Hi all, not been on for a while.

As the vast majority of posts on here tend to show the P38 in a bad light, problem after problem, I would like to share my experience with my P38.
It is a 1999 4.6 HSE with 105,000 miles showing when purchased.
Purchased begining of October last year after it had stood since May so didn't look too good. A couple of days cleaning and it came up like new. Full service and thorough inspection carried out which lead to me changing all four airsprings, the exhaust, plenum foam, battery, and a new set of General Grabber A/T's.
Now in the fifth month of ownership and no problems, it has run perfectly and been an absolute pleasure to drive.
Is this a P38 record ? and
Am I tempting fate making such a statement ?
Long live the P38 !!!!!

You're gonna regret saying that……..

I've got a Discovery 3 and if you read the problems they have you wouldn't touch them with a barge pole. I've had mine for five years now and the first four years I had no problems. Last year it did throw it's toys out a couple of times during the summer but at the moment all is ok. I've also got a P38 which I'm working on now and I'll wait an see how it goes, but I'm hoping that it will be ok.
The fact of the matter is if your Disco 3 or P38 is running well with no issues then most owners will not bother to say unless they are perhaps prompted to do so.

tony2 said:

Hi all, not been on for a while.

As the vast majority of posts on here tend to show the P38 in a bad light, problem after problem, I would like to share my experience with my P38.
It is a 1999 4.6 HSE with 105,000 miles showing when purchased.
Purchased begining of October last year after it had stood since May so didn't look too good. A couple of days cleaning and it came up like new. Full service and thorough inspection carried out which lead to me changing all four airsprings, the exhaust, plenum foam, battery, and a new set of General Grabber A/T's.
Now in the fifth month of ownership and no problems, it has run perfectly and been an absolute pleasure to drive.
Is this a P38 record ? and
Am I tempting fate making such a statement ?
Long live the P38 !!!!!

Click to expand...

Like anything else, if you look after it, it will look after you. It's when people who don't know what they are doing try to service and maintain on the cheap or don't service at all, that the problems arise.

I've done over 10K in my 12 year old 4.6 with very few problems, considering the age of the car I'm pleased with it.

got mine in june 2011 after over 2 years of trying t ofind a really decent one.

Apart from changing the front air springs (they were original), the bulbs in the HEVAC unit, the interior light unit in the boot & the frayed drivers side seatbelt not a single problem. I did do a full fluid & filter service as soon as I got it (engine, gearbox & brake fluid)

It's an absolute pleasure to own & drive but you do need to keep on top of them as said. Best car I've ever owned

tony2 said:

Hi all, not been on for a while.

As the vast majority of posts on here tend to show the P38 in a bad light, problem after problem, I would like to share my experience with my P38.
It is a 1999 4.6 HSE with 105,000 miles showing when purchased.
Purchased begining of October last year after it had stood since May so didn't look too good. A couple of days cleaning and it came up like new. Full service and thorough inspection carried out which lead to me changing all four airsprings, the exhaust, plenum foam, battery, and a new set of General Grabber A/T's.
Now in the fifth month of ownership and no problems, it has run perfectly and been an absolute pleasure to drive.
Is this a P38 record ? and
Am I tempting fate making such a statement ?
Long live the P38 !!!!!

Click to expand...

Lol...I was saying the same up until a few days ago, 15 months trouble free motoring with just minor things going wrong but never letting me down. Just don't let the car hear you praise it like I did

I've now had my DHSE for 3 years. It had a new compressor and one front height sensor just before I got it and I renewed the Airsprings as soon as I got it home. It also needed an aircon condensor and the drivers side window regulator failed after a couple of months. I also replaced the drag link. Over the 3 years I have replaced the other front height sensor and air dryer and overhauled the valve block There has been one incident with the EAS in the early days, otherwise the EAS has been totaly reliable. The auto box has played up but a dose of Lucas transmission fix has sorted that for the moment and it's had a new battery. Now it has a water leak when it rains at the front and a slight smell of diesel under the bonnet but no sign of a leak and a small oil leak which I also cannot locate the source of. Too bloody cold to look for the moment, -5c midday, -12C at night and
6" of snow, supposed to be mild here LOL. Cheap motoring compared to my Xtrail.
All in all in 24000 miles not too bad, certainly nothing that has caused me real grief. Not what you would call Japanese reliability though. I would go anywhere in it without hesitation.
There have been some other bits and pieces, but they were my fault not the cars.
It's the first car I've had since my XJS that I can do 400 miles in day without feeling tired at the end of the day. So despite the poor quality of construction I won't be getting rid of it anytime soon.