Land Rover Range Rover · model year

1998 Land Rover Range Rover

28 NHTSA complaints, 4 crash reports. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

Complaints
28
Recalls
0

The verdict

The 1998 Land Rover Range Rover posts above-average complaint volume among its own model-year siblings.

42nd pctile
complaint volume, own model years
0
recall campaigns

The 1998Land RoverRange Rover carries 28 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 4 crashes, 3 fires, 1 injury, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1998 Range Rover is fuel system, other with 3 filings, followed by fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly (3) and electrical system:wiring:front underhood (2). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.

NHTSA currently has 2 investigation files overlapping the 1998 Range Rover. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.

28
Complaints
4
Crashes
3
Fires
1
Injuries
0
Deaths
F
PlainCars Safety Score
0/100
1998 Land Rover Range Rover

PlainCars' own composite of NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings and rollover-risk assessment, each dimension normalized against the federal scale or the full national model-year corpus. Not an official NHTSA figure, and not a substitute for a specific vehicle's VIN-level recall check.

NHTSA Overall Rating N/A
Not rated
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program overall crash-test rating.
Front Crash N/A
Not rated
Frontal barrier crash-test rating.
Side Crash N/A
Not rated
Side barrier and pole crash-test rating.
Rollover Resistance N/A
Not rated
Static stability factor + dynamic rollover test rating.
Rollover Risk N/A
Not reported
NHTSA single-vehicle rollover probability, dynamic test.

Total Complaints

28 filings

Crashes Reported

4 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER3
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY3
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD2
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL2
SUSPENSION:FRONT:SPRINGS:AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM2
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING2
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION1
SUSPENSION1
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP1
STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR1
STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:PUMP1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM1

Recent Complaints

20091006VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 RANGE ROVER. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH HE NOTICED THAT STEAM SUDDENLY STARTED TO ENTER THE VEHICLE THROUGH THE VENTS WHICH DISTORTED THE DRIVERS VISION. A LOCAL MECHANIC STATED THAT THE O RING FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 115000. UPDATED 12/07/09 *BF UPDATED 12/09/09.*JB

Mileage: 115,000

20071218FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 LAND ROVER RANGE ROVER. APPROXIMATELY THREE HOURS AFTER PARKING THE VEHICLE, TWO POPPING SOUNDS WERE HEARD COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE VEHICLE THEN CAUGHT FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT STATED THAT THE FAILURE OF A HEAT SOURCE WITHIN THE ENGINE CAUSED THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. AS OF DECEMBER 18, 2007, NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER HAD INSPECTED THE VEHICLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 68,000. UPDATED 01-23-08. *KB UPDATED 01/23/08 *TR

Mileage: 68,000

20060323POWER TRAIN:TRANSFER CASE (4-WHEEL DRIVE)

THE TRANSFER CASE IS STUCK IN NEUTRAL. *NM

Mileage: 103,227

20051220SUSPENSION:REAR

DT: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE LIFTS UP. THE VEHICLE IS HARD TO CONTROL. THIS OCCURS AT ANY SPEED. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER REPLACED THE COMPRESSOR AND TWO SENSORS ON THE REAR SUSPENSION. THESE REPAIRS WERE COVERED BY THE WARRANTY. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALER FOR FURTHER INSPECTION OF THIS ONGOING PROBLEM. NO FURTHER REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE DUE TO THE EXPENSE. DURING THIS PROCESS THE VEHICLE WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED. *AK

Mileage: 30,000

20050623SUSPENSION:FRONT:SPRINGS:AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM

FAILURE OF ELECTRONIC AIR SUSPENSION WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. *NM

Mileage: 89,000

20041213CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL

NAR 03/03/2003. THE CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD ON COLLISION, WHERE ANOTHER VEHICLE ENTERED HIS LANE. THE DRIVERS AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY, HOWEVER THE PASSENGER AIR BAG DEPLOYED. THE CONSUMER WAS INJURED. *JB

20041112VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:INTERIOR

I OWN A 1998 LAND ROVER RANGE ROVER AND THE SELF DIMMING REAR VIEW MIRROR IS FAULTY. THERE IS A STRONG RING OR HALO DEVELOPING ON THE GLASS THAT IS MAKING IT NEAR IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE THROUGH. I BELIEVE THE PROBLEM IS DUE TO THE AUTO DIM FEATURE THAT HEATS UP THE SPECIAL GLASS TO AUTO DIM. ANYWAY, I CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER AT 1-800-637-6837 OPT 9 EXT 2949 AND TALKED WITH A HEATHER. (THE CONVERSATION WAS SUPPOSEDLY RECORDED). SHE TOLD ME THAT LAND ROVER DOESN'T SEE WHY THEY WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS AND THAT THEY WONT DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS BECAUSE "THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY". THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE IN THIS MAKE OF VEHICLE AND I THINK THIS IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. LAND ROVER MAKES THE REPLACEMENT SO EXPENSIVE, THAT AN OBVIOUS SOLUTION IS TOO COSTLY FOR THE AVERAGE DRIVER.*JB

20040422ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

MY HUSBAND AND I PURCHASED A 1998, LAND ROVER RANGE ROVER 4.6 HSE (VIN# [XXX]) FROM FRANKEL LAND ROVER HUNT VALLEY ON SEPTEMBER, 06, 2002. WE PURCHASED THE RANGE ROVER LAND ROVER CERTIFIED, WHICH CAME WITH A 12-MONTH/ 12,000 MILE WARRANTY AFTER ADDITIONAL INSPECTION WORK WAS DONE ABOVE AND BEYOND A MARYLAND STATE INSPECTION. AFTER HAVING THE RANGE ROVER FOR NEARLY FIVE MONTHS, IT INCURRED MAJOR PROBLEMS. THE RANGE ROVER BROKE DOWN TWICE WITHIN A WEEK. BELOW IS A SUMMARY OF EACH INCIDENT. INCIDENT #1 FEBRUARY 5, 2003 AT ABOUT 8PM I WAS DRIVING THE RANGE ROVER, HEADING HOME WHEN THE FIRST PROBLEMS AROUSE. THE RANGE ROVER WAS OVER HEATING. I NOTICED THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE READ HOT. THEN THE STEERING BECAME VERY HARD. WHEN I PULLED OVER, I NOTICED THE RANGE ROVER STARTED SMOKING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. I THEN GOT OUT OF THE RANGE ROVER AND NOTICED SOMETHING WAS DRIPPING UNDER THE BOTTOM OF THE TRUCK. THE RANGE ROVER WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. IT WAS ASSESSED THAT THE THERMOSTAT WAS

Mileage: 57,832

20040422ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM

MY HUSBAND AND I PURCHASED A 1998, LAND ROVER RANGE ROVER 4.6 HSE (VIN# [XXX]) FROM FRANKEL LAND ROVER HUNT VALLEY ON SEPTEMBER, 06, 2002. WE PURCHASED THE RANGE ROVER LAND ROVER CERTIFIED, WHICH CAME WITH A 12-MONTH/ 12,000 MILE WARRANTY AFTER ADDITIONAL INSPECTION WORK WAS DONE ABOVE AND BEYOND A MARYLAND STATE INSPECTION. AFTER HAVING THE RANGE ROVER FOR NEARLY FIVE MONTHS, IT INCURRED MAJOR PROBLEMS. THE RANGE ROVER BROKE DOWN TWICE WITHIN A WEEK. BELOW IS A SUMMARY OF EACH INCIDENT. INCIDENT #1 FEBRUARY 5, 2003 AT ABOUT 8PM I WAS DRIVING THE RANGE ROVER, HEADING HOME WHEN THE FIRST PROBLEMS AROUSE. THE RANGE ROVER WAS OVER HEATING. I NOTICED THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE READ HOT. THEN THE STEERING BECAME VERY HARD. WHEN I PULLED OVER, I NOTICED THE RANGE ROVER STARTED SMOKING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. I THEN GOT OUT OF THE RANGE ROVER AND NOTICED SOMETHING WAS DRIPPING UNDER THE BOTTOM OF THE TRUCK. THE RANGE ROVER WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. IT WAS ASSESSED THAT THE THERMOSTAT WAS

Mileage: 57,832

20040422STEERING

MY HUSBAND AND I PURCHASED A 1998, LAND ROVER RANGE ROVER 4.6 HSE (VIN# [XXX]) FROM FRANKEL LAND ROVER HUNT VALLEY ON SEPTEMBER, 06, 2002. WE PURCHASED THE RANGE ROVER LAND ROVER CERTIFIED, WHICH CAME WITH A 12-MONTH/ 12,000 MILE WARRANTY AFTER ADDITIONAL INSPECTION WORK WAS DONE ABOVE AND BEYOND A MARYLAND STATE INSPECTION. AFTER HAVING THE RANGE ROVER FOR NEARLY FIVE MONTHS, IT INCURRED MAJOR PROBLEMS. THE RANGE ROVER BROKE DOWN TWICE WITHIN A WEEK. BELOW IS A SUMMARY OF EACH INCIDENT. INCIDENT #1 FEBRUARY 5, 2003 AT ABOUT 8PM I WAS DRIVING THE RANGE ROVER, HEADING HOME WHEN THE FIRST PROBLEMS AROUSE. THE RANGE ROVER WAS OVER HEATING. I NOTICED THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE READ HOT. THEN THE STEERING BECAME VERY HARD. WHEN I PULLED OVER, I NOTICED THE RANGE ROVER STARTED SMOKING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. I THEN GOT OUT OF THE RANGE ROVER AND NOTICED SOMETHING WAS DRIPPING UNDER THE BOTTOM OF THE TRUCK. THE RANGE ROVER WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. IT WAS ASSESSED THAT THE THERMOSTAT WAS

Mileage: 57,832

20021227SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

CONSUMER STATED THAT WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES THE BRAKE PEDAL WOULD GO TO THE FLOOR CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO HAVE EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE AND A VEHICLE ACCIDENT. DEALER NOTIFIED. TS

20020424FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD

WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED OF 65 MPH A FIRE STARTED IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT; REASON UNKNOWN. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED AT THIS TIME. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION AT THIS TIME.*AK

20010419SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

WHILE DRIVING ON WET PAVEMENT AND UPON APPLYING BRAKE PEDAL TO MAKE A NORMAL STOP, BRAKES FAIL TO RESPOND, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

20010419CrashSTEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR

WHEN DRIVING AT 10--15 MPH AND UPON ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A RIGHT HAND TURN STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP, CAUSING LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL, RESULTING IN VEHICLE HITTING AN EMBANKMENT.ALSO, ALL POWER STEERING FLUID HAD LEAKED OUT OF VEHICLE. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

20010419CrashSTEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:PUMP

WHEN DRIVING AT 10--15 MPH AND UPON ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A RIGHT HAND TURN STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP, CAUSING LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL, RESULTING IN VEHICLE HITTING AN EMBANKMENT.ALSO, ALL POWER STEERING FLUID HAD LEAKED OUT OF VEHICLE. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

20010119ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM

DEALER REPEATLY TRIED TO CORRECT PROBLEM TO NO AVAIL. WOULD NO LONGER HONOR WARRANTY NOW.

20000501VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD

WHEN DRIVING IN RAIN THE FRONT WINDSHIELD LEAKED. THIS IMPAIRED DRIVER'S VISION. CONTACTED DEALER, HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM. *AK

20000218SUSPENSION:FRONT:SPRINGS:AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM

COMPRESSOR FOR FRONT AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM FAILED, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO DRIVE ERRATICALLY. DEALER/MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED. *AK

20000209CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL

CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING 50-60 MPH AND WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL CRASH IN WHICH NEITHER DRIVER'S SIDE NOR PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

19990830FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY

GAS TANK FAILED. *YC

Compare 1998Land RoverRange Rover to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Vehicle Safety Guides

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1998 Land Rover Range Rover have?
The 1998 Land Rover Range Rover has 28 NHTSA complaints, 4 crashes, 3 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1998 Land Rover Range Rover?
The most-complained component for the 1998 Land Rover Range Rover is FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD.
Is the 1998 Land Rover Range Rover safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Data vintage: August 2026. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.

Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 1998 Land Rover Range Rover; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.