Oh Shi*&^t Should I buy this 2003 HSE...Please Help

[jbsails]

I have lined up an absolutely beautiful 2 ownter 2003 HSE with 78k miles. Pretty much mint all around. So...I call my mechanic and he advises..."Do not buy the car" there...are simply too many issues. Despite this, I have a good price lined up and the car is super clean and gives not evidence of being a problem/lemon.... I will have a pre purchase insepction before pulling the trigger. ANY COMMENTS OR EXPERIENCES WITH THIS VINTAGE WOULD BE APPRECIATEd !!!

[LRScott]

What reason(s) does your mechanic give you? I remember taking my RR to a mechanic, they thought the computer system was fried because it was giving a million "window not set" messages in the instrument cluster. Turns out, you do have to "set" them after the battery is disconnected/re-connected and its completely normal. Almost 4 years later, this rig has been an incredible machine with only 2 problems to report. How much is this rig going to cost?

[rovergateparts]

2002 HSE is good , there are some common probs i noticed-
Front airspring failure,
EAS pump failure (say its life is 7 years)
Oil leaks on top of engine- nead to replace all seals , gaskets, etc. You can use LVQ000020 kit for that.
Some have probs with ABS booster
Instrument cluster message panel damaging

Hope this will help you

[jbsails]

Thanks LRScott and Rovergate...the problems cited were that the air suspension system had flaws and the fix was very expensive, the electronics on the steering column were questionable, the front dif had issues, and overall just very expensive to maintain. He recommended that I wait and spend more $ to get a 2006 Sport model which he said was much better.

Nonetheless, I am going to move forward with a pre purchase inspection with an independent LR mechanics shop and see what they say.

The car is really pristine...white with beige with custom steering wheel and wheels and I think I am ok at the $13,750 price with 75k miles...

Comments appreciated...

[LRScott]

There was a recall on the front differentials, not sure if it is still eligible, but I would call and ask a dealer. The EAS is not too bad to service, you just need to know where to find parts, rebuild kits, etc. Arnott is a great source for the air bags. The other option (that I do not recommend) but if it is getting to expensive, you can remove the system and put in coils. 13k is a great price too. Just be prepared to spend another 2k in repairs. I've found that with every rover I have purchased, there is always a few issues. Just find one that doesn't have a major one and start working on the small ones.

Another thing, its hard to get into a RR sport for less than 23k. So, you need to ask yourself a question. Is the extra 10k spent on a RR sport going to amount to any potential repair costs on the 03 RR? I really think not... Unless you take it to the dealer for everything of course . Ask the local rover shop what their hourly rate is. The one here is 75 an hour I think.

[jbsails]

Thanks LRScott...good point and advice regarding the price bump to the '06 Sport.

I had an extended discussion with the independent repair shop today. They are LR specialists and he was candid about the repairs they need and suggested that the mileage of this vehicle is on the threshold of one that may be ready for things to begin to go awry...

At any rate though, I am anxious for them to look it over. The fact that the vehicle is so pristine leads me to think it was well maintained (it was a one owner car that was a lease "return" and then purchased by this independent dealer at auction and driven by him for the past year), and I am looking forward to learning more about these vehicles.

I really appreciate the insight this forum and the LR owner input is bringing to my decision.

If I move forward with the purchase, I look forward to being an active participant.

[Rovin4life]

thats alot for that kind time. its almost ten years old. if the instrument cluster isn't screwed up or the vehicle air suspension works then ok. but sports have alot less problems. the 03 had a lot of issues.

[jbsails]

I really appreciate all of the advice. I would not be thinking further about this purchase if the physical and cosmetic appearance of this vehicle were not as impressive as they are. The car is mint cosmetically...truly the carpets look new, and the appearance really rivals a new vehicle.

This makes me think that the previous owners would have also maintained the mechanical aspects as well, but this is a leap of faith as I do not have service records.

I have my pre-purchase inspection tomorrow and will report findings...in the meanwhile, I would love more insight from current owners of this '03 vintage if there are any of you out there reading this thread and appreciate those of you that have responded....

[jbsails]

So, despite much negative about the 2003 HSE's, I was enamored with the cosmetic appeal of this White with beige leather HSE. Truly it looks fabulous. So deposit given and pre-purchase scheduled for today. I used Premier Rover in San Diego. Wow, William and his crew are consumate professionals. Within 30 seconds, his lead mechanic, Dave noticed paint work on the front bumper. I left the shop and William emailed me with a very detailed report which uncovered the prior accident, welded frame, along with several other issues. Not soon after that, my dealer friend (unrelated to this purchase) emailed me the CarFax report. Holy cow...a Salvage Title! The car was totalled in the accident, but not only that had a prior accident two years prior. Additionally It had a littany of visits to the shop over the years for a number of issues and had 4 prior owners not the "1 Owner" that the current snake oil salesman had told me.

I will tell you the owner of this car had me bamboozled. He charmed me, my wife and daughter so that we were commenting after our first meeting how honest he seemed.

Thanks to William and his staff at Premier Rover and my review of the Carfax report, I have averted purchase of a seriously flawed, albeit beautiful RR. You cannot tell a book by its cover....haha!

Anybody trusting a purchase without an inspection by qualified pro's and a carfax should think twice in this day and age.

I appreciate all the comments by those of you along the way of this thread. I have fallen in love with these cars and look forward to future reports of purchase of a great Land Rover!

[Greggles]

You know this now, but you should pull down the carfax before paying for a PPI.
Your friend the Monday morning QB