upperporcupine
ColoRover
I have been a Toyota Land Cruiser enthusiast for many, many years and have owned several Cruisers over the last 25 years including a 40, a 60, two 80s, and currently a 100. The 100 is for sale on Expedition Portal and MUD as I write. I have drooled over LR Defender 110s for years and have been a big fan of the LR3 and LR4 models. I hadn't really considered owning until one came up for sale recently a couple of blocks from my place. The price seemed pretty good and I took a look at it. It appeared to be in good shape with the usual dings and dents, etc., for a 05 with just over 100k miles. I drove it and it seemed pretty good overall, except for a clunking noise up front when going over bumps. There were no warning lights on.
Of course, I have heard and read the horror stories about Rovers. On balance though, a lot of people have really good things to say about the LR3/4 noting an astronomical increase in reliability, great offroad and onroad handling, decent mpg, etc. Considering the positive press and the opinions of a number of Portal members, I decided to proceed with due diligence (e.g., having a reputable independent Rover shop inspect the vehicle BEFORE i made an offer or purchased the vehicle).
I took the rig into a Denver Rover specialist for an inspection. Prior to inspection, I noted the heater did not appear to be working properly, there was a clunking up front, etc. The previous owner had some, but not all records of maintenance and repair.
The inspection was helpful and professional. The estimate to get this LR3 back up to par was more than $4000. Wow. Think about what I could do with $4000 on my Cruiser. The $4000 included: brakes and rotors ($950), front lower control arm bushings with inner and outer tie rods ($1727.00), cracked washer bottle replacement ($225), replace left brake light assembly ($353), 75k and 90k services ($1000), replace heated windshield ($150), and an estimated $150 to diagnose and fix the heater problem.
Despite the work that needed to be done, I was told that I had found a good, clean LR3. I was able to talk the seller down to a price that included roughly ½ of the the work that needed to be done and felt that it was a good deal despite the work it needed. So, I bought it. On the 2 block drive home from the seller’s home to my place, the check engine light came on!
I brought the LR3 into the other reputable Rover shop in town (only because it was much closer to my home) and told them to fix all of the originally estimated work, diagnose the heater problem, and figure out why the check engine light came on. After diagnosis of the check engine light, I was told the coolant thermostat had stuck open and the brake light switch had broken; cost for this ($540). The heater problem was diagnosed as a the servo motor, which was replaced. After replacement, the air blew, but didn’t blow hot; the heater core was the second part of the fix; both fixes ($1380).
So, I had all the work done except windshield and left rear brake light assembly. The total bill was north of $6000. As I completed paying the bill, I was told that the “lifetime” transmission fluid needed to be changed within the next 6-10k miles ($1000). I read up on this and I believe that this is good advice.
So I spent $6K on top of the purchase price - it didn’t seem like such a good deal at that point. In fact, I still have 4 tires and wheels to replace (plan to switch the 19” to 18” for offroad ability and better tire choice), a windshield, a rear brake light assembly, a transmission service, and one of my remote keys does not work.
All that being said, I drove the Rover to Steamboat Springs through a heavy snowfall on very icy roads, and absolutely loved it. I have never driven a full size 4x4 vehicle that handles as well and is so fun and confidence inspiring. The terrain select programming seems amazing as well, adding a good deal of predictability to unpredictable conditions.
So, I am not writing this post to complain about Rover or put down the LR3 platform. It is an amazing vehicle. What I will say is it is not a Toyota Land Cruiser - in terms of cost of ownership. The two vehicles are apples and oranges. I guess what I am concerned about is twofold: First, it seems unusual for a vehicle with only 100K miles on the odometer to need so much work; Second, the cost of parts. Despite these concerns, I am in; I have spent the money and love the vehicle. My hope is to get the second 100K out of it without spending much more (except typical scheduled maintenace).
All in all, I am writing this for all the guys and girls out there thinking about getting into an LR3. It is very tempting, especially with the prices falling so rapidly. If you have your eyes on one and feel like pulling the trigger, do your homework….and plan to add several thousand to your purchase price.
Any thoughts on this?
Of course, I have heard and read the horror stories about Rovers. On balance though, a lot of people have really good things to say about the LR3/4 noting an astronomical increase in reliability, great offroad and onroad handling, decent mpg, etc. Considering the positive press and the opinions of a number of Portal members, I decided to proceed with due diligence (e.g., having a reputable independent Rover shop inspect the vehicle BEFORE i made an offer or purchased the vehicle).
I took the rig into a Denver Rover specialist for an inspection. Prior to inspection, I noted the heater did not appear to be working properly, there was a clunking up front, etc. The previous owner had some, but not all records of maintenance and repair.
The inspection was helpful and professional. The estimate to get this LR3 back up to par was more than $4000. Wow. Think about what I could do with $4000 on my Cruiser. The $4000 included: brakes and rotors ($950), front lower control arm bushings with inner and outer tie rods ($1727.00), cracked washer bottle replacement ($225), replace left brake light assembly ($353), 75k and 90k services ($1000), replace heated windshield ($150), and an estimated $150 to diagnose and fix the heater problem.
Despite the work that needed to be done, I was told that I had found a good, clean LR3. I was able to talk the seller down to a price that included roughly ½ of the the work that needed to be done and felt that it was a good deal despite the work it needed. So, I bought it. On the 2 block drive home from the seller’s home to my place, the check engine light came on!
I brought the LR3 into the other reputable Rover shop in town (only because it was much closer to my home) and told them to fix all of the originally estimated work, diagnose the heater problem, and figure out why the check engine light came on. After diagnosis of the check engine light, I was told the coolant thermostat had stuck open and the brake light switch had broken; cost for this ($540). The heater problem was diagnosed as a the servo motor, which was replaced. After replacement, the air blew, but didn’t blow hot; the heater core was the second part of the fix; both fixes ($1380).
So, I had all the work done except windshield and left rear brake light assembly. The total bill was north of $6000. As I completed paying the bill, I was told that the “lifetime” transmission fluid needed to be changed within the next 6-10k miles ($1000). I read up on this and I believe that this is good advice.
So I spent $6K on top of the purchase price - it didn’t seem like such a good deal at that point. In fact, I still have 4 tires and wheels to replace (plan to switch the 19” to 18” for offroad ability and better tire choice), a windshield, a rear brake light assembly, a transmission service, and one of my remote keys does not work.
All that being said, I drove the Rover to Steamboat Springs through a heavy snowfall on very icy roads, and absolutely loved it. I have never driven a full size 4x4 vehicle that handles as well and is so fun and confidence inspiring. The terrain select programming seems amazing as well, adding a good deal of predictability to unpredictable conditions.
So, I am not writing this post to complain about Rover or put down the LR3 platform. It is an amazing vehicle. What I will say is it is not a Toyota Land Cruiser - in terms of cost of ownership. The two vehicles are apples and oranges. I guess what I am concerned about is twofold: First, it seems unusual for a vehicle with only 100K miles on the odometer to need so much work; Second, the cost of parts. Despite these concerns, I am in; I have spent the money and love the vehicle. My hope is to get the second 100K out of it without spending much more (except typical scheduled maintenace).
All in all, I am writing this for all the guys and girls out there thinking about getting into an LR3. It is very tempting, especially with the prices falling so rapidly. If you have your eyes on one and feel like pulling the trigger, do your homework….and plan to add several thousand to your purchase price.
Any thoughts on this?
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