A Friend is selling me his 2004 HSE .. 86k miles .. It's has not been driven much the last few years and has trouble starting ... Going to take it to a shop for a prebuy inspection. What else should I be worried about? He has always had it maintained at the dealer and the car looks and drives great (one you jump it to get it started). Nervousness about buying an import and the cost of up keep

 

Sound great so far ... change the battery , the electrical's/ECU would reset itself , change the fuel filters, air filter, oil and oil filter , drain the old fuel as well, check the belts/brake hoses for dry-rot then basically you should be good ...as long as it was stored in a sheltered area... buy it..

 

It's going to have issues... you know this I assume. If you are getting it as a hobby and the price is appropriate the 04's are the way to go. Sounds like you are having it checked for the major stuff (sliding liners) etc.

One-owner vehicles with dealer records are becoming rarer as the discos are leaving the 10 year mark behind.

Front driveshaft needs checked, might be seeping coolant at the throttle body. Original head/valve cover gaskets? HSE will have sunroofs - check for water stains in the head liner. pay close attention to water stains at the a-pillars. make sure the non-galvanized frame is checked for rot if it was parked over damp ground or in the salt belt. I'll bet the SLS bags are done - factor in a coil conversion. Brakes don't respond well to sitting for a long time (I'd count on a brake job). Every fluid will need replaced (its close enough plan on doing the 90K service a little early. The list goes on....

If you are getting it as transportation you need to count on think twice.

 

Is it a Discovery or a Range Rover since both were offered in HSE trim in 04 and are two very different beasts.

Two very different costs of ownership and problems to check for.

 

If this is a 2004 Disco, unless you have experience and know what you are getting into,
I would stay away...I have spoken to numerous mechanics and they all agree that 2003 and 2004 engines are nothing but trouble..
I bought one in 2010, and there isn't enough room here to begin to tell the heartache...it only had 36K and now has only 72 K and I am preparing to rebuild the engine...

 

In Response to the other quotes - To Each his Own ... you said it yourself in the post " He has always had it maintained at the dealer and the car looks and drives great " every vehicle of the same type is different !! .. some may never buy a 2004 HSE , some may swear by it ... don't get confused you are on the right track with the pre buy inspection ,go do it then determine , i deal with cars every day since i was old enough to do so (25+ years now ) , and there are some great deals out there , just waiting for the right person ....this could be yours ...

Note - No disrespect to the other people who post , ( just speaking from experience )