Hello,

I have an oppurtunity to purchase a 2003 Disco SE at a great price. I checked it out and took it for a test drive and everything checked out fine, it looks and drives great. I came to this site to read other enthusiasts experiences and to find opinions on aftermarket accessories and such. But, after reading through many posts, I have become discouraged by the amount of "cost of repairs/problem" related topics riddled thoughout this forum. I would really like to hear from those Disco owners who are having trouble/repair free experiences. I am trying to geta realistic perspective and I realize that this is where owners would gather to discuss problems with their vehicles, so it may not be an accurate reflection of the overall Discovery owners experiences. So please, let me hear from all of the happy owners who are not constantly leaving the vehicle in the repair shop. I would like to feel better about pulling the trigger on the deal.....Thanks.

-Gary

 

Gary,
Send me your tele number and a good time to call you tomorrow, I would be glad to answer all your questions.
Mike
mikeljacobs@comcast.net

 

Hi Gary,

You are right, you are looking at bulletin board, so a majority of the reasons for posting is to gain information (usually regarding a repair). So things are a little skewed because of that. I think if you checked out any vehicle bulletin board, you would find a similar trend. That said, owning a Land Rover puts you into a different class of owner. Similar to a BMW or Porsche owner. There are fewer vehicles on the road and fewer dealers. Additionally, it is a foreign made vehicle, so parts are not as cheap. Compared to a Ford or Chevy, you'll pay more for service and parts. And like a BMW or Porsche, a Land Rover is not as reliable as a Honda or Toyota. I have personally been discouraged with the lack of available parts and shops who can work on my LR. Expect similar operating costs to a BMW. That said, I really like my LR regardless of its flaws.I am sure if you ask a LRowner about his or her purchase, he or she would tell you that for the money they could have bought a Toyota Land Cruiser or some other more main stream SUV for thesame or less money. However, theypreferred a LR due to the nice ride, attention to detail, features, and the uniqueness. Just like the BMW owner could have bought a Camary..... Frankly, my operating costs have not been too bad, but they are higher than my other vehicles (Jeep, Ford, Toyota, Honda andMazda). My BMW and Porsche (before I sold them) were basically the same way, but it was worth it to me.

Just my 2 cents.

 

I agree with the previous poster about what you see most on forums...requests for help when something goes wrong...but I love my rover and don't have any real complaints about it. I bought it off lease with about 60k and am approaching 95k...it's so well put together that I do most maintenance myself (although I'm going to have the T fluid changed where they can pump it out for a complete change). Sure there are minor issues but nothing I haven't dealt with on other vehicles. It's a wonderful vehicle!

 

Gary -
How many miles are on the truck and what is the price? I bought a '02 Disco SE a little over a year ago and put 25k miles on it since without any issues and I really like it. It has 95K miles on it now, and it has just now developed a drivetrain issue, but that is another story. I agree with the previous posters about comparing the ownership experience to a BMW or Porsche, however, based on my personalexperiences I wouldadd that the Land Rovers don't last nearly as long as the German vehicles.Discos are built using much older designs/technology than simillarvintage vehicles from most other European manufactures,which likely could be the reason for this. I would have no problem buying a BMW,Audi,or Mercedes with 150k mileson it but I wouldnever buy a Disco with this mileage unless everything (and I mean everything) in the powertrain had been replaced. If your prospective purchase has low miles and record of proper maintanence, than I would say the odds are very good that you'll have a great experience. In fact, when I sell the '02, I will buy a '03-'04 with much, much lower miles as the next vehicle. Hope this helps...

 

I appreciate the replies guys, I am feeling a little better about the deal. Although I am still going back and forth with my decision. I have since spoken with with my trustwothy experienced mechanic and he is somewhat familiar with LR's, had nothing negative to say about themand feels confident with servicing the vehicle - and he has reallylow service charges. So that's a plus.

Piotrsuw, the 03 SE I am looking at has 69K miles and asking price is only $13,995. The previous owner did not leave any service records behind, but it's obvious from it's condition/appearance it was well taken care of...no fluid leaks, all belts look new, runs very smooth.

Are replacement parts really that much more expensive?Are my only options to order them online or from a LR Dealer? Are there any autoparts stores that would carry LR parts? Since labor cost is not that much of a concern for me, the price of the parts would be the bigger issue.

Also (and this is specifically for you Mike) what all would you recommend I have done/checked to the vehicle for maintenance right away after the deal is made?

Thanks for the help!

-Gary

 

My 03 had 68,000 miles on it when I bought it, too. I had to fix a few things when I bought it, but it has been trouble-free since then and it now has 81,000 miles on it. I love the truck.

 

Gary-
Sounds like a good deal. The lack of service history might not be a problem: when I bought my Disco, it didn't have service history. But it was easy to tell which dealer the vehicle originally sold through (the tire cover and floor mats had their name on them). I looked them up and got the complete service history. I had to fax them a copy of my driver's licence and registration showing that I am the current owner of the vehicle, but that is about it, and they faxed back copies of every service the vehicle had done on it up until I bought it. Based on that, I knew what servicehad to be done ASAP, and what could wait. I would also recommend getting the shop manual (printed version I think is much better than CD) and you'll find pretty good info on service intervals of different components, etc... BTW: cost of parts is also pretty reasonable online - especially compared to my '95 Audi S6. Try roverparts.com.

Piotr

 

I was going through a similar decision process over the past 6 previous months before I bought my 03 DII in Dec 06. I read many, many posts and came to the realization that several LR forums and boards are definitely weighted toward problems and trouble posting as compared toan overall balanced mix of posts on living, enjoying, fixing and upgrading your Rover.

I got a 03 DII with 40k on it for 15k. I am very pleased with my decision and expect it to be similar to maintenance on my BMW. Good luck with your purchase.

Greg