So I am thinking about buying another Land Rover Discovery 2. I sold my previous Discovery 2 because I had been going through some issues and wanted out of the issues I was having. I currently have a 2004 Toyota 4Runner and my fiance has a 2006 Ford Fusion. I have learned even a well known reliable brand like Toyota and a american made brand like Ford has it's issues. Plus these issues and the price of the parts are not to far off from Land Rover. I realized if you don't do your own work than of course the Land Rover will cost more. I try and do all my own work without going to someone else. I believe if you are willing to learn, get a little dirty and will buy some tools than your good to go.

With that I am thinking about trading for another Discovery 2.

I have never found a vehicle I loved so much as the Discovery 2. I miss everything about it and love them.

I previously had a 2002 SE and plan to get a 2003-2004SE or HSE model. Are these years better, the 2003-2004?

What's everyone's idea here?

 

Follow your heart. I did same thing

 

Lyric - you better become very mechanical if you decide to get another D2. Or have deep pockets to py someone. Based on your spacer lift install issues on your 4Runner just be warned, the D2 is easy to work on, but will require a fair amount of attention to get all the maintnance up to par. 03's had a death zone with bad oil pumps, the 04's just have the usual overheating/bad head gasket issues.. Don't get me wrong the D2 was amazing, but your 4Runner is maintnance free.

 

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't certian '03 D2s known for oil pump failure?

 

Yep your wrong ALL years are known for cracked oil pumps. The pump failures on certain 03 in a set vin range are long since done and gone. Those 03 blew up in a few thousand miles and had new motors installed under warranty. People keep spreading the myth that certain 2003 are doomed to fail. These locating dowels were so grossly misaligned they often blew the gears thru the front cover before the new engines first oil change. At this stage most 03 have around 100k on them and are no more likely to have a pump problem then any other year and they are cheap to buy because of this unfounded fear of the "hit list".

 

I tore my 03' apart last month due to an engine tick and found my oil pump cracked on three spots and it was in the death range and I'm the second owener and know it never been in the shop for an engine R&R.

03' had CDL as an option so if your doing any wheeling this is very nice to have.

My thoughts are that since you are now looking at truck that is 10 years old a lot of the one's on the market are being dumped because they have issues. If you're O.K with this and can wrench on it yourself then as you said it a great truck.

 

03 did NOT have a CDL option in NAS.

 

ebg18t - I am pretty mechanical to a point and have several friends who are as well. When I owned my previous D2 I replaced the radiator, O2 sensors, window regulators ect ect. No issues at all doing these ether.

With the 4Runner when I installed the spacers it was a nightmare and I will explain here. Did I have issues? Yes I did but also two friend of mine who helped did as well. One of my friends who helped is a Toyota fan boy and has rebuilt Toyota's for off road and racing both. My other friend has his own shop and also works as a mechanic in the US Army. Both of my friends were cursing up a storm when we were having issues removing my struts from the 4Runner. None of us could rap our heads around why the struts would not release from the vehicle. After hours of screwing with the struts we finally removed the two fronts. Now let me remind you, three guys here. Two guys who are extremely mechanically inclined and myself who is fairly mechanically inclined. Reason for issues were that the struts were so badly rusted to the strut housing that they basically infused together and were giving us hell to get off.

So this is why I had so many issues if you need to know. PLUS when I was asking for help on the forum while in the middle of the job it seems that everyone jumped up and left the forum. I was not getting much help from anyone at all once I started to run into issues. So I said screw it. I posted one pic of my 4Runner with the spacers on and that was it. Since I hardly got any help or feedback I said screw explaining my issues.

Again,,,, may I remind you. I was working with two good friends. One who was a well known Toyota mechanic and a mechanic from the US Army and they both were having the same issues. None of us nor any of their mechanic buds had ever ran into the stupid issues with did with this 4Runner.

Issues installing spacers:

Lower control arms will not move at all - even with pressure using a crowbar with force.
Had to loosen the lower control arms bolts to get the lower control arm to move downward.
Strut would not pull/wiggle out of the strut housing.
And more.

So understand I never gave anyone on the 4Runner any info afterwards because when I was stuck for days needing help I never got hardly any replies and even the members who I talked to before beginning the install.

So Thank you ebg18t

 

Thank you, as I feel the same.

I love the Range Rovers as well but not even a new Range Rover could change my mind. Something about the D2's I love and feel as one when driving. I have owned a 04' Toyota 4Runner, 07' Infiniti FX45, 98' Infiniti QX4 and of course the 02' Land Rover Discovery 2. Out of all these I have owned and all the vehicles I have been in or drove in my life. Nothing was like the D2, there is something special about that vehicle.

 

I really don't need an explanation & if you are going to use the internet DON'T read into things...

You apparently know it all anyways so Good luck!