I am looking to purchase a 2000 Range Rover 4.6 HSK Limited Edition with 89,000 miles what should I look out for

Thanks
white-lite

 

Not too bad on the mileage considering age. What special edition is it? It's not a Holland and Holland is it?

Check the airbags condition... chances are if they haven't been replaced they are pretty well worn and will need to be replaced soon. Same with tires. Both are extremely costly for Rovers. Run the EAS system through all it's paces and make sure the compressor is in good working condition.

Check A/C... there shouldn't be a book symbol on the ATC display on the inside (below radio).

Ummm... butt warmers, check windshield and rear window for heating elements, all the other little things you'd check on a normal vehicle.

I'd look cosmetically too because if it's in bad cosmetic condition chaces are it's been neglected, which with a Rover will often result in lots of other problems. Maint record would be really nice, although few people actually keep them.

Let us know if you decide to pick it up.

Regards

 

As the owner of a 2000 4.6 HSE with 89,000 miles, my advice to you would be to run far away. Use the money you would have spent on the purchase price to put a down payment or lease something that's still under warranty. Nothing is cheap, from tires to brakes, electrics, front end work, all of which a car of the vintage you're looking at is going to need no doubt. Every rubber piece will have perished by this age, including air suspension bags. All the plugs, wires, and leads will be corroded. The head gaskets are probably leaking as are the valve cover gaskets. And that only scratches the surface of the problems.
This is not a vehicle you can depend on for a daily driver. And unless you have the funds to maintain this vehicle at either the main dealer or a specialist independent shop, don't bother. This is hardly the kind of vehicle you can maintain properly at Pep Boys, Autozone, or Jiffy Lube. In the words of my mechanic, "Rich people drive new Range Rovers, but really rich people drive old ones, or they have a really good sense of humor."

 

Sounds like someone got a bad Rover

But seriously there is some truth to it. Bags, if they haven't already been replaced, will be shot or near shot simply due to age and many other components will be in need of repair and/or replacement. That's not to say you can't rely on on a P38 as a daily driver. It's just going to require more preventive work.

I honestly wouldn't own a Rover if I didn't have some mechanical sense but if you do they aren't insanely expensive to maintain. And I love the quote. In my opinion anyone who owns a LR needs a sense of humour! It helps with cars in general.

 

Ha well pretty much every P38 of this vintage is a bad one. I've owned mine since it was 2 years old and this seems to be the age/mileage where they start falling apart. Since about 75,000 miles, I've spent countless thousands replacing:
Suspension air bags, airlines, and valve block o-rings
headliner
sunroof
tires ($1000)
climate control temp sensor
power steering hoses
rear brakes (calipers, pads, rotors) ($1000 at the stealer)
foglights that were letting water in, ($180 each)
rear track link and upper and lower ball joints
center muffler
valve cover gaskets
intake manifold & hydraulic lifters (there are 16)
thermostat
ABS brake booster
Oh, and the cylinder head gasket has a leak I haven't fixed yet ($2,000+)
When you total all that up, I could have made a very nice down payment on a new model. That is what I would suggest any sane person do. The market for P38s has dried up due to the fact that most people know how crap they are. So any money you put in, you won't get it back when you sell it. I recently had a dealer (Land Rover Darien) offer me $4500 to trade mine in. Basically it's lost 90% of its value in the 6 years I owned it, despite all the improvements I've made.

 

where do i start.. Listen to the abs pump and accumulator when ur using the brake.. u shouldnt hear it run at all.. look for the condition of the seals for the calipers.. Check the cruise control to make sure it works.. check rails on the moonroof.. they are known to break and cause moonroof failure..

check idle speed make sure its smooth and needle doesnt surge up and down.. pretty much figure in front pads and rotors.. these trucks eat them alive.. pretty much save up for a coil conversion. I love the eas.. but its prone to problems especially in the winter when the temps drop.. check for differential leaks, excessive oil leaks.. Look for a good alignment.. A 4 wheel alignment for a range rover aint cheap.. Tires can be bought at tirerack for 5-600 bucks. not too bad.. range rovers are fun trucks but they do have more issues then most cars.. make sure ur tool box is fully stocked and ready to go..

Make sure this car has been checked with a fine tooth.. dont make a hasty decision..

 

Jeebus, all you prophets of doom make me laugh.
Sure, a Range Rover of this mileage might have some issues but considering the sheer amount of toys a RR has it's hardly surprising that it may have more ****les than a base model Toyota. A Range Rover needn't be a poor investment at this age simply because folks are running scared of them, in fact, for that very reason this is the best time to buy one.
The EAS is simple to maintain if you have a reasonable tool box and half a brain. If you don't mind getting your hands dirty you can swap out all four air bags in under two hours and for a lot less $ than a coil conversion would cost. Fit a set of Arnott gen 3 bags, a valve block o-ring kit etc and you should be good for another 100k. The engines are as reliable as most provided you maintain them and don't let them overheat. As for the other things like heated seats, windshields etc, kindly point out to me a forum on any other make / model that isn't overflowing with requests for help with these issues.
My old girl has waaaay over 100k miles under her wings and is as reliable as the sunrise (kiss of death right there ) My only issues in the last five years have been to replace the cracked bags $400, replace water pump and belt, $175, front and rear pads, $120 and a compressor seal and o-ring kit for a whopping $38. I consider that (other than the air bags) to be on a par with ANY other vehicle on the road and in the mean time I have had the pleasure of owning and driving one of the most luxurious rigs ever made.
Having said all that, if you aren't the handy type and prefer to go to the dealer for your necessary repairs you better have a large jar of **** lube at the ready because you will be getting royally shafted.

Chris.

 

Well said rr95

 

Hello Chris...
Reason Im writing you is that I'm a whiskers breath away from buying a used 2000 Land Rover-Range Rover HSK that is in almost mint condition. The autocheck score came in with an "82" for similar vechicles where the scale is 69-87. Total miles on this vehicle is: 131K. Today, I drove over to where this vechile is and spoke to a very small auto dealer in a sister city. This vehicle was listed on E-Bay but when I read the condition report, viewed the numerous pictures and realized this seller was only 7 miles from my house, I had to personally visit this guy. I don't mean to bore you with all this stuff but my big concern is this: Firstly...I'm a brand new member of this site. Secondly, I did a search and found this site and your post which was the subject of my search. "Air Bag Problems, etc with 2000 year Range Rovers". I thoroughly read and digested all that you wrote in your post about your replacing the worn out air bags, compressor seal and 0-ring kit, etc., versus taking it to a Range Rover Dealer and bringing you K-Y Jelly with you. Back to my viewing of the Range Rover today and taking it for a test drive. The dealer flat out told me that there were two problems with this vechilce. One...the rear portion of the headliner is falling down. And two...When the vechilce sits over night, the air in the air bags are fully depleated. Appears theres a small leak somewhere but to overcome this problem...re-start the engine and in about 7-8 miles the bags are fully inflated. Well...Ill need to take care of this problem if I decide to buy the vehicle and wanted to ask your opinion...Where do I find the new air bags (Arnott gen 3 bags) and a valve block 0-ring kit, etc. I do have good mechanical skills, tools and a professional floor jack. Your feedback is very much appreciated.
Sincerely,
Paul....
email: pra1943@verizon.net

 

I use mine as a daily driver and Sears and myself (mostly Sears) do most of the work on it, anything Sears can’t do I take it to an independent, Sears even lets me go into the shop and look under my own truck as they work. After owning my 02 P38 and a 98 Disco, and the wife’s 02 Jag, all of these are and were my daily drivers. Sure they do get expensive when they break but I would encourage you still to buy one, they are amazing trucks. If you find one that was well cared for and the old owner kept up with all of the maintenance then you should be fine. If it has been neglected and the old owner did not keep up on maintenance that is when Rovers will cause you allot of headaches. You need to keep up on everything!