tweedledee Posted December 19, 2019 Report Share Posted December 19, 2019 Does anyone have a good word on a discovery 3????? I'm seriously considering one as a runabout..surely they can't all be bad?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisjpainter Posted December 19, 2019 Report Share Posted December 19, 2019 My friend's a large animal vet. She was called out to a tricky giraffe cesarean section (as you do). As she approached a roundabout in her Disco 3, literally all the electrics went. The engine died, the power steering went, abs, hazards you name it she lost it. She skidded to a stop in the middle of the roundabout and blocked the whole thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruno22rf Posted December 19, 2019 Report Share Posted December 19, 2019 (edited) Slightly wide of the mark but I was in a similar situation before buying my Range Rover - it's 15 years old and renowned for being expensive to run and totally unreliable as well as being thirsty and so complex that you need a degree in electronics to turn the radio on. Well, after 3 years of ownership, I am so glad that I bought it - these things are slow (but it doesn't matter in the slightest) they are thirsty (but so comfortable) and, if you learn how to fix/service them yourself, they are cheaper to keep on the road than your average family saloon (new front complete driveshaft with 2 x CV joints and gaiters - £60) - I can do an Oil/Air / Oil filter change in half an hour for less than £50. Drive a Range Rover/ Disco and see what you think - join an owners forum and ask as many questions as you like then buy the best you can from a dealer, using a credit card to at least put down the deposit, and enjoy - dont believe what everybody says, a lot of people who slag them off have, most likely, never owned one.Oh - and it's a massive benefit if you have a good local independant LR Garage that works for cash - had 2 drop links fitted today for £50. Edited December 19, 2019 by bruno22rf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninjaferret Posted December 19, 2019 Report Share Posted December 19, 2019 (edited) I bought and had fitted 2 drop links on my 20 year old landcruiser today for a grand total of £38 and they were delivered to the door. i'll never have another landrover . Edited December 19, 2019 by ninjaferret Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spurs 14 Posted December 19, 2019 Report Share Posted December 19, 2019 I know a few people that have one and the disco 4, they love them , like any car there are ones that have problems but they are not as bad as people make out , people love to knock the Land Rover Range , yes they went away from the workmanlike easy to fix models to all electric all singing models but the hundreds of thousands they sold they didn’t all have problems ,,,,,,!!!!!!!! For the money I think they are hard to beat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tweedledee Posted December 19, 2019 Author Report Share Posted December 19, 2019 There too many of them on the road for them to be that bloody awful...folk with a 3 wouldn't have bought a 4 if they were that bad... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted December 19, 2019 Report Share Posted December 19, 2019 There is little doubt the more modern you go in the Land Rover family then the more trouble you are buying. As said there is so much electrical gizmos these days that even getting your local garage to do a service can be difficult. I have a 1989 Land Rover 90 and every now and then a part needs replacing ..windscreen wiper switch £12 and I can replace it myself. A new pair of discs and pads for the front, all in, around £45 and I can change them myself. I spoke with a fairly modern Freelander owner today and he needed a new rear disc, just the disc and had been quoted £45 plus fitting. As with any second hand vehicle have a good look at it prior to making a decison. See if the seller has full service history papers which will or should tell you a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirDread Posted December 20, 2019 Report Share Posted December 20, 2019 Had a disco 2 and had all the problems you get with them :- Leaking sunroof, oil in electrics, oil pump bolt failure, leaking suspension pipes etc etc etc etc etc. Looked long and hard at Discovery 3's. I think they are great looking cars the 4's even better and superbly capable off road with better on road manners than its competitors like the landcruiser. BUT. Spend a bit of time reviewing the car on sites like Honest john, parkers etc and you will see a number of failures, faults, recalls in my book to many. Add to that the wear and tear costs of a second hand 4x4 of which the landrover is very heavy on especially its suspension, wishbones and bushes etc and you definitely need to be either very handy with the spanners or have deep pockets even if its an indy doing the work. Main stealer you will need to remortgage. They are great cars but a rollercoaster of emotions owning in my humble view. I have nearly bought a 4 a couple of times but the random engine failures due to throwing crank shells just does not give me the confidence to buy one. I went landcruiser a few years ago and will be going back to one. They are not as nice to be in or ride but I wont have to spend my spare time fixing them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Centrepin Posted December 20, 2019 Report Share Posted December 20, 2019 Join the Disco 3/4 club, Google. You'll get honest good and bad from the folk that run/play/fix/break em. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wooder Posted December 20, 2019 Report Share Posted December 20, 2019 I have a discovery 4, love it, its only done 41k and already had new 2 new wishbones. but for comfort and ride you cant beat it, the load area is amazing with the rear seats folded down. Another downside its £1200 to £1500 for a cambelt service. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlistairB Posted December 20, 2019 Report Share Posted December 20, 2019 I had a 3 for about 80,000 miles and only had to fix 2 x EGR valves and the air suspension pump. I've had a D4 for 4 years that i've done another 80,000 in and the only issue with that has been front lower suspension arms needing replacing. AB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wyn Posted December 20, 2019 Report Share Posted December 20, 2019 I have had a D3 commercial for a few years. I repair it myself when needed and have a good diagnostic tool that can sort out all the electrical bits and more. I service it every 5k miles and adjust the handbrake at the same time. I do need to chuck a few parts at it every year but it's a nice drive. It's on 212k miles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hammertime Posted December 21, 2019 Report Share Posted December 21, 2019 Had a disco 3 loverly comfortable car not bad on fuel but if you use it off-road prepare for some hefty bills if the electric hand brake gets mud in it it will strip the gearing £800 each time had two fitted and gave up using it off road also air suspension pump failed £££ but the reason i got shot if it was of the corrosion underneath Land Rover specialist told me to get rid of it any welding and the whole body has to taken of because of the wiring loom ps sold it for a shogun bit more agricultural but so far no problems Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tweedledee Posted December 21, 2019 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2019 1 hour ago, Hammertime said: Had a disco 3 loverly comfortable car not bad on fuel but if you use it off-road prepare for some hefty bills if the electric hand brake gets mud in it it will strip the gearing £800 each time had two fitted and gave up using it off road also air suspension pump failed £££ but the reason i got shot if it was of the corrosion underneath Land Rover specialist told me to get rid of it any welding and the whole body has to taken of because of the wiring loom ps sold it for a shogun bit more agricultural but so far no problems Funny I'm more of a shogun man myself but swb models are like hens teeth over here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuddster Posted December 21, 2019 Report Share Posted December 21, 2019 I've had LR's in a few different flavours-Series 2a/3 swb and lwb then R/Rovers 3.5,3.9 and a lpg jobbie. I drove D2's at work for a few years-very asthmatic and always under repair.Then the pathfinders came along and were nicknamed the' garagefinders.' D4's came along-great motors but they had their issues usually very expensive ones. When the time came to purchase my own family 4x4 come tow car and shooting bus I settled on the 120 landcruiser. bought the car at 22k miles and had its 14 years-now on 129k. I love LR but I also love completing my journey with the family on board etc etc. I still hanker after a R/R from about 2012 onwards but the voices in my head wont let me. If I win tonights lottery, what motor would I buy? Yep a few LR's. If I don't win, I'll stick with the LC for now. f. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.