I'm looking to buy 2004 Discovery from family member...120k miles, great shape but has an oil leak (I will try to find out more about it). She is getting rid of it because its unreliable. I need the LR for somewhat reliable winter driving in MA. What should I look for when I check it out? Also would you all advise I purchase this and for what price? What kind of price would be a steal for this? I'm mechanically inclined and also have an 04 M3 so I know what cars of that caliber can take & cost to fix!

Thanks!

 

Being it's a family member, I'm sure you can get an honest backround of past repairs/maintenence. That speaks alot.

There is a whole thread on what to look for:https://landroverforums.com/forum/di...scovery-21328/

I know the biggest things I looked for when I recently bought my '04 was: have the head gaskets been done, is the front driveshaft stock(non-serviceable), and are the "3 amigo's" on (hill decent, traction control, and abs warning lights)

There is more, but thats what was important to me. And I still ended up with a coolant leak at the timing cover gasket a week later.

The oil leak could be something simple to head gaskets and anywhere in between. Some people mistake maintenence-needy for unreliable. Rovers are definitly not like 'yotas in that you can gas and go for many thousands of miles. But, I also have a '98 that once I got all the quirks worked out(over probably the first 1.5-2 years I owned it), I haven't had to do jack to it except for normal maintenence stuff and wear items.

Hope that helps you out a little.

 

were in MA are you?
there are a couple of local independent shops you could have look it over.
If your buying it from a family member I would think they would want you to have it looked over, then they wont have to listen to your complaining latter.

 

not trying to sound like a dick but,,

women for some reason find things unreliable because they treat cars and trucks harshly and do not allow things to be maintained well.

most women i know think a proper warm up is the time it takes to start the engine and buckle their seatbelt. also most women change the oil when the light pops up or something starts to make a bad sound.

also most women make bad passengers as they cant seem to press buttons or operate anything gently. its always slamming and mashing things. then when they break they declare themselves as NOT AT FAULT and that it is a piece of crap.

i would have the truck looked at by a pro first before buying. even if it is family/friends i would not want to inherit their issues.

 

Thanks alot for the advise! I will do some research on the head gaskets and definitly a PPI by a good shop/dealer...and obviously come back to this forum with all questions!

The land rover is actually in NJ so I will be buying it there and then heading up to Cape Cod, MA in late Aug. Are any of these shops located towards the beginning of the Cape area?




I definitly will...thanks for the advise!

 

haha well said slop

 

case in point,,,

just yesterday i was helping my friend move and she mentioned her jimmy was sounding out.

i pull the dip stick and i could not get oil to show on even the tip WTF!!!

i pop the cooland res. cap and that was bone dry,,again WTF!!!!

PS fluid is jet black. everything is filthy,,,

truck doors rattle cause she SLAMS them as hard as she can for no reason.

put in 3 qts of oil and 1 gallon of coolant. so it needed 3/5ths of the oil replaced and was missing half its coolant,,,, her reply was that it was her ex fiances job to maintain the truck because he was a mechanic,,,to which i replied "most mechanics dont give a crap about a car unless they are getting paid. and even then its questionable"

when she had rode in the rover its almost as if she has to punch radio and climate buttons. she cant simply press them they need to be beaten to work in her mind. also when getting out she slides off the near mint leather as if its a playground slide to the ground. drives me crazy!!!!

she made a comment about maybe trading in her jimmy for a disco,,i looked at her and said "dont you dare" !!!

 

I got one in Indiana for half the milage you can have for whatever I owe on it...

 

I'll second that. My wife drives our Disco to her vanpool every day and I swear it she is pulling out of the driveway before the engine has even turned over!

 

My wife isnt that but but close with her Volvo...turbo no less.
And she shuts it off while waiting in the school parking lot to pick up our daughter after her 6 mile drive in 0 degree weather because "I dont want to pollute"
I have to wait until summer before all of the condensation leaves the engine and the dip stick and oil cap are not white anymore, irk's the hell out of me.