Advice on buying a 1997 Rangie HSE

[sanukc]

I looked at a 1997 Range Rover 4.6 HSE (with 87K miles) yesterday. The interior looks alright. The current owner has replaced the sunroof and done a 90K mile service (which was done at a local garage). This 90K mile service has left the "Service Engine" light lit. I am hoping that is what it is.

The most nagging problem that I felt when I test drove the vehicle was that it made a few clunking noises everytime I tried to stop the vehicle. The brake pads seem to be worn out. The underside looked alright (for a Land Rover anyway).

The insides were very clean. The radio did not have a working LCD panel, so you could not know which station was playing.

In all your collective expertise, should I buy this for use as a daily driver or should I walk away from it? He is asking for 11K for it.

All advice gladly accepted.

Sanu.

 

[LRNationals]

www.rangerovers.net sounds like a lot wrong with it! walk away and find one in better shape. i would reccomend spending a little bit more and finding one that is an off leased car. dealer maintained and service work complete. may still even have a factory warenty!

 

[redbull_addict]

Too much $$ in my opinion.
Make sure whichever year and model you buy that you don't discount ANY electrical signs. To give you an example...when I purchased my truck the right front turnsignal was not working. The display said the bulb was out. No worries I thought....turns out there's a short in the BECM to fix it means replacing or repairing the BECM. Which in the US seems to mean replacing....$1500 +. So don't let any "simple" electrical items get dismissed.

 

[Knut]

Too much money and too many problems. I would avoid it.

What about a 1999 or newer? These have the Bosch electrical system and 4-wheel traction control, and are more reliable.

For example, AZ Rovers (www.azrovers.com) has a silver 2000 4.0 SE with 72,500 miles on it for $14,995, among many others.

 

[Pugsly]

In all your collective expertise, should I buy this for use as a daily driver or should I walk away from it? He is asking for 11K for it.

Keep looking. You should buy one with everything working perfectly, and the price (IMHO) is too high. Price might be okay with everything functioning...

I agree with Knut that you should consider a RR with Bosch ignition. It improved performance, mileage, and reliability.

Before buying a RR, I would look at the service letters and maybe even put it on autologic or rovacom to see what has been going on with it. Odds are the seller will not have reset all the error codes in the ECU.