Expedition Portal Project: 2008 Range Rover Sport

[FromRaleigh]

What I heard was that Range Rover Sports have fewer warranty claims than other models, but I don't know if that's hearsay. Needing to spend $12k at 70k miles seems like a ton of money to me though (unless that included upgrade costs), and I'm used to 5 and 7 series BMW maintenance costs.

I'm in my vehicle a lot for work so a comfortable cabin is important to me. The '14 Jeep Grand Cherokee was what I initially wanted, but they are still having some electronic and drivetrain issues that have me hesitant.

 

[jh.]

What I heard was that Range Rover Sports have fewer warranty claims than other models, but I don't know if that's hearsay. Needing to spend $12k at 70k miles seems like a ton of money to me though (unless that included upgrade costs), and I'm used to 5 and 7 series BMW maintenance costs.

I'm in my vehicle a lot for work so a comfortable cabin is important to me. The '14 Jeep Grand Cherokee was what I initially wanted, but they are still having some electronic and drivetrain issues that have me hesitant.

The RRS is about as comfortable on the highway as a vehicle can be...and even more comfortable if your company is paying for the gas.

 

[High Country Nomad]

What I heard was that Range Rover Sports have fewer warranty claims than other models, but I don't know if that's hearsay. Needing to spend $12k at 70k miles seems like a ton of money to me though (unless that included upgrade costs), and I'm used to 5 and 7 series BMW maintenance costs.

I'm in my vehicle a lot for work so a comfortable cabin is important to me. The '14 Jeep Grand Cherokee was what I initially wanted, but they are still having some electronic and drivetrain issues that have me hesitant.

The Sport is way comfortable for any ride. When I say i put $12K in the car, that was for a series of things that would have eventually worn out and since then 70K some miles later everything is smooth still. When you figure, say new air bags all the way around, a/c repair, all new front suspension, transmission sleeve, and misc electrical things it adds up. However i can't work on this car myself so i go to a pro, and I'm sure 1/2 of that was labor. Compared to my Discovery II, i've spent a lot less on the sport with comparable miles. I'm pretty confident that I can get 300K miles out of the sport if it's properly maintained. Also note, that I've never enjoyed nice paved roads with the sport, the first 100K miles were on ****ty Chicago streets and highways, everything else has been on ****ty mountain washboard roads - That could be why I've spent some cash on moving parts. I'm sure the newer sports are better made than my 06'. However if I could do it again, I would go for an LR3 or LR4 as the sport is pretty tight on space. On a closing note, the last time I ever went to a Dealer for a repair was in 2005, and when I made a comment about their charges for repair, the jerk service consultant had the nerve to say " if you can afford a sport, you should be able to afford to repair it " - With that being said, when it breaks, be prepared for some hefty charges depending on the part. (air bags, computer, etc.)

 

[Eniam17]

sports and lr3's are the same platform so theoretically there shouldn't be much difference but my dealer has told me they see less issues with the sport as well. That being said, the LR2 is by far the modern rover with the least issues, but it should be as it has much less sophisticated systems than the other models.

 

[FromRaleigh]

I'd definitely need to find a good warranty to purchase, $12k at 70k miles is not acceptable to me. I've never looked for aftermarket warranties before.

 

[Mack73]

I'd definitely need to find a good warranty to purchase, $12k at 70k miles is not acceptable to me. I've never looked for aftermarket warranties before.

Results not typical.

Excluding regular maintenance my 08 LR3 (just a touch under 70k now) has only cost ~2500 for lower front control arms, and a couple hundred for a set of sway bar bushings

 

[FromRaleigh]

Out of curiosity I decided to get a quote for an extended warranty from 2 different 3rd party warranty companies, neither would even offer a quote for this vehicle.

 

[jh.]

Out of curiosity I decided to get a quote for an extended warranty from 2 different 3rd party warranty companies, neither would even offer a quote for this vehicle.

I've had my '06 HSE since the beginning of April and have already had two dealers offer a warranty (LR Tacoma - where we bought it and LR Spokane - where I had the software upgraded and bought a new key). If it's in good enough shape, LR will be eager to re-warranty it. For an insane amount of money.

 

[SteveMfr]

when I made a comment about their charges for repair, the jerk service consultant had the nerve to say " if you can afford a sport, you should be able to afford to repair it "

Shortly after I bought my first P38 (used, ~85k miles) it had an EAS fault and dropped to the bump stops. The local LR dealer gave me a qutoe of over €2500 to repair the prob which turned out to be hardened o-rings that normally seal the air lines to the valve block and, as a result, a worn piston seal in the compressor. LR did not sell the o-rings or the compressor seal. They sold only the complete valve block and the complete compressor both for €800. After a little research on the internet, I found the manufacturer of the compressor in Munich and read that people had successfully replaced the o-rings with standard parts from a hydraulic supply shop. So I talked the compressor manufacturer into selling me a compressor piston seal (they were not supposed to sell parts for LR compressors so my compressor was officially not used on a LR ) for €30 and spent like €2.86 on o-rings at a local hydraulic supply place. The repair took me roughly 2 1/2 hrs to do. Then I had to go to the dealer to get the fault cleared which cost me nearly €100 including tax. And when I told the tech how I had replaced the o-rings he did not want to believe me.

Our lead engineer Christian had a similar experience with an L322. After spending over CDN $2000 on an EAS repair with a dealer, he came out the morning he was planning to go on vacation with his RR to find the front extended all the way and the rear on the bump stops (funny looking pic). He later repaired the RR correctly for a fraction of the cost.

These experiences are what lead to the development and sale of the IIDTool. I appreciate the fact that you pay for the brand and that all manufacturers do this and they deserve it - to a certain extent. Charging over €2500 for a repair that should have cost ~1/10th of that is simply bending your customers over.

Timlmann, I sincerely hope you presented the service rep with a few choice words. Whata prink.

Sorry for the OT. I should probably be glad. After all, if LR had sensible prices we wouldn't be selling nearly as many of our IIDTools. But this stuff still riles me. Talk about redistribution...

 

[A.J.M]

Tbh, changing air bags is not a common thing to do.
I have heard of a few people doing it on D3s for the exact reasons the poster described, prolonged driving over ******te roads wearing them out.
Most were from Aus though from long extended outback driving over awful terrain.

Don't be put off by stories of large bills.
It's an accepted way that large car's will give large bills. My mates questioned how i had spent so much on mine till i showed them how a front lower arm for his car was £22.50 off ebay and mine was £115. For the same part, just one was 4x the size of the other...

I'm a fussy owner when it comes to cars and having been burnt by fitting pattern parts on an previous car, with the issues they threw up. I wasn't making that mistake with this LR3. It get's genuine parts which does cost, but i know they will fit and last.
The car has failed me once in 27k and almost 2 years of ownership, due to a starter motor dying. Hardly the end of the world and £170 later i had a genuine LR replacement in place.

I've changed all 8 wishbones, 4 drop links, 4 arb bushes, the rear hub bushes and the brake lines and upgraded the full brake system.
It stops and handles like a new car, and rides far better than any of my LR3 driving mates cars.

A large hit like the poster and myself is sting the wallet, but i have nothing on the suspension that is older than 1 year and 15k, so will cover 80k at least before needing any work done again.

Out of interest, we in the uk are rather spoilt for choice for indy's to use, and also for parts makers to choice from.
How is the supply for the newer models in the US? Do you have a decent supply network or is it really just main dealer supplying parts?

 

[Chris Cordes]

Direct Buy Warranty will sell you a warranty for one. I bought one at 68,000 miles and for 2500 bucks received a 4 year 48,000 mile warranty. (go for the lower deductible its practically the same price as the higher) Negotiate a little with them and you can usually get an extra year and 12,000 miles out of it. All Land Rover dealers are covered under the warranty as well as most third party repair shops. I have the dealer work on it though because they have more clout when it comes to making warranty claims.

 

[Chris Cordes]

So I finally got the truck out this weekend and snapped a few shots of the finished drawers. You can see the raised bars allowed me to remove the floor board of the cargo area. This lets me store two chairs flat with the floor and then put a table or whatever i want between those and the drawer bottoms. It more importantly allows me access to lower and raise the spare.

 

[PJPR01]

Pretty Slick setup. For those who are contemplating this, I'm sitting at 175K on my 2006 RRS HSE...normal wear and tear, and it drives like a dream, plus it's blue, which makes it even more special (to me!).

Heading to Telluride in a month for some fun, towing the Motorcycle again this time and will enjoy all the fun trails, plus another weekend Film Festival in my favorite Colorado town. There are always a few 110's floating around town, and there's nothing like driving 1000 miles in pure comfort and then hitting Ophir, Imogene or Black Bear in the same vehicle as you cruised on the highway. Great overall vehicle...I do certainly hope it lasts 300k, as the engine and transmission are bullet proof, and the rest of the stuff is just normal wear and tear. YMMV...but I replaced my air shocks all the way around at 144k, which was not bad considering a ton of expeditions to Colorado, Arizona, Utah and lots of adventures, both on and offroad.

Chris...you've done a great job kitting it out...looks great!

 

[Chris Cordes]

Thanks! I agree with you on how great it is to hop off the trails and cruise the highways in comfort. I love the car and can't wait to continue my adventures in her. Im hoping to do colorado in a month or so as well. If it ends up being the same time we should meet up for a beer or trail ride.

 

[A.J.M]

PJPR01.
With regular servicing and changing all the oils, i see no reason for your Sport not to last way past 300k.
Change the autobox oil every 75k or so and it will be fine, Mine is getting changed next month. Bit overdue from what ZF recommend though..

Liking the drawer system, simple yet effective like all the best ideas are.