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Land Rover DiscoveryModel year report

2002 Land Rover Discovery Problems

Complaints
17filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
70,000miles, 13 complaints with mileage
Recalls
0campaigns on record
Trend
StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—overall rating starts with 2011 models
EPA fuel economy
13 mpgcombined, 4.0L 8-cyl 4WD/AWD · 12 city / 16 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2002 Land Rover Discovery (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

NHTSA recorded 17 consumer complaints for the 2002 Land Rover Discovery. The part named most often is engine cooling, with 6 complaints (35% of the total), followed by transmission and drivetrain (4) and vehicle speed control (2). 13 of the complaints include a mileage, and 23% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 70,000 miles. Of all complaints, 2 involved a crash, 3 a fire, 2 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 0 recall campaigns and 3 technical service bulletins for this model year.

This model year has fewer than 25 complaints on record, so the numbers below can change a lot with a few new reports.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Suspension (1).

Example complaints

Engine cooling: “Oil leak on engine, oil pan leak, water pump leak, no power on engine it lost the power from over heating, mechanic wants to replace engine I was quoted 3700 dollars. How can I know if this engine was a defect.”

NHTSA complaint #10442835, filed 2012-01, 160,700 miles

Transmission and drivetrain: “Catastrophic injuries sustained!!!! Loss of life almost occurred! I was driving my Land Rover on a highway at 60 MPH when suddenly the vehicle experienced a catastrophic failure. The brake drum fell apart while the vehicle was in motion and parts from the brake drum pierced the under carriage of the vehicle and came in through the driver seat I was sitting in and cause me major internal injuries that LED to me being hospitalized for 52 days. …”

NHTSA complaint #11030242, filed 2017-09, 132,000 miles

Vehicle speed control: “Unintended acceleration. Three times now our landrover Discovery (2002) has accelerated without intent. Once pulling into our driveway nearly crashing into a person, another time from a dead stop and I had to swerve not to hit a house, and now a third time while my husband was driving slowly down a street -- all of a sudden our car accelerated and nearly hit the car in front of us.”

NHTSA complaint #10316330, filed 2010-03

Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors): “When driving in the rain windshield wipers failed, causing the driver to pull off the road. Consumer contacted the dealership on three separate occasions, but problem still occurs.”

NHTSA complaint #10053868, filed 2004-01

Mileage when problems were reported

23% of the 13 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 55,000 and 132,000 miles.

0%0–108%10–2515%25–5031%50–758%75–10023%100–15015%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (13 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 70,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: stable. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.

2002200432008201020122017
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2002 Land Rover Discovery. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
Discovery Series II · sedan not rated4 / 4——2

Ratings before the 2011 model year come from an older, less demanding test and are not comparable with ratings for 2011 and later.

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2002 Land Rover Discovery version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
Discovery Series II 4WD/AWD4.0L 8-cyl4-speed automatic121613$6,300

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for the 2002 Land Rover Discovery in the data used here. A recall can apply to some vehicles of a model year and not others, so check a specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 3 on record; the latest 3 are shown.

Other model years of the Land Rover Discovery

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
20248—5—21—Too new
20237—6—21—Too new
20221176,0006—21—Not enough data
202111108,0296—21—Not enough data
20201941,5086—18—Rising
20193953,0004—1848 · TypicalRising
20183714,1444—1859 · TypicalRising
20175525,0003—1850 · TypicalStable
2016530,7000———Not enough data
20042976,6880—12Not compared (before 2008)Stable
20034873,0001—12Not compared (before 2008)Falling
20021770,0000—13—Stable
20011383,0001—13—Not enough data
20003087,0001—13Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199917175,0002—14—Stable
19983377,7471—14Not compared (before 2008)Stable
19973565,0001—14Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199665110,0002—14Not compared (before 2008)Stable
19954979,5003—13Not compared (before 2008)Rising
199415110,0001—13—Stable

All Land Rover Discovery model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2002 Land Rover Discovery have?

NHTSA recorded 17 consumer complaints for the 2002 Land Rover Discovery as of Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2002 Land Rover Discovery is reported most often?

Engine cooling is named most often, in 6 complaints (35% of the total), followed by transmission and drivetrain with 4.

Has the 2002 Land Rover Discovery been recalled?

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for this model year in the data used here. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2002 Land Rover Discovery get?

The EPA rates the 2002 Land Rover Discovery (Discovery Series II, 4.0L 8-cyl) at 13 mpg combined, 12 city and 16 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $6,300 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2002 Land Rover Discovery reported?

Among the 13 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 70,000 miles and the middle half falls between 55,000 and 132,000 miles; 23% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.