Generally speaking, people aren’t too terribly surprised when a Land Rover Recall passes in front of their eyes. Land Rovers aren’t exactly well-regarded for their quality. At the same time, it is a Land Rover that people seem to choose when they want to drive across the Sahara or the Gobi. Go figure.
Regardless, NHTSA says 19,168 Range Rovers are being recalled for driveshaft issues. Models affected were from MY2003 to 2005. These were BMW-designed Range Rovers with money being earned by Ford Motor Company before India-based Tata took over Land Rover and Jaguar.
Apparently, “the front differential coupling sleeve and the propeller shaft may be misaligned”. I know, it sounds like your shirt got caught behind a boat. Eventually, wear and tear leads to some noise and vibration that may signal a soon-coming shearing of splines and a loss of forward drive. As a remedy, dealers will replace the heat shield, a flange kit, and the propeller shaft; probably early next year.
Work past your inclinations to avoid heavily recalled vehicles. The Land Rover Range Rover is one of the planet’s best vehicles. Of any type.
