Is it time to get a Pajero?

[Gullible]

Our holiday started out OK. The D3 (the we have owned for 2 months) had a full engine and transmission service before we left. We thought of it as insurance as we were towing a 2 tonne caravan 1,000km.

4 days after arriving there was an exhaust smell in the cab. Not much the local mechanics could do at 12pm on christmas eve except give us the name of the nearest Land Rover dealer (1hr away) to book the car in and order parts.

A very hot christmas weekend was spent driving with the windows down.

Tuesday took the D3 to Land Rover. They said it was not the EGR something to do with the pipe by the oil filler and they would need to get the part in. Back the next day to get it fixed and was told the inlet manifold was damaged so the pipe could not be replaced and that they would need to order in the inlet manifold.

Back the next day, waited all day in the dealership from 8am to 4.30pm told that the clips that hold the fuel lines are too warn to be re-used. Land Rover special part and would have to be ordered in. As this was 4.30pm on New Years Eve they would not arrive until Tuesday.

Phone up 2pm on Wednesday and as the car would not be ready until 4.30pm it was decided to wait until Thursday to pick it up.

Phone up Thursday (today). The car is ready to go. I ask if it has been road tested and that there are no more fumes in the cab? Told to phone back in a couple of hours. I phone back and there is problem with my turbo loosing boost, something about the air intake. They will phone me when they know more.

The Land Rover dealer phoned at 11am to let me know that my crossover pipe is cracked and a fire hazard. They will have to order in the part.

So much for heading home today.:mad:

I wouldn't mind extending our holiday, only we are without a car that can cross our creek if it floods. :eek:
and we sold our tractor so there is lots to do and nothing to do it with. :(

[Mick_Marsh]

But, it is getting fixed.

[Eevo]

pajero means bull**** in Spanish.

it souds like your engine service didnt include an inspection.

[bsperka]

pajero means bull**** in Spanish.


I need to call you out on that. It is a Spanish slang word meaning 'He who fiddles with himself for sexual gratification'. (Urban dictionary).

[scomac]

Same thing could happen with a Mitsubitsi !!! I rescued a Pajero on the beach last weekend and a Triton. That's two Mitsubities in one day, and on 19's :p

I think someone took a photo, must find it!!!!

[Eevo]

I need to call you out on that. It is a Spanish slang word meaning 'He who fiddles with himself for sexual gratification'. (Urban dictionary).

oh thats much better!

[TerryO]

The reality is its a 10 year old vehicle and things go wrong with vehicles of this age, the annoying thing was it happened in your and everyone else's Christmas New Years break which also meant it was hard to get parts in a reasonable time.

A Pajero that is 10 years old would have problems as well.

[Meken]

I'd be asking some serious questions of the guys who looked at it before you left!

[DoubleChevron]

Pretty vague descriptions here. I'd say whatever the "cross over" pipe is had cracked causing all the issues. I HATE modern cars for the exact reasons outlined. You need to change "XX" part ... So you change that and break all the plastic housings, plastic clips, plastic hoses, plastic joiners getting to the part to be replaced. So a small job turns into an drama of trying to find brittle plastic parts that are often order in/dealer only.

The Pajero will be the same. Last time we went away my brother rang me .... the Pajero has was pouring out gearbox oil. He was filling the rear diff every 30kms (I have visions of the poor rangie towing our caravan back home, then towing his caravan home, then his Pajero home). I crawled under it and it had spat one of the driveshafts which took the seal with it. So we pushed the seal back in and tapped the driveshaft back in. "tow with it in 4wd to spread the load over both axles" ..... He has investigated since getting home and they are known for spitting rear driveshafts when towing. You need to upgrade the snap rings that hold them in.

I like pre-90's cars. No fragile plastic **** under the bonnets usually :)

seeya,
Shane L.

[DoubleChevron]

I'd be asking some serious questions of the guys who looked at it before you left!

Why ? I was probably some fragile bit of plastic that broke. Unless you want mechanics to change every bit of plastic under your bonnet when it's serviced, this is "ALL" modern cars for you :(

seeya,
Shane L.

[PAT303]

When I had my L322 I just went over it at 80K as we were moving to the Pilbara and change all the plastic parts as Shane put it with new ones,LR parts from the UK are cheap as chips and I didn't have a single breakdown when I sold it at 165,000K's.Spend some time on the interweb and find out what people are breaking and go from there,a 10 year old vehicle is a 10 year old vehicle regardless of the badge and LR parts are much cheaper than most. Pat

[p38arover]

LR parts are much cheaper than most. Pat

Surely that can't be true. All the 4WD magazines tell us just how expensive LR parts are. :angel:

[letherm]

A Pajero that is 10 years old would have problems as well.

Precisely. My last car was a Pajero. At 12 years the auto gearbox died. Cost me about $4,000 plus from memory to get a second hand box fitted. My mechanic could not source a reconditioned one and new ones are not stocked for cars over 10 years old. I was already in the market for a new car in the following year and given the feel of the transmission I thought I was sitting on a time bomb. I bought my D4 within 6 months.

Martin

[bsperka]

I thought you might think it was

[Gullible]

all valid points.
The D3 is a great car to drive and tow with but it is sending us broke, literally.

Crossover pipes tend to brake because someone didn't do up the bracket that holds it on. Eventually it cracks. Our peeve is that we went into the garage telling them about the exhaust gasses in the cab and their first repair had nothing to do with the leak.

I have limited mechanical skill and do not have the time to source parts for repair as it is our daily driver. SWMBO likes the D3 but this last repair has pushed the limit, she wants something that comes with a warranty. We can not afford Land Rovers that are still within warranty. :(

[rangieman]

all valid points.
The D3 is a great car to drive and tow with but it is sending us broke, literally.

Crossover pipes tend to brake because someone didn't do up the bracket that holds it on. Eventually it cracks. Our peeve is that we went into the garage telling them about the exhaust gasses in the cab and their first repair had nothing to do with the leak.

I have limited mechanical skill and do not have the time to source parts for repair as it is our daily driver. SWMBO likes the D3 but this last repair has pushed the limit, she wants something that comes with a warranty. We can not afford Land Rovers that are still within warranty. :(

Well swmbo has spoken and you can not be swayed so be it move on and enjoy your new venture ;)

[Narangga]

I have limited mechanical skill and do not have the time to source parts for repair as it is our daily driver. SWMBO likes the D3 but this last repair has pushed the limit, she wants something that comes with a warranty. We can not afford Land Rovers that are still within warranty. :(


Well swmbo has spoken and you can not be swayed so be it move on and enjoy your new venture ;)

I agree with rangieman - may you truly enjoy what the future holds.

However I am curious what transpired with the court episode you referred to?

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/general-chat/228453-off-nsw-civil-administrative-tribunal-any-tips.html#post2455698

[PAT303]

Surely that can't be true. All the 4WD magazines tell us just how expensive LR parts are. :angel:

There's a few on here that pay the Land Rover Tax,my TDCi winch bar,light bar,lights,wiring loom,RAI were cheaper to buy ex UK and then shipped to Newman than what it cost just to buy the bar in Oz,plus frieght was cheaper from the UK to Newman than what is was from Perth to Newman :confused:,I'd like that one explained. Pat

[PAT303]

all valid points.
The D3 is a great car to drive and tow with but it is sending us broke, literally.

Crossover pipes tend to brake because someone didn't do up the bracket that holds it on. Eventually it cracks. Our peeve is that we went into the garage telling them about the exhaust gasses in the cab and their first repair had nothing to do with the leak.

I have limited mechanical skill and do not have the time to source parts for repair as it is our daily driver. SWMBO likes the D3 but this last repair has pushed the limit, she wants something that comes with a warranty. We can not afford Land Rovers that are still within warranty. :(

Parts can be ordered over the web in minutes and fitted during servicing,service kits for your vehicle can be ordered the same way.When I had my L322 Oz prices for a service kit were $180 for no name,$240 for genuine or $300 for BMW,original Mahle service kit ex UK was $60. Pat

[Gullible]

I agree with rangieman - may you truly enjoy what the future holds.

However I am curious what transpired with the court episode you referred to?

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/general-chat/228453-off-nsw-civil-administrative-tribunal-any-tips.html#post2455698

That will be happening after Christmas. The dealer originally agreed to cancel the sale and swap cars when he spoke to Fair Trading. When he spoke to us he had changed his mind.

Christmas got in the way, it was hard to get quotes out of garages when they were flat out. So we will put our claim in when we get back and see what the court decides. We are going for misrepresentation rather than not fit for purpose.

[BMKal]

Not just Land Rover that you pay a "tax" on if shopping for parts etc locally. ;)

I recently bought my young bloke the VW equivalent of Nanocom for his birthday. Could get it in Australia (Sydney / Melbourne / Brisbane) for a bit over $400 plus freight, with delivery quoted at anything between 7 and 10 working days.

Bought exactly the same thing from the US for under $300 - placed order and paid for on a Thursday afternoon - it was delivered to our PO Box in Kalgoorlie the following Monday morning. Freight cost from the US was about $10 dearer than I was quoted from the east coast.

The young bloke has very quickly learned that most parts / accessories that he wants for his Amarok can be had at significantly less cost if purchased overseas. :(

[Narangga]

That will be happening after Christmas. The dealer originally agreed to cancel the sale and swap cars when he spoke to Fair Trading. When he spoke to us he had changed his mind.

Christmas got in the way, it was hard to get quotes out of garages when they were flat out. So we will put our claim in when we get back and see what the court decides. We are going for misrepresentation rather than not fit for purpose.

Thanks. All the best with it when you do get there.

[ADMIRAL]

The reality is its a 10 year old vehicle and things go wrong with vehicles of this age, the annoying thing was it happened in your and everyone else's Christmas New Years break which also meant it was hard to get parts in a reasonable time.

A Pajero that is 10 years old would have problems as well.

I couldn't agree more. Sounds like you bought someone else's problem, but I would think you are more than a little optimistic if you think a Pajero of the same age is going to be any better, particularly if you intend to tow with it.

[Stuart02]

I couldn't agree more. Sounds like you bought someone else's problem, but I would think you are more than a little optimistic if you think a Pajero of the same age is going to be any better, particularly if you intend to tow with it.


For the same money though it'd be a much newer Pajero possibly under warranty even

[Gullible]

And there in lies the problem.
We love the D3, all the features, the comfort, the space and the much forgotten turning circle. But until we can afford one that comes with a warranty, they are a bit of a liability for us.

I'd like to think that my mechanical skills would be up to fixing most issues but I lack confidence and experience. I do have to say that lots of serviceable parts are quick and easy. The brakes and rotors for example are quick and easy.

If we get a trouble free trip home and then a couple of months without a mechanics bill maybe SWMBO will soften her position.

[NomadicD3]

Hey Gullible,
Sorry to hear about troubles, especially sucks whilst you are on holidays. For what it's worth, you are not the only one who has been through this. I realise this dosen't help much now, but... IF you can find out the history on the gearbox maybe you would be able to get some compensation. I was able to but my circumstances were completely different. Note: the genuine turbo crossover pipe was about $1800 and the non-genuine new one about $900 and a second hand one about $700. It can fixed without taking the body off which will also save your thousands......
good luck mate.

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/d3-d4-rrs/182426-d3-turbo-leak-issue-questions.html

[Stuart02]

And there in lies the problem.
We love the D3, all the features, the comfort, the space and the much forgotten turning circle. But until we can afford one that comes with a warranty, they are a bit of a liability for us

Yes, not that it helps the credit card, but I'm beginning to think of our recently acquired RRS as a running restoration project - luckily we love it :)

[steane]

For the same money though it'd be a much newer Pajero possibly under warranty even

The current Paj, like it or not, is a reliable, capable and robust unit. The 4M41 is a strong engine, in fact now that they have the Aisin 5-speed it's hard to beat for the money, and because they are getting a bit long in the tooth, they are very well priced.

It looks as though Mits won't be replacing the current Pajero.

I've often wondered about a late model 4M41 conversion for the Deefer. Has to be nicer than one of those Isuzu lumps :p

[rar110]

The current Paj, like it or not, is a reliable, capable and robust unit. The 4M41 is a strong engine, in fact now that they have the Aisin 5-speed it's hard to beat for the money, and because they are getting a bit long in the tooth, they are very well priced. It looks as though Mits won't be replacing the current Pajero. I've often wondered about a late model 4M41 conversion for the Deefer. Has to be nicer than one of those Isuzu lumps :p

They are great value. The later ones all have a rear factory locker. Just don't seem as good off-road.

[TerryO]

For what it is worth I have offered an opinion on this forum previously when people have asked the question about buying either a late model D3 HSE or early basic level D4 and that is in my opinion buy a basic D4 2.7 over a D3 with the lot any day.
It took LR nearly five years to get the present Disco platform pretty much sorted and even though the D4 basically is a later model D3 they don't seam to have nearly as many foibles.

I find myself driving our D3 more than the D4 as time goes on because it just feels so comfortable and relaxed to drive in comparison but the maintenance bills on the D3 are scary.

Surely it should not come as to much of a surprise to anyone that a decade old ground breaking 2.5 ton luxury 4x4 with more gizmo's than anything of its time and still way in front of the majority of its opposition today has high on going maintenance costs.

My wife and I love our D3 and D4, simply put they are the best vehicles we have ever owned, however we fully understand that ownership of these types of vehicles often comes at a expense.

[Stuart02]

The current Paj, like it or not, is a reliable, capable and robust unit. The 4M41 is a strong engine, in fact now that they have the Aisin 5-speed it's hard to beat for the money, and because they are getting a bit long in the tooth, they are very well priced.

It looks as though Mits won't be replacing the current Pajero.

I've often wondered about a late model 4M41 conversion for the Deefer. Has to be nicer than one of those Isuzu lumps :p

Totally off topic but surely you'd go the 5 cyl Ranger diesel conversion if you could afford it? ;)

Slightly more on topic, having lived with both a 2010 2.7 D4 and a 2012 Paj:-
- Around town the Paj does have a great turning circle, and feels more nimble. The third row is excellent for easily taking out and using the storage space. Just don't try and put people in it. And the 2nd row child seat anchors are actually in the middle of the cargo bay. WTF??? For the sake of my cargo space I ended up hooking the child seat anchors onto the bottom of the cargo barrier. Also the massive one piece swinging steel tailgate with door mounted spare wheel was often physically beyond my wife, and I would have to put my back into it just to prop it open with the tragic little locking mechanism that was a common failing point. (NB I never found the D2 door anywhere near as hard to live with). The D3/D4 split tailgate is simply the best. Even the motoring journos can't find a way to rate Toyotas higher on that one. The Paj had disgusting cloth on the seats that was like velcro to pastry crumbs etc.
- On the open road the Paj was way louder (in the D4 my two year old could talk to Grandma on the handsfree from the back seat at 120 kph, whereas I didn't bother trying to call people from the Paj), less economical and sloppier on the bends.
- Offroad the Paj was adequate with a 2 inch lift, but had poor exit angles, average traction control, limited articulation and pretty woeful engine braking in the auto, with no proper Hill Descent Control. Doesn't mean you couldn't get them most places, just a bit 'exciting' doing so - and the front diff actuator is very easy to damage, leaving you with a 2WD. Also as a result of the monocoque body there's a lot more transmission of AT and MT tyre noise, more body flex, and while there's built in "recovery" points which Mitsubishi Australia won't officially recommend, to my knowledge it's the only full-sized 4WD in Australia for which the ARB bull bar doesn't include recovery or high-lift jacking points, which to me says it all (don't try having that conversation on the Pajero forum, bless them!). There's more room under the bonnet for accessories in the Paj and you can run 17 or even 16 inch rims easily. There's not as much cargo space in the Paj, and more than 100 kg or so in the rear was enough to start getting suspension sag, and of course reduced clearance.
- Towing, no contest. Apart from the self-levelling suspension in the D4, it purred like a kitten whereas the Paj was like a dying beached whale with a thirst to match. And then when you asked a bit more for overtaking or a hill... It was remarkable how differently two engines with similar on-paper power and torque stats can perform. Particularly given the extra capacity of the Paj. Both can be remapped with good results. Although the OEM towbar isn't as low on the Paj, it already has so much worse exit angles than the D4. You need a factory kit to lift the spare wheel if you want to be able to open the tailgate.
- The OEM halogen lights on the Pajero were shameful whereas the D4 was first car I ever drove that I didn't feel driving lights were necessary. There should be a law against such poor headlights. My Paj was just a GLX and I think the higher models might have xenons.
- The Mitsubishi entertainment system is an ugly bugger of a thing that even die-hard Pajero fans can't pretend is better than average. For better or worse it's nowhere as integrated into the car as in the D4 either.

But after all that, the Paj was an honest workhorse that never let me down, with a 5 year warranty and all for $30k less. It's still a tricky decision.

[steane]

Totally off topic but surely you'd go the 5 cyl Ranger diesel conversion if you could afford it? ;)


I'd try and keep the Ford content to a minimum :p

I hear you on the pastry crumbs BTW ;)

[TerryO]

Plus many people now buy late model Pajero's as tugs because a couple of years ago they increased the max towing weight from 2.5 ton to 3 ton. The one thing they often don't find out until it's to late is that at anything over 2.5 ton the maximum allowed ball weight for a Pajero drops down to about 160 kg from memory and that kind of number doesn't work well with Australian designed and built caravans where around 10% is the accepted norm.

We test drove a brand new Exceed model Pajero about 8 years ago and found them noisy, underpowered with uncomfortable seats, especially the second row which were truly terrible. I can't remember how much a Exceed level Paj was back then but I do remember it was not cheap.

From everything I have read recently it doesn't sound like to much has changed for the better in that time. If affordability and new car warranty is what it's all about then they make sense, but as far as I can see that is just about the only two things a Pajero wins out on.

[BMKal]

I like the comfort of the Pajero, and am not really a great fan of Toyota.

BUT ............ I have had both Pajero (hire car) and Prado (company vehicles) for prolonged periods, including on rough dirt roads up around Nullagine in WA and in very wet, muddy conditions.

Much as it pains me to say so - I'd take a Prado over a Pajero any day of the week thanks. ;)

[steane]

A fair bit has changed in 8 years. Different auto, updated version of the 4M41, more sound deadening, much better version of the nav/audio unit plus probably 100 other changes I don't know about. Changes to the auto and engine are enough to have made a significant difference.

And the spec levels have risen significantly while the price has gone the other way.

Unfortunately, a lot has remained the same as well as Mitsubishi try and wring every last drop of value out of the platform while spending as little on it as possible.

It's still noisier than what is generally acceptable these days, but it's only by degrees. It doesn't affect making phone calls or talking or whatever else. May have in earlier models, I don't know.

You can't really compare a Paj to a D4 if only because they are so far apart on price. I'd honestly rather have a D4, I just wouldn't underestimate the Paj.

[AnD3rew]

I would go a Disco over a Pajero any day all things being equal, and I have owned both. But If you can get a new or near new Pajero under warranty within your budget and you can't get a Disco, then go for it, the Pajero is a good vehicle, nice to drive on road and pretty capable off road. I would probably go the petrol in the Paj not the diesel though.

[Russrobe]

What about the D3 4.4l v8?

Would it be considered more reliable than the 2.7 diesel D3 or 4.0 D3?
I'm in the market now... The Pajero is no cheaper than the D3... Actually km and year wise nearly match up identically between the two, in the budget range of $20k-$25k that is.

[AnD3rew]

Seems the feeling here is that the V8 is solid and reliable and probably has lower maintenance costs than the diesel, obviously higher fuel costs and lower range from a tank but if you are not doing very high Klms per year then you probably won't overtake the purchase price differential and maintenance costs with the extra fuel.

[Disco-tastic]

What about the D3 4.4l v8?

Would it be considered more reliable than the 2.7 diesel D3 or 4.0 D3?
I'm in the market now... The Pajero is no cheaper than the D3... Actually km and year wise nearly match up identically between the two, in the budget range of $20k-$25k that is.

TerryO has owned both the TDV6 and 4.4 V8 D3 and much preferred the V8. In his opinion and experience it is cheaper to run overall, even though it uses more fuel.

I just bought a 4.0 V6 based on his advice and so far my only regret is it's not a V8 :D

There is more information in this thread regarding diesel vs petrol
http://www.aulro.com/afvb/showthread.php't=220533

Price vs Age - D3 or D4?

Cheers

Dan

EDIT: my mistake, TerryO has a 5.0 D4 not 4.4 D3

[Russrobe]

Cheers Disco, thanks for also being the only one to reply to the intro thread lol. Just gave myself second thoughts after reading this one.

I found a nice 4.4 with 150 000 km on it. Will grab it if its still there next week when i have the cash.

[TerryO]

Actually while I have driven a number of 4.4 V8's I have never owned one, but driving them was emjoyable enough that it made me want a 5.0 V8 D4, so we bought one about 18 months ago. We still own a TDV6 D3 as well though so I do know what the running costs of both are in comparison.

Apart from the driving pleasure of a V8 Disco the other bonus is the more I compared running and maintenance costs of a V8 petrol and a diesel Disco as they get older and out of warranty to me the more a petrol Disco made sense as being the more cost effective vehicle and with the added bonus of potentially less down time for maintenance. Much of this was originally based on reading Aulro members own personal experiences, but now our own experience backs that up.

There is a caveat though, as I have said previously, we live in the country, so we do lots of highway kilometres and very little Rush hour traffic light stop start driving and our experience is if driven sensibly then the fuel consumption with a petrol Disco is very good.

But I accept that someone who mainly drives in rush hour Sydney traffic might find the fuel bill scary especially if they like to drive energetically. ... :angel: Equally so if you intend to do lots of heavy towing then maybe a petrol Disco is not for you. For us it is not a issue as I'm happy to pay any extra fuel costs to have the V8.

Anyway our ongoing experience with our petrol Disco just keeps reinforcing my opinions and preference on buying out of warranty late model petrol Discoverys.

[Disco-tastic]

Cheers Disco, thanks for also being the only one to reply to the intro thread lol. Just gave myself second thoughts after reading this one.

I found a nice 4.4 with 150 000 km on it. Will grab it if its still there next week when i have the cash.

No worries!

I found a nice 4.0 V6 and a 4.4V8 with 150000km each. I ended up going the V6 as its transmission had been serviced at 116k km, whereas the V8's hadnt been serviced until 140k km. Its commonly recommended they're serviced at 100k km or less, so i went with my head on this one and got the V6 - otherwise i had to budget an extra $7k for a possible transmission rebuild later on :eek:

Its the main thing i asked about on each car i looked at.

Cheers

Dan

[ghoti]

I crawled under it and it had spat one of the driveshafts which took the seal with it. So we pushed the seal back in and tapped the driveshaft back in. "tow with it in 4wd to spread the load over both axles" ..... He has investigated since getting home and they are known for spitting rear driveshafts when towing. You need to upgrade the snap rings that hold them in.

Unfortunately a known issue in older pajeros. Subaxels revised in 2006 to accommodate larger snap rings. I was quoted $800 to fit the revised axles to my 2005 Paj Diesel. Not an issue so far with either boat or van, but neither weigh over 2Tonne.

As the owner of a 2005 Pajero (283000km so far) and a 2010 Disco 4 (171000km) I feel qualified to comment. Pajero has had the altenator changed ($400 for reco) and is due for new front shocks and rear diff bushes (mechanic estimates cirxa $1000). Still on original disc rotors. A minor service is generally <$200, a major <$500.

The Disco has had a number of repairs under warranty including replacement rocker covers, and most recently had the front control arms and rhs front wheel bearing changed at a cost just over $5000.

From a total cost of ownership perspective the pajero wins hands down.

But... the disco is quieter, more comfortable, handles better, stops better, easier to park, uses less fuel and tows so much better its chalk and cheese. The disco is a far better car to live with.

To answer the OPs question, if $$$$ is the only consideration, go the Pajero. If comfort and driving are key, Disco every time.

Cheers,
Scott

[Stuart02]

The Disco has had a number of repairs under warranty including replacement rocker covers, and most recently had the front control arms and rhs front wheel bearing changed at a cost just over $5000.


That can't be right surely? Lower control arms and a wheel bearing $2k max...

[Gullible]

On reflection, with the low petrol prices a 4.4 would have been fine for us.

[Russrobe]

I've actually owned the same transmission in my last car Disco, so know exactly what you mean. It was at the top of my inspection list on my BF Xr6turbo. I ended up getting one with under 100k kms and servicing it myself.

Great transmission, in fact I found it so good it was one of the main reasons I brought it.

Just sent off a question to see if this ones been serviced.


No worries!

I found a nice 4.0 V6 and a 4.4V8 with 150000km each. I ended up going the V6 as its transmission had been serviced at 116k km, whereas the V8's hadnt been serviced until 140k km. Its commonly recommended they're serviced at 100k km or less, so i went with my head on this one and got the V6 - otherwise i had to budget an extra $7k for a possible transmission rebuild later on :eek:

Its the main thing i asked about on each car i looked at.

Cheers

Dan

[Disco-tastic]

That can't be right surely? Lower control arms and a wheel bearing $2k max...

It seems it was a warranty job so I'm guessing it's double what a reasonable indy would charge. Only my speculation tho!

Cheers

Dan

[ghoti]

That can't be right surely? Lower control arms and a wheel bearing $2k max...

I don't have the invoice to hand, and have slightly mis-represented as I got a service done at the same time as I was only ~2000km off. The lower control arms were around $800 each parts only. From memory the rhs wheel bearing parts (not just the bearing) was around $500. having just bought my son a GQ patrol for $5000 I did tell the dealer I could buy a whole car cheaper than the repair! And it was paid for as it was a few months out of the extended warranty.

At the risk of being a heretic, with the Disco approaching 200K I am questioning whether it might be time to look at turning it over...