I'm interested in buying a 95-98 land rover discovery but was warned by some friends that they have reliability issues and parts/service is expensive.

How user friendly are they to work on? I do most of my own service and maintenence myself on other vehicles.

Any help is great.

 

I have a '95 Disco.

There are particular issues that the '95 is subject to, most related to oil leaks on the head gaskets and oil sump. I have had my seals done twice under warranty and once myself. It is the nature of the beast. My "seepage" is more of an annoyance than anything else. I will probably do the seals again, just because I am a nut about stuff like that.

I have also had an alternator go out on me, which is unusual.

Other annoyances include ABS sensor issues and cruise control issues. The '95 uses Lucas electronics, and you are subject to the vagaries that these systems can present. Have you ever owned a Jag? If so, you will understand.

That being said, the '95 is very easy to work on, as there are a very limited number of computers to deal with on it. It has an OBD I, which doesn't give much information to the user, but I haven't had any concerns in 105,000 miles. I do most of the work myself. Dealer service is very expensive, but you can probably do most of the work yourself if you are handy.

The parts are available from the dealer, but there are more economical sources on-line. Do a search on this forum for details.

As far as reliability, I have had pretty good luck on an overall basis.