Welcome to the Land Rover Forums - Land Rover Enthusiast Forum.
If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above.
You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed.
To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.
My 2002 Freelander died after 2 years. Got a "certified" 2003 Discovery SE in 2006 with 41,000 miles...and as of Jan 2011, my total repair bills total over $21,000 in just 4 years (thank god, under extended warranty). And for an off-road vehicle the departure angle totally sucks. Latest JD Power & Associates 2010 initial quality study ranks Land Rover dead last with an average of 170 problems per 100 vehicles, with the auto industry average at 109. For the second time I have paid way too much for a piece of crap. My next car is going to be a new Honda, while I won't be driving through the woods with it, at least I will know I won't have to always worry about waiting for AAA to flatbed it for repairs every few months and having to arrange a rental vehicle. For the price of a Land Rover you would think their reliability would rank above last (or second to last) over the last 10 years...Guess most owners don't mind shelling out just to keep thier LR's on the road.
Guess most owners don't mind shelling out just to keep thier LR's on the road.
That, or they keep up with maintenance, pay close attention to any unusual noise, spot of fluid on the ground, etc, and diagnose, then repair it themselves.
$21k in four years? I honestly don't think I have spent 1/2 of that on mine in about the same length of time, and that includes purchase price, and upgrades.
__________________
2000 Disco II 113,000 miles
Maintenance: 60K service with BG fluids, front drive shaft rebuild, Denso iridium plugs, front O2 sensors, Akebono ceramics front and rear with new rotors, belt tensioner and idlers, brake fluid and coolant flushed every two years- regardless of miles
Upgrades: OEM brushguard and driving lights, 04 CDL, extended rear axle breather, DI wiper arms, heated seat kit, grey painted chalkboard headliner
Originally Posted by tornado_735I keep motivating myself saying that some poor bastard had to do the very same thing during the Camel Trophy and that I'm no different from him.
That, or they keep up with maintenance, pay close attention to any unusual noise, spot of fluid on the ground, etc, and diagnose, then repair it themselves.
$21k in four years? I honestly don't think I have spent 1/2 of that on mine in about the same length of time, and that includes purchase price, and upgrades.
X2 - well said.
Sorry to hear of your unfortunate experiences with your 2 Rovers. I haven't had the same experience and enjoy driving and maintaining my going on 15 year old P38.
There are many people who continue to operate various models of LR's well past the 10 year mark, not sure where that is coming from?
__________________
1996 RR SE Arctic White
2003 Jaguar S Type R
2007 SAAB 9-3t 60th Anniversary Ed
1995 Jeep ZJ 3" lift
me 99 has 130k on it. i bought it for $3k and have put about $2k into parts and upgrades. with proper maitenance im sure it will last me abother 10 years.
__________________ -Ed
99 DII, TF +2" HD & steering damper, TreadWright 265/75/16, ARB front, BritPart rear, Warn m8000 with synth, Columbia Overland gate panel & dual battery tray, Safari snorkel, RoverBones diff guards, RockWare sliders, DieHard Plat Deep Cycle, Chalkboard Headliner, CB, Wilderness Rack, 6 hella 700 ff's w 100w bulbs, 2 hella work lights
93 RRC TF track rod, tie rod & steering damper, TRW rims
Land Rovers have been known to last for 10 years...
I certainly hope so, considering my '96 just turned 15 and is much sounder mechanically than some vehicles I've owned! Do you actually own one, or did you just come on here to insult our vehicles?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Don Sharma
...but most owners get rid of them because the cost of repairs is exponential...
Most owners get rid of them because they want a newer model, or so it seems. Like any vehicle, repair costs increase until they plateau. That's not a description of exponential growth. Then repair expenses will be relatively flat for 20 years or so until you have to start fabricating parts due to scarcity. Hopefully you take that into account when you buy a used vehicle, keep a few grand in the bank, and don't have a monthly payment to worry about.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Don Sharma
Over time, the more miles and needed service that is required gets more and more expensive... At on point or another, you're going to decide which you have a greater attachment to: your Rover or the contents of your billfold.
All vehicles break. If you're driving a used Rover, you already benefitted up-front because they don't hold their resale value too well. Realize that you got into a rather commodious vehicle for a low price, and set aside a fraction of a car payment on a regular basis and you'll afford the repairs. If you don't want (or need) an off-road capable vehicle, buy something else.
I bought my '96 Discovery with 117,000 on the clock for $1550. Put $950 plus some sweat equity to get it running to my standards. Guess what? My engine or head gasket will most likely blow in the next two years. So I keep 4 to 5 grand in a money market and drive it like it's new. Plus a weekly once-over which gives me time to meditate. Haven't had a single repair that wasn't planned for.
Expensive? Meh. Yeah I'd be disappointed if I paid full price, that's why I didn't.
Quote:
Originally Posted by peter400
...and as of Jan 2011, my total repair bills total over $21,000 in just 4 years...
I've got to admit, that really sucks. Mind giving us a breakdown, and what the most expensive repairs were?
__________________
'96 Discovery, "Mountain Goat", 122k Miles, 60k service complete, alive and kicking. OME Heavy Duty Springs, 235/85-R16 BFG KM2s, Custom Steering Damper Brackets, Custom Winch Bumper
'92 Ford Ranger Custom 2WD, "Gringo", 126k Miles, 4.0 V6 & 5-speed goodness. Purchased 2011.
'89 Nissan Sentra, "The Red Flame", 191k miles and just broken in, purchased 2002. Currently being restored
Land Rover owners should without-a-doubt, positively never, ever total up the expenses that LR ownership has cost them. This is a sure road to depression, suicidal feelings, and possible self-immolation plus possible murder by females they live with if such facts ever come to the female's attention.
Last edited by Roverrocks; 01-21-2011 at 01:14 PM.
Land Rover owners should without-a-doubt, positively never, ever total up the expenses that LR ownership has cost them. This is a sure road to depression, suicidal feelings, and possible self-immolation plus possible murder by females they live with if such facts ever come to the female's attention.
Words to live by. I still think this guy's example is a statistical outlier. $21k in 4 years (assuming that doesn't include purchase price!) is over $400 a month, I budget $100 a month for repairs & maintenance and have never depleted my funds yet (excluding when I first bought it with pre-existing issues). That's the same rule I use for full-sized trucks of any make, I figure $50 a month for a typical passenger car.
__________________
'96 Discovery, "Mountain Goat", 122k Miles, 60k service complete, alive and kicking. OME Heavy Duty Springs, 235/85-R16 BFG KM2s, Custom Steering Damper Brackets, Custom Winch Bumper
'92 Ford Ranger Custom 2WD, "Gringo", 126k Miles, 4.0 V6 & 5-speed goodness. Purchased 2011.
'89 Nissan Sentra, "The Red Flame", 191k miles and just broken in, purchased 2002. Currently being restored
Yes, $21,000 is beyond comprehension and indicative of a total lemon. I haven't spent anywhere remotely near that and that includes my lots of off-roading add-ons plus lots of serious trails for my 6 years of ownership. It has all been worth it.
My last Land Rover.
