2008 LR3 pre purchase
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1st Gear
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2008 LR3 pre purchase
Good afternoon! I am new to the LR3 scene. I am looking at purchasing a 2008 LR3 with 57,000 miles, appears to be very well maintained and one owner history report. Any specific things that I should look out for? Thank you!
Camel Trophy
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 4,964
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From: Green Bay, WI
That is insanely low mileage. But that does not mean problem free. The good news is that by now the most common issues with the easiest resolutions are known. So if you purchase this one, and it will have problems, you can resolve them on your own with some DIY skills. Or at least help direct a mechanic to the proper fix.
The LR3 suffers from water ingress issues. There are usually three common spots:
Windshield cowl - the plastic cowl below the wiper arms can warp and let water get behind. Normally not an issue as it would drop into a gutter and flow out. But if there is warpage above the HVAC cabin air intake port, water can drop right in and cause damage to component like the blower motor. And also let water get inside and into the carpets. Solution is to make a shield to protect from water entry and replace the cowl with sealant being used.
Sunroof - The front drains end have a horrible design that can train dirt. This holds moisture and causes rot and water backups. When the rot, the drains will them dump water right into the cabin and even onto critical components. New drain ends resolve this issue. There is one on the driver side which is easy to see with a flashlight. The passenger side is not easy to access. The rear drains are usually not an issue, but can be. They are much easier to service.
Exterior A-Pillar trim - the black vertical pieces on each side of the windshield have a design flaw that can let water in. There is an article from LR on how to resolve this. Some cheap fasteners in a kit are needed, but the trim itself does not need replacement.
---- Pull up the plastic sills and carpet on the passenger side to inspect for water pooling there and wet carpet padding. You may even see rust.
2008 will likely not have front differential issues, but earlier LR3 had paint inside them that would fake off and destroy the bearings. But the front diff does have a breather that can clog up and cause seal issues and leakage. The breather is very easy to replace.
Air ride compressors can fail. Replacement is straight forward. If noisy, that is a sign it may be going out. Typical life on one varies a lot based on use. So anywhere from 60k to 100k miles, even more in many cases. Mall crawlers probably dont eat em up like an off-road rig will. regular service can extend their life.
One of the biggest issues will be suspension bushings. The most common to fail are front lower arm business and rear upper arms. And they are not fun to replace. But there are several methods to doing them and by now directions are pretty clear. If you do anything to this LR3, it will be these. They typically present as clunking going over bumps, sudden sharp turns, etc. Although that could also be sway bar links. But again, if you get it just plan on having them done if they have not been. They usually last about 75k miles for front lowers. Rears last a lot longer so you probably can ignore those for now at that milage.
Rust is generally not a huge issue on these. They can get pretty rusty underneath but the metal is thick. I dont know of any frames on these that have rusted through or failed like on the Discovery 1 or 2. The only item underneath that can really be an issue is the fuel tank cradle. The tank rests in that thing, so it it has holes plane to repair or replace because if that giant shield drops the tank is going along with it. But again, at that milage probably not a concern.
Parking brake system can be a mess. The gears can fail inside and other assorted issues. If maintained it is normally not an issue tho.
If it has the 4.4 petrol, very solid engine with few issues beyond maintenance items like the PCV valve, etc.
The LR3 suffers from water ingress issues. There are usually three common spots:
Windshield cowl - the plastic cowl below the wiper arms can warp and let water get behind. Normally not an issue as it would drop into a gutter and flow out. But if there is warpage above the HVAC cabin air intake port, water can drop right in and cause damage to component like the blower motor. And also let water get inside and into the carpets. Solution is to make a shield to protect from water entry and replace the cowl with sealant being used.
Sunroof - The front drains end have a horrible design that can train dirt. This holds moisture and causes rot and water backups. When the rot, the drains will them dump water right into the cabin and even onto critical components. New drain ends resolve this issue. There is one on the driver side which is easy to see with a flashlight. The passenger side is not easy to access. The rear drains are usually not an issue, but can be. They are much easier to service.
Exterior A-Pillar trim - the black vertical pieces on each side of the windshield have a design flaw that can let water in. There is an article from LR on how to resolve this. Some cheap fasteners in a kit are needed, but the trim itself does not need replacement.
---- Pull up the plastic sills and carpet on the passenger side to inspect for water pooling there and wet carpet padding. You may even see rust.
2008 will likely not have front differential issues, but earlier LR3 had paint inside them that would fake off and destroy the bearings. But the front diff does have a breather that can clog up and cause seal issues and leakage. The breather is very easy to replace.
Air ride compressors can fail. Replacement is straight forward. If noisy, that is a sign it may be going out. Typical life on one varies a lot based on use. So anywhere from 60k to 100k miles, even more in many cases. Mall crawlers probably dont eat em up like an off-road rig will. regular service can extend their life.
One of the biggest issues will be suspension bushings. The most common to fail are front lower arm business and rear upper arms. And they are not fun to replace. But there are several methods to doing them and by now directions are pretty clear. If you do anything to this LR3, it will be these. They typically present as clunking going over bumps, sudden sharp turns, etc. Although that could also be sway bar links. But again, if you get it just plan on having them done if they have not been. They usually last about 75k miles for front lowers. Rears last a lot longer so you probably can ignore those for now at that milage.
Rust is generally not a huge issue on these. They can get pretty rusty underneath but the metal is thick. I dont know of any frames on these that have rusted through or failed like on the Discovery 1 or 2. The only item underneath that can really be an issue is the fuel tank cradle. The tank rests in that thing, so it it has holes plane to repair or replace because if that giant shield drops the tank is going along with it. But again, at that milage probably not a concern.
Parking brake system can be a mess. The gears can fail inside and other assorted issues. If maintained it is normally not an issue tho.
If it has the 4.4 petrol, very solid engine with few issues beyond maintenance items like the PCV valve, etc.
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