By Nick Bell on Thursday, December 13, 2001 - 12:17 am: Edit

I am in the market for a land rover but i have heard some horror stories about
their reliability? are these stories about the Rovers spending nearly half
their life in the garage true. Also are the practical as a daily driver ? I myself am sold on
Rovers. I am trying to convince my family that the car is not nearly as bad as
its reputation. I trying to compile a list of pros and cons. I know they are
safe and pretty much go any where. The cons would be gas mileage and
questionable reliability.
Thanks

By Brett Barton (Brett) on Thursday, December 13, 2001 - 09:05 am: Edit

Nick--

I am not the most qualified person on this site to answer your question, but everyone has a different background and mechanical ability so here it goes. I have a 95 Disco that will roll 92,000 miles today. I drive it daily. I tow trailers quite a lot with it as well. I do not spend as much time off road as many of the other folks on this site, but my truck is off the road at least one weekend a month.
Reliability? My truck has never left me stranded if that is what you mean. You need to pay careful attention to maintenance (as with any truck) and fix things promptly when they do go wrong. They will. These trucks typically need more maintenance than a Toyota. If you are pretty mechanical and don't mind getting some dirt under your fingernails these trucks are not too bad. The guys on this page will help you with the occasional oddity that is bound to pop up. Especially versus the fun that you can have in them. My truck is very comfortable. There are days that I spend 6-7 hours driving. You will have a clear view of the road and a steady platform for loading it up with gear or golf clubs.
In my opinion, if you are serious about getting one of these trucks here is my to do list. When you find a truck that meets your initial purchase requirements (color, year, price, etc) it is time to really look it over. Check out the records. If you are purchasing it from a LR dealer, they should be able to pull the service history on the truck for you. Look underneath the truck for any leaks. These are notorious for leaking fluids. Check the oil pan, transmission, and transfer case. Then check the front swivels, diff housings, and power steering pump. Much of this is dependant on age, mileage, and service history. Look at the engine. Do you see any oil leaking from the top? Valve covers are a likely spot. Look at the interior. Is the dash peeling? Check the lights on the dash when you start and drive the truck. Depending on what part of the country you live in look for rust around the insides of the body where the rear doors close and on the hinges for the rear cargo door. Look at the headliner to see if water has leaked inside (if it has sunroofs). Also work both sunroof's. Check for smooth operation. If the truck passes all of these checks, and the records are complete, and no collision damage is apparent, you have probably found a great truck.

Best of luck and let us know what you decide!

Brett

By Sirrobin on Thursday, December 13, 2001 - 10:15 am: Edit

Here is my honest answer
Land Rovers have "personality"... they are not as reliable as japanese trucks. I put them on par with offerings from the domestics. there can be niggles and frustrations, but deep down you will grow to love your landy, even though sometimes you really hate it. think of it more as a pet than a truck and you get the idea. If you are looking for a quiet, comfortable, reliable, and efficient family hauler, a Land Rover is not for you; not that they don't perform well in this role... it's a question of expectations. I would venture to guess the average LR buyer is not comparison shopping, rather they are trying to find the best Land Rover they can.

By Steve (Steve2) on Thursday, December 13, 2001 - 01:00 pm: Edit

nick

as with any used car - do the leg work. as a rule of thumb the 97's and up are the best - though there are plenty of guys here with earlier models that are just fine.

there are finiky cars our there and there are also angels.

these are essentially hand built cars - they know when they are loved and will love you back (it's weird - but just ask a smitten owner and they will tell you). the best thing about owning a land rover is the community of really great and interesting 4x4 people you meet. (not to be confused with the yuppies who think a trip to blockbuster is a safari...) you will always get those outside the bell curve - but for the most part they represent what is best of our society.

steve