Ever had to deal with the maintence costs on a Land Rover?

#1
KnoxRealtorVOL

KnoxRealtorVOL

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#1
My wife and I have an opportunity to get a steal on a 2002 Land Rover Discovery II and she really wants it. The only problem is the maintenance costs are scaring her.

Are they really as bad as people say? What's so bad? Parts? Labor? Are we talking double what a "normal" car would cost or just like 10-20% higher?

Any help would be much appreciated.
 
#2
#2
All of the above. Mostly wiring gremlins. Land Rovers are in line with most other European luxury brands over the last twenty years, fantastic vehicles until 125-150k then bugs and quirks abound.
 
#3
#3
milohimself said:
All of the above. Mostly wiring gremlins. Land Rovers are in line with most other European luxury brands over the last twenty years, fantastic vehicles until 125-150k then bugs and quirks abound.
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Needs a new fuel sensor but that's all. Has about 125K on it but we want an SUV. Guy selling it is a friend of the family's who buys/flips at auctions. He will sell it to us at the auction price (right around $3,000). We just can't decide if it's a good investment.
 
#4
#4
chatt-townVOL said:
Needs a new fuel sensor but that's all. Has about 125K on it but we want an SUV. Guy selling it is a friend of the family's who buys/flips at auctions. He will sell it to us at the auction price (right around $3,000). We just can't decide if it's a good investment.
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I would run.
 
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#5
#5
Had some real bad issues with an XJ6 in my younger days. Not a Rover but it turned me off to British motor vehicles. On the other hand it looked really good and I enjoyed it immensely when it was running. Unless you're Jay Leno, I wouldn't consider a car an investment. It's more like buying a tool and a piece of clothing all in one. You need it to do certain things but you should also buy what makes you happy within your budget. Say you get 2 years out of this vehicle before there's a major issue, you just got to drive a Land Rover for a little over $100 a month. Not a bad deal at all.
 
#6
#6
i don't know anything about a land rover,do you do the simple repairs or will it go to a mechanic ? if you do the simple stuff call around and get some prices for parts,like ask what different stuff cost,like an alternator,brake pads,water pump,what does a rotor cost and check as to where to take it for a mechanic and what will his time cost, and then go from there.but i do consider a truck an a appliance myself,i drive em till nobody else wants it,then i figure i got my moneys worth :)
 
#7
#7
Run away from it. Parts will not be cheap, labor will not be cheap, and repairs will be frequent. I always give this advice when it comes to a luxury or upscale car for a cut rate cost, remember how much that car was new. So for instance, an early 2000s Merc s-class can be had very cheaply, but it still retains the service costs of a $100,000 car.
 
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#8
#8
Had a Discovery and it had major electrical issues. Was very expensive to fix so I got rid of it. I would have a mechanic check it out before you buy it
 
#10
#10
Land Rover Discovery was recently listed as one of the top 10 worst used vehicles - Yahoo!. No experience myself, just remembered reading about it.
 
#11
#11
Owned a Land Rover Freelander for a year and had a variety of issues with it. Bad part is that it was only 3 years old at the time. A 12 year old Land Rover with 100,000+ miles on it would scare me off. Just my two cents...
 
#12
#12
I have some friends who had one for several months and had a myriad of problems with it. They ended up selling it for whatever they could get for it just because they were tired of spending money on repairs. I figured that might have just been bad luck, but judging from the posts in this thread it might not have been an isolated experience.
 
#14
#14
The guys on Top Gear all complain about the unreliability of Land Rovers/Range Rovers..I've heard it enough times to not contemplate buying one.
 
#15
#15
Even if the car has been taken care of and is cheap I would not purchase the car. Land Rover's have been known to have problems and when they do they are expensive to fix no matter if you have the dealer to it or an aftermarket shop.
 
#16
#16
After reading this thread, I'd stay away from the Rover.

Speaking of Rover, how's Sutton?
 
#17
#17
Behr said:
After reading this thread, I'd stay away from the Rover.

Speaking of Rover, how's Sutton?
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Haha that's what in thinking too.

Sutton is terrific. I think we're pushing 2 months now since his last seizure. He's growing every day.

How's Behr? Any seizures for him lately?
 
#18
#18
I love my Disco. I've got an '03 SE7. If you can work on it yourself they are quite affordable. Parts are no more expensive than any other import and there are quite a few guys who part out LR's who have great prices on used parts. The internet solves potential parts problems.

There is a cost to owning the one of the most capable off-road vehicles in the world that has the ride of a luxury car. All vehicles have warts, and the risk is always how the previous owner maintained the vehicle.
 
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#19
#19
If you truly want an honest assessment of the negatives, they are: underpowered aluminum block V8 with a fragile cooling system, runs on premium, plastic bumpers, poor fuel economy (due to the aerodynamics of an unfurled parachute).

But, pick it up for $2500 and lift it, bull bar, and roof rack and you got a helluva trail rig. You'll be recovering stuck Jeeps in no time! And despite the weak V8, they tow very well, too.

Do a google image search of a modded out Disco for off-road; they look sweet!
 
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#20
#20
chatt-townVOL said:
My wife and I have an opportunity to get a steal on a 2002 Land Rover Discovery II and she really wants it. The only problem is the maintenance costs are scaring her.

Are they really as bad as people say? What's so bad? Parts? Labor? Are we talking double what a "normal" car would cost or just like 10-20% higher?

Any help would be much appreciated.
Click to expand...

The key to maintenance with a Rover is to find a good independent who really knows Rovers. I have a '97 Disco and a '99 Series II. Had a guy in Colorado that was independent and there is a good one near Louisville, KY.
Finding a good independent will save you several thousands. Problem is they are hard to find. checkout Used Cars La Grange KY Used Cars Dealer La Grange - Platinum Motor Sports
 
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#21
#21
distrovol said:
I love my Disco. I've got an '03 SE7. If you can work on it yourself they are quite affordable. Parts are no more expensive than any other import and there are quite a few guys who part out LR's who have great prices on used parts. The internet solves potential parts problems.

There is a cost to owning the one of the most capable off-road vehicles in the world that has the ride of a luxury car. All vehicles have warts, and the risk is always how the previous owner maintained the vehicle.
Click to expand...

They are awesome machines. There are potential problems but the fun of owning one outweighs them to me. As I wrote above, find a good independent and the issues are not all that expensive. DO NOT GO TO A DEALER, they will hose you.
 
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#23
#23
if they are so bad, why do the army rangers use them instead of hmmwvs?

rsovpv4.jpg
 
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#24
#24
distrovol said:
If you truly want an honest assessment of the negatives, they are: underpowered aluminum block V8 with a fragile cooling system, runs on premium, plastic bumpers, poor fuel economy (due to the aerodynamics of an unfurled parachute).

But, pick it up for $2500 and lift it, bull bar, and roof rack and you got a helluva trail rig. You'll be recovering stuck Jeeps in no time! And despite the weak V8, they tow very well, too.

Do a google image search of a modded out Disco for off-road; they look sweet!
Click to expand...

You don't have to use premium fuel, they write that to get "peak" performance. I use 87.
The V8 seems underpowered compared to others but remember the vehicle is first and foremost an off road machine. The engine is perfect for what its real purpose is. Take the parachute off the spare. The fuel economy is bad but not much worse than other SUV's from 12 years ago with a V8. In the end one must know what they are buying and make sure it is a fit. Mine is not my daily driver but it could be and the only thing I would complain about is the fuel economy.
 
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#25
#25
The dang drive shaft in mine came loose with me driving down road . It cost $500 to fix which I thought was reasonable but it's always something with it. I hardly drive it cause I'm scared something else will break.
 
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