Hey Guys, I am in the market for a Land Rover Discovery (thanks for the ones who responded to my previous post). I have found two potential vehicles and would like some opinions.

Both vehicles are identical se7's with the same options and all.

The first one I test drove and it ran great. The breaks were a little squeekyand the check engine light came on during the test drive. As i said in my previous post, the slimy sales guy said that was not a big deal and he would have the service department take a look at it.This vehicle has about 20k less miles on the clock than the other one I am looking at (70k verses 90k) and the asking price is about 2k more. This vehicle's vindoes not fall within the oil pump tsb for this year.

Vehicle two also ran great and seemed to have no issues at all. This truck has 90k miles but falls within the oil pump tsb. I "liked" this one better, maybe because there was no CEL and the breaks weren't squeeking, plus this one is 2k less than the other one (and closer to what i am looking to spend).This one does fallwithin the oil pump tsb. I am just afraid if I do purchase this one, I may end up with a nice land rover lawn orniment if that oil pump does go soon after I purchase it. I know i can pay (1000 or however much) to have a new pump put in but thenI am where I would have been with the othertruck butwith more miles... Anyay, that is where I am at

 

What are you going to use it for? How much are each of them ?

 

Well here is my opinion, drive a couple more. If 12k is your budget then stay in your budget, DO NOT spend more than you can afford.
There are going to be lots more Disco's out there, everybody is dumping their trk becasue of the price of gas.
Have the dealer fix the first one, tell them once it is right to call you and then you can talk.
The second trk is in your price range but also in the TSB range, if you dont know if the oil pump has been replaced then it is most likley fine, the oil pump tends to go bad around 50k, that is according to what others have posted.
There is one guy on here who has a '03 within the TSB range and his trk has over 100k on the original oil pump. If your oil pump has been replaced it will need to be replaced again. A new oil pump is only a temp fix, it is a defect with the engine, not the pump.
Brake noise is not normal, nor is the CEL. So have them fix those things and then see if they will come down to your price range.
But in the mean time I would keep looking.
Oh, one more thing to look for, the double-cardon joint on the front driveshaft, it is where the driveshafts connects to the transfer case, it needs to have grease zerts on it, if not it will need to be replaced.
They are non greasable from the factory and the heat from the exhaust bakes the grease and when they fail it is a $7000 fix. Pro-active it is a $300 fix.

 

$7,000 to replace a driveshaft?!?![sm=smiley3.gif] are they made of gold?

 

The 7k is for when the driveshaft smashes your tranny making it chew all it's gears up, thus creating a need for a new transmission.

 

discos must be built very weak if they can be crippled by a simple double cardon joint. When the u-joint broke on my buddy's Jeep and busted the transmission pan we pulled over..caught the fluid in some old bottles..used mighty putty to patch the holes..poured the fluid back in then drove it home.

 

The $7000 is if it takes out the transmission and transfer case.

 

Thanks again for the replies. I am still looking. I am going to run a carfax on the one with more miles to see if it has anything about the oil pump (I know some dealers report major repairs to carfax)

The dealer is asking 14k for the one with less miles. The other one the dealer is asking 10k. There are plenty out there so I am not in any hurry but so far these two have the packages and color I am looking for...

Thanks again,

D

 

Keep your eyes open. My wife just snagged her 01 Disco II with 58K miles for $8,000
The brakes squeeked some, but that was easily resolved by replacing the pads...in fact, a good rinse with brake cleaner would have probably sufficed.

As far as I can tell, the rig has been maintained fairly well. From what everyone says the 60K mile checkup is very important, if that hasn't been done you can expect to tack on the following charges in addition to the cost of the vehicle and state taxes/registration:

-Oil Change $25
-New plugs & wires roughly $200
-(if needed) New brake pads throughout $100
-Fluid Swap in X-case and Diffs ($7 quart x 7) $50
-Transmission Service (filter from $15-70 + atf ($2-4 x 10 quarts) up to $110
-New Coolant ($12 x 2) $25
-Front Driveshaft Rebuild (Roughly $100 in parts)


You're easily looking at $500+ WITHOUT LABOR for many of the routine things that need done. Just a heads up on this because I'm experiencing it myself for the first time.

 

I experienced the driveshaft issue with my truck. Busted the side of my transmission. Sure, I could have used putty to fix...but maybe I like this truck more than I would an old jeep...so I replaced the transmission. Cost, all told, was around $1500 with used transmission. Moral of the story is work on the front driveshaft before it goes...too easy.

I might also recommend looking at privately owned trucks...your price will come down I think. I have seen a lot of dealers charge dealer prices...but haven't provided any other service to the buyer except displaying the car on their lot...and unless you get a warranty...you have no more recourse with them than you would any private seller. The difference being that you paid the private seller a few grand less. Check an online auction for what you might expect to pay for the truck you are looking for...it might be a good barometer for you to use...
Good luck!