Hi fellas; been searching for a 6-7 passenger vehicle in the $7k range. Chrysler Pacifica and LR3 are at top of the list presently. Seems like you get more for your money, and certainly a more unique vehicle with the LR3.

I owned a 2000 Disco II for a couple years, so I'm aware of LR's reputation for reliability- the 2000 treated me well, never had to do any major repairs but certainly spent my fair share of time working on it.

This will not be a daily driver, it'll be a weekend warrior to take my family around in and for cross-country trips to visit family. Might put around 15k a year on it.

I've heard of three common problems with these- control arm bushings, tie rod ends, and something else I forgot. Are there special tools required for common repairs on these? Are they a decent vehicle to potentially drive to 200k miles (that's typically when I get rid of my vehicles) without any major repairs (i.e engine, transmission, rear end..)? Any help or insight would be greatly appreciated.

 

Like any Land Rover the only thing that is a sign to wether or not it will be reliable is the maintenance that has been done previously. Ideally a soccer mom owned, with a long list of services at the local LR dealer. I own one with 122 on the clock overall but the previous owner replaced the engine. (could never find out the reason) There were some with rear diff issues but that is mostly prevented with religious changing of the fluids. The trans also had some TQ issues but I have yet to experience it. The air suspension bags last about 100k. If the bags havent been replaced plan on doing them and it will cost around 2k DIY or a large sum at a shop.

My overall opinion on these trucks is you must enjoy working on them to fully enjoy them. I have always felt the "Turning drivers in mechanics" slogan was a positive not a negative. The truck will never leave you stranded IMO, just on the bumpstops with a string of error lights and fault codes. Most tend to be simple but sometimes it will be something expensive which sucks.

If you do get an LR3 or any LR for that matter the day you sign the title for the truck you should order an Gap IID tool. It can do to many things to list and has saved my butt several times.

 

I don't know how an LR3 and a Chrysler Pacifica can be on the same list. I've always opined that if you are not going to take it off-road, get something that is less maintenance and lighter. The LR3 is more reliable than a Disco, but it has its things too. I'd say the Tie-Rods are less common and put the EAS compressor on that list...and diffs if they haven't been dealt with. Also, water intrusion is a big deal if the prior owner hasn't solved that.

There is a punchlist on this forum somewhere. Can it go 200k? Sure. Is it good for long drives? Sure....but if you don't need the off-road capability there are better choices.

 

I agree with hour_wa.

I was looking at a lot of vehicles before settling on the LR3. I never "wanted" a Rover but I sured liked them. In my case, my list was reduced to a Volvo XC70 Cross County or a Discovery II. In my case I needed something that could handle rough terrain but with enough room to camp in. Yet nothing too large. The Volvo certainly had the Rover beat in fuel economy, but in the end it might just not have cut it. Then again, the Disco II had several issues that must be addressed before crossing the country (driveshafts, etc). I almost bought an Disco II but then an LR3 came along with low miles and that was that.

So again, I agree with above. If you are thinking family vehicle and traveling around a lot, fuel economy can be important. Its not something an LR3 is known for.

As for the LR3, you want to get one with maintenance. At the very least, something that shows basic fluid changes to the diffs/transfer case/coolant, etc. I lucked out with a vehicle with extensive history and a dealer that was willing to give me all the info I requested. As you mentioned, control arm bushings can be an issue. Seems many end up replacing them between 70-100k miles. So depending on milage, they may have been done or be needing to be done again. Water entry is a BIG problem with ALL LR3s. Water can enter the cabin three ways. The a-piller exterior covers can leak. Poor design thats an issue from day one. How it was not corrected sooner my LR amazes me, should never made it past the first 6 months of production. But repair is easy and cheap at about $20. The windshield cowl can warp and this lets water in behind it. Should not be a big deal but the cabin air intake is bowl shaped and water can pour right into and then into the blower fan. New towel is easy to replace and is about $80 And last would be the sunroof drains. The ends either clog, so sunroof floods over from above, or the ends rot and fall off. If the ends fall off water simply dumps straight inside from the drain tubes. You can either replace the entire tubes with updated ones or replace just the ends. Since you have to get entire tubes to get ends, its not a cost savings to replace just the ends. But its A LOT faster cutting and coupling new ends on versus removing the entire headliner.
If you are in a dusty area, you will want to consider replacing the front diff breather with an updated one. About $60. The old one clogs up and the front diff can pressurize and blow the gasket.
From sway bar bushings are known to cause a front end clunk. Driver side is a pain to replace, passenger side is easy. I ended up grinding an 18mm socket down to make it fit in there.
Tight/notchy steering can be the result of two items. The speed sensitive orifice has a screen that can collect debris. Cleanable and not hard to get to from what I read. But the more common issue of steering that wont return to center and feels tight would be a failed lower steering shaft u-joint. A new shaft is about $250 and not too difficult to do. When I did mine, I did not even have to remove wheels or jack up the vehicle.
Door locks tend to fail. In my case with the vehicle locked I can still open my driver door from the outside (fixing this weekend). Pain to get to the part, but free to fix.

 

Dakota what's the A-pillar issue and fix? I've not dealt with that nor has it been an issue (garaged life!) but I'd like to do it preemptively...

 

I have attached a PDF that cover the a-pillar repair. But basically there are a couple issues. The retaining clips dont necessarily seal well and can leak. Then there is this elongated hole at the bottom - thats the biggest issue I think. And FYI, the Rover dealer that serviced my LR3 before I took ownership performed this service. But I removed them anyway and found they basically did it all wrong. If one is paranoid about leaks, get some silicone sealant involved with this repair.

 

Thanks!!!