Hi all,

Came across this ad

Cars for Sale: 2002 Land Rover Discovery Series II SE in FAYETTEVILLE, AR 72703: Sport Utility Details - 334655399 - AutoTrader.com

2002 Disco SE

Would be first time owner.. Should I be skeptical with such low mileage? Any other advice in what to as an independent LR mechanic to look for..

Much appreciated

Frank

 

I'd be skeptical since it's at a used car lot, I'd want to see some documentation that backs up the mileage claim. I also think that price is too high, I've seen them a lot less than that. (but maybe the dealer is building in some "haggle" room)

 

Autocheck does a good job of alerting you to any mileage discrepancies or past accidents. However, being a dealer myself I would suggest being cautious. I say that because, a lot of cars that dealers try and sell have a lot of masked issues. I personally fix/see to it that all my cars are running tip top and am honest with all customers before they buy. Most used dealers hide stuff and just want to make money, even if that means selling you a can of worms. I have seen many good cars go to other dealers that I'm confident will make great used cars. However, I have seen cars I would never sell to family members or friends, let alone customers, presented for sale on the same day they were purchased at auction. I recently saw an 03 RR put up for sale that sold for 12k and had TONS of stuff wrong with it. The dealer made almost 3k off that car too... I feel sorry for whoever bought it.

 

I would have to warn you about the same having been in the buissness for years, I would also be warry of any vehicle that was only driven 5000 miles a year

 

All good points..my main concerns are

1. @50k over 10 years, assuming that diff, tran, brake fluids etc are all original, what would that do to an LR being in there for 10 years?

2. Is there a way to get more detailed Carfax reports? Most of the ones I've seen show # of owners, accidents, etc. They will show when maintenance or repairs are done, but it seems to me that they rarely say WHAT TYPE of maintenance and repairs where done..

 

IF (and that is a big IF) the miles are true, you will still need all the fluids serviced, they expire by months and miles, not miles alone. Plan on replace radiator and cooling hoses. Hope you don't have to replace heater core. If truck used Dexcool antifreeze you will have sludge in the system. No matter the antifreeze just sitting for ten years is 120 months of chemical reactions. Tires could be dry rotted. Other rubber things, like the throttle body heater gasket, will be ready to act up. Anything that depends on lube, like door lock motors, will have a similar failure rate to those we all drive now. It is possible to reset the odometer, but takes a dealer level computer, just swapping dash cluster won't get it done.

There is a VIN range for oil pump problems, and in general you should have a manual oil PSI test done as part of an inspection. Change to a 180F soft spring thermostat when radiator renewed. Purchase an Ultra Gauge to monitor engine items, like coolant temp, in exact fashion, the factory heat gauge is not to be trusted.

Don't believe in "lifetime" fluids, or ten year changes, etc.

New plugs, new 8mm silicone wires. Replace crankshaft position sensor.

Maybe negotiate an extended warranty. Plenty of Discos that something goes bang in after 50,000; from front prop shaft to slipping cylinder sleeves (the ticking gets louder when truck fully warmed up).

Have there been low miles Discos? One gal bought a D2 with 117 actual miles from an eccentric fellow who purchased it and kept it in the garage. OEM gasoline. Flat spot tires. $2000. Her first car.

 

the best advise i can give you is pre-inspected by someone who knows LR, and hold $1500-$2000 aside for repairs that maybe needed the first year.

 

And any inspection should include an "exhaust gas in coolant" chemical test. It is a little over $50 for the test kit, and can check like 15 vehicles. Great when shopping for English vehicles.

 

Fantastic info.. So Assuming the miles are correct, and the pre purchase inspection is favorable, what would the fair market value on something like this be?

 

It depends on area and there are alot more things to base a price on. But its not impossible just hard to believe that they are that low. And the price is not outrageous just be careful and get a "inspection" by a good shop.