Customer Satisfaction

[expectthebest]

I was flipping through a Consumer Reports car edition the other day and took a look at the review of the LR3. Of course the LR3 was rated as "well below average" for reliability. The interesting thing is the "customer satisfaction" rating got the highest possible score.

So, from you owners, what should we take from this? The LR3 is a mechanical nightmare but it's so much fun to drive that the owners don't care? Actually, If I lived close to a dealer with a warrenty, I could totally see that as being true.atriot:

 

[BaldEagle]

most LR3 owners live within a very short distance of the dealers. do you think its a coincidence that they are strategically close to malls? id love to see a survey on satisfaction after the warranty expires haha

 

[PacificGroveRover]

Dear Expect and Bald

I am glad you are both Land Rover owners, therefore I think it would best that you stick to the forums that relate to your vehicles. Neither one of you has a clue what your talking about when it comes to LR3 ownership. I personally know ten people that own LR3's, of those one needed a rear diff replaced and among the others only very minor cosmetic issues. Have either of you ever purchased a new car before? Regardless of brand, almost any car that comes off the lot new has some minor issue. When I bought my DII, people made very similar comments regarding quality and trail worthiness!

Last time I checked, of all the cars out there, only the LR3 could take my family of 5 to remote locations, cruise down the highway with lower interior noise than a Lexus, and shuttle my family back and forth to school in complete safety.

If you can tell me another car that can do thatatriot: , then please let me know.

 

[Onionman]

Well, PGR, I think I will have to agree with the 2 earlier posts in this thread, at least to the extent that I think their comments/questions have some validity. The LR3 has been on the market for just 2 years. How can we know how well it will fare over the next 5 to 10 years?

I have a 1996 D1, which we purchased brand new and I still love to drive, when I can. Trouble is, I can't rely on it anymore. It still rides, drives, steers, and stops well. Still solid as a tank. But, I don't trust it to use it on any long distance trips anynore. It leaks fluids from just about every automotive orifice one can imagine, both from the vehicle out and from outside the vehicle in, and it has more electrical glitches than I can count, probably more than I even know about. I "love" this vehicle more than any other I've owned, and I want to drive it more than I do, but I don't want to rely on it. Recently, I parked it in the garage and have been drive my Chevy S-10 (doesn't that generate an exciting image), while my wife gets angrier and angrier about the D1 just sitting and costing us license and insurance.

I am toying with the idea of rebuilding it, but realistically don't have time or space for that endeavor. I probably will sell it as is, with appropriate notice regarding all of its flaws. I'd like to buy a newer, more reliable Land Rover, possibly a late model (2004) D2 or possibly an LR3. But, is there such a thing as a reliable Land Rover? Can I trust them? Specifically to you, can I trust the LR3?

I've taken a test drive in one; seems like a great vehicle for what I need. I don't do any hard-core off-road driving anymore, but I do like long-distance touring to out-of-the-way places that will allow/require some driving of remote forest roads and similar gravel/dirt drives. Also, in my current capacity as a Land Planner/Landscape Architect/Construction Manager, I often drive on rough, raw ground and construction sites.

The LR3 seems like it would be a good vehicle for my driving style and needs. But, how can I tell about its long-term reliability?

 

[PacificGroveRover]

Can you depend on an LR3 or any car?

Let me make this clear, all brands and cars have issues period! Go look at the Lexus, Toyota...etc boards. Reliablity of the LR3, I just don't know and nobody does. I have 135,000 miles on my DII and its had more warranty work done on it than any other car in the world..smiling! I kept the DII pass the warranty period because I found an extended warranty with zero deductible that cost me $2,800. I purchased the extended becuase I called 6 Land Rover service managers randomly across the county to see if they recommned the extended warranty and they all said yes. My plan was to get every seal and everything fixed before 100,000 miles, so it would go another 100,000 and so far the plan has worked (Like you I love my Discovery II). I estimated that appx. $15,000 plus in retail pricing was charged against my extended warratny and the original Land Rover warranty (every seal on the entire car was replaced).

I read all the LR3 forums and will make the decision to either keep this LR3 with or without an extended warranty when the vehicle has 45,000 miles on it.

When I read about what is at stake with this platform and how if this LR3 and RR sport do not succeed, then Land Rover will find it hard to continue as a brand, therefore I have concluded the LR3 will be a dependable as Toyota sooner than later! It is leaps and bounds above the old DI and DII platforms. I think the "modification" nuts miss the point when reviewing the LR3, yes it hauls groceries and kids and does it extremely well, but it can also out do anything off road coming out of the factory that can also haul 7 people. The mod nuts need Land Rover to bring back the Defender brand to North America.atriot:

 

[expectthebest]

Re: Dear Expect and Bald

I am glad you are both Land Rover owners, therefore I think it would best that you stick to the forums that relate to your vehicles. Neither one of you has a clue what your talking about when it comes to LR3 ownership. I personally know ten people that own LR3's, of those one needed a rear diff replaced and among the others only very minor cosmetic issues. Have either of you ever purchased a new car before? Regardless of brand, almost any car that comes off the lot new has some minor issue. When I bought my DII, people made very similar comments regarding quality and trail worthiness!

Last time I checked, of all the cars out there, only the LR3 could take my family of 5 to remote locations, cruise down the highway with lower interior noise than a Lexus, and shuttle my family back and forth to school in complete safety.

If you can tell me another car that can do thatatriot: , then please let me know.

So, you want me to go to a Classic forum to ask a question to LR3 owners about LR3 ownerhsip? That's the stupidest thing I've heard all year. And you're right in that I don't know about LR3 ownership. That's why I'm here asking questions dumb ass! That's how one learns about a subject, by asking questions of those who know the answers!

If you want to talk about reliablitly, both JD Powers and Consumer Reports rates the LR3 well below average. You are right that all cars have some problems but to argue that Land Rover has no more problems than Lexus is either stupid or ignorant. The numbers don't lie. I own both and I can tell you that the Land Rover is much less reliable than the Lexus. I'd still rather drive the Rover. Thats what Consumer Reports seems to be saying. Land Rover are not reliable but people enjoy owning them anyway. atriot:

 

[PacificGroveRover]

......"So, from you owners, what should we take from this? The LR3 is a mechanical nightmare but it's so much fun to drive that the owners don't care? Actually, If I lived close to a dealer with a warrenty, I could totally see that as being true."

If you wish to chat in an LR3 forum please make sure your opening comments are more constructive. Due to your lack of understanding of the english language you must rely on the use vulgar language with fellow Land Rover owners...nice! Your approach was like a gunfighter walking into a saloon looking for a gunfight!

You stated the LR3 is mechanical nightmare.... and you have absolutely no experience with an LR3? Do you believe everything you see on TV? Consumer Reports is gospel? Come on!

I have owned (3) Lexus and one required a engine replacement due to sludge problem and the others were most definetly not perfect. I am dealing in real world experience not some editorial! atriot:

Oh one more thing...numbers don't lie, oh really, how long have you been alive? You are an easy sell! Little history lesson....Robert McNamara tried to manage the Vietnam war with numbers and how wrong he was! Next time you come to a gunfight make sure nobody in the bar is carrying a nuclear missle compared to your bb gun! God Bless America and I will fight for the flag and fight against people and who discrimate and generalize about LR3's! Listen to that Rebel Yell!

 

[expectthebest]

......"So, from you owners, what should we take from this? The LR3 is a mechanical nightmare but it's so much fun to drive that the owners don't care? Actually, If I lived close to a dealer with a warrenty, I could totally see that as being true."

If you wish to chat in an LR3 forum please make sure your opening comments are more constructive. Due to your lack of understanding of the english language you must rely on the use vulgar language with fellow Land Rover owners...nice! Your approach was like a gunfighter walking into a saloon looking for a gunfight!

You stated the LR3 is mechanical nightmare.... and you have absolutely no experience with an LR3? Do you believe everything you see on TV? Consumer Reports is gospel? Come on!

I have owned (3) Lexus and one required a engine replacement due to sludge problem and the others were most definetly not perfect. I am dealing in real world experience not some editorial! atriot:

Oh one more thing...numbers don't lie, oh really, how long have you been alive? You are an easy sell! Little history lesson....Robert McNamara tried to manage the Vietnam war with numbers and how wrong he was! Next time you come to a gunfight make sure nobody in the bar is carrying a nuclear missle compared to your bb gun! God Bless America and I will fight for the flag and fight against people and who discrimate and generalize about LR3's! Listen to that Rebel Yell!

Hey buddy, you need to learn to read. I didn't state it was a "mechanical nightmare". If you read the punctuation, it was followed by a ? mark. I was simply asking a question based upon what I read. I wasn't saying what the magazine wrote was true, I was trying to get the prospective of actual owners of the vehicles in response to CR. It's Consumer Reports that made the statement. Not me. I was just asking the question "What should we take from this?" You were free to agree with what Consumer Reports was saying or not.

Hey, you attacked me first either because you didn't read through what I wrote or because you don't understand clear English. I didn't make any destructive statements. Those came from you when you suggested I go to another forum to ask questions.

And bringing in Vietnam? Come on man.:rofl: I didn't walk in to a gun fight. I started something with someone who doesn't take the time to read puctuation. I don't need a gun, just the ability to read and write. But thanks for the advice anyway.

Just for the record, I love Rovers even if they are not reliable. I would own an LR3 in a minute and likely will in the next couple of years, reliable or not. And as for how I treat fellow rover owners, all I did was ask for comment on something I had read. I never said I even agreed with what CR wrote! But then, you proceded to treat me like an idiot. So who treats other rover owners poorly?

 

[nwoods]

ExpectTheBest, your intial post is very misleading. I'm a fairly well read man, and read contracts every day for the slightest nuance. I don't read these posts with the same degree of diligence, but what I took from your post was that you said the LR3's were mechanically unreliable.

Fact is, they are mechanically increadibly solid. I probably participate in every DiscoIII/LR3 english speaking forum in the world. The longest milage I am aware of is a little over 50,000 miles now, and counting. With all my reading, and with that being the milage, there are only 4 mechanical faults that I'm aware of that are not unique oddities

1. Camber bushings wear out, causing bad tire wear, compounded by low quality OEM tires.
2. Air Compressors failing prematurely. Primarly due to bad software making them run too often, but nonetheless, they were failing as a result
3. The little gas struts that hold the lift gate up in the rear have improperly attached nuts (on some VINs).
4. We are starting to see a few more parking brake related issues. It's an electrical bug, but locks up the mechanical unit so I've listed it here.

All four items have fixes available for them, and are being fixed under warrenty. I know of one guy who received the patches for the parkign brake even after his warrenty expired.

All four of the above problems are relatively minor to fix. Everything else seems to be really stout and durable.

There have been other comon problems, but they are software related, and to my knowledge and pleasure, seem to have been fixed now with the most recent "enchancement" update.

What this means to me is that you can get a used 2005 fairly inexpensively, and get it brought up to current spec, and be quite confident in it, and then buy the extended warrenty and keep it indefinately.

 

[expectthebest]

ExpectTheBest, your intial post is very misleading. I'm a fairly well read man, and read contracts every day for the slightest nuance. I don't read these posts with the same degree of diligence, but what I took from your post was that you said the LR3's were mechanically unreliable.

Fact is, they are mechanically increadibly solid. I probably participate in every DiscoIII/LR3 english speaking forum in the world. The longest milage I am aware of is a little over 50,000 miles now, and counting. With all my reading, and with that being the milage, there are only 4 mechanical faults that I'm aware of that are not unique oddities

1. Camber bushings wear out, causing bad tire wear, compounded by low quality OEM tires.
2. Air Compressors failing prematurely. Primarly due to bad software making them run too often, but nonetheless, they were failing as a result
3. The little gas struts that hold the lift gate up in the rear have improperly attached nuts (on some VINs).
4. We are starting to see a few more parking brake related issues. It's an electrical bug, but locks up the mechanical unit so I've listed it here.

All four items have fixes available for them, and are being fixed under warrenty. I know of one guy who received the patches for the parkign brake even after his warrenty expired.

All four of the above problems are relatively minor to fix. Everything else seems to be really stout and durable.

There have been other comon problems, but they are software related, and to my knowledge and pleasure, seem to have been fixed now with the most recent "enchancement" update.

What this means to me is that you can get a used 2005 fairly inexpensively, and get it brought up to current spec, and be quite confident in it, and then buy the extended warrenty and keep it indefinately.

Thank you very much. That is the kind of constructive information I was looking for. Like I said before, it was CR that called the LR3 not reliable. I was just looking for feed back from actual owners that would either confirm or deny CR's report. Thanks again for the good info!

 

[PacificGroveRover]

I attacked you

I am sorry! I did not know I was dealing with such a sensitive individual. If that was an attack, then I need to consider an anger management class.

Let's see you called me a dumbass, ignorant, and stupid, ok you made your point on how you feel about me, but I will always remember "the numbers don't lie"....priceless!

 

[nwoods]

There is one other phyiscal item that occurs to some of the earlier models: The sunroof has drainage tubes that are pinched or blocked or become brittle and crack or something like that. Many reports of water coming down the A-piller into your interior carpets. Again, this is a "fixed" problem with a TSB for it. If you were to buy a 2005, just go down the list of TSB's, and make your negotiations accordingly with the dealer.

 

[expectthebest]

There is one other phyiscal item that occurs to some of the earlier models: The sunroof has drainage tubes that are pinched or blocked or become brittle and crack or something like that. Many reports of water coming down the A-piller into your interior carpets. Again, this is a "fixed" problem with a TSB for it. If you were to buy a 2005, just go down the list of TSB's, and make your negotiations accordingly with the dealer.

Good advice. Thanks

 

[BaldEagle]

Re: Dear Expect and Bald

I am glad you are both Land Rover owners, therefore I think it would best that you stick to the forums that relate to your vehicles. Neither one of you has a clue what your talking about when it comes to LR3 ownership. I personally know ten people that own LR3's, of those one needed a rear diff replaced and among the others only very minor cosmetic issues. Have either of you ever purchased a new car before? Regardless of brand, almost any car that comes off the lot new has some minor issue. When I bought my DII, people made very similar comments regarding quality and trail worthiness!

Last time I checked, of all the cars out there, only the LR3 could take my family of 5 to remote locations, cruise down the highway with lower interior noise than a Lexus, and shuttle my family back and forth to school in complete safety.

If you can tell me another car that can do thatatriot: , then please let me know.

i havent checked this thread in a while so i might as well defend myself too. my only comment was about mall driving rover owners and a little joke about dealer location. i also commented on satisfaction after the warranty expired might be different, im sure my disco would fail the satisfaction with yuppies like yourself. i would love to have an lr3 even if it is unreliable. is any rover? yes, i have purchased a new car before, even a rover, although i dont know what that has to do with anything at all. and my disco can also do what yours can do, but just go even farther

 

[98DiscoLR]

WOW... So much love for the LR3... I recently leased an LR3 (base SE model) for my wife, yes we live in close proximity of our LR dealer (Pasadena, CA). It's what she wanted, she loves it. If someone ask's her what she likes best about her car, she's going to say "The color & how it rides". Is that wrong? Course not! Sure she drives to the mall. Both, her, and our daughter... just this last Saturday. So what!

ITS ONLY A CAR!!!!

This is how I see it... Life is to short! There are, for whatever reason! things in life we haven't much control over! What we (you) drive, is one of the easiest!

Our old 98 Disco? I've scraped my idea of turning it into an offroad play toy for myself, and have since decided that it goes to my daughter! Not because of it's reliability, but it's safety! For myself, I bought a Heep! (jeep dealer is a stones throw away)

So I ask myself, do I like the wifes LR3... Not really! Little to flashey for my taste, and my Heep... I like the color, and it rides nice! :rofl:

 

[BaldEagle]

ok i'm not joking now....i think the safety of the dI is very poor. there was a video floating around where it had a head on test with a new minivan, the damage to the rover driver was quite substantial as the dash caved in on the drivers legs and A pillars bent very easily. although it is "sturdy" this actually hurts physically in a wreck more, the car has poor crumple zones. roof isnt so sturdy in a roll over either. usually the truck fairs better than the driver in this case. just make sure she wears a seat belt at least. ive always dreaded a serious wreck in my dI.

 

[PacificGroveRover]

Re: Dear Expect and Bald

i havent checked this thread in a while so i might as well defend myself too. my only comment was about mall driving rover owners and a little joke about dealer location. i also commented on satisfaction after the warranty expired might be different, im sure my disco would fail the satisfaction with yuppies like yourself. i would love to have an lr3 even if it is unreliable. is any rover? yes, i have purchased a new car before, even a rover, although i dont know what that has to do with anything at all. and my disco can also do what yours can do, but just go even farther

I have not heard the term "yuppie" used since the early 90's. I earned my stripes growing up in West Texas. In addition to my LR3, I own a 99 DII with 135,000 miles. If you don't understand my comments about buying a new car, then I can not help you there. If your Disco is stock, then you have no idea what the hell your talking about when comparing your Disco against an LR3. By the way, as I stated in an earlier thread, 10,000 + $$$ were spent on my Disco II after the warranty period (all under an extended warranty), so if I did not have an extended warranty to cover my Disco II then I would have been HIGHLY UNSATISFIED!
Now if your Disco is lifted with all the goodies, then I would love to go wheeling with you and when the boulders get to big for my LR3, you can keep going and I will turn around!atriot: By the way your Diso cannot:

1) Pull a 6,500 trailer over the Sierras
2) Go 100 mph and have a decibel rating as quiet as a Lexus
3) Seat 7 adults comfortably
4) Not near as safe as an LR3
5) Doing all the above with my family of 5, while none of them are complaining that the road noise is deafening due to the ATR's/MTR's while only going 65 mph. Hell even a stock Disco get's noisy with street tires going 75 mph.
6) I can do all the above in my LR3 and still go to 99% of the places you hope to go to.

I love my DISO II, but damn if I wanted to find a vehicle that could truly to take me to those remaining trails in the 1% category, I would buy a Defender and modify that and not a Disco. Oh and I would still take the LR3 and trailer the Defender!

 

[frickjp]

...........All four of the above problems are relatively minor to fix. Everything else seems to be really stout and durable.

Add some salt, some water and some inclement weather, and here in NY, we have better issues. Some fool decided the best place for the chassis harness was under the truck. There are approx. 70-90 connections in three large plugs right behind the L/R tire. 2 dozen more behind the L/F. Care to guess what happens in a year or so? Both the LR3 and the LR3 Sport are constantly getting wiring harnesses replaced here. It's a stupid idea, a shit design, and a black eye that will never go away.
Mechanically, the LR3 is indeed a great truck. It drives well, handles well, hauls 7. If you have the luxury of time, and a dealer nearby, they outshine anything in it's class. My parents live where there is no service and no mechanics. They sold the exploder and bought a new xterra.

 

[frickjp]

There is one other phyiscal item that occurs to some of the earlier models: The sunroof has drainage tubes that are pinched or blocked or become brittle and crack or something like that. Many reports of water coming down the A-piller into your interior carpets. Again, this is a "fixed" problem with a TSB for it. If you were to buy a 2005, just go down the list of TSB's, and make your negotiations accordingly with the dealer.

The TSB on water leaks sucks. In Land Rover tradition, the use a little choker valve on the water outlets. Ever hear of A/C drains plugging up on a Land Rover? A permanent solution is to cut the ends off the nipples, just as pulling out the ends of the A/C drains fixed that issue.

The sunroof water leak would not be so bad if they used some thought. Sunroofs are not water tight. They were never meant to be. On a D1/D2, the frame seals to the inside of the cabin. The only way a plugged sunroof drain could leak is into the cabin from the inside. On the LR3/Sport, the tray is not sealed to the roof. It can leak inside or outside the tray, compounding the problem. Park slightly off-camber with one inoperative drain, and the truck is full of water.