Two problems related to tailgate latch have been reported for the 2003 Land Rover Discovery Ii. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
Rear latch mechanism failure: rear latch failure due to poor material selection causing corrosion and sticking of latch. Rear door does not close properly causing a potential safety hazard when opening during driving. Finally brought to dealership after lubrication did not work, and as usual they indicated it was a common problem. Latch was greased at dealer and functions at this point in time, however I did the same thing and it lasted only a month or two.
Rear door latching mechanism failure. I have had problems with the rear door latch sticking and not opening to catch the rear door. When the door is closed it either bounces back because the latch is stuck in a closed position or closes but is not secure. As I was driving up the road and turning onto a two lane highway the rear door violently flew open causing the hinge to deform and subsequently causing the failure of the door to close at all. Rear door is racked in its' position and the lock set is now 3" inches + off kilter. Land rover quotes a cost of $1000. 00 to repair. My auto body shop says that it is so common that Land Rover/Ford quotes labor time to repair. People or animals could have been in the back cargo area, belongings could have fallen in front of another vehicle causing an accident. . . Anything could have happened with terrible consequences. This is a safety issue and should be addressed by Land Rover.
| Tailgate Latch problems | |
| Latches/locks/linkage problems |