Lookin to buy a LR3 or LR2, need adivce

[cgalpha08]

Hey guys, im lookin around to buy a landrover discovery 2 series or 3 series.
Several of my friends tell me that land rovers are unreliable and break down easily, so is there any truth to these claims, and if so , what are the trouble areas and fixes/aftermarket parts that go along with them?
Thanks

 

[JeremyT101]

If you are looking at a series II disco, I would try to grab a 2004. They were the best of those years. If I were you I might reach for the new LR3, they have been known to be quite a bit more reliable then the II disco. You are going to probably have some funny (or not so funny) electrical gremlins on both cars. Make sure to look for rust all around. I'm sure some other guys will chime in on the problem spots for a DII, personally if i was going to get a disco i would try to find a DI. No air suspension to deal with, a bit more simple, BUT you get the Lucas wiring, which may drive you to insanity and suicide, as its doing to me.

Good Luck!

 

[huskyfargo]

I bought an '08 LR3, and I love it. It has been incredibly reliable, a joy to drive, and amazingly capable.

 

[HillbillyfromAL]

I haven't had too many problems out of my 2004 D2, and the ones I have had are because the previous owners didn't maintain it at all. When I changed the spark plugs out the electrodes were completely flat, the wires were ****. The water pump was out when I got it and the thermostat was bad. Had it have been driven driven much longer like that I'm sure there would have been a lot more damage done to the engine. Also that little problem took out the cats so I'm replacing those(yeah right).
I don't think I've ever been more satisfied with a Vehicle. In its stock form the traction control let me do things I couldn't do with my old Jeep TJ X model, while it isn't as capable on technical trails like my 04rubicon or 84yota that was more buggy than truck. It really shines on ice too by the way, handles it far better than any truck I've had before. Last week we were driving through 3 ft of snow for fun. Gave a tow truck a yank back on to pavement and then went and pulled the guy that he was there to get out too. I wouldn't buy one of the newer ones for myself because I like solid axles but I would buy one for the wife. Either way I don't think you could go wrong. Just make sure it comes with Center Diff Lock.
Also not all have air bags, or ace. Mine is a SE7 without any of that stuff. Good luck

 

[Mack73]

I bought an '08 LR3, and I love it. It has been incredibly reliable, a joy to drive, and amazingly capable.

Ditto.

IMO buy the newest rover you can and if you want piece of mind get a warranty.

 

[spikemd]

LR2 vs LR3 vs DiscoII... If you want to do any serious offroading, don't even consider an LR2. It does not have a locking diff and very little clearance. It gets much better gas mileage and is a decent small SUV, but not an expedition vehicle. The DiscoII and LR3 are both very capable vehicles. You will get a lot of debate on this, but based on what I have seen, the LR3 is more capable in stock form with its advanced electronics and if you can find an HD model with locking rear diff, it is pretty amazing. But, there is MUCH more aftermarket support for the Disco and the Disco can be built up to tackle almost anything. You are more limited in modifying the LR3, but it all depends on what your goals for the vehicle are. The LR3 is much more refined on the interior and overall road handling, and many folks have had little trouble with them. That being said, it is a Land Rover so anything can happen. There are horror stories out there for all makes and models, but Land Rover has drastically improved its quality control over the years.

The main thing, drive both of them. Which one do you like better? Its up to you and what your pocketbook can handle.

Here are a few pics from some nicely built Discos and LR3s from the NorCal Land Rover Club in Death Valley last year:

 

[w00ht]

You guys are actually recommending an 04 DII? Are you out of your skull? The 03-04 DII's were the worst discovery. There are so many accounts of issues with those years, even by land rover standards. I personally know 2 different people who had very bad luck with their 03-04 DII's. My neighbor has 10K invested in repair bills, and is the original owner. A woman I work with had to spend 6K on hers and still had problems and was left stranded several times in the last year. Both of them did their maintenance and took care of the truck. Never mind all of the documented problems on the net. They are why the LR3 is called the LR3 in this country, not the Discovery 3 like everywhere else in the world.

OP, if you want a reliable truck an 03-04 DII is not it, especially if has more than 60K on the odometer. Do your own research, read the threads on the various boards and you will see what I'm referring too.

LR3's are nice trucks but will cost a mint to repair if the systems fail. A close family friend had one, and it spent more time in the dealer than he spent driving it, constantly chasing airbag faults related to cold temperatures. Personally I would stay away from the full independent suspension on the LR3 since the solid axle setup on earlier trucks is so much more durable.

I own a DI. I love it because I have a really nice trail capable SUV that I don't have 20K tied up in. If it were to be totalled tomorrow I would think about replacing it but if I couldn't find another solid DI (there's a ton of crappy ones out there) I'd move back to a Jeep.

Your milage may vary

 

[MattScott]

Hey guys, im lookin around to buy a landrover discovery 2 series or 3 series.
Several of my friends tell me that land rovers are unreliable and break down easily, so is there any truth to these claims, and if so , what are the trouble areas and fixes/aftermarket parts that go along with them?
Thanks

How much do you intend to modify it and use it off road? What is the main purpose of the vehicle?

 

[cgalpha08]

Im looking to get one for exploring/overlanding/other expeditions.
It will prob have a lift on it, bumpers, and roof rack or tent.
Im not looking to do hells revenge in MOAB with it, the lift would have to keep on road stability and comfort and allow for good offroad articulation

Thats my plan for it as of right now.
I really like the looks of Land rovers, its like they are designed right for expeditions.

I just don't want to be putting a lot of miles on my Hummer, because they don't make them anymore and finding parts is going to be hard later on.

 

[Howski]

OP, if you want a reliable truck an 03-04 DII is not it, especially if has more than 60K on the odometer. Do your own research, read the threads on the various boards and you will see what I'm referring too.

Suggesting that every 03-04 Disco will require thousands in maintainence and repairs is asinie. I purchased my 04' with 60k on the clock and just ticked over 100k last month. It is built, I wheel it hard and couldn't be happier with it. I've made several thousand + mile trips without a hitch. The 03's have the oil pump issue within the VIN range but no major issues besides that. I have had one cracked expansion tank and nothing else has ever left me stranded on my 04'. The 04' has a CDL and great traction control. You can really go a lot of places with some decent tires and a mild lift. I think it's a great choice if you know how to work on it yourself, which they pretty easy to work on, and can afford to put in a little time to perform routine preventative maintainence.

It sounds like you won't be doing any real hardcore wheeling so you may not need the advantages of solid axles. I do not personally have experience with the LR3 but the only complaint I seem to hear is any issue with the air suspension could leave you stuck in the down position.

 

[cgalpha08]

Id say ill be doing a moderate amount of wheeling. I wheel my hummer with IFS and have wheeled jeeps with solid axles before too, so the suspension doesnt bother me, ill go either way.

Just wanted to hear opinions on each.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk

 

[yloDiscoii]

Avoid the '03 Disco's if you can, there was an oil pump dowel-misalignment that caused lots of problems and gave the '03 a pretty bad rap.

That issue was supposedly 'remedied' for the '04's, plus that year saw the return of the central locking t-case which combined with the 4.6L engine, and dashing good looks, gets mentioned in many people's book, as the "best year" of the Discovery's.....ok, flame on

 

[w00ht]

Suggesting that every 03-04 Disco will require thousands in maintainence and repairs is asinie. I purchased my 04' with 60k on the clock and just ticked over 100k last month. It is built, I wheel it hard and couldn't be happier with it. I've made several thousand + mile trips without a hitch. The 03's have the oil pump issue within the VIN range but no major issues besides that. I have had one cracked expansion tank and nothing else has ever left me stranded on my 04'. The 04' has a CDL and great traction control. You can really go a lot of places with some decent tires and a mild lift. I think it's a great choice if you know how to work on it yourself, which they pretty easy to work on, and can afford to put in a little time to perform routine preventative maintainence.

I'm glad you're having great luck with your truck, and I hope it keeps going strong without incident. I would however say you are the exception not the rule. If the OP went and looked at 10 different 03-04 DII's several would likely have significant problems. It's not like they are just misunderstood, LR had some really bad quality issues with those trucks. It's really a shame to me, as I've always loved the way they look.

OP, good luck with your search.

 

[MattScott]

Why don't you just build up your H3?

 

[HillbillyfromAL]

^^^^^
Don't do that. The more Discovery's that finally get to do what they were made for the better. Make sure to get one from a rich grandma, or soccer mom.