to repair: power steering pump, front drive shaft, sensors (too many), removed dysfunctional shocks/air bags, ignition coils, all of the plastic trim on the outside breaks, and sunroofs don't work well. Not to mention this vehicle is seriously drafty it is loud when you drive it down the road. Mpg=10-15.

I got a great deal on my truck; almost $8,000 cheaper because it was a demonstrators model. It had 2652 miles on it when I brought it in January of 2005 and it had never been titled. I am the first owner and my baby has never left me on the side of the road. I know everything about my truck and serviced it as the manual suggested. Land Rover provided great customer service while I had my warranty and after. I had trouble with my seat cover and when it came apart again after almost a year out of warranty, Land Rover fixed it free of charge and I haven't had an issue since. I found a wonderful mechanic, once the warranty ran out, who used to work for Land Rover and opened his own shop. He charges 60% of what Land Rover would charge for services. When my head gasket went, it was $1400 instead of $2700. I could call him and describe an issue, he would know exactly what it was and I'd bring it to his shop and he'd fix it and I'd be on my way. Some issues were simple to fix, he didn't charge me. And issues that came up were just plain wear and tear issues. It has almost 109,000 miles on it I am about to polish it up, have some routine maintenance done and give it to my son as a gift. It has been so great owning this car I am about to purchase a brand new Range Rover Sport with all the bells and whistles.

I wouldn't give you $50 for one of these things. My son bought one, and it's been nothing but one problem after another. Too bad these young people don't listen to their elders.

I bought my Disco in 2007 with 40k miles on it in St. Louis. It's still my daily driver in 2015. And I haven't been easy on it. It's been to Moab, up trails in the Appalachian, through swamps in Florida. I've put it through some seriously questionable situations and it never failed me when it mattered. That said, all of the repair concerns are true. Window regulator went out, $800. Radiator system failure, $1200. Windshield wipers, $50 a pop (and they aren't even that good). It's been a nightmare at times. Leaks oil like crazy. But, overall, it's certainly been the most capable vehicle I've ever owned. I knew when I bought it I wouldn't resell it. At 155k and entire regions of the U.S. under its belt, I'd be lying if I said it hasn't been anything but amazing.

Head gaskets will go around 120k. Then the block will crack if it overheats, or the liners will start to slip. The engine will tick. The stock coolant bleed valve will leak. Just don't do it unless you're willing to spend 6-10K getting a refurbished top-hat block dropped in. My engine is worth more OUT of the truck than the entire truck is worth, even with the engine in it.

I bought this car with my parents as my first car, at 15, with the hope that it would be the ultimate car for safety, as I was to be in charge of the school carpool to school as well as to Stevens Pass. Granted, this car was fantastic for poor weather, especially for a new driver. It went through snow like shaving cream and always got me home safely during surprise blizzards on Stevens or Snoqualmie Pass, even with ice on the roadways. However, after buying the car we discovered that the 2003 Land Rover Discovery II was notorious for problems concerning the automatic windows and head gasket. Within a month of ownership the windows fell into the door, which required a visit to the mechanic. Very recently, after four years of ownership, smoke started to appear out of the hood and the temp. gauge light came on. The next day I took it to a mechanic. My nightmare of having head gasket problems came true. The mechanic told me that I could replace the parts to essentially make it stop smoking, without fixing the cause of the overheating, for around $4,000 with the risk of further problems soon. The alternative would be a total engine replacement for $4,000-5,000. Ultimately, I was told that I would never make the money back on this car if I hoped to sell it. In addition, the fuel economy throughout ownership was terrible and the vehicle took premium gas only. Seeing as the vehicle is British, some parts may need to be shipped from overseas (such as the replacement windshield wipers from England that were $80 a piece). All in all, this vehicle was amazing, but very expensive to maintain and fix. I do not necessarily regret buying this car as a first car in terms of driving quality, but I do wish the mechanical problems had been less in number and cost.

It drives okay and looks good, but the car is not reliable at all. everyone I know including myself who has owned one has had major engine trouble. Also, it is not very comfortable to ride in. There is very little leg room. All in all if you are looking for a vehicle to get you around or travel in, this is not a good choice. On the other hand if you are looking for a sport vehicle to go off road or just have fun in, this is a reasonable choice.