Thread: Please share your Defender 130 problems

Thanks for posting the link Sam, I joined up today so as to read it. (Before anybody asks, yes I do have a landcruiser - HZJ75 ute that I use on the farm). I had better withdraw my generalist comment about most Tojo drivers. That forum is really good and reminded me a lot of the openness and frankness that we experience here on Aulro. It's a real shame that it is not "viewable" without joining up. I've used the the LCOOL website before when looking for instructions on repairing farm utes but never realised that they had a forum.

Was interesting to see the thread you started on that site almost mirror the one on Aulro Sparkys. Started off with people telling you about issues and then descended into a bit of "our car's better then their car".

Perhaps the question is a bit useless in the first place.
Both companies have been making cars for long time now. Both models have their issues be it small or large in the owners eyes. And within both models there are random cars the experience more difficulties than others.
If it were a new model, like when LR launched the Tdci in 07, and the question was asked whats it like compared too? Then it may be of use.

Toyota work the dealer ship pretty hard from what people I know have said who have been into a dealership. In reality cars sit in workshops waiting for parts either from Melbourne or Japan, as do LR's, but from the UK.

I find my dealership work very hard to make my car like new for me. I don't abuse it but I do use it. They find problems with it regularly and go about ordering in parts to keep it new. I don't ask, but I do have a good relationship with them. I have not met anyone who can tell me the same regarding Japanese brands, and when I owned one it was definitely my experience.

When my car is working well it's great, when it's not it a heap. Overall it's been my favourite car to own for many factual and non factual reasons. Articulation and gearing with open diffs is pretty amazing off the show room floor. No need to modify anything, and at 3.5T it pulls itself very well at legal speeds anywhere I have been. To beat my chest I go camping 2 to 3 times a month, and fit in 5 to 8 weeks a year of off road touring. I can also walk up to another Defer owner and almost guarantee I have a mate to talk to for hours if possible.

I can tell you mine has had an ECU, starter motor, ignition, 2 immobilisers, ERG valve, clutch, transfer box, brake booster, master cylinder, swivel hub seals, door locking issues, fuel tank breather, loose door handles, fuel cap, and maybe some other stuff that I cant recall. Some big, some not, and has been flat bed towed 3 times in 2 years, or 60K km. All electrical, 2 very early in the piece, one not so long ago.

would I buy another, most likely yes. The package is not perfect, but sits a whole lot better in my mind than Toyota. Over priced, under specked, and under serviced.

Originally Posted by newhue

Perhaps the question is a bit useless in the first place.
Both companies have been making cars for long time now. Both models have their issues be it small or large in the owners eyes. And within both models there are random cars the experience more difficulties than others.
If it were a new model, like when LR launched the Tdci in 07, and the question was asked whats it like compared too? Then it may be of use.

Toyota work the dealer ship pretty hard from what people I know have said who have been into a dealership. In reality cars sit in workshops waiting for parts either from Melbourne or Japan, as do LR's, but from the UK.

I find my dealership work very hard to make my car like new for me. I don't abuse it but I do use it. They find problems with it regularly and go about ordering in parts to keep it new. I don't ask, but I do have a good relationship with them. I have not met anyone who can tell me the same regarding Japanese brands, and when I owned one it was definitely my experience.

When my car is working well it's great, when it's not it a heap. Overall it's been my favourite car to own for many factual and non factual reasons. Articulation and gearing with open diffs is pretty amazing off the show room floor. No need to modify anything, and at 3.5T it pulls itself very well at legal speeds anywhere I have been. To beat my chest I go camping 2 to 3 times a month, and fit in 5 to 8 weeks a year of off road touring. I can also walk up to another Defer owner and almost guarantee I have a mate to talk to for hours if possible.

I can tell you mine has had an ECU, starter motor, ignition, 2 immobilisers, ERG valve, clutch, transfer box, brake booster, master cylinder, swivel hub seals, door locking issues, fuel tank breather, loose door handles, fuel cap, and maybe some other stuff that I cant recall. Some big, some not, and has been flat bed towed 3 times in 2 years, or 60K km. All electrical, 2 very early in the piece, one not so long ago.

would I buy another, most likely yes. The package is not perfect, but sits a whole lot better in my mind than Toyota. Over priced, under specked, and under serviced.

Thanks Newhue.

I don't think the question is useless, it has had great benefits to me to compile a list of things to help me with my decision. And the DC79 is a completely new model hence it is particularly relevant, for a long time the 130 has had a monopoly on the solid axle dual cab.

You have been a great, open, honest help

Originally Posted by jplambs

Thanks for posting the link Sam, I joined up today so as to read it. (Before anybody asks, yes I do have a landcruiser - HZJ75 ute that I use on the farm). I had better withdraw my generalist comment about most Tojo drivers. That forum is really good and reminded me a lot of the openness and frankness that we experience here on Aulro. It's a real shame that it is not "viewable" without joining up. I've used the the LCOOL website before when looking for instructions on repairing farm utes but never realised that they had a forum.

Was interesting to see the thread you started on that site almost mirror the one on Aulro Sparkys. Started off with people telling you about issues and then descended into a bit of "our car's better then their car".

No problems JP. Yes, I found the Tojo owners to be just as open as the LR owners so I wasn't quite accepting of the 'Toyota owners won't tell you their problems' line.

And yes, I agree it was interesting to see it evolve into a 'my cars better than their car' thread.

FYI to anyone who is interested I've just purchased a Suzuki DR650SE to ride to work and back whilst I'm making my decision. Now there's a reliable vehicle

Hi Sam, have a look at the following link, New Landcruiser 70 Dualcab ute - now with ABS, Bluetooth and more! | 4WD Book & 4X4 News its about the only webpage I could find that compares the two vehicles (sort of). As I mentioned earlier the only thing I find annoying about the defender is the size of the factory fuel tank, after seeing that the LC's is twice the size I'm a little jealous.

Have you been able to ascertain if the wheel base of the LC DC is longer than that of the single cab? I seem to find conflicting reports on the web.

JP, thanks for the link.

I also have found conflicting reports on the wheelbase of the LC Dual Cab. I had a look at one earlier this week, and visually they appear to be a little longer than the single cab, but this was only by eye and not measured.

Well...

I spend my time OFF in LR vehicles and my time ON in Toyotas (and the occasional Nissan) so well positioned to see both.

The best vehicles I have used are the Land Rovers, hands down.
Comfort, capability, suitability are all well bias towards LR.

The best Toyota(s) in the fleet - Prado
Most comfortable of them.
Worst in the fleet - The V8 Diesels and particularly the Utes.

Even the newest ones are eating oil, they are gutless, yes they pull off in 3rd but they have no grunt at all... Quite disappointing for a decent lump of V8.

Front diffs. We've done lots, Hubs fail regularly, driveshafts that squeak within 1000km of greasing.
The whole vehicles rattle and bump.

On loose ground / mud they are a handful as the arse wont follow the front - in sand they jump up the inside mound due to track.

Seats - I'd replace with a block of concrete and broken glass for more comfort.

Pinion leaks, 5th gears that pop, gearbox seals, rattling glass, headlights which rival the 1960 Volkswagon Beetle.

Want to hear about the cracks? Like the welds tearing in the engine bays from the vibration? Or seams splitting the sealant and then rusting? Perhaps the bullbars vibrating so much they break their mounts?

Or the leaf packs twisting? The rear leaf bushes flogging out in short order?

Mirrors that vibrate so much from NVH you cant see in them...

Bad clutches that slip or shudder... Or dont disengage enough to allow gear changes.

Electronics and electrics which play up, engines wont fire some times.

Or how about the weak oil filters that leak?
The 160,000km service that will cost you a full fuel system replacement? Its about $8k

Or the fact that when they break - Toyota dont have spares in the country for 4-8 weeks? Its happening here right now.

We just got a heap of new ones - dirt cheap... Through TFM (Toy Fleet Management) - WHY? Because they are struggling to sell them...
No-one is buying them at the moment.... And why would they? Toyota cant provide spares, their reliability is fading and their reputation is now recognised as the PR and Marketing hype that it always was.


Both brands have their issues - but they are not any better than the rest...


As for Old mate and the 6.0L engine swap.... That should make that vehicle useless... And cost more than just sorting the one he has.

Japs dont do good high output diesels - Europeans do....
Hence the 4.2 patrol = good, 3.0L patrol = crap...
Hence big arse Toyota V8 = power output of a Hamster on a treadmill