Land RoverDiscovery2004Overview/land-rover/discovery/2004/base/

2004 Land Rover Discovery

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2004 Discovery.

Body SUVTransmission Automatic 4-spd

The 2004 Land Rover Discovery is a mid-size SUV equipped with a 4-speed automatic transmission, requiring approximately 6.1 quarts of oil with viscosities of 20W-40, 20W-50, or 15W-40 API grade, and achieves EPA fuel economy ratings of 11 mpg city, 14 mpg highway, and 12 mpg combined. This model year recorded 51 owner complaints, with engine and engine cooling emerging as the primary concern, alongside two safety recalls. Compared to the Discovery's complaint history spanning from 1994 to 2026, where the 1995 model held the highest complaint count at 56 and the 2026 model the lowest at 1, the 2004 sits in the upper middle range of the model's reliability trajectory—indicating a vehicle with known issues but not the most problematic in the nameplate's history.

Model year202320222021202020192018201720162004

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity6.1 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type20W-40 / 20W-50 / 15W-40 APIOEM · verified
Lug nut torque103 ft-lbsOEM · verified
EPA fuel economy11/14/12 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 34 · 700 CCA battery, OE oil filter ERR3340. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 34 · 700 CCAOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filterERR3340
Engine air filterLR027408
Spark plugNLP100320
Front wiper bladesDKC100960
Serpentine beltERR6898 alt ERR6899
ThermostatPEM100990

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic 4-spd

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length183.9 in
Overall width74.4 in
Overall height76.4 in
Wheelbase100 in
Curb weight4575 lb
Track (front / rear)61 / 60.6 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)47/53

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined11 / 14 / 12 mpg
Drivetrain4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
Recommended fuelPremium Gasoline

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent road tests for the Discovery of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

10.9 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 10.90 sec — 2004 SE7 (used)
YearTrim / engine0–60¼ mileHPDrivetrain
2004SE7 (used) 4.6L V810.90 sec18.20 sec217 hpAWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 6.1 qt of 20W-40 / 20W-50 / 15W-40 API engine oil, SYNTHETIC · 75W-90 · GL-5 in the differential, DOT 4 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 103 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 24.0 ft-lbs.

Lubricants & capacities

Automatic Transmission FluidATF
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity9.8
Brake FluidDOT 4
Differential Gear OilSYNTHETIC · 75W-90 · GL-5
Differential Gear Oil Capacity3.4 Pints
Engine Oil20W-40 · 20W-50 · API · 15W-40 · 10W-50 · 10W-40 · 10W-30
Engine Oil Capacity6.1 qt

Engine torques

Engine Flywheel Bolts44 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug24.0 ft-lbs
Oil Pump to Cylinder BLock Bolts/Studs17 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts103 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Fill Plug18.0 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Drain Plug22.0 ft-lbs
Automatic Transmission Drain Plug11.0 ft-lbs

Ignition

Spark Plug ManufacturerLand Rover
Spark Plug Gap0.038-0.043 in
Spark Plug Torque15.0 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR134a
Refrigerant CapacityOn models equipped less rear A/C, 1.54; w/rear A/C, 1.98. lbs
Oil GroupPAG
Oil Type46
Oil Capacity6.09 oz
Standard BCI Group Number34
Standard BCI Cranking Performance700 cca

Brakes

Torque Caliper to Bracket22 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle129 ft-lbs / 70 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad Thickness0.079 in
Rotor Runout Limit0.006 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From0.988 in / 0.5 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness To0.98 in / 0.492 in
Rotor Discard at or Under0.866 in / 0.461 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages
115 ft. lbs., Step 2: 8015 ft. lbs
Main Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages
1Tighten all bolts to 10 ft. lbs., Step 2: Bolts 1-8: 53 ft. lbs., Step 3: Bolts 9-10: 68 ft. lbs., Step 4: Side bolts: 3310 ft. lbs

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 7,500 mi; spark plugs every 60,000 mi; coolant every 60,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 60,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

At 7,500 miDrive Axle Assembly (drain & refill)
Every 7,500 miEngine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace)
Every 15,000 miParking Brake Linkage (lubricate)
At 30,000 miTransmission Filter (replace)
Every 30,000 miBrake Hydraulic System (drain, refill & bleed) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Keyless Entry Remote Battery (replace) · Transfer Case Assembly (drain & refill) · Transmission Assembly (drain & refill)
Every 45,000 miDrive Belt (replace) · Engine Mount (inspect)
Every 60,000 miActive Suspension System Air Filter (replace) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Fuel Filter (replace) · Spark Plugs (replace)
Every 75,000 miStability & Traction Control System Fluid Filter (replace)
Every 96,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 2004 Land Rover Discovery does not appear in the year-by-year federal record, so its total complaints, recalls, investigations, and TSBs for the model year are unavailable; only targeted complaint-area counts are provided. Those counts show 7 complaints each in Engine & Engine Cooling and Service Brakes, Hydraulic, 6 in Engine, 5 in Structure, plus 6 crash-related and 3 fire-related complaints, with the data specifying no root causes. The adjacent recorded years frame this model near the end of a declining trend: 2001 had 13 complaints, 1 recall, and 3 TSBs, while 2006 fell to 2 complaints, 0 recalls, and 1 TSB, following a peak of 56 complaints in 1995. Although the broader arc points to reduced federal activity by the mid-2000s, the 2004 category-level counts for engine, brake, and structure issues are material relative to those surrounding full-year totals. Given the missing full-year picture and the notable engine, brake, structure, crash, and fire complaint counts that are present, the 2004 Discovery is a riskier used purchase than the lower-activity recorded years immediately before and after it.

2
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
14
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
2
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
51
Owner complaints
6 involved a crash · 3 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Rollover★★★★
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 51 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Engine & Engine Cooling7
Service Brakes, Hydraulic7
Engine6
Structure5
Vehicle Speed Control4
Suspension3
Electrical System3
Latches/Locks/Linkages3

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

No recall campaigns on record with NHTSA for this vehicle as of the last data refresh.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 14 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
SFCC_08MAR18_162018-03-08Electrical SystemThe 'Service Required' warning text will not appear on the Instrument Cluster (IC) if a…
SFCC-14SEP172017-09-14EquipmentPresentation from Dealer Shop Foreman Conference Call
SSM564572014-10-28Fuel System, Gasoline"ISSUE: REPORTS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED OF ENGINE DAMAGE OCCURRING, WHICH IS CAUSED BY THE USE…
LTB00389NAS32013-11-19EquipmentTechnical Bulletin: Squeaks & Rattles Kit Availability
SSM683782013-09-23Equipment"ISSUE: THIS SSM HAS BEEN RELEASED TO ADDRESS THE HIGH NUMBER OF SPEAKER ASSEMBLIES…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Discovery. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2004 Discovery take?

6.1 qt of ABOVE 32 degrees F: 20W-40 OR 20W-50 API SM, ABOVE 14 degrees F:15W-40 OR 10W-50 API SM, ABOVE -4 degrees F:10W-40 OR 10W-50 API SM, -4 TO 95 degrees F: 10W-30 API SM, BELOW 122 degrees F: 5W-4, per the factory manual.

Does the 2004 Discovery have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the Discovery get?

EPA figures are 11 city / 14 highway / 12 combined mpg.