i'm sure this question has been asked 1 million times. what problems sohuld I look for in buying a used Disco? Is there a cetrain year/model I should stay away from? I'm looking to get something in the pre-2000, hopefully under 10K. any suggestions on certain "problem" areas i should look for?

thanks
-lex

 

if you are looking for something before a 2000 good luck on the chance it will have under 10k miles. try like 30k and up! if you do find one and the odometer hasen't been messed with, grab it and run with it.

 

sorry i meant $10k they seem to be pretty inexpensive.

 

oh ok, yea low milage 97's to lil rougher 99's should run around $10k.

 

when i was shopping i came across a man that said his LR Disco was clean and never had gotten in an accident. What i noticed was that all of his right side windows had different VIN numbers then the car. So incase your come across something like this, dont take the chance.

 

What to look for... Leaks of any kind.. typicaly the years your looking at the steering pump may have a drip that makes the front bars really dirty and caked.
Check the transbox seal for any leaks, what your buying will probably have a weap there. Most landrovers weap from somewhere. After all its British. You show me a jag that doesn't leak and I will tell you theres no oil in it. !)

Matthew

 

Also look for water leaks (ingress) into the cabin. Discos are famous for water getting into the cabin. When I bought my 99 disco II the first day I had it, it was raining and like an idiot I opened the moonroof to show a friend. The seal didn't close and the roof leaked for the next few hours. I was able to clean it all up thankfully, and have had no problems since. But I went to these forums for answers and found out that almost ALL discoveries have some sort of water ingress problems. Be sure to look at the headliner for staining or discoloration of any kind. Look around at all windows especially. Look at the carpets, the doors and the light console in the center of the roof. These are notorious places for leaks, and you'll see water spots or stains if the car has recurring problems. Also check the engine block for oil leaks, seems like almost all Rovers have problems with the head gaskets. Some minor oil leakage is okay and almost expected, but make sure there isn't a major accumulation of oil bleow the head gasket.

 

All the stuff mentioned before is good stuff. others would be the cruise controls, seat switches, and switch covers. take the vehicle to a land rover dealer, or someone that knows the vehicle, and get them to help with the inspection. If the person you are buying from has a problem with that, like with other cars stay away. Get the maintanence records if possible. Maintenance is critical to the disco. I have a 96 with 130k had it since 7k. no major problems, Parts for land rovers are not cheap. That said, I am going to keep mine. It has been a great vehicle. hope this stuff helps. duboff