Land Rover Discovery power steering loss problems

Filed May 18, 2026 · Electrical, Lights · MA

I was driving home from work late at night in December 2025. A Signal came on that said pull to safety or something like that and then I lost power steering and brake control and my entire dash in my vehicle went pitch black. I was in the middle lane on route 290 and I was very lucky not to hit any other vehicles, but it was incredibly scary because I had no control of my vehicle and there were many cars and trucks on the road around me. I coasted off slowly to the side and I had to sit in 15° temperatures for an hour while I waited for AAA to come and tow my vehicle. They towed it to my home and were not able to get it off the ramp so they had to tow it to the dealership because the battery had died. The vehicle for a couple weeks before was slow to start, which I did not realize at the time was a sign that the battery was being drained. It was brought to the dealer and discovered that the DC DC converter and the BECM was the issue. My vehicle is open for inspection if you need it. The converter and BECM have been replaced after fighting with the dealer and with Landrover. Landrover is aware of the situation because they had to work with the dealer on their systems.Unfortunately, I am out almost $1000 because they made me pay for the replacement of the battery ( and the towing ) . Honestly I am having PTSD every time I drive past the area where I almost crashed. Landrover did not even want to accept responsibility, but the dealer did as we have purchased two vehicles from them that we also maintain meticulously.

Filed Oct 1, 2025 · Electrical, Engine · NJ

Defect Summary: Repeated water intrusion (windshield, roof rails, rear door latch) leading to electrical damage. Electrical failures resulting in sudden loss of power, lighting, and infotainment. Critical safety system failures including: Sudden loss of steering assist and brake assist while in motion. Vehicle stalling with the engine running but no drivetrain response. Gear shifter malfunctions leaving the vehicle stuck in gear. Notable Incidents: July–August 2025 (61,000 mi): Multiple events of complete power loss while driving, including loss of steering and braking control on a public roadway. September 11, 2025 (post-repair): After dealer-replaced battery and gear-shift module, the vehicle failed catastrophically within 450 feet of leaving the service center, jolting violently, losing all electrical power, and leaving steering and brakes stiff. An Edison Police officer witnessed the event and assisted in traffic control. Safety Concern: These recurring failures present a clear and ongoing danger of crash, injury, or fatality. The pattern demonstrates a systemic design or manufacturing defect related to water ingress and electrical integrity.

Filed May 29, 2025 · Engine · AZ

I am filing this complaint regarding a catastrophic engine failure on my 2017 Land Rover Discovery HSE Luxury with the 3.0L V6 supercharged engine. The failure was caused by a broken timing chain, which resulted in severe internal engine damage. This component failure has been confirmed by an independent Land Rover specialist, and the damaged parts — including the broken chain — are available for inspection upon request. The incident put our safety at risk, as the vehicle experienced sudden loss of engine power while in operation. A complete engine stall, especially in traffic or at highway speeds, could easily lead to loss of power steering and braking assistance, significantly increasing the chance of an accident. Prior to the failure, we noticed several warning signs, including an illuminated check engine light, rough idling, and multiple diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs), such as P0018, P0019, P0300, P0304, P0305, and P0306. These symptoms began appearing a few weeks before the engine failed completely, but escalated quickly. To our knowledge, there is no recall or technical service bulletin (TSB) addressing this known issue on this model and engine configuration. The vehicle has not yet been inspected by Land Rover, the police, or any insurance agency, but the independent mechanic confirmed that the failure was internal and directly related to the timing chain system. We are submitting this report in the interest of public safety, as this type of failure on a vehicle with regular maintenance and 140,000 miles should not occur without warning. We believe this may indicate a broader reliability issue with the timing system in these engines and urge the federal safety agency to investigate.

Filed Jun 26, 2022 · Steering · OH

Suddenly, one morning on my way to work the steering became extremely heavy and the handling became very dull. The steering wheel still turned the wheels, but it required a vast amount of effort where the previous day the steering wheel could have been turned with one finger. There were no noises coming from the steering column, or warning lights associated with the defect. No smells associated with friction from parts rubbing together, either. Totally silent. I consulted the manual and no mention was made re: what was happening. It had advised to call an authorized dealer to have it inspected. A trip to the dealership confirmed that the steering gear assembly (a $5,000 part) had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealership did not make mention of this issue being common, or even having happened recently with a similar model/year. There is almost no power assistance coming through the steering, and I am worried about what could happen as a result. Perhaps the steering itself will become impossible? The dealer was uncertain as to whether it posed a greater issue or was just "an annoyance".

Filed Mar 16, 2022 · Brakes, Electrical · MI

Our 2017 Land Rover Discovery HSE TDi6 has been to the dealer multiple times since purchased new in 2018. This vehicle has several safety issues. First is the random and repeatable shut down of the ABS, Stability, Automatic Braking, Electric steering, windshield leak causing considerable water penetration. The primary concern is the vehicle will lose communication with the ABS, Airbag, Stability, Braking Steering computer at any time while driving. This vehicle had been inspected prior with no known fix. This issue nearly caused an accident on Monday 3-14--2022. Vehicle can be hard to control when the lights on the dash turn on, loss of steering assist and suspension (floating, roughness, swerve etc). Windshield leak started approx 3 weeks ago and there is a strong musty odor. Other items we've had issues with are the infotainment system not starting or freeing up (not booting properly) keeping us from engaging the window defroster. I'm presently more concerned about the potential loss of control with the vehicle. Dealer service times are out several weeks and this is a primary use vehicle for us. I feel these issues are significant enough to warrant further action. I tried uploading images and video but the federal safety agency website doesn't appear to be working at this time. I have a catalog of information regarding these issues. Finally, several Land Rover forums have users who experience virtually identical issues as my vehicle. I believe this is a safety issue and could cause an accident if the driver is unaware of the loss of steering, suspension and ABS breaking. Thank you.

Filed Dec 15, 2013 · Steering · 138,965 miles · CA

I began to back out of a parking space. As my car cleared the parking space, I was turning my steering wheel as I backed out, I heard a click at the steering wheel and suddenly had no steering whatsoever. My steering wheel just spins free, easily, and the steering wheel no longer controls the front tires. It appears that a splined shaft coming out of the steering box is stripped. I had to have my car towed home as it is impossible to drive it without any steering control. Having just recovered from stage 4 cancer last year and working only 1/2 time (20 hours/week), I haven't got the money to pay a mechanic to fix it right now.

Filed Nov 16, 2011 · Engine · 85,101 miles · MN

Of all the personal vehicles I've ever owned, I've never had one that causes me to drive like I was on "pins & needles". I was driving at highway speed when out of the blue the engine head gaskets let go, without warning. The engine shut down and I lost power steering and power brakes. After investigating with dealer inquiries and independent shops this is a common problem with land rover v8 aluminum engines.the dealership(s) I spoke with actually agreed with my concerns but said "talking to land rover is like talking to a dog, they hear you but won't do a thing about it". I could understand if this vehicle was high mileage or was really abused. Someone needs to address these people before someone gets killed.

Filed Apr 13, 2010 · Acceleration, Brakes · 98,000 miles · CA · crash · 3 injuries

Our land rover discovery lost steering and brake control while on highway 99 nb south of the toulumne rd exit. We were traveling at low highway speed (50-60mph) when we noticed the vehicle to begin swerving left and right causing the body to pitch dramatically with no response from steering, when the brakes were applied they were unresponsive. The directional occasional increased while we traveled approx another 500 yards before we hit the edge embankment and rolled over. Engine continued to run in the overturned position.

Filed Aug 12, 2002 · Steering · MA

Steering column failed which resulted in loss of steering.dealer contacted.

Filed Jul 19, 2000 · Steering · AZ

If we had been traveling at a higher rate of speed or in a congested area, this power steering failure would have caused a serious accident.