Looking for info on purchasing my first land rover
- Thread starter Showroom
- Start date
LOL...I never said it was unreliable (assuming "Redrover" was directing his comment at mine). I too have never been left stranded by any of my Rovers. Well, almost on two occassions both involving a failed alternator; 1) my 00 D2 alternator failed between Ruidoso, NM and Roswell, NM. Fortunately it was late at night so the cooler temps (it was summer time) and constant downhill grade kept my truck from overheating. But I did have to have BP ship one overnight to Artesia, where I was working. No big deal there. 2) my 91 RRC alternator failed as I was driving in to OKC two years ago. Fortunately it was on a Saturday and I was able to limp it in to the OKC dealership to have it repaired (because i knew I could get a loaner to drive from there).
In the four years I owned our 02 D2 over $13k was spent on repairs. Fortunately, we had an extended warranty that covered a little over $7k of those repairs. Those repairs accounted for replacement right front wheel hub (three amigo issue - I dont remember which instance), shuttle valve (x2, but second replacement was under parts & labor warranty), ABS modulator (when the three amigos came on a third time), front cover oil seal, rear main oil seal, head gaskets, I believe rockers, steering box that was leaking, and I cant remember what else.
OO D2, I had the rockers replaced, ABS modulator replaced once, transfer box seals, alternator (mentioned above), steering box, also I had to replace the engine when I had a loud knock from two of the pistons. I upgraded to a 4.6 that had come out of an 04 and had been rebuilt by a Buick 216 (or 215?) engine block specialist in Scottsdale. The engine swap cost me $6k, parts and labor ($1.5k engine block, $4k labor + tax).
Yes, the 02 D2 was maintained by the dealerships. It was my (now ex) wife's daily driver and I was either out of town a lot or we lived in a rural area. I want them repaired correctly, and if there is a problem I want to know that the repairs will be backed up under warranty by the shop. My 00D2, 96 Disco, and 97 RR were repaired by independent rover experts. While living in OK my 00 D2, 02 D2, 2 LR3s and RRC were maintained by the dealerships. Frankly the dealerships here in OK (both Tulsa and OKC) are very competitive with independent shop prices and I dont have to worry about part/labor warranties. That wasnt the case in Phoenix or Las Vegas. Therefore I went to independent shops.
So $5k was a bit on the high end, but $4k is certainly a fair price. I would suggest to those that do not spend that amount of money per year on their D2s (or similar P38 RRs)
1) you are a mechanic and can do much of the work yourself
2) you really do not pay attention to your repair costs
3) you forgo repairs, thus keeping your costs down
4) you're just damn lucky (which I doubt)
Frankly, I have owned too many Rovers (and have been around many many more) to believe any of the stories that repair costs (for pre 2005 models) are <$2k per year. Rovers arent unreliable, they just require constant attention. I refuse to drive pieces of **** and therefore do not forgo needed repairs. Now, if you truly want a quote "reliable" rover, then I suggest purchasing a LR3, or similar year model LR2 or RR. The mechanical quality is a significant leap from previous years (dont believe Snagger if he chimes in either....HA!). For the two LR3s that I have bought, I have had two major repairs on mine (ball joints/bushings and rear diff - warranty repair) and my ex has had one (balljoints and bushings) on hers. Otherwise routine fluid changes are all that is required. I have put 74k miles on mine in 14 months and she has had 60k miles on hers in about 3 years.
In the four years I owned our 02 D2 over $13k was spent on repairs. Fortunately, we had an extended warranty that covered a little over $7k of those repairs. Those repairs accounted for replacement right front wheel hub (three amigo issue - I dont remember which instance), shuttle valve (x2, but second replacement was under parts & labor warranty), ABS modulator (when the three amigos came on a third time), front cover oil seal, rear main oil seal, head gaskets, I believe rockers, steering box that was leaking, and I cant remember what else.
OO D2, I had the rockers replaced, ABS modulator replaced once, transfer box seals, alternator (mentioned above), steering box, also I had to replace the engine when I had a loud knock from two of the pistons. I upgraded to a 4.6 that had come out of an 04 and had been rebuilt by a Buick 216 (or 215?) engine block specialist in Scottsdale. The engine swap cost me $6k, parts and labor ($1.5k engine block, $4k labor + tax).
Yes, the 02 D2 was maintained by the dealerships. It was my (now ex) wife's daily driver and I was either out of town a lot or we lived in a rural area. I want them repaired correctly, and if there is a problem I want to know that the repairs will be backed up under warranty by the shop. My 00D2, 96 Disco, and 97 RR were repaired by independent rover experts. While living in OK my 00 D2, 02 D2, 2 LR3s and RRC were maintained by the dealerships. Frankly the dealerships here in OK (both Tulsa and OKC) are very competitive with independent shop prices and I dont have to worry about part/labor warranties. That wasnt the case in Phoenix or Las Vegas. Therefore I went to independent shops.
So $5k was a bit on the high end, but $4k is certainly a fair price. I would suggest to those that do not spend that amount of money per year on their D2s (or similar P38 RRs)
1) you are a mechanic and can do much of the work yourself
2) you really do not pay attention to your repair costs
3) you forgo repairs, thus keeping your costs down
4) you're just damn lucky (which I doubt)
Frankly, I have owned too many Rovers (and have been around many many more) to believe any of the stories that repair costs (for pre 2005 models) are <$2k per year. Rovers arent unreliable, they just require constant attention. I refuse to drive pieces of **** and therefore do not forgo needed repairs. Now, if you truly want a quote "reliable" rover, then I suggest purchasing a LR3, or similar year model LR2 or RR. The mechanical quality is a significant leap from previous years (dont believe Snagger if he chimes in either....HA!). For the two LR3s that I have bought, I have had two major repairs on mine (ball joints/bushings and rear diff - warranty repair) and my ex has had one (balljoints and bushings) on hers. Otherwise routine fluid changes are all that is required. I have put 74k miles on mine in 14 months and she has had 60k miles on hers in about 3 years.
DreamingOfExpeditions
Adventurer
I think owning a Rover is like dating a stripper. You can have a lot of fun getting dirty, but she may leave you stranded somewhere strange after taking all your money for coke.
HillbillyfromAL
Explorer
Fixing what ever you drive yourself usually cuts your cost by 2/3 when compared to taking it to a dealer. If your not doing the work yourself the only car you need to look at is a brand new one, or a certified preowned with alot of warranty left.
There's only two things that you should go to the dealer for. Convenience, and stuff you can't handle.
There's only two things that you should go to the dealer for. Convenience, and stuff you can't handle.