I am currently looking into purchasing a used Land Rover. Specifically, the 2004 Discovery SE7 Series II. Despite excellent maintenance (exterior/interior), a clean title, and low mileage I am hesitant on purchasing a Land Rover vehicle due to a reputation of unreliability.

I have read many forums and reviews about this dilemma and have found that the feedback from 'positive' LR owners (and there are many) state that a certain amount of maintenance is necessary to have a LR running dependably and with longevity, but no one (at least none of the many I have read) states exactly what this 'maintenance' is.

I have always been under the impression that with all cars you should have a certain level of maintenance to keep a car running for a maximum life expectancy. And by maintenance I mean standards such as changing the oil, maintaining proper tire pressure, regular checkup for fluid levels, brake replacement (pads/rotors),bulbs,wipers, washing and treating upholstery. Is this the same maintenance that current 'positive' Land Rover owners speak of? or is there and additional layer of maintenance responsibilities that are required?

Is the bad reputation that Land Rover tends to have undeserved? or earned? Should I shy away from this automaker? Is the 2004 a dependable model? Any advice/feedback would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance,
Muad'Dib
(potential future Land Rover owner)

 

welcome to the forums. i had serious engine trouble with my '04 disco, but it never outright left me stranded or broke down. It also has been my favorite vehicle to own!!!! what mileage are you looking at?

 

I also have a 2004 Discovery. I found a single owner vehicle that had a maintenance history with the dealer and the people traded it in when it got out of warranty and they started having to pay for repairs. I believe many of the problems reported stem from people who don't work on cars buying a very expensive vehicle and letting the maintenance slide because the dealer is expensive. Admittedly, the motor is a 40 year old design and does not deliver the HP that a newer design will. But I did not get this truck for HP. I enjoy working on my own vehicle and these are pretty simple to work on. Another part of the image problem is there is no "sing the praises" site, all the LR sites are people sharing info on how to fix something. I wonder if there are any "sing the praises" sites for Toyota?

 

I think one of the main problems is they are about as dependable as a old 30 year old 4x4 truck, even when new. Seriously, people get upset when they pay 45k for a luxury vehicle and then have to maintain it like a classic vehicle right off the showroom floor. Buy it thinking of it like and old cj5 and you won't have any problems ;-)

 

thanks for all the feedback. The vehicle I am looking at has only 70K miles. From what I am understanding I am starting to lean towards purchasing the vehicle.

Is this work (that is necessary to maintain the vehicle) that everyone mentions must be done the standard items I mentioned in my previous post?

"...And by maintenance I mean standards such as changing the oil, maintaining proper tire pressure, regular checkup for fluid levels, brake replacement (pads/rotors),bulbs,wipers, washing and treating upholstery..."

If so, this type of work is maintainable by the individual (me) and not necessarily a dealer. (I tend to shy away from dealerships for mechanic work when necessary -- I prefer private specialty shops).

Thanks!
Muad'Dib

 

Read the "sticky" at the top of the Discovery II forum titled "Major Service". Most of it is fluid changes. The one important thing that is like a time-bomb is the front propellor shaft and it does not need to be replaced, just updated with new u-joints. I found a driveline shop that did it for me for $55 + parts. If you take your time doing the items in the list it is actually enjoyable as you are learning about the vehicle. Personally, I would rather do the maintenance on my schedule than fix something when it fails at an inoppurtune time.

 

I think it all comes down to what you are looking for in the potential vehicle. Are you looking for a Eco-friendly daily driver to and from work? Or do you live in an area who's roads are seldom maintained and require a decent all terrain vehicle? Or perhaps a toy to take to nearby off road events (ie: rock climbing, mud boging, river crossing etc). Another question to ask yourself is " what are your expectations of that potential vehicle?" Low maintenance? Stylish? Performance? Reliability? Horsepower and or torque? Etc.

If your going to consider a Land Rover then best to point out afew things.
1.) These are European vehicles. All of which are shipped from the UK.(don't know about the new ones) all or most of the replacement parts are also shipped over seas, so expect a higher price tag for when purchasing parts new.
2.) Most are V8 powered so expect to pay anywhere from $60-$80 when filling the tank. Prices also depend on weather you chose to use cheap or premium gas.
3.) Most mechanics (or at least a lot of them) have little or no experience working on Land Rover vehicles, so if your used to bringing your vehicles to the local garage, don't be surprised if they look at your with a question mark above their head, or just make a real big bubu on your vehicle.
4.) Land Rovers are high maintenance vehicles, a require a lot of loving care.

But on the flip side, there are numerous roverparts websites and stores dedicated to offering new and used parts for all you rover needs, for a fraction of the genuine price tag! Local mechanics may try to sell you replacement parts with a hefty price tags, but all you have to do is say "thanks but no thanks, ill buy the parts elsewhere", then go home and browse through various online rover parts sites until you find a price that works for you. As for fuel economy, If you use the right gas, and monitor your driving habits and keep your rover properly maintained at all times you will not have to worry much about the price for gas. As for mechanics, there existe various garages that specialize purely in Land Rover vehicles, all while offering compeditive labour rates (and no I'm not referring to dealerships). As for high maintenance, so long as you do not NEGLECT your Land Rover, it will never fail you! Keep up with all tuneup's, always check your fluids for quality and leaks, keep your tires and alighnment properly maintained, if and when something does break, or shows signs of wear.... Get it serviced ASAP! Don't hold off and let the problem manifest into something worse! If you plan on taking a Rover off roading, make sure you have all the appropriate suspension parts installed, and check everything for damage once your done. Do this and Land Rover will be one of your best vehicles. Will never fail you and it will bring you anywhere anytime regardless of the road conditions.

short story: I recently purchased a cheap 98 land rover discovery off a guy in town. vehicle was pretty neglected and had/still has a long list of needed repairs to be made. alighnment is off, rear driveshaft and u-joints are damaged, alighnment is off, tires have uneven wear and are bald on the inside, engine missfires and has low compression issues, tire rods need to be replaced, Srs and abs lights are on, and wiper motor does not work.... all in all a lot of work! Anyway so I took a 360 mile trip from new Hampshire all the way down to Pennsylvania, with the intention of trading my rover for another car. Not only did the rover successfully make the trip down.... I drove it all the way back to NH! the guy changed his mind about the trade. A total of around 700 miles all together of constant driving. The rover never stalled, never over heated, the damaged rear driveshaft and u-joints held, the alighnment held and all the tires stayed on despite driving over large potholes on the interstate at 65 mph! In short I made it back home safely! So let this be a lesson for you as it was for me. People say they are unreliable but considering my 98 has 195k and much needed work.... that's reliability at its max. I love my land rover and I love the company. I'll never buy any other maker vehicle!

 

I see 'so called' mechanics all the time(and vehicle owners) saying crap about vehicles because they are too stupid to find the correct info and fix it right the first time. All the years I have spent in shops working on anything that came through the door, from Subarus to Jeeps Cadillacs to Mercedes to a Delorean. If you know how to read and turn a wrench, you can find the info to fix anything. Just because you are unf miliar with a make or model of vehicle, doesn't mean it is 'really that bad'.

 

So recently, my LR3 turned over 80,000 miles.. And what a nightmare this past several months has been. Electrical issues out the wazoo... Sunroof wont work, windshield wipers wont either, all the panels inside are so loose and rickety, cheap plastic door handles have cracked and are really squeeky everytime you so much as touch them, dashboard is cracking and every other piece of plastic you can touch creeks and moves with any pressure.. Oh and it leaks water everytime it so much as rains.. This car has turned out to be a friggin nightmare. Ive decided Im going back to American, because my 2000 Blazer didnt have NEARLY these types of problems.. and this car is a $50,000 car originally.. Hopefully the LR4 has better reliability and customer satisfaction, because honestly, paying for premium gas and filling up every 3 days is not worth it for the amount of problems this thing is having. Cadillac, here I come!
Oh and the front bushings are absolutely shot.. normal wear and tear, I understand, but all all the interior "quirks" are not worth it no matter how cool I look/feel driving it

 

I have nearly 200,000 miles on my 2000 DiscoveryII. Off roaded across the country at least twice now, attended many off road events, obstacle courses, driven through flood waters deeper than my hood, etc...etc.... I've replaced the alternator and a power steering pump, oh, and a battery. None of which actually failed and caused a break down, they were just showing signs of "going out".

My Discovery is the most reliable vehicle I've had, and many of my friends know of, seeing as it also tows them home when needed.