Hello All, Am considering buying a used 2006 LR3 and need your (expert) opinions about reason/possible risks to check for in this vehicle related to the Dash lining and Sun Visors puckering - IDK but may be water leaks from sun roof).
Also this vehicle has service records for the 1st 15K miles and then (likely serviced/maintained at a small auto shop) only after 75K.
Am planning to have the vehicle inspected by a LR dealer - any other guidance you all can give would be very helpful.
Thank you in advance.

 

I wouldn't worry much about either.

The dash on these is 100% guaranteed to crack no matter how much you care for it. Same goes for the glue holding the felt to the visors. Especially if you're in an overly sunny/hot region like the south. If you want to look for evidence of water inside the cabin, look under the floor mats for any floorboard staining. Look at the headliner and a pillar covers for any staining.

On the service records front, you can get a good feel for how well it was maintained on the test drive. Listen for clunks over bumps (bad bushings), spongy brake pedal, any ticking from the motor, rough shifting and poor acceleration.

But you already said you're going to do the best possible thing, have it inspected by a dealer.

 

Thank you!

 

That dash looks surprisingly good for its age, relative to most! I recently bought a 2007 that was well-kept but the dash cracked all over. A dash cover from coverlay fixed that quickly and fairly inexpensively, and looks almost as new.

Though the one I bought was in very good overall shape, it had some deferred maintenance (as many cars do when an owner decides to move on). Your inspection should reveal those needs, but they add up quickly in $s, paricularly if you aren't doing the work yourself. Mine needed a full brake job all the way around, a rear wheel bearing beginning to fail, had a failing alternator, and needed a new transmission pan (and tranny/filter change), along with an assortment of less critical/immediate issues to address (including overdue spark plug change). None a surprise for a 15+ yo vehicle with >125k miles, but not cheap to catch up. I had a local indy shop do the major and safety related repairs upon purchase so I knew I'd have something dependable to start with, and have since started on the other bits myself - dash cover, winshield cowl and spare tire winch were first, along with filters and bulbs... spark plugs and replacing a faulty front parking sensor are next.

I'll end up with around $12k in a vehicle I probably couldn't turn around and sell for $8k - but I bought it to use and not as an investment, and suspect that with regular maintenance and a little good luck it should yield years of utility and fun.