Thread: 2014 DEFENDER ISSUES

tact and MrLandy - we'll just keep that on the quiet eh? Don't want too many people to cotton on
Yep MrLandy -$$$$ will be the deciding factor. I might have to keep driving the old 300Tdi and keep kidding myself that it's for nostalgic and sentimental value.
Well, I think all of us are hoping they don't sell out to the soft option of glammed up school and soccer mum buses (they've got discos and freelanders for that).LR reckon it's gonna be their toughest car yet (fingers crossed).

Sure didge I hear you 😉 ...I still love driving my 300tdi, it's lighter somehow, and more straightforward.

Hope their right about toughness!

In 2008 when I went for a new Puma there were two things that helped me make the decision to buy one.
The first thing I did was to check on line to find out how this new Defender was doing reliability wise. To do this I searched within the following paramaters -"Land Rover Defender Puma reliability issues Australia." I did this as I figured that if anyone could find any reliability issues with the new model it would be people who use it to do serious things in difficult situations. That is how I came across this site.
Once here I found people prepared to load up and head out into deserts with this new vehicle. Also maindealers who were hundreds of kilometres away. So I figured that if it was good enough for you lot, it was good enough for me. Sadly the day I bought it, it was stolen. The wife took a test drive and claimed it for herself, leaving me with the 16 year old tdi.
In 2011 the tdi was finally retired when the second Puma arrived. I was well and truly smitten with the Puma.
The other factor that swayed me in the direction of a Puma was a three year warranty. This was the icing on the cake as far as a Defender was concerned. Definitely enough time to get any teething issues sorted (dealer dependent of course !!)
I had the familiar things done under warranty but three years after the warranty expired I had an engine change with Land Rover picking up the lions share of the cost, so I can't complain there.
I'm happy with the Puma but as it is so easy to drive and live with I do feel a bit of a fraud. I like to think of myself as a true blue Land Rover man. First car was a 90 turbo diesel which was the family car for six years. Next up was a 200 tdi 110 which was the family car for 16 years. My wife learned how to drive in it and passed her test first time in it. She thought it was terrific until she bagged the 2008 Puma. Living with a turbo diesel or a tdi made one feel "special" especially on long journeys. Little do people know when they see me or the wife in the Puma how civilised and how downright "unDefender like" it really is.
So when the replacement Defender comes along I'll be scanning these pages to find out what the general concensus is on it and it's capabilities.
Then there will be the seven year warranty to consider and add to the equation.

Originally Posted by MrLandy

Sure didge I hear you 😉 ...I still love driving my 300tdi, it's lighter somehow, and more straightforward.

Hope their right about toughness!

''Sigh'' all this Tdi's are the best,how long have you been around Tdi's?,have you had yours from new?,you have nothing but negative comments about the TDCi but the Tdi is the second coming.You seem to forget many of us rose through the ranks and have fond memories of early Tdi ownership,trust me,the ''problems'' the TDCi has is nothing compared to the Tdi,the Tdi only got to were it is because it was allowed to mature as a design,the Td5 having a short production run is even worse off,the TDCi is light years ahead of both.If changing four $30 axle flanges is a big issue for you lucky you got into the game late. Pat

Originally Posted by Didge

I'm secretly plotting to maybe jump into a new (read current) Defender when some people jump into the new one - in whatever guise it comes. People will do that so I'm hoping to pounce

Good luck with that Didge I'm keeping mine.

No way I will be parting with mine. Mind you today I had a close call driving through Manjimup. A woman in a Chysler sedan just ignored all road rules and didn't give way to me on the roundabout heading south out of town. Worst of all she then screeched to a halt straight in front of me.

Discovered the brakes on a 2015 110 work well. Abs kicked in and I must have halted maybe six inches from her side window. Let say she had a slightly panicked look with my a frame bar sitting inches from her face.

Originally Posted by EastFreo

[...]Discovered the brakes on a 2015 110 work well. Abs kicked in and I must have halted maybe six inches from her side window. Let say she had a slightly panicked look with my a frame bar sitting inches from her face.

Whaoah! Good save there, EastFreo!

Originally Posted by EastFreo

No way I will be parting with mine.

Quite funny how people actually think that after going through the teething stage with a Deefer that we're going to go and sell it!