Help LR3 Or Not - reliability

Help.

I have recently test driven the TD6 and would like to get feedbackfrom current LR3 users on the following.

1. List of Problems so far. Has any body had any. if so would any body suggest waiting.
2. Any thought on residuals. after 3 Years.

If I can be sure it will hold its value and will be reliable I am sold

Thanks in advance

All those views and no replies. Can nobody help

Sorry I can't give you actual experience but I think it might take a while before you can get an accurate idea of the LR3's reliability. It's so full of electronics that I'd be inclined to wait a year to see how it holds up.

I've got an LR3 loaner while by Freelander is in the shop. I say hold out. The loaner has less than 3,000 miles and has several problems. Water leaks in around the drivers's door (enough that my pants were damp after driving 20 minutes in heavy rain), the plastic bezel around the gear shift popped out when I put the car in park and the only way to open the gas tank cover is to pry it open with a key! I'd say there are more than a few quality issues to be conquered.

I have heard that there are problems with the electronics and there may even have been a recall.

I would say wait a bit till teething problems ironed out.

i've heard that LR don't even have a proper diagnostics programe for it yet

and with all them computers that could be dodgy though this might not be true

Hi there,

when I read this, I simply had to respond. We just got our brand new Discovery 3, TDV 6, manual transmission, 7 seater. Before I bought it, I "researched" virtually every website and visited many dealers. I would say, you could very well go ahead and buy it now.
So far there has definetely been "no recall". Further, there is no problem with regard to water entering the cabin and the gas cover does not need a key to open. Whenever you unlock the car, the gas cover is also unlocked (just like with all modern cars). And there "is" a diagnostics program.
So far the only critics I would have refer to the fact that the documentation is not as thorough as with other cars in this category. For example, in addition to the manual's options you can program the key so that the back door will open while the rest of the car remains locked and there is no hint in the manual on how to remove the head rests in the second row. This is possible through pushing a little button-like area on the opposite side to the button with which you can raise/lower the head rest. For us, this is important, since the kids' seats fit better then.
Otherwise so far I can only say that the Disco is superb car. It's diesel engine drives more comfortable than the one in our recent BMW 530 (new model). The interior does have an upscale look and feel. We bought the walnut fascia which is really worth the costs.
I will keep you posted on our experiences with the Disco, positive and negative.

Bye from Bavaria,
Christian

Well i have driven quite a few lr3 manual auto and petrol/diesel,they drive better than a new range rover auto box is brilliant and diesel is so quiet,as with all technology comes problems. people demand more gadgets or so they say and sometimes reliability can suffer,there are minor glitches as with all car manufactures in this day and age as they try and beat the competition ford are doing better in my opinion than bmw who just wanted to steal a 4x4 design so they brought landrover now ford own it along with jag/aston martin/landrover/and others will make it work.of course it has diagnostic capabilities what do you think turns the car on from the factory ,a great car a great brand, yes some small glitches in electrics this car has fibre optics and faster can bus systems 12 times plus faster than disco 2,no water leaks i have heard of no recalls either henhancements possibly to keep your car tip top even your own laptop needs upgrades from microsoft,the new range rover sport has the same chassis tdv6 engine plus of course the super charged for petrol heads the same eletrics terrain response,the only down side i know off is the tdv6 engines use 1 litre of oil every 1 thousand miles till run in about 6 months i have heard,i hope this helps from passionate landrover owner.

My one experience was the loaner which I ended up having for a week. In addition to the above problems, the stereo system had some problems. One day it stopped working for no apparent reason until I stopped the car and restarted.

LR isn't the only one with these type problems. I do some work for a Mercedes supplier on the M-Class vehicles. These guys absolutely swear to NEVER get a model produced in the first 6 months. According to them, manufacturing and assembly processes are constantly being refined in those early months. Year 2 is golden, year 1 is a often a little shakey.

For you guys in the UK, just be happy you can buy a Defender. Alas, LR America doesn't import them any longer.


bc

hi yes there is certain software problems with the radio and phones but you are right merc bmw landrover and volvo are all suffering,year 2 will be a lot better new range rover suffers very little with bad eletrics now but they did in the begining

Well not trying to put you off or anything. I've had 8 Land Rover Discovery's. Loved everyone. When it was time to change my current Discovery for an LR3 I went to the showroom and was greatly put off.
Problem 1: Glovebox wouldn't shut, so it stayed open!
Problem 2: Couldn't open boot, got salesman to ensure it was unlocked but he couldn't open it either, Great!
Problem 3: Roller blind covering up the boot had broken off, something simple like a clip snapping in half.
I could go on and on, but save you the boredom! After telling the salesman that there were problems with the car, all he could say in its defence was "It is a showroom car, they do get used alot" Well aren't they supposed to?! It's a 4x4 I replied, if this is all it can put up with, good luck with selling them! So next year I shall be looking for another car, and will be breaking the chain of 8 Consecutive Discoverys! Shame. . . . .

@Discoowner

Sorry, but it seems that hardcore disco drivers of previous years do not want to accept the fact that this car, except for it's basic shape, has not much to do with previous versions and makes them kind of outdated in comparison.
I have spoken yesterday once more to the lead mechanic of our dealership and it is a fact that still there has been no recall for the LR3 at all as yet.
When I compare this to e.g. the 2 Porsche cars I bought brand new and a couple of BMWs , I must say that those ALL had recalls (plural) within the first 3 months after their launch.
In addition, virtually all tests of the Disco 3 in Germany, Italy, France, the UK, etc. come to the conclusion that this is a very good car.
And again sorry, the glove compartment, trunk(back door), gas cover etc. all do open - but of course, you can alway break them as weel :--)
My suggestion - rent/lend it for a week and you will be thrilled.

Christian

Sorry to hear you dont think buying a new disco a safe bet,yes i cant lie and say they dont have a few problems as like most car makers,maybe buying the 1st generation car is not allways as rewarding as we would like,there are far to many gadgets that just dont inspire confidence and dont give us the reliability that we expect from our pride and joy,regardless of cost,also we have gone from being mechanics to technitions and now on to diagnostions,i have trained so much i should have just trained on IT and be on £50k+ a year, instead of the pitance i get paid,because believe me i want to make customers happy and i feel sad for them nowing the grief that maybe instore,mercedes are bringing out a new basic car as they are also loosing customers because of reliability.it must all end at some point,i love my old 300 tdi its basic it always starts and i always get were i need to be,like all old landrovers if its not broke dont fix it.

@tigapiglet,

did you mean me? I don't think so, since I am absolutely satisfied with the Disco 3, I think it is a wonderful and in Germany unfortunately underrated car.

Christian

No sorry i dont mean you just replying to who everelse thought the LR3 was not worth its salt i think its a great car but not without teething troubles like all new vehicles.

Took delivery of Dicovery in Feb. After 1 week, low coolant warning light came on. LR replaced the switch. Next week came on again, so took it back to the dealer. Have discovered that coolant is leaking into the engine and are contacting LR to find out what to do. Car was also mis-firing slightly, was difficult to start and was producing smoke when starting - obviously linked to the coolant problem. So currently don't have a Discovery 3!

Nice care though, and the dealer so far has been very helpful.