Hi All,

Apologies for the basic question.
I know the answers are here somewhere but if I could get a little help being directed it would be most appreciated.

I am in New Zealand and am looking into a 2003 Landrover Discovery II for the first time.
The specific vehicle is a 2003 Land Rover Discovery Es Sw (171,000kms).
It is apparently owned by a Landrover mechanic (3rd owner) but only has a limited service history which is concerning.

Is the Discovery Es Sw a reasonable model?
Also what questions should I ask the owner and what should I look out for when purchasing this or any other Disco II?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

 

Hi

I own a 2003 D2 TD5 ES7 auto from new. If it's a TD5 at 171K kilometres (106K miles) it should be fine but if a V8, c'est la vie, anyones guess. A well maintained D2 is an asset provided it doesn't have chassis rot behind the rear axle. The only problem with a 2003 is it doesn't have a CDL as standard but relies solely on traction control instead which isn't a problem for a road going D2, only serious offroading. Personally I much prefer TD5's as they last well over 200+K miles without any problems or interventions provided they are well serviced on time especially linked to a ZF4HP22 auto.

Take your time inspecting it (1-2 hours) and check out RAVE Workshop Manual first also where possible check underneath it on a ramp and test the chassis with a ballpein hammer

Check out with Pete McEwen an exrace Kiwi and fine engineer and he knows/builds cars inside out.

Raceline - Duratec parts and tuning

 

I am also considering a 2004 Discovery II.
Are they a better bet than the 2003's?

Should all the known issues be pretty much ironed out on a well maintained 2004 or does the reliability fun continue ongoing?

Seems the more I look into these Disco II's the more concerned I am getting reliability and maintenance cost wise.
Do I have this wrong?

 

04 has a cdl, 03 does not, but it can be added.
All of these trucks need regular maintenance, and can need alot of work if they don't get it...or even if they do.
You need to be able to do all your own work (these are easy to work on), otherwise, labor gets expensive really fast.

 

This is starting to sound really daunting.
I am not a mechanic.
I can do basic work but no more than that.
I wanted a good 4x4 for the potential snow and ice in Queenstown NZ.
The initial cost makes the Disco II great value.
A mate has one and I really like these cars.

But it sounds like reliability is lacking.
Way more than pretty much any other vehicles in the same SUV setup.
Do I have this completely wrong?

 

 

You're going to be doing some wrenching with one of these trucks. They're damned capable and have tons of personality and are dead simple to work on. I came into ownership basically being able to do an oil change, and follow instructions. There's a couple of shop manuals readily available online for free, lots of how-to vids and great community of folks here for suggestions and trouble spots. Mine has a new cooling system, starter, suspension and the HG job has been done, along with the abs/3 amigos fix. If that sounds doable, then jump in. If not, kidding aside- a Land Cruiser is a great truck and probably much more reliable. Good luck whatever your choice.

 

As France mentioned, get a TD5 diesel versus the petrol for relative reliability.

When BMW owned the company, they took a reliable and simple cooling system and made it complicated (those German engineers can't leave well enough alone). As a result, the petrol engine is notorious for blowing a head gasket between 130,000 and 225,000 km. If the cooling system isn't working exactly correct, the engine will experience high fluctuations in temperature change (the high end creeps higher than 93 Celsius, when should be about 5 or 6 degrees cooler) which results in the aluminum block and head expanding and contracting at a higher rate than ideal. Gaskets and head bolts get a working leading to early failure. If they have already been done and cooling is working correctly, it's probably a good buy. The cdl on the 04 is preferable, even if you don't use it it will offer better resale value over an 03.

 

Also note that these typically get pretty low mileage (20-25 litres/100km) and at NZ prices you're going to be putting a lot of money into it to keep it moving.
Oh, and they also drink super-grade petrol.