Thread: Amazing number of Rover holiday breakdowns

simple answer

they all **** up mate, no brand is exempt from the nature of things.

the best laid plans of men and mice, so they say ....

poor bugger up the road from me has had his 2nd nissann 3ltr time bomb go off. i think he said 6.5k repair bill...

had a poor soul come into the shop last week, almost new yota motor with big hole in block, sales rep for some mob that do on farm stuff. they have several let go including one that split a rear diff as well for good measure.

me thinks that not a bad spread for one week...

I can only speak for myself - maybe I have been lucky! Despite fifty years of driving (much of it in Landrovers) pretty much all over the country, I have had virtually no show stopping events.

Probably the closest was a broken clutch plate in the 2a in the middle of the Simpson Desert in 1966. My one broken diff was about fifty yards from the house fifteen years ago in my present 2a. Others have been fairly easily fixable or live withable, such as a failed electric petrol pump in the Series 1 in Rockhampton on the way from Torrens Creek to Brisbane in the wet season in 1963 (also broke off the gearlever, but neither stopped me for long), or the generator failure in the 2a on the way from here to Melbourne in 1992.

The County, in which I have done most of my long distance driving since 1993 has never held me up at all except for tyre trouble and once a badly fitted fuel filter, and, particularly before I put a gauge on the aux tank, running a tank dry and having to prime it. From my own experience I cannot say that Landrovers are unreliable.

John

Father in Law just paid $4,000 to have his computer replaced in his new 4x4.
Hell thats 2 times the amount I paid for my Rover and touch wood the only problem I have had in 3,500 ks is a puncture and bogged.
go figure.
I agree that all vehicles have issues i just happen to love my rover and its issues.:-)

from my experience (in my own landrovers) landrovers are 100% reliable. I have never had one stop so badly that It couldnt make the next town. IVe helped out plenty of others tho that desperately needed someone with some mechanical knowlodge and vehicle sympathy to get them going again My most common finds (excluding flat tyres, out of fuel and pranged it) that Ive been able to get going again under the crocks own steam

over heated because of missing belts
over heated because of airflow blocked radiators
cooked battery (no/low acid level)
dead battery (old/over drained overnight)
blocked fuel filter/line
dead fuel pump
blown fuses

some exotic ones (all made self mobile)

Snapped prop shaft
missing fuel tank (it was 300m further back up the hill)
LPG and petrol trying to run at the same time
Fuel pump fell off the TDI
Snapped Swivel ball mounting bolts causing loss of wheel assembly complete
star picket into sump via the front diff casing.
#3 conrod snapped and out the side of a SIII 2.25 block.

and some I couldnt make self mobile

engine-bell housing seperated (missing bolts and the clutch and inputshaft got fed to each other)
sump torn of off an auto
Layshaft fractured out of an LT77 (as in torn its way half out the box)
Rear axle assembly missing (bout 20m in front of the vehicle when I got there)
fractured primary clutch housing in an auto

Ive never come across a totally stuffed engine in a rover but have in plenty of other vehicles and most of the stuff I get to see when I stop to play RACV/RACQ is all preventable. IMHO all drivers should be educated in the basics of vehicle operations and maintenance and proove they know what the hell they are doing before they are even allowed to sit for a liscense.

My defender has been to every state and territory including tassie and I haven't had so much as a flat tyre or had to change a single filter.I have seen more vehicles with overheated engines from towing than probably any other thing,seems people only rod their rads when it's to late. Pat

Just try and book a service at any Land Rover workshop, dealer or independent straight after a holiday. You will be surprised how busy they get.

A good mate of mine had had no luck with his new 2006 DII to the point where his son says "Dad, you can't take the trailer when we go on holidays".

He quizzes his son by asking why, and the response is - "How will the tow truck fit the Disco and the trailer on the back of the tray at the same time?"



True story, I kid you not.

Only done two major trips and all on-road but only problem I had was due to dealer's mechanic stuffing up. Limped to next servo, patched it, limped to Katherine. Guy in Katherine repaired it but also stuffed up. Guys at MR Auto fixed it proper when I got back (I no longer use the dealer). My point is that it was preventable and if you are not as mechanically minded as many of the people on this forum then make sure you have a GOOD mechanic.

Geez, you blokes are scorning the Land Rover Gods with such boasts.

Although I just went to the Flinders/Strezlecki/Merty Merty in my RRC with NO problems.(Well shot shocks and a Panhard bush)
Since 1980 my Rangies have stopped only a few times
1 100Km out of Riyadh on an unmarked pipeline road alone. fuel pump stopped ticking.Lucky I had a spare. (1hour)
2 Coil vibrated off in Saudi (5 mins)
3 coil terminals wet by leaking power steering reservoir on Innaminka road (5 mins)
4 rear axle swivel mount ripped off snatching up steps, and again on rainbow beach. ( nylon tie ropes 1/2 hour)
5 broken axle from too much right foot and Detroit ( home on one axle)

I think if I had a car with known problems like the CV on the D2 front shaft I would reco it before a long trip. But then I am anal, and no criticism intended of anyone who has ever had the problem.
For example my RRC has just done 147Km and I replaced the fuel pump and fuel pump relay and then the filter again for good measure, seeing I am going on another long trip . Better in the garage with an empty tank than on the side of the road with a full tank.
Regards Philip A