Thread: Defender Puma 2.2 - voice your issues

Originally Posted by 51mondays

thanks folks


well that's where i'm going wrong you see - I am comparing a defender to my late model hilux. and the Toyota always seems so damn sensible when I get back into it.


I love the noise of the landy, the way it rides (reminds me a bit of the 1972 combi I once had). I love the way it looks. I just don't wanna drop $50k into a hole. There is so much sense and nonsense online one can't make head nor tail of what's right. I am shocked by all the stories of clutches/rear diffs, TCs, gearboxes, electrics, finishing the last 10% of the car blah blha bbjbjfas. I do like the motor, I wish LR just built the body/ driveshaft with a bit more care.


I'm just nervous. I don't even know what i'm asking anymore.


I like what you're saying LouisW - but how much did you pay for your dog?


I recon the sensible thing to do is probably just man-up and sign-up...and see what happens.

We test drove a Defender in 2010 and ended up buying a Dmax because it was the sensible choice. I ended up spending over $20,000 in accessories setting it up for touring and holidays. It was a great car but it was a car. Then in 2013 on my 40th birthday my wife decided we should go into the yard to have a look. We hadn't quite gotten over them and we were conscious of the clock ticking. We signed on for a 9 month delivery. We sold our Hyundai and kept the Dmax. The plan was to keep the Dmax for holidays and in time set the 110 up for touring and eventually sell the Dmax.

Well we picked up the 110 in May 2014. In July we went to Exmouth taking the Dmax. In October we went to Shark Bay again taking the Dmax. Both times we got home looked at the 110 and couldn't wait to get into it. We got home from Shark Bay on the Saturday. On the Monday we had to drop into the Dealers to get something fixed on mine. By Monday afternoon we'd agreed on the price with our son for the Dmax and a 90 was on order.

The end result is that our son is driving the sensible choice and got a good deal on a kitted out 4wd that he would never have been able to afford himself and it only has 35,000km on the clock.

It was sensible but it was also boring compared to the Defender. You either want one or you don't. Don't let sensibility get in the way.

Most people don't have any significant problems with diffs, gearbox or clutch. Others have had a shocker of a run. People who own Defenders are the self help kind who will post looking for a solution. So there will be a lot of posts about problems.

People who own more mainstream vehicles are more likely (not always) to just take to someone to get it fixed rather than post a question. However there are like minded self help Toyota, Nissan, and Mitsubishi 4wd owners out there who do like to find there own solution.

The next Defender will be interesting. I'm hoping it has a similarly large cargo area, D3/4 type independent air suspension, TR, ediff as standard, & auto.

Originally Posted by loneranger

.... Don't let sensibility get in the way.

my only reasons to be sensible (and i'm not really mad about being sensible) are:


1. financial (although clearly any car is something of a gamble)
2. nearest LR dealer is 1.5hrs drive away, so if I do have warranty issues its a PITA


..I can walk to the Toyota dealer.. but on the subject - does anybody know of a great independent near Castlemaine/Bendigo? I spoke to Brit auto in Romsey and the bloke there was very helpful indeed......still an hour away though


cheers for the feedback and ideas

Originally Posted by rar110

The next Defender will be interesting. I'm hoping it has a similarly large cargo area, D3/4 type independent air suspension, TR, ediff as standard, & auto.

To be truly capable, it should be a manual!

Originally Posted by 51mondays

my only reasons to be sensible (and i'm not really mad about being sensible) are:


1. financial (although clearly any car is something of a gamble)
2. nearest LR dealer is 1.5hrs drive away, so if I do have warranty issues its a PITA


..I can walk to the Toyota dealer.. but on the subject - does anybody know of a great independent near Castlemaine/Bendigo? I spoke to Brit auto in Romsey and the bloke there was very helpful indeed......still an hour away though


cheers for the feedback and ideas

We don't quite have that problem where we live but our sensible Dmax broke down on a trip to Shark Bay at Regan's Ford. The car went into limp mode. We continued to Badgingarra to find a mechanic only for him to be out of town. We then continued to Geraldton and took it into the dealers.

We were towing our camper trailer and were stuck doing 40 unless going down hill. It took them about 2 minutes to diagnose the problem (the accelerator unit had failed) and 5 days to get the part. So just because there is a dealer accessible doesn't mean they can get you back on the road in a reasonable amount of time. We were initially advised it would be an overnight part.

On the other hand both of our Defender's have been back to the dealer's for warranty fixes requiring parts to be flown in. We were somewhat surprised on both occasions when they advised the parts would be shipped in the next day and it actually happened. Neither part was a show stopper aircon hose (I think) and a new fan for the aircon.

Last night at the corner of Barenjoey and Bardo Rd in Newport NSW in 10 min 3 x defenders drove past. I was ****ed off because I have been driving a dealer loan defender for 3 days and could not wave at any one because all I saw was + $150k SUV's. Then a BMW X 5. 5.0d. Stopped at the traffics lights - cut out and the tail gate opened. The ownered was obviously on the phone to bmw road side assist.... Feeling stupid in the middle lane with a open tail gate.

I am 48 years old and as a child I remember cars on the side off road with bonets open or flat Tyers. This does not happen today albeit I dont understand it, car technology and reliability today is outstanding. tyres don't get punctures, this why we have space savers and run flat. If you want 110% reliabilty buy an Hyhundia. - can you imaging you grandad saying this??

Relax!!! - buy a defender or a landy ........and if it breaks fix it ......and if you after 0% risk catch a bus, walk or hire a Hyhundia

Originally Posted by 51mondays

my only reasons to be sensible (and i'm not really mad about being sensible) are:


1. financial (although clearly any car is something of a gamble)
2. nearest LR dealer is 1.5hrs drive away, so if I do have warranty issues its a PITA


..I can walk to the Toyota dealer.. but on the subject - does anybody know of a great independent near Castlemaine/Bendigo? I spoke to Brit auto in Romsey and the bloke there was very helpful indeed......still an hour away though


cheers for the feedback and ideas

My closest decent dealer is 4 hours away (390km).

However, I drive 12 hours each way when possible (I drive 1200km to Melbourne from Whyalla, SA) as the service there is *that* good...

Local Toyota dealer is 5 min walk, and we have to take the fleet vehicles to that useless mob - which mess up simple tasks, never have spare parts (often 8-10 WEEK delivery - no I'm not joking) and generally have no idea wtf they are doing.

Remember, these things need less services than a Toyota, so that 1 hour is hardly a problem! Plus you'll enjoy driving it so won't care!!!!!!

As a recent ex Prado driver all I can say is factor in the injectors. I got more than most with 93000km. First dealer quote as I was over $7000! Ended up paying $3000 after many ring arounds.

Also just the other day I was getting a bit of stick at work from a Toyota supporter who then amusingly told me how his then very new Toyota had a massive rollover from what I think he said was a steering rod failure some years back. It ended up being s recall. Not that it mattered - he had a write off.

At the end of the day all brands have issues. Fingers crossed we all get the good ones in the batch.