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1996 Land Rover DiscoveryProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 65 owner complaints about the 1996 Land Rover Discovery, most often about the service brakes, hydraulic. It is covered by 2 safety recalls.

42
CarFlaw IndexSolid year1.4× the Discovery median · #2 of 17 years by complaints
Safety recalls2Free fix at dealersOwner complaints658 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage0kService brakes, hydraulic, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through December 8, 2018. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1996 Land Rover Discovery has problems

65 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Service brakes, hydraulic152
Structure100
Latches/locks/linkages90
Vehicle speed control91
Electrical system90
Visibility62
Fuel system, gasoline60
Engine and engine cooling50
Suspension41
12 other systems231

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

2 recalls

1996 Land Rover Discovery recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

–no report yet

Air bags: frontal

Recall 98V-040 · Feb 24, 1998 · 54,488 vehicles

Risk. DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIR BAG RESTRAINT SYSTEM WITHOUT WARNING CAN CAUSE A DRIVER TO LOSE VEHICLE CONTROL.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Door: hinge and attachments

Recall 96V-247 · Dec 12, 1996 · 20,889 vehicles

Risk. THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE UNEXPECTED OPENING OF THE DOOR INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE ACCIDENT OR PERSONAL INJURY.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Land Rover.

Best & worst years

1996 vs. every other Discovery year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Discovery median. How we score

'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'06'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
1 investigation

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 1996 Land Rover Discovery, and the recalls they led to.

  1. DOOR OPEN WHILE DRIVINGPE96060 · closed Dec 16, 1996
    Led to recall 96V-247
In owners' words

What Discovery owners report

Recent service brakes, hydraulic complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

ABS LIGHT IS ON. BRAKES APPEAR TO WORK NORMAL. OCCASIONAL, FOR NO APPEARANT REASON ABS KICKS ON AND CAUSES BRAKES VIBRATE/PULSE AND MAKE IT EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO STOP. AFTER THAT FOR A SHORT PERIOD THE ABS LIGHT IS OFF. CLOSEST DEALER IS 3 HOURS AWAY AND I CAN'T FIND ANYONE AROUD TO LOOK AT IT. *AK
Complaint 10110112 · Feb 8, 2005 · 100 miles
VERY POOR EMERGENCY BRAKING AT LOW SPEEDS 30MPH AND SLOWER. WHEN EMERGENCY BRAKING IS REQUIRED LIKE IN A LEFT TURN LAND AND THE PRECEDING CAR DECIDES TO STOP INSTEAD OF COMPLETING THE LEFT TURN, YOU CANNOT STOP QUICKLY. AT HIGHER SPEEDS UP TO 25-30 MPH THE SAME SITUATION ARISES BUT YOU GENERALLY…
Complaint 10028658 · Jul 20, 2003
CONSUMER HAS SAFETY CONCERN INVOLVING THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM ON A 1996 LAND ROVER DISCOVERY I. *MR ANTI-LOCK BRAKE LIGHT ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. WHEN THE BRAKE LIGHT IS OFF, THE BRAKE PEDAL IS HARD MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO STOP THE VEHICLE. WHEN THE BRAKE LIGHT IS ON, THE VEHICLE IS SAFE TO…
Complaint 10024539 · Jun 20, 2003

Own a 1996 Discovery?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.