Just purchased a 2008 Land Rover LR2 HSE with 39k miles. I realize they can be expensive to fix, but all of a sudden i find out that thousands of people are having rear diff problems at UNDER 50k miles, without a recall?
Does this differential FAIL happen on most LR2's?
Just paid cash for the thing, dont feel like dropping another 5k into it in a few thousand miles. Should i be worried? Maybe ill flush it with SEAFOAM!! haha... seems to solve everything...

Any opinions, recommendations etc welcomed...

 

May be related to the infamous "peeling interior coating contamination" issue - see this post

Land Rover Forums : Land Rover and Range Rover Forum - View Single Post - 2005 LR3 HSE Rear Differential Major Problem HELP

on another forum that describes parts for indy rebuild. Stock answer is change diff oil every two oil changes, use high quality like Royal Purple, or another synthetic, perhaps move up to 85W140. A shade tree trick to help clean out without taking apart - buy a cheap garden sprayer, and a gallon of WD 40, spary inside everywhere you can reach after drain, both high an low. Object is to wash out as much as possible, etc.

 

Don't panic my friend, you bought a good vehicle.
You have a 4 yr 50,000 mile warranty (unless you're out by time already)
What exactly are you reading where "thousands" of people are having problems?
If you have a warranty issue in the warranty period it will get fixed under warranty.
If you don't have any issues, don't worry about it
...and keep the seafoam away from it.. lol
Congratulations and enjoy your new ride!

 

GoodLife -- This is an amazing coincidence! I actually purchased an '08 LR2 with 39K miles last Wednesday! Mine was bought in Princeton, NJ, though, not Boston, ha.

But in any event, I had similar concerns about the rear differential. I ended up buying the car anyway, since I really loved it, and I got a pretty good deal. I had a mechanic look at it before purchasing, and he said he checked the rear diff, but I'm probably going to have the fluid changed at my first oil change (due in about 3,000 miles according to service records) and then go every other oil change from there. I'll be doing some beach driving anyway, since I live on a barrier island in NJ, so can't hurt.

I'm really wondering what percentage of LR2 owners this affects. My previous car was a VW Passat, which had an oil sludge issue affecting a percentage of owners, of which I was one. Even though the car was otherwise completely reliable to 152K miles when I traded her in last week, that one glitch was an annoyance, and I ended up bringing VW of America to my county's small claims court after they denied my warranty claim under strange reasoning (we settled out of court for a corp. credit the value of what I paid to get the engine remediated). It was a hassle all the way, and I'm hoping to avoid the same thing with this car.

 

This has been going on since the LR3 came out and has continued ever since. In some areas of the US, Rover was actually back ordered on both front and rear diffs.

 

In that case, this has to either constitute a recall or, as VW did with the engine sludge issue, an extended warranty on the part in the event that it breaks. At least you'd think.

 

We bought a 2008 LR2 new.... drove it easy, adult wife drives it. @ 5 years old with 28,000 miles on it the rear went... I was told it was a pinion bearing.... ok replace it. 2 months later happened again, was told well its the entire rear differential ok replace it, 5 months later same thing..... ok getting pissed I have cancer and need a reliable vehicle to get to treatments.... GET IT FIXED! Dealer replaced the carrier, all bearings & Ring &pinion assy put in new 1/2 shafts, new viscous coupling and drive shaft..... thought they had it. a year after the first repair wife cannot drive thru 3" of snow in driveway.... no rear drive at all from rear wheels. take to dealer, now a snap ring failed, over nighted it found another half shaft damaged, replaced that and still is not working. I think part of the problem may not lie in the design which seems prone to initial and continous failures but also the inability of factory trained mechanics to repair properly the problem.

Should you be scared or worried if you have no warranty YES! The parts and labor to repair mine one time exceeded $6000 on a $18000 vehicle and it has now happened 4 times with total of UNDER 38,000 miles. The cost to repair the rear end or awd system could prove enough to total the vehicle and scrap the rest. Dont get me wrong we love the LR2 we were able to enjoy driving Porsche Cayene's LR-4's, The New Evoque for much of the last year. Still love the LR2 but look around at any used Landrovers, their resale valus is terrible because people are afraid of them and or cannot afford to fix what should under normal conditions last almost the life of the vehicle. A rear Differential should with perodic oil changes last at least 200K not self distruct before the first schedule fluid change.

Just to recap....... 4 differential failures 2 of which have been catastrophic all with under 38,000 miles on the vehicle. If you can buy an extended warranty DO IT! You will end up using it.