All You Need to Know about the Land Rover Discovery II 

The car that has been turning people into mechanics for 70 yrs xD you killed me with that pun 😂

I’ve had my Disco almost 20 years now and still love it! You get out what you put into them - these are great vehicles if taken care of properly.

I have a 2000 4.0v8 with 230,000kms. Meticulous servicing is key. I change the oil and filter every 7k. More about preventative maintenance rather than letting it develop

I had one for 7 years And apart from routine maintenance and servicing it was bullet proof. Best car I have ever owned but mine was a td5.

If you can fix them, there amazing vehicles. I was driving mine in central Nevada with the surround sound going, heated seats, and the suspension was the best I have seen off road. The Jeep Cherokee that was passing me was bouncing along and everyone was wearing hooded sweatshirts. They also looked fridged.

Ok here comes the whine from another Disco owner. You forgot about the thermostat and cooling system leaks, failure of door actuators, window regulators, valve cover and oil pan leaks, sagging headliners, and frames that rust. I have a 2004 disco 2. I love it but I also do my own mechanical repairs. The key to owning these cars is to do the regular maintenance such as oil changes, transmission fluid changes, greasing of the parts that can be greased, change out all the fluids such as the diffs, transfer cases, brake fluid etc at regular intervals. I have found if you maintain them the known problems do not occur. Driving on the beach or in the mountains off road is amazing. Center locking diff with traction control pretty much blows away any Jeep out there. I've had a few Jeeps and for the time period they do not rate when it comes to the Disco. I did love my Jeeps too. I've owned several Ford F150s and they also cannot be compared as they are too different to compare. Disco 2s are also very cheap to buy and own if you treat them properly. I bought mine for $900 dollars with 119k miles on it that had a leaking head gasket, valve cover leaks, and coolant leaks. I fixed every known problem and upgraded the wheels and suspension, added roof rack and made it a well running overloading vehicle for under $7k. Working on them is pretty simple as well. I have seen maintained Discos with well over 250k miles on them with the original engine and transmission. Or just buy a Toyota or Lexus but just don't look as cool, lol. I also own an LR3 but just not as fun as the Disco that was part of the Camel Trophy races. So many cars out there but too little time to own them all ;-)

I've bought one of these 2 months ago. Looked into all this stuff and replaced it all and some. I spent $900 in parts... These aren't actually money pits if you know what you're doing. Judging by the comment section I would think no one here does.

I have a disco 2 and love the thing. Had it for 13 years. Basic maintenance is all that is needed. As said before, I would take a $3500 disco over a 40k Toyota any day of the week. I replaced my front drive shaft as a matter of preventative maintenance. I think it came to less than a couple of months payments on an over priced new 4x4.

actually as long as you aren't a typical car owner and ignore routine upkeep items (as in getting your oil changed at the interval) they run for a long time. my 04 D2 ran fine with the only non upkeep repair being head gaskets 1x at 95k. Had 162k on it when i swapped it for a LR3. It wasnt babied either. Took it on plenty of trails, mud, water and deep snow

The biggest problem with the Land Rover brand is other 4x4 owners rubbishing them and making stories up, I bet most of the People commenting on here and saying about how rubbish they are haven't even owned one! They aren't without problems like any vehicle but we have owned ours since new (18 years) and it's been a great vehicle!

I bought one of these for a resonable price ($2k) good paint job, immaculate pleather, good engine. I was driving 70 mph down a highway and suddenly the D2 slammed itself into 4L and immediately dropped to 20 mph. After I trailered it to my house, I found out that the transfer case had popped the pin that switches it from H-L. When it slammed itself into 4L, it popped the pins in both differentials. So, I found a dead D2 with 40k on it, bought the transfer case and both diffs off of it. 8 hours of work later I had a brand new-ish drivetrain and I was out $900. All in all, not a bad deal. Shortly after that the neutral safety sensor went out along with the upstream O2 sensor. The neutral safety switch I just unplugged, as it is not necessary to drive. The O2 will certainly need replacement as it directly affects the fuel/air mix. Also the rear wheel speed sensor went out, which I am going to have to replace as well. And I am bout to have to do a tune up. But other than that...all good. Good buy. Solid truck. Just gotta show it some love. Oh and use Rotella 15w40 oil, due to the zinc content. And the Bosh oil filter.

Bought mine with a bad motor,put a 4L in and have not had any issues. Dont let them get hot you won't have any problems. And they go anywhere. Now if the fuel mileage could be fixed.

I own a Discovery 1 and I never had too much of an issue with it, I don't know why people complain a lot about it

I've had my 2003 Discovery II since 2006. Love it! Never lets me down. Yes, I have had some mechanical issues but what 15 year old vehicle doesn't?????

I have a 2000 Discovery II it's expensive, it's not reliable, it's a crap in gas mileage, but for me that's the beauty of the car, being repair by my self and sometimes repair by a mechanic, the time and attention the car required it's like a scape for me is something that i like and enjoy. Here is the deal the car sucks but the experience..... ¡ just on another level !

I have a 98 discovery 1. 3.9v8i auto. Its had minor issues with window mechanisms breaking, vac hoses perishing and fluid leaks. But it was sat in a mechanics yard to be sold for a year or so, so you’d expect some age related problems. I’ve had it nearly a year now and driven all over Australia, it suffered 3 months in the outback driving on nothing but washingboard dirt roads, its been driven up to double island point which is an 85 mile journey along a beach with water crossings, and has been taken offroad, bogged and filled with water/mud in the footwells ect. And generally not treated with any respect or care. The thing just goes on. Only problem i had was the serpentine belt stripping because a stick wedged in the pully

The frequent uploads are nice!

Really like your videos.. keep up the good work

You know it needs oil when it stops leaking.

low temp thermostat and 15-40 oil extend lifetime of those discos ,love them

Lol yes! I learned how to repair cars by fixing my Discovery.

Enjoyed. Thanks for sharing Subscribed

I know they are a pile of shit but I still want one for some reason.

that noice at 2:40 actually scared me lol I was listening to it VERY loud haha

Vladimir , you described that perfectly !!!! well said

Waoooo. Good presentation. God bless you sir

I have a 2003 with close to 250,000 kms here in Canada. It is lifted on 36" super swampers and I beat on it like it owes me money, because it does. It is strictly for off-roading so suspension and drive train components take a pounding, not to mention the toll our harsh climate can take on a vehicle. I added the centre locking diff as it was not available in North America for that year. I perform all the maintenance and repairs myself including transfer case, both differentials, wheel hub bearings, break pads, thermostat, power steering pump, ignition tumbler, shutter calve on ABS module, wheel speed sensors, and regular fluid replacements. It has never left me stranded and I can go places most people could only dream of. I would not recommend one of these vehicles to anyone who is not inclined to wrench on their own vehicle, frequently.

The ABS module is same as used in the Hummer H2 I think, of about same era. Also the transmission is same as BMW used in their 7-series (ZF, German made) - tough but should be serviced, despite claims that autos are "sealed for life" - The 4.6 engine was more prone to the cylinder liner slipping, so the 4.0 is the more reliable choice. Avoid the 2002 model year if you want to properly off-road, as that model was missing the locking centre differential. Earlier models have it, and can be retro-fitted with the engaging shifter.

I have a 2018 Land Rover discover HSE luxury white and it’s amazing

I own a 2004 Disco 2, going to the Arctic Circle next year on to Finland-Baltic States-Poland-UK-home I have no worries about my Land Rover. Do not knock something to you try it!!! To be honest that goes for anything:-)

Disco 2 owner here! I’m on my 3rd one!

Good stuff. I’m considering buying one.

"Land Rover - The company that's been turning owners into mechanics for 70 years." I literally LOL'd at that one! I want that on a t-shirt! The work never seems to end. Definitely an enthusiast’s kinda vehicle. Heaven knows I’ve put some hours in on mine.

Have a lr2......amazing suv....0 problems.... In 11 years, the front axle was adjusted 2 times minor repair. Amazing !!!! I bought another one. 😜

Yeah you guys scared me off, Godspeed

I'm on my third Disco 2. So much fun!

Hey I really like these types of informational videos. Cars have so many problems of course but it is the fatal flaws you need to tell us about. Mercedes has a bunch. What is it with the failures of cylinder head gaskets? Is this purposeful? My personal mechanic would always tell me stories of what not to buy because looks are so misleading.

So what diesel you'd suggest can be good for Disco swap?

Owning one of these is a love/hate relationship - My Discovery loves to hate me!!!

Dude, 2003 SE7, whats not to love. Brute strength to go anywhere you want... Redid the cylinder heads 3 times already plus a replacement engine at 120,000 miles. Front draft shaft replaced with a heavy duty Mercedes Benz shaft, power steering pump replaced, 3 amigos wont go off, Rear bumper disintegrated on touch, roof liner fell down so I took out the entire tray and scraped off the liner, repainted it its natural colour and reinstalled it. Better than new. Left rear door doesnt open, And passenger front window regulator fell apart so window doesnt work. Replaced the two Secondary air pumps, rain water coming through the top right corner of the windshield, fixed with silicon sealant behind the weather strip. The two a pillar plastic pieces blew off the truck at 70mph. 13 mpg plus a current oil leak....But hey I love the damn thing and will never get rid of it. And I dont go off road with it either. ( no Rock climbing or trails).. I drive around town and take it to the property as well. Its a great work truck to do anything and go anywhere. Pulled out a 18 wheeler that was stuck in sand believe it or not. Landy is forever.

I came here to see if I should buy one, now I'm even more confused. Lol! Seems like its 50/50 on the reliability according to what people say. But not a bad choice if you don't mind doing all the maintenance yourself. I guess I have to keep doing my research. Wish me luck!!

I have my td5 for 8 years now. Just love the car....

Great drive best handling smooth td5

You nailed it!. They are so pretty but mine suffers from every single issue you described other than driveshaft, at 122k miles, but it's pretty, it's rare light blue. Heck keep it as a cool display?

You sir save me 6k$ on 2004 Range Rover discovery at the dealership and as I approached the vehicle, the salesman pitch me for it and decided that I could walked it off with the vehicle for 4K and I almost close the deal but I noticed this is the only suv that is so cheap I mean so cheapppp and I felt something is fishy because I noticed a Chevy Tahoe right next to it and Ford Explorer too, they were way above 5k and this Range Rover discovery is a luxury brand so I told the salesman that I’m going to have a talk with my wife and see if we can close the deal and no I don’t have a wife. I use that line to get the hell out. I check this video and damn you got my like and I subscribe you.

Do u have any info on the first gen Range Rover Sport? 2008 models

Is the TD5 option of the car any better?

nice vid i have a discotd5 does it have the same probs ?

Bought my 2nd Discovery, a used '01 Disco in '03 and it is a love-hate relationship. My '97 Discovery did not give me half the worries as this one. It was totaled b/c a TTT t-boned me. Hoping to sell this one to another enthusiast. They are good sturdy trucks. I can attest to that.

I have a 2002 se7 landrover and I'm wondering if I may ask you for a little advice? You mentioned the landrover makes a owner a mechanic..I personally have to say anything is better then the chevy blazer..hence the name blazer , is what I want it to do is blaze!!!. Anyway, i can not figure out WHERE the ecm goes. The mechanic says its behind the battery but that place has a sensor that looks like a water sensor to me.. if you have the time I would appreciate a piece of your knowledge concerning this vehicle. I truely need this 4x4 ...please and again Thank you for your time

I’m looking at one of these w 111k miles (2004), and has a slight leak. Owner wants $6k. Should I bargain or move on?

I love your comment" Land Rover the automobile that's been turning drivers into mechanics " My son has a 99 Toyota and Believe it or not it's having the same effect as the Land Rover just not as expensive so the good thing is he's learning how to fix Toyotas not the engine just every other damn part on it because it's very susceptible to rust especially in the snow belt of Wisconsin ;⛄

What do you think about the LR3/4? Thanks for the Video (-:

Can you do a video on first generation xterras preferably 2000 4x4 v6 please!!!!

Can you review the engine in the protege5 or later models protege? it is a 2.0 ford engine

And best of all, I repair it. Impressive engineering!

You gotta mention "the three amigos"!

I was looking for something for my daughter. A safe and slow vehicle. A good starter car. Preferably a amphibious exploring vehicle. Would you recommend this vehicle?

Accurate. Love my D2, but they can be a hassle if you’re not into wrenching.

You really showed that tree who's boss!

What do you think about the 2005-2008 TOYOTA SEQUOIA or the 1995 BRONCO?

Hey man I’m really thinking about buying a Saturn outlook. Would you be able to make a video with information on them?

THANK YOU FOR DETAIL VIDEO AS DISCO 1 AUTO WITH DIESEL

How do I acquire a landrover Discovery and which type is so good

Shame you guys can't get the TD5 - with regular servicing it's virtually bullet-proof.

After diving Disco 2's for 12 years here's my list: Rear air suspension bags leaking, suspension height sensors not knowing how tall they are, front sunroof motors burn out when the drainholes back up, door lock solenoids die frequently, fuel pumps are a pain, power window motors eat their regulators, rear light clusters turn into goldfish bowls, the R380 manual gearbox requiring a rebuild every 50k miles and don't get me started on the TD5 injector looms leaking oil into the ecu..... but apart from that they are fantastic work horses. So strip out all the fancy electrical stuff and the Defender ( OK old Rangy ) bits underneath work very well. ;-)

Head gasket failure is due to not replacing the coolant. Avoid this by changing your coolant every 1.5 -2 years. Drive shaft is fine has to be rebuilt with serviceable u joints and obviously then has to be serviced regularly. Oil pumps were a defect affecting certain 03 Discos, check your vin. Yes things break in these trucks and they need to be replace just like any other 18 year old vehicle. Plenty of information online and these trucks are reliable if you maintain them properly.

I really like my 96' D1 SD - it has no sun roofs and has cloth and manual seats - keep up the maint. and it is pretty reliable

Good luck trying to find one. They're getting rare!

We had a 2004 from new... until 140,000 miles (crashed). Rare SE with no sunroofs... leftover on lot, cost less than a Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo. Besides head gasket (known issue as you said), it only needed wear parts (besides 1 coil pack behind engine, and 1 abs sensor built into front hub). I know ours is an outlier (very well maintained by me), it did use more oil than any vehicle I have ever owned (switched to 15W-40 to mitigate loss), but in my experience (not common) was a great vehicle. I got it up to 115 MPH at one point driving to Canada [downhill run], felt solid. 2004 had non lock t-case so traction-control would kick in, as I recall 2005 had lockout capability to power through low-traction situations.

I drove a land Rover discovery series 2 up Africa and it broke down 9 times. In rough order, Fuel pump wiring snapped (left us standed in the desert of Namibia) Distributor broke Fried the electric regulator for the distributor Distributor rotor broke needing replacement Battery died from hard to start engine Aluminium sterring column connector stripped (left us stranded on a mountain in Malawi) Same steering column part stripped again (impossible to replace in africa) rear Brake pads melted rear Shocks competely blown Having said all that the car was incredibly capable offroad with diff locks as standard.Think muddy roads, sand and rough roads for 15k and you can expect problems. If you know what you are doing mechanically they can be good play cars. Just Don't buy for any other reason.

Glad here I Australia we get either the v8 or the better td5 diesel mine is a 2002 td5

That ending, LOL. Gotta love Landies man. Just go for a holiday at any coastal town, I guarantee you will find mostly landies everywhere. It is what it is. One life, Live it. Life's too short to drive boring cars.

I have had my 04 for 8 years now and replaced pretty much everything and I mean everything.... head gaskets 3 times, 2 water pumps, 1 rear differential, front prop shaft, blah, blah ,blah.... probably $16,000+ in parts, some preventive others reactionary. I love my Disco and it’s a part of the family. How do I justify it? The same way people with pets justify a $2-$4000 vet bill... I could put it to sleep but I love it too much. Own ng these is not a financially responsible decision- purely emotional.

These aren't the money pits people make them out to be. Biggest problem is the cooling system. The motor is sensitive and a cooling system in bad shape will kill it. As for the ABS module, it isn't the module, there's a $15 switch that goes bad. Replace it with the upgraded part problem solved. It kills driveshafts as fast as any other vehicle, they last forever. They give an ton of warning before failing too. Drove mine a few hundred miles through the mountain on a seized joint. Basically its a vehicle that runs fine and is reasonably reliable, but if you ignore a minor problem it will turn into a major problem fast. I had to put a few thousand into mine when I bought it. Reliable since then, other than a driveshaft that decided it didn't want to driveshaft anymore. They are very capable off roaders that weren't really built for the soccer mom/hipster crowd, you have to treat it like a high maintenance vehicle. Compare it to a Wrangler, they're just as (un)reliable as Discos.

I’m here in 🇨🇦 buying these part for my D2 in 🇸🇴...the struggle is real bro

I have an 03 with 60k miles and it is a lot more reliable and cheaper to repair than everyone claims , also did just catch on fire so there’s that

Well they are all at least 20 years old now so if you don't know one end of a wrench from the other you have no business buying one. In regards to the issues mentioned: Head gaskets - they don't actually blow or cause you to get stranded, they just start leaking usually around 100k miles. Replace them and drive another 100k miles. Driveshaft - makes a lot of racket before it breaks, just replace the u-joints with ones that have grease fittings and keep them greased. ABS units - it's a little embedded circuit card that cracks. You can bypass it with $2 worth of wire and a couple of crimp fittings. Oil pump - was only a specific date range, 2003 I believe. Most have already been replaced. The DIY stuff has all been figured out and is on RU-vid so if you're handy with a wrench you'll be okay.

I have a discovery2 with 208,000 miles I floor it constantly and it has never had a head gasket change. The thermostat and maf have been the only parts needed replaced. This car is easier than shit to work on and parts are abundant.

can u do LR Disco 4?

Um correction...the 2003 Range Rover you pictured does not use the same motor used in the 03/04 Discovery II, The 03 RR motor is from the BMW 4.4L V8 series as the vehicle was designed while owned by BMW.

The Range Rover you show at the start of the VT is an L322 with a BMW V8 not the Rover V8, the last RR to use this was the p38 👍

Well I own one. I can say the newest of them is 15 years old up to 20 years old. Not a brand new vehicle by any stretch of the imagination and I expect some parts to go bad. Plus you’re talking an off-road truck that’s not had a gentle loving life in most cases. The drive shaft you show would happened off-road not cruising to the supermarket. Any off-road truck is going to fail when put to the extreme conditions. Most the head gasket failure is people not watching temp and not changing coolant AKA poor maintenance issues. Many aluminum blocks suffer the same it’s not unique to Land Rover and they can last fine If maintenance is kept up, do the cooling systems over regular and use aftermarket gauge to watch temp and when it cracks past 200f regular its time to fix cooling. Easy enough.

Yeah but guess what, if you can fix the common issues yourself, these cars are the ballsiest 4x4 on the road; even more so than a brand new 4runner for far less$$. Just slap a lift and some at tires and youre golden.

Bullet proof off road. Great snow vehicle (I live in Colorado) traction control and good tires and it will go just about anywhere. Most problems are with seat controls, seat heater and door mechanisms. Gas hog, no matter how you tune them.

“Turning owners into mechanics for 70 years” 😂😎

Nice video very helpful.What about the Land cruiser 120 serie do they have the same problems or are better ?

never owned a land rover, but love to start with the discovery 2004 model

Thanks I love how those look and have always wondered. Thx. I will pass on them just cause of you.

Avoid the 4.6/4.2. For some reason the factory headbolts can be suspect, replace with ARP. Done right and correct coolant, steel shim headgaskets don't give trouble. Oil pump on its own doesn't give issues, if it does it generally indicates the favorite pastime of Landrover owners, no maintenance, I mean why change the oil if there's still oil in there right? Standard timing chains get loose, and not unlike other V8s, cam and lifter issues, often due to crappie oil. Remember lifters run a preload.

BEST SUV IVE EVER HAD SITTING AROUND.

Does this mean one should not buy this car anymore?

The only issue with the Disco 2 is the shite old Buick based V8, the automatic gearbox and a lack of competent maintainence. The manual TD5 is an amazing machine. Reliable, easy to work on if you're a competent mechanic. 40mpg and great off road.

The problem with shafts broken it´s not because of the shaft it self, but the problem with V8 Disco-2 is that the U-joint is too close to the catalizer, and the U-joint in Disco-2 are sealed, so you cannot grease it. So in time, the heat of the Catalizer dry-out the grease, and the U-joint seized, causing the failure of the shaft and so on (This is not the case in TD5s, because the only exhaust pipe is on the other side). But this has been very well known in the Land Rover community, so you have to be aware that the U-joint don´t last much more than 100K miles, and replace them before that. The other way is to put replacement with U-joints serviceable, wich are available in USA market.

2:40 when I see one roll by

Range Rover engines were BMW sourced 4.4 engines from 2003-05, they weren’t the same in the Disco 2

Owned a 2004 Discovery II since 2007. Upgraded the cylinder sleeves and engine overhaul at 98K miles, replaced ABS shuttle valve at 120K miles. Currently at 129K. That is it. $1M in gasoline receipts!!! Lol. Kidding aside. This truck isn't for everyone, giving it in my opinion lots of character. When I see one down the road while I'm driving mine you get the mandatory Land Rover nod or a wave. I then think after it passes by, why is his Disco II still running? Hahaha! Cheers!

1:18..DII engine is bosch/buick & L322 is bmw/jag

For those of you that really want a land rover my suggestion is to do an LS swap and drivetrain. They're cheap reliable you can drop a manual if you chose plus you can generally find replacement parts at your local auto parts store.

'all you need to know' means cover the positives & negatives, not just feeding the fears of prospective buyers. whatever, I'm not married to it, I'll take my shots, drive what I love 'till I can't anymore, then replace it. yup, just like relationships.