First off, I'm new to the forum and want to say hi to everyone. I've been reading the Discovery sub-forum on herefor the past couple of months and just haven't registered until now.

I've been looking for an SUV that stands out from the crowd and have always liked the Discovery. It is inexpensive used, capable off-road, yet elegantly styled inside and out. I come from the Jeep world and currently have a highly modified CJ-7 as my back-up vehicle. I am mechanically inclined and do all of my own maintenance work and vehicle modifications, so I would feel comfortable doing almost anything to the Discovery to keep it running properly.

To get to the point, I see a constant stream of threads about problems unexpectedly cropping up on these vehicles. What I want to know from those of you who have had Land Rovers for awhile is - Is this really the case or is it merely a misrepresentation in that people only tend to post when they have problems? I'm guessing it is the 2nd reason. The Discovery wouldn't be a daily driver for me. It would be a back-up vehicle as well as one for taking on road trips, camping, etc. My biggest concern is being out of state on a trip and run into mechanical/electrical issues that will leave me stranded.

I'm very excited about the idea of crossing to the dark side and selling the Jeep for a Discovery. I guess I'm just looking for a push over the edge. Oh, I'm thinking about a 2004 or a 99-01 (of coursetrying to avoidthe lack of CDL and oil pump issues). Any input would be appreciated. Feel free to get specific with common problems/frequency, etc.

Man, this became a longer post than I originally intended!! Whew...

 

i used to own a rubicon,,,,


now i have a 04 discovery.

the key word is USED to own a jeep. i have no regrets and rovers are not unreliable. its called character

 

I think there are two things to look at...

people have told me that rovers can be a hit and a miss. Some will lasts hundreds of thousands of miles, others will have all sorts of issues

I like to think mine is one that will last a while, the previous owners treated the truck like total **** with no regard to maintenance at ALL, and after doing some fixing it runs like a champ... not many cars can go 180k miles being treated the way the last owners treated this car

I don't think the oil in the diffs or transfer case was EVER replaced (I took a picture i'll have to post)

the plugs were the kind I would never put in my lawn mower

the wires were a combination of two 4 cylinder sets (didn't realize till I put on the new magnacores)

never had a new fuel filter

radiator leaked

interior missing so many different parts, not taken care of at all

no electronics working

CDL lever so stuck it was beyond repair

so many other issues

but now that i've done all the maintenance, and fixed interior, electronics, seafoam, etc. the car is running strong with nothing really wrong at 190k

I would say that after 180k miles of being treated like total trash, then after some simple maintenance it runs strong at 190k, shows that it can be a reliable car.

I spent 1500 on the truck, put work into it, and now love it

 

I've owned my '01 Disco for 6 years now, and would have to say proper care is the key. I've been a Triumph nut all my life, and I've learned that all British vehicles are the same. Take care of them and they will take care of you. You just can't treat them like a throw-away Ford or Chevy.

 

Get a 2004. It is newer, less mileage=less problems (most of the time). Has a 4.6L as oppose to the 4.0L... If you're going to get a DII get a 2004.

I have a 2003, so I'm not biased. Rather have an 2004, but ya take what ya can get.

 

Discovery's are very reliable trucks if taken care of before I bought mine I read alot of bad things about them so I found out for myself like boeing boeing said take care of them they will take care of you.

 

Thanks for all the input guys. Anyone else?

I am leaning towards the 04, but there doesn't seem to be alot of difference between it and the 99-01s other than updated lights and new engine which appears to have some oil pump issues. The 99-01s are several thousand cheaper too, so I'm torn.

 

I picked up a 99 DII last year with 74K miles for $6K and have been very happy with it.

 

The oil pump issues are only most common on the 03's in a certain vin range. however some trucks dont have problems, (usually if a 03 has over 80,000 miles your in the clear.) My 03 has 96k and i never had an issue. Going from a jeep to a land rover, is like going from a studio apartment, to a 40 acer estate mansion (with leaky pipes). I figure about $1k more/less in repairs every 60k miles.

remeber disco's are much cheaper then comparible F-150's (mine was 4k cheaper then a 01
F-150 w/105k i was looking at)so the repairs are just added on to the total price, and arent that bad. If your in a state or area that dosent have a LR dealer, most expereniced mechanics can fix them, you may just have to wait a day for a part.

Id recommend a discovery to anyone who likes to stand out, and knows how to change there oil ever 3k miles and uses premium gas. There heaven Camping! you can load them up and still see out the back window!

problems: they leak oil, no matter what, they just leak, it usually isnt a problem unless its really a signifcant amount.

drive shafts have to be rebuilt (usually they already are) with gressable u-joints (cheap)

window/door lock motors wear out, easy replacement (or duck tape fix if away from dealer)

spike or mike can fill you in on more, 80% or more you can do yourself if you as mechanicly inclines as you descibe.

site most of us use for parts, good prices: http://www.roverparts.com/

 

I have seen some threads on here with a couple of 04s having oil pump issues. Whether this is just a fluke or an unrecognized problem is still up in the air.

Are there any weak points in the driveline (i.e. axles, transfer case, transmission, etc)? I don't plan on modifying the LR like I did with the Jeep. I want to keep it streetable.