All Hi. First post here.

Glad to join the community even though at this moment I don't have a Land Rover. I've purchased a 99 Range Rover with 64K miles and will be picking it up next week. I'm pretty excited about this.

Now I do have a few question to all of you that have more experience with Ranger Rovers.

So what I've been told about the vehicle that I'm purchasing is that it was owned by a wife of a celebrity, maintained religiously at a dealership. All records. Transmission and air suspension recently replaced. (looks almost brand new)

Now..my dilemma at this point is, do I purchase an extended warranty? I got a quote and $2400 for 5 years, unlimited miles from Warranty 4 Wheels. It was an inclusionary policy and I see it didnt cover things like EAS and radiator. So if those broke, it was coming out of pocket.

Is it even worth it to purchase the warranty since the EAS has just been replaced and so has the tranny? One other caveat is that I have a friend of a friend that works at LR and is an ASE certified mech that can do work for me much cheaper than dealer (as I don't have much wrench turning skills).

Can you guys give me some advice? I've done alot of research on the site but some personal feed back would be much appreciated! Thanks.

 

Ok..So maybe not from these guys:

http://www.ripoffreport.com/Auto-War...g-do-ADAY5.htm

 

ive been reading through all these posts on the site, and now I'm getting cold feet.

 

I think I would pass on the waranty. If it has been well maintained, you should have good luck with it. They are great vehicles. The best SUV in my opinion. So did you buy it without looking at it first?

 

It's a crapshoot. Only with one car did I ever use an extended warranty and get my money out of it, and that was with a first year X type. I foolishly once bought one for one of my wife's cars because I had 6 cars at the time and didn't have time to work on all of them. It never broke, not once.

If you have a LR mechanic at your semi-disposal, are willing to do some research on this board and others, and spin a wrench now and then (or be willing to learn) then I'd pass on the warranty.

 

I did buy the vehicle without looking at it. Probably not the smartest thing, but the guy who is selling the vehicle for an old lady told me that it has all of the papers showing all work and maintenance was done at the dealership. The seller did post about 30 high quality photos of the car, and literally, it looks brand new. The only thing that I saw that made it look used was that there were crease marks on the drivers seat. It was owned by a very old rich lady with much disposable income.

http://www.justvette.com/~malibucarz/XA413192-2sm.jpg
http://www.justvette.com/~malibucarz/XA413192-3sm.jpg
http://www.justvette.com/~malibucarz/XA413192-55sm.jpg

I guess my main concern is that there is so much doom and gloom around the reliability of the vehicles. And the cost of maintaining. But, my logic is that I'm buying a $65K plus vehicle for a fraction of it's original cost. To put in some time and money would be worth it. Would I rather drive a $20K 4Runner? I think not.

 

Nice work....it definitely looks clean.
My first post here but long time owner and wrencher on RR's. I never feel extended warranties are ever worth the value...unless you have a complete aversion to doing a bit of wrenching yourself and/or you don't have a reputable independent land rover mechanic nearby.

My guess is that you have a bevy around you...

 

Gun God,
Skip this warranty as you may quickly learn these non-manufacturer service contracts don't even cover half of the issues you might encounter. I would say if they don't cover the EAS system and this truck is as well kept as you say it was, you probably won't get your money out of it in the next 4 years. The only way it might possibly be useful is if you put a crap load of miles on it in the next 4 years and you end up running into some of the other non-EAS issues that start popping up around 100K miles. But again, look into what that warranty actually covers first. If it was a manufacturer's full service contract, I would go for it but not for one of these other kind that only cover certain issues.

Are you located in the LA area? I noticed that the photos of the truck appear to be somewhere in So Cal or maybe Phoenix. If the truck has spent it's life in So Cal or AZ, all the better as you likely won't have much of any rust issues. This truck looks real nice ...it looks almost exactly like the 98' I had at one time with the full brush guards and running boards but mine was silver. You will love it! It is a high maintenance vehicle but if you have connections to a LR mechanic who can cut you a break, you're golden. I will say that you and this mechanic will become best friends but hey, who doesn't need another friend, right?

Take care and good luck with the new purchase.
Steve

 

Yea...I did a lot of reading around extended warranties and it looks like not many of them have a good reputation for paying out when the repair is performed. I think I will close my eyes...and throw the dice without the extended warranty.

fsufan, yes the car is in So Cal. I'm pretty excited about picking it up next weekend. Will let you guys know how it goes. Thanks!

 

In my opinion the EAS is the scariest part of having a P38 Rover, if it has been replaced then you should be good for a while. Usually the head gaskets need replacing at about 100K but due to the age you still may need to do it before then.

It looks great from the outside and as you have found out warranties for this would be a waste of money. I have had mine for two years and other than oil changes I have probably only put about $300 into it, most of that was replacing the rear air bags. Good luck with your purchase.