Thread: Did I make a mistake ?

Ok so it looks like the initial question has been drowned by certain comments made in my first post that has sparked a bit of tension , that’s fair enough this was not my intention , so if there are any sore noses out there my apologies . It seems this is going to be one of those threads that is going to go on and on without any conclusion.

So just to recap the question, well it was actually 2 of them for those who missed them, they were as follows.

1: Did I make a mistake?

2: I have read that this 2.4 engine may not be such a great achievement by Land Rover (ford) should I be concerned?

Now another after reading more threads re problems .

3: Is there a drive line problem eg: clutch,tranmission,diff's ?

Now in saying that I have only had the Defender for a few days which it still has a short amount of warranty so I’m just searching around for any information pre warranty ending date. It doesn’t seem to have any noticeable problems, though I ‘m certainly concerned based on the information I have read on this form and my past history with Land Rover.

I’m certainly accustom to dealing with inherited manufacturing problems this is for sure I own several Ducati’s and it’s a never ending maintenance schedule .

So all in all I’m just here like every other member trying to get a consensus form a community in regards to my Defenders reliability.

Originally Posted by garrycol

My brother had one from 2007 (his was a 2006 model) to earlier this year - he thought it was a POS - poor power for its engine size and drank according to its engine size and very unreliable - he stopped using it in late 2010 and bought another 4wd but it took him over 14 months to sell at great loss because no one wants them.

Garry

I loved driving ours when it was working.

That is interesting as when we sold ours some were asking for near or more than new prices as they were dropped by Ford. Don't know what they were actually selling for though.
We sold ours sight unseen to a southern dealership.

Originally Posted by Dockstrada

Ok so it looks like the initial question has been drowned by certain comments made in my first post that has sparked a bit of tension , that’s fair enough this was not my intention , so if there are any sore noses out there my apologies . It seems this is going to be one of those threads that is going to go on and on without any conclusion.

So just to recap the question, well it was actually 2 of them for those who missed them, they were as follows.

1: Did I make a mistake?

Yes, most certainly. This is probably a perfect example of a "self-fulfilling prophecy". That vehicle might give you years of untroubled service but when it does falter (and it will at sometime) you will be justified: "I knew I should have been concerned".

2: I have read that this 2.4 engine may not be such a great achievement by Land Rover (ford) should I be concerned?

The engine - should you be concerned? I'm with Tank - the damn things powers half the world's vans - and a fair proportion of them driven by gear-crunchers, clutch riders and who-gives-a-damn-it-is-not-my-vehicle.
It is not the engine rather the "auxiliary stuff" (for the want of a better description) around the engine. (Refer next question)
Now another after reading more threads re problems .

3: Is there a drive line problem eg: clutch,tranmission,diff's ?

Clutch, transmission? Probably no more concern than any codger purchasing a new Hi-lux or Cruiser.
Diff? You've won the chocolates! If we are all honest I reckon it would be a concensus that the P38 diff is not a success story. Enough said.
Now in saying that I have only had the Defender for a few days which it still has a short amount of warranty so I’m just searching around for any information pre warranty ending date. It doesn’t seem to have any noticeable problems, though I ‘m certainly concerned based on the information I have read on this form and my past history with Land Rover.

I’m certainly accustom to dealing with inherited manufacturing problems this is for sure I own several Ducati’s and it’s a never ending maintenance schedule .

So all in all I’m just here like every other member trying to get a consensus form a community in regards to my Defenders reliability.

Hope the above helps. May I add, in all my years of Land Rover ownership I have come to shudder when I see someone purchase a Land Rover who really shouldn't. Other people on this site will recognise what I'm talking about.

To a Land Rover person, the vehicle has a soul. A soul that you, the owner, embraces and caresses. And fight with. Failure to embrace the soul will bring the wrath of the Land Rover God upon you.

Very poetic that for 9.01am on a Sunday morning

Like all above have mentioned, there are some problems that plague certain parts of certain models of LR, this site is also here to help and discuss the solutions to these issues, mild or serious in nature.

The appeal of these vehicles is their soul, character, whatever you want to call it, they have it in abundance.

At the risk of going on about it, we have 2 vehicles, a 2002 Lexus LS430, and a 1985 110 Isuzu county.
The Lexus is totally reliable, totally. It is like driving around in someones luxury leather loungeroom, front and rear Climate control, heated and cooled seats, automatic door closers, Satnav, Awesome stereo, 9.5l/100km on the highway even though it is a 32valve 4.3 V8. Brakes are huge, suspension is fantastic and yes, overall it is about as far removed from a 27 year old Diesel county as you can get.

I spend more time driving my 110 than the wifes car (Yes I am not allowed to sit in it until I have got changed and showered after working on Landies, as it has cream leather ) on weekends. I have a connection to my 110 that isn't there in the LS430.

So, explain THAT



JC

1: No. You love it, you said so yourself. So that's a BIG win.

2: Some engines are good, others are bad. In the same batch of the same model. If you are unlucky, then oh dear. HOWEVER: There's a reason why the Transit is advertised as the Backbone of Britain. Given a choice of van, Transit would be it almost every time. The only real problem I ever had when driving them was height - most Uk car parks are limited to 2m headroom.

Ok so I’m happy the thread has moved on to a more informative direction, this can only be a good thing.

So what I have is a 2008 November built SVX with 80k on the clock , is there anything I should be keeping a look out for in terms of warrantable issues ?


I’m keen to do some engine mods like a DP chip or something down the lines, though 1400 bucks for the DP is a bit on the rich side for 15% increase in torque, is there any other reputable options ?

Also needs lights bull bar as I don’t like the existing one, rear bar , roof basket which I will make my self and duel battery setup .

Original post

Originally Posted by Dockstrada

So after reading through some threads I have the feeling I have made a mistake buying a 2.4 powered 2008 Defender. I know forums can be a place where people can vent their frustrations with problems they have, and all you read is a select few problems that are concentrated onto a small community .But I’m a little concerned as I have had a bad experience with land rover in the past .
I have read that this 2.4 engine may not be such a great achievement by Land Rover (ford) should I be concerned ?

At the risk of getting back on track.

I reckon youse blokes are being a bit hard on the OP, he's just bought himself a 4 yo Puma and is having second thoughts as to whether it was a wise decision so has come here for a bit of support / encouragement.

It's no secret that the 'Puma' isn't LR's greatest success story. Just because the Transit engine is in many vehicles doesn't mean it is any good, especially a 2008 build. Though I would expect the current offerings to be a LOT better. As for the P38 diffs., well their crappiness is legendary.

Perhaps some helpful info from 'Puma' owners on what to look out for and how to be a bit pro-active with maintenance might be more useful than shooting the bloke for asking ?

Getting all defensive about unexplainesd LR 'issues' doesn't help the cause either.
It's no secret that my SIIA had weak LR diffs, cheesy axles and poor brakes (fortunately it didn't go very fast ). My SIII diesel re wrote the book on 'underpowered', had a crappy plastic dash and the six cylinder version was an absolute joke, but at least had a good rear diff.. My classic is a beauty, but again weak diffs., poor low range ratio and the smallest V8 known to man. My P38 was an outstanding machine, complete with a scaringly complex Lucas electrical system, un reliable air bag syspension and again weak diffs. (definite LR trend here). Our D2a is a winner as fortunately the oil pump bolt was tightened, has steel dowells and no 'amigos' yet, though it is on it's 5th inhibitor switch. My Defender Tdi is of course perfect.

Yes all vehicles have problems, identifying them and getting ahead of the game is what makes LR ownership enjoyable, otherwise we'd all buy an LS430 and get bored to death.

Deano

Originally Posted by Dockstrada

Ok so I’m happy the thread has moved on to a more informative direction, this can only be a good thing.

So what I have is a 2008 November built SVX with 80k on the clock , is there anything I should be keeping a look out for in terms of warrantable issues ?


I’m keen to do some engine mods like a DP chip or something down the lines, though 1400 bucks for the DP is a bit on the rich side for 15% increase in torque, is there any other reputable options ?

Also needs lights bull bar as I don’t like the existing one, rear bar , roof basket which I will make my self and duel battery setup .

The main problem is,that you say you have read through the available information and have heard here about possible problems with the drive line ie.Noisy leaky diffs and rattling clutches etc.And the first thing you state that you want to do is to go and add a chip to the engine management system to increase the stress on the driveline!When a standard Puma engined vehicle will already haul more weight than your 100 series,happily all day at the speed limit.
You also need to remember that it isn't a Japanese vehicle,so doesn't require a rear bar.Maybe you might want to add a swing away rear wheel carrier.Add a Traxide dual battery setup,that is made to fit the vehicle,and all will be good in that department.
What you need to remember is that just because you had 200k of good motoring from your 100 series,doesn't make them a great vehicle,they also had their vices,and plenty of them at that,but you got lucky.There are plenty of people on this forum that have late model Defenders and haven't had any mechanical problems at all.So it is all relative,just listen for unusual noises from the driveline,and check for oil leaks(despite what people say,oil leaks on late model Land Rovers,is NOT normal) and you should be good for many miles of happy motoring.And if you see a Defender driver out on the road,you can tell they are happy,because you can't wipe the smile off our faces.