Hi, I am thinking about purchasing a 2002 Range Rover. The car looks beautiful and I like most things about it, but I hear that Range Rovers up until 2006 have too many mechanical issues and things falling apart. The car has 109k on the odometer. The guy also tells me that the shocks for the wheels were replaced because previous shocks were known to cause problems.

So my main concern with this car is it reliable? Will I have to take this car to the shop constantly because I don't have that kind of time or money. I am a college student and I just want a good looking reliable vehicle (a classy vehicle would be nice). Also when I drove it I couldn't help noticing that I felt high up in the driver's seat. Is there anyway to lower the seat so that I am not looking down/reaching down to the steering wheel? Thanks for any input about this car I really appreciate it.

 

I'll let those more experienced with the P38 Range Rover comment on reliability, but when he said that the shocks were replaced because they are problematic, did he maybe mean that he replaced the air suspension with coil springs? That would be a good thing, since you wouldn't have to worry about problems with the air suspension down the road.

Check out the Range Rover section of the forum and look for posts on the P38, you'll find plenty of info.

Those are good lookin' Rangies...of course - I don't think they've ever made a bad looking one...

 

I currently own 2 land rovers( a 2000 Discovery and a 2010 Range Rover).... and my advice to you is find another car.... these are GREAT trucks, but they require ALOT of maintenance...more than you could afford while in college..... My son wanted to get a 2000 range rover... and I broke out the bills from our 1993 Range rover and our 2000 discovery.... and he realized pretty quickly that he could not afford to maintain it.....You should treat your self to a land rover AFTER you graduate college!

 

Thanks for the replies. It was the air suspension that was being replaced like you said. He said "all the range rover enthusiasts do it".

 

The air suspension is one of the main things that makes a Rangie cool(that being said, mine is on coils, lol). If you can perform most(all) repairs and maintenance yourself, have the patience to troubleshoot issues and search out deals on parts go for it, but be aware if you have to rely on a shop you and your wallet are going to hate life. My '01 has been pretty good to me and I really like it, but if I had to turn to a shop the relationship would have ended long ago. The main issue is that as they age, they get cheaper to buy, but the parts and labor don't. So maintenance gets neglected and the vehicle fairly quickly starts the slippery slide downhill. Try to buy from a knowledgeable caring person and you'll be much better off