Hi! I’m looking at buying a Land Rover for the first time in my 71 years. 😄 Been looking for a vehicle good for camping, hauling, mild off road family activities with our grown up kids and young grandson. Looking for combination of comfort, capability, capacity, ruggedness, safety and technology. I was looking at Subaru Outback and Jeep Grand Cherokee, but came across the new Defender and was initially struck by its brawny looks, size and technology. Plus it comes in Tasman Blue and my grandson’s name is Tasman, maybe a sign! 😄

I didn’t know too much about Land Rover other than its comfort combined with off road prowess but with reliability problem issues. I signed up on the forum yesterday to see how owners feel about the new Defender and any issues requiring dealer visits? I have had enough of those with my BMW, although it’s the most enjoyable car I’ve ever owned, it’s also been pretty problematical. The warranty bills this year have been about $6000, and warranties end in January.

Looking for comments, opinions, advice

Wayne

 

71 years old...!



A Subaru and a Jeep aren't really in the same class as the Defender. Here's a video that may help you decide on which model to get.

Fast forward to 2:50

 

It's pretty funny that you linked the TFL video about their defender for someone who is asking about reliability... TFL got a "check engine" light with less than 200 miles on their car!

To answer the OP's question - nobody reallyknows how reliable these will be, because they are a first model year. There have been some complaints on forums, and some high profile Youtubers have had some problems, but there is no actual data that can be used to make an objective comparison to reliability statistics for other vehicles in the class.

Most of the issues that have been seen on more than one or two vehicles have been relatively minor - small glitches in the infotainment system, a noise from the A pillar, and similar. I bought one of the first ones available here in the US and am extremely happy with the purchase.


Still, these are Land Rovers, and they are not exactly known for their reliability, so I would go into it with an open mind and a willingness to work with your dealer if anything comes up. If you're the kind of person who will go running to the forums screaming NOT FIT FOR PURPOSE the moment you have a bit of dirt on the seats, maybe wait a few years and see what the reliability ratings look like.

 

Hi Wayne, it's probably too early to determine Defender quality, but coming out of a new, modern production facility, the quality should be decent. The Discovery 5 that is built in the same plant has had a pretty good reliability record so far. If you are coming from BMW, you understand that you buy a vehicle for how it drives, not just for it's reliability record. I have 125,000 miles on my beloved LR4 and I have had some repairs along the way. But it's been no worse than any of the Audis I owned before it.

As noted above, there is no comparison with a Subaru Outback in regard to capability. I know a few people that owned a Grand Cherokee and were very happy with it when new. However, by 50K miles they were anxious to trade it in as they were dealing with one problem after another.

Unlike Subaru and Jeep, with Land Rover, you get a 4-year/50K mile warranty with free loaner vehicles.

 

Ever consider the Land Cruiser? May not have the bells and whistles but it will get the job done and not skip a beat. And they are very comfortable...in my opinion. And they aren’t importing them to the US after 2022.

 

Thanks everyone. Enjoyed the video, I’ve watched a large number of them now. Love YouTube!

I’m pretty familiar with Check Engine lights with my 2015 BMW 750, and actually a Buick I had before, 😉 I’ve always been kind of an early adopter of new technology and rarely did I regret it. Im patient and as long as I can get good support from LR and the dealership, I expect it will be ok.The main issue with BMW (which I really do love, but my needs have changed) is getting a timely appointment and 8 times out of 10 being without the car for several days waiting for parts.

Now a question about build. Is it worth getting the bigger 6-cyl engine? In Seattle, I do a lot of freeway driving and want to be comfortable merging into traffic, changing lanes etc, Plus maybe towing moderate loads.

Thanks again, Wayne

 

SeattleStarGazer:

The consensus on the power plant and matching-sized ZF 8HP transmission is that the extra 100 HP (30%) of power and equivalent increases in torque between the P400 and P300 create two different value propositions. There are several conversation streams on this site which explore the differences in detail.

Based on your needs description, the P400 seems the better fit.

Many persons, me included, stay with Land Rover products because we like our dealers. There are many dealers which are very good, and really pleasant, friendly and responsive to do business with, but, maybe some which are not as supportive. Something to consider, I think. The choice of dealers is not as large as BMW or Toyota.

 

Excellent point! The dealer can make or break your Land Rover ownership experience. The LR dealer that is 15 minutes away is just too busy. Their service department is booked over a week out and then they keep my car for another week. I go to a smaller LR dealer an hour away that can get me in right away and I usually get my car back the next day. Great staff too that actually calls with updates while they are servicing your vehicle.

 

Just traded in my LC200 with 182K miles to get the Defender. Great car.

 

It's not the Land Rover of old. So you will have some good reliability there. The P400 engine has been around being used in the Range Rover Sport as well as Discovery.