Hey everybody, I was looking to pick up a a 2000-2002 Disco pretty soon. The prices are right and I've always loved the way they look.

However I have some concerns purchasing a Land Rover with upwards of 70-80k miles. I've heard they're maintenance nightmares and gas guzzlers.

Am I looking at a world of headaches? Mainly looking at it as a second car, with occasional light off roading and towing.

Any info would be great. Thanks!

 

Jake, I just bought a '99 series II for the same use as you...2nd vehicle, towing with occasional off roading. Too early to tell how much maintenance I'll be doing, but I'm already working on a bad door lock actuator and it looks like I have a leaking airbag (common problem with 75K miles) Other common failures are head gasket and the ABS brake module. BTW they are not gas guzzlers...they are premium gas guzzlers.

 

"they are premium gas guzzlers."

What's the deal with the Premium Only gas. What happens if you run Regular?

 

Congratulations, hope it's worth the trouble.

What kind of mileage are we talking about, like 12mpg?

And wouldn't it be a wise invesment just to buy an extended warranty for a few hundred $$$?

 

They have high compression engines and therefore require premium gas. If you run regular gas you will lose MPG, pulling power and the spark plugs will foul way sooner than they should.
These trks are not that bad on gas if you drive it right and take care of it.
Stay away from the air suspension, it goes bad around 100k. The front driveshaft needs to be rebuilt, for some stupid reason when BMW bought LR they descided not to use greasable u-joints, dont know why, but they did. You are looking at around $200-$300 to have that done.
As far as head gaskets go, IF the coolant was changed every 45,000 miles or every three years like LR recommends then you should be worry free, if not then you will be looking at replacing your head gaskets anytime after 80,000 miles. The good news is that once you do that if you follow LR's recommendations you will be good to go forever.
The brake fluid needs to be flushed every 2 years, just like every other European car.
When you do a tune up you cannot go cheap on the plug wires, if you do you will be doing it again in short order.
The problem with these trks is that they get neglegted. Throphy wife wanted one because she liked the looks so he leased so that she had something to carry her huge rock in, didnt take care of it because, well, it's a lease. Turned it in and walked away, second guy buys it and drives it until all the negelect catches up to him then he dumps it, now you own it. Once you fix everything you will be so happy that you will be wondering why in the hell you didnt buy one sooner.
And yes these trk are very reliable, our '97 with over 172k has never once left us stranded.
20,000 miles last year and only $600 in unexpected repairs, not bad for a 10 year old trk.
This is my trk. http://youtube.com/watch?v=_tQ2Tp3u_f8

 

If you dont run premium your engine will carbon up and you will run into some huge problems down the road. Its worth paying the extra few bucks at the pump, trust me. I only pay about 5-8 bucks more to use premium anyways.


As for the original post: Here is what I tell everyone, Expect to pay up to $1000 dollars in mantainence in the first few months. Previous rover owners are known to neglect their truck if they know they are going to sell it soon. That being said, you might get lucky but you probably wont. Keep that in mind when buying. If you take care of these trucks they are quite reliable. And the people on here can help you with any problems you may have.

Putting in premium is a must, I would use synthetic oil, ALWAYS stay on top of oil changes, fluid changes, ect. These trucks do require a little TLC but its totally worth it. I use it as my primary car and I trust it wont let me down. I took me 4 months to get past all the problems of the previous owner. I now get 14 City 18-19 hwy. Disco's are full time 4X4 so thats pretty good! If you have any more questions on the buying process and what to look for let us know, there is always someone who knows an answer! Good luck!

 

Thanks for all the info!

If I decide to buy one I'll probably end up buying one from a Land Rover dealer. I'd feel a little more comfortable knowing that their mechanics looked over it before they were able to sell it.

Also wouldn't it be wise to invest in an extended warranty? I know most dealers would be glad to sell you one for a few dollars.

 

Jake, don't get me wrong I'm lovin' my disco so far. I got it for a good price so I do not mind putting some money and time into it. If my disco is able to achieve 18mpg highway like some of the guy's discos on here I have a feeling my e46 BMW is going to be spending a lot of time sitting in the garage. Discos are great to drive.

 

For those who might be considering buying a LR this is what I would suggest. If you're buying from a private party or dealership, ask them to remove one valve cover. Taking a look under the valve cover will tell you exactly who that engine has been maintain. It will not tell you everything, but it will give you a vital clue.

If you're buying from a private party, tell them you would like to bring the truck to a knowledgable mechanic (doesn't have to be a LR mechanic, just a knowledgeble mechanic. The basic engine on this truck is not different than any other internal combustion engine) to check the oil pressure, and do a compression test. A leak down test will would be ideal. You might have to flip the bill for these test. A few dollars spent know will bewell worth it in the future.If you're buying from a dealership, ask to see if they will do these test.

Both a private owner and dealership mighttell you it's well maintained or certified. Be an eduacated consumer.

Not all high compression ratio engines require premium fuel. My 93 Nissan has a higher compression ratio compared this to a Disco (10.0 vs 9.6) and Nissan recommends regular fuel for that model year.

 

@spike I would have loved to have seen the faces of some of the people on that road passing by witnessing you driving through the water!

@jake
My wife just bought a 2001 Disco II SE7 with 58,000 miles on it from a private seller / quasi-dealer. Just a quick guesstimate...I'd guess that I've dumped close to $1000 into the 60,000 maintenance things that needed to be done.

Almost as quickly as I wrapped up the maintenance stuff, we hit the road for a 500 mile trip each way. The only problem we had on the way was about 400 miles into the trip the transfer case started leaking, possibly because I had just changed the fluid...anyhow, when we got to the destination I popped the cover off, put some RTV on it and slapped it back together and it looks like I fixed the leak.

When I first climbed under this truck after we had already paid for it...I seen a ton of leaks! I immediately thought "CRAP! we got taken to the cleaners!" but leaks are common. Parts can be expensive...the Rover crowd is rabid about their trucks...and quite frankly after owning one, I can understand why.

I wasn't really a Rover fan ever. I thought the trucks looked "ok", nothing great or exciting. My wife has wanted one for a long time and she finally saved up enough money and it was a choice between a MINIVAN or a Disco. I told her to go Disco because I didn't want to work on a minivan and I didn't want to drive one either! We went with the Disco and I drove it back from Long Island to Mass...and I fell in love with it, mainly because the seat was RIDICULOUSLY COMFORTABLE.

Too bad it's my wife's rover, otherwise I'd drive it to work every single day. If you love the truck, I think you'll find working on it isn't too painful even when you're facing a tough job. When you have a car that you HATE or don't like much, it sucks to work on it, it sucks to spend money on it...it just sucks. But most people who own rovers, love them and enjoy spending time and money on them.

I hope that helps you. I will say that I managed to get 19.7 MPG when I followed a tractor trailer and I drove at 65MPH. Drive faster and the gas goes quicker.