Classic first post....wanting to buy a used Discovery...want to ensure I'm not buying a lemon.

The vehicle I'm looking at is a 2004 Discovery S with 45k miles for $9500. The u-joints have not yet been replaced.

I've done the Carfax (attached) and called the dealer about major repairs. Nothing. It's clean as far as records go. Well maintained at the dealership. The 45k service was just performed and the dealer supposedly went through the vehicle in detail before the warranty expired.

Besides the locking differential, I'm focused on a 2004 because of the 2003 oil pump issues, but know there are a few 04s with oil pump problems. Isn't there a way to check this? What about a 4 point oil test (overnight)?

I'd like to have the dealer inspect the Discovery before I buy it. How can I guide them to ensure they don't miss anything? Is there a checklist I can follow?

Thanks so much for helping a noob.

 

Dont worry about the oil pump, they are not going to let yountake it home overnight so you can have it tested.

Is it at a LR dealer? If it is LR Certified then it has already had a 150 point or better inspection.

 

The oil pump problems were fixed mid way through the 03 model year. A few 04s had oil pump issues but it is extremely rare. I would buy the truck and not be paranoid about the engine. You worry too much about everything that could happen and you suck the fun out of life. You could get hit by a bus pulling out of the parking just as much as your oil pump could fail. But would that potential stop you from buying the truck.

I stopped by a dealer yesterday to look at an 04 and nearly choked when they had a $13400 price tag in the window. It was an SE7 but it's still only worth about $10K with 98000 miles. $9500 sounds like a pretty decent deal to me.

 

I've seen a few 04 oil pump issues on the forums, but very rare. 04 is generally regarded as the best DII you can possibly buy, and 9,500 is a great price for 45k!

 

"Well maintained at the dealership" combined with the decent price is a selling point to me. Looks like a solid truck, and I do agree with the others on the oil pump issue. That being: it's not an issue

 

04's, NEVER had the 03 engine installed in them. What issues the 04's had regarding were unrelated to the engine block casting issue and their number of oil pressure issues has never been any higher then any other engine, so quit worrying or spreading the word that some had the 03 issues cause they didn't.
As for the 04 you are looking at, plan on repairing the front drive shaft and doing a full 60K service cause it is past due per time.

 

if it looks good and feels good and all tests confirm so,,, then buy the rig. its a decent price for a 04 S with so few miles. i payed 13,3 for my 04 SE but it had just over 45k. so i felt good about it.

i test drove a 04 S at a local LR dealer. they took me over their obstacle course and the tranny and or T-case would howl and whirl. so i ask the salesmen if that was normal and he was like,,, "oh sure! its just transferring power". hahahhaa i bolted outta there. it was a nice enough truck but they wanted 14,9 for it. insane.