On Friday I was looking at Autotrader still trying to find a Land Rover Discovey and I find one that meets exactly what I am looking for, forjust the right price. It is a 2003, SE with 70k miles. (It is a one owner I pulled the carfax report on it)and for the price of 10500 it is right smack in the middle of what I am looking for. Plus it was at a Chevrolet dealership so I kept thinking it must have been run through the service department and checked out. Anyway, I call the dealer and am assured by the sales guy that the car is “perfect” I asked him to go out, and visually inspect it again just to make sure if he sees any scratches, dents, bullet holes, etc to come back in and let me know.. So he comes back and tells me that it is simply perfect. I got the drive out price and I ask him to hold the car until the morning when I could make the 4 hour drive to the dealership to seal the deal.

So the next morning, (Saturday) I packed up the three kids, my wife, filled her SUV up with 80 bucks in gas and headed down to the dealership in Miami. I arrive and am happy to see the truck sitting up front waiting for me. I go in, meet with my sales guy and we start talking about deal. Well in my4 hour drive down to the dealership or sometime in the last night or so, my salesman must have forgot the number we agreed apon driveout because the number he was trying to sell me at was about 1k higher than we had discussed. I got up to walk out when the used car sales manager came chasing after me and said they would do the deal for what we had agreed apon. I guess they figured since I had driven so far that I could be taken advantage of.

So anyway, I go out to inspect the truck, and the first thing I notice (other than it had been nicely detailed) is that there are numerous “parking lot” dings in the doors and the side turn signal indicator is cracked. I get in, start it up and it starts up and sounds strong. No pings, knocks, oil pressure light or anything like that, Ac works, so for the price I am still happy. I take it for a short and everything seems in order. I come back, do the paperwork and an hour later (cheap bastards only filled it up half way) I am starting off for home. Well about a mile down the road it starts sprinkling a little so I turn on the wipers. Hmmm, I think they don’t seem to be working. Maybe I am doing it wrong I think, nope, they aren’t working. Then I try the radio, not working either…. Next I try the rear wiper, nope broken as well. Hmm, I then try the cruise control and it too does not work. I am pissed, I call my wife (who is irritated as well by now) and we turn around and head back to the dealership.

I go inside and the sales guy who helped me turns around walks the other direction. I find the sales car manager and tell him I am returning the truck. He tells me “you can’t return the truck, its your truck, you bought it as is”
I am pissed, I tell him I am returning the truck, That I will call the bank and put a stop payment on the check, I also tell him that I know I have three days to decide to return the vehicle. The thing is he never even asked my what was wrong. I assume now he already knew it had issues and was just hope I would sap into buying it. Anyway, he then offers me 500 bucks to keep the truck and have the “problems” fixed myself. I tell him he can keep the truck and to get my deposit money back asap. He then starts to try and tell me that it was a non-refundable deposit and it was my loss. I told him if I didn’t get it back I would call the police and let them settle it. He then huffing and puffing went to the cashier and got my money.

So, if you are in Miami, and see a land rover discovery that seems too good to be true it probably is… Just my rant!!!

On a side note, I have found a 03 SE7 for around the same price and I have been assured by this dealer again that this car is also “perfect” These guys do seem a little more trustworthy so we will see how it goes. I will keep those of you who are interested informed.
I am also considering an 03 Dodge Durango RT 4x4. Anyone have an opinion on this vehicle?

Thanks,

 

Print this list out when you go to check out another LR.

 

Yep, get the Durango. Unless you buy my truck or other guys's Discoson this site, the odds of finding a Disco on which nothing has to be done is next to impossible. They allneed some 2-3 grands to make them perfect. Wether it be oil leaks, Self Leveling suspension, radiator, O2 sensors, Door lock actuators or the 3 amigos, something has to be done right away, or will show up inm the first few months of ownership. It's just a rover fact!!! Accept it or pass on it!!!

But when all is said and done, you sure are getting one heck of a truck for the money, even with the few after-purchase grands you'll have to spend. Compare them with any other truck that were its direct competition when new, and you are paying at least 10 grands less than you would pay for any of them.

Search it well and good luck.

 

People that sell their Dicso's or RR's and don't buy a Land Rover or RR you can bet it will need work.

 

That sucks man, especially since you wasted 8 hours in drive time alone.
When ever I test drive a car I check EVERYTHING. Sunroofs, wipers, delay wipers,lights, high and low beams. Fourway flashers, turn signals, everything. Before I take it off the lot for the test drive. If the salesman wont let you drive it where you want to go turn around, some dealerships have a set route for you to follow. If the salesman rides with you make him sit in back and be quite.
Bring a CD and casette, if it has a changer bring enough CD's to see if it will change disc's. Turn on the rear window defroster, does the glass get warm? Do all the power locks work, windows? Do all the keays work in the ignition and doors? How about the remotes?
I would report that dealer to the Better Buisness Bureu.

 

Gah I hate that. I delt with a few sneaky dealers when buying my truck. Luckily I caught them before I signed. One guy was so mad I found a leak I though he was going to cry, and I didn't even say anything, he just saw I had found it!! HAHA. I found that some of the most honest sales people where at family/single owned ones, at the place I bough mine they flat out told me what was wrong, nothing more nothing less. I got lucky. Keep looking and dont give up. Everyone is right about the "first few month" glitches, its just a rover thing I guess. Test drive them for a LOOOONG time, and (as you learned) test every little thing. Look for a CD changer as well, and a manual with records is always good. Mine didnt have one, but the dealer I bought from gave me 60 cash to buy one (I got a rave instead). GOOD LUCK, you will find one you will love.

 

Why would anybody go to a dealership to buy a used car or truck ? They are all criminals. They do this for a living. They buy or take trades by one "blue book" and sell by another. The warrantys they give you are great - unless you try to use them. There are honest people out there, but I doubt any of them are used car salesmen !

 

I think it's fair to say that we've all had our fair share of poor experinces with car dealerships.

I'm curious as to why you're looking at a 2003 though. Considering the vast amount of information that's on this website about the oil pump problems which are assocaited with the 2003 I would have been leary.

After spending well over a year on this web site before buying my own Discovery I researcehed as much as I could for the latter years. If you can afford it I'd recomend the 2004 just to negate the oil pump problem.

Other members may disagree with me.

With regard to your question about the Durango I've never found them appealing and since I have my Discovery I don't want another 4x4.

Best of luck.

 

discojag, I completely agree with you. I am trying my best to avoid used car dealers in my search for a disco. It is difficult though, it seems that the majority of used discos end up on car lots.

X2 on buying an '04 over a '03...didn't they bring back the CDL in '04? I've also noticed there seems to be A LOT of '03s out there for sale. I'm guessing because they are now 5 years old and paid off...anybody have another suggestion?

 

I looked long and hard years ago before I took the plunge to but my used 97 Disco 3 years ago. I ended up buying it from a LR dealer in Denver where I found out it had been traded in on a new 04 Disco. This has turned out to be a great vehicle with few problems so far which has included a lot of hard offroading. I figured that if they liked the old Disco well enough to trade for a new one then the old one must be a pretty reliable vehicle and that has turned out to be the case. I am sure I paid extra as I bought at a LR dealership but it has been worth it. My advice would be to look at LR trade-ins at an LR dealership. A much greater chance of getting a more reliable LR in the long run even if you end up paying more up front. Any vehicle I have bought at a used car dealer my whole life I have been disappointed in. I would especially be leary of a LR at a used car dealer.