What do you get after a D3?

**Mully** · 12th May 2011, 09:49 AM

Hey fellas thanks once again, really helpful.

I've had a Hi Lux, Bravo, Rodeo and have driven most of the others and they are great but being off the tools now, would find it hard to go back but do see George's point. They are reliable and good things, the Hi Lux was probably the standout for me but slightly thin in important areas (axles/diffs seem so small) I thought and I'm sure I may break one on the next airborne flight over a lip etc. Possibly not though.

Drover the Puma sounds really interesting, might have to check them out. I'm a Defender fan (had a few Series before) and drove a spanking new 90 before picking the D3 only because the D3 offered SO much more for the same money albeit pre loved. New Defenders seem over priced but I need to check again... been a while.

Baz the problems I'm seeing are all the ones common to a 2005 D3 with these k's up:
1. Auto shudder. A service (and filter/pan mod) has seen this righted but eventually you just know it will reappear and eventuate in a rebuild. May be five years from now.... but.
2. The alternator just carked it. Sure that can happen any old time but with less than 150 thou up on a vehicle like this? The way it all shut down was insane as each system took it's turn to fail... wow.
3. Normal front end issues... ball joints etc. Should have been a recall for sure.
4. Electric hand brake... the quoted $1100 repair is crazy but I do have hope of cleaning it all up for a fix to be fair.
5. Infrequent system msgs. Definitely better after the alternator swap out to be fair but when you can turn the ignition on and try again and it clears, you have to wonder.
6. The tyre choice (or lack of it) is still a shock.

Hmmm... doesn't seem so bad once I see what I wrote because the pluses are truly incredible (being the HSE does help), it is an awesome vehicle when going at 100%. The choices are to keep it and take the repairs as they come on the chin, change to a different brand or start looking at Defenders as this owner prolly has just lost confidence with his pride and joy.

More as we go.... and thanks again to all.

**TerryO** · 12th May 2011, 10:55 AM

If Puma's were more reliable and cheaper to keep on the road than D3's then Alliance would have stopped offering extended warranties on D3's and kept offering them on Puma's.

In reality they didn't, they just stopped offering extended warranty on Puma's because it cost them so much in diff rebuilds, new clutches, engine rebuilds etc etc. And often on Puma's that had never been taken off road.

Have a read of the Puma /Fender section the horror stories in there from Puma owners is not pretty. I'm not saying you shouldn't buy a Puma, I wouldn't mind one myself, but if your put off by ongoing and expensive repair bills on a D3 then chances are you will be horrified by what it can take to keep a Puma on the road.

cheers,
Terry

**Mully** · 12th May 2011, 11:19 AM

Yikes... thanks Terry. I'm not up to speed with Puma at all so will go and check it out.

Cheers.

**Redback** · 12th May 2011, 01:03 PM

Originally Posted by irondoc

Isn't there some awesome new engine in the new Nissan pathfinder.....

I believe they are putting the new Renault/Nissan developed 3.0l V6 that is going into the new Patrol into the new Pathfinder, lets hope it's better than the old 4 cylinder 3.0l handgrenade.

Baz.

**VladTepes** · 12th May 2011, 02:18 PM

Do teh maths as the cost of repairing the D3 now and then may well be less than the cost of buying a new vehicle.

**andyrover** · 12th May 2011, 08:39 PM

I have had a serious look at the new Jeep Grand Cherokee and it seems to me like a very good replacement for a RRSport at half the price - check it out...

**Tote** · 12th May 2011, 09:00 PM

I am looking at replacing the D3 as a lease car next March, I'm thinking that I will semi retire it and pay out the lease residual and keep it as a touring vehicle. My thinking goes along the following lines:
I've put at least $10K of extras on it and the payout is only about $13K.
Maintenance is a less better pill to swallow when it isnt my primary vehicle
To fit out a D4 as a tourer would cost me another $10 K on top of the purchase price
Downside is another rego to pay and less shed space.

For a replacement vehicle I'm thinking of a second hand low kilometre TDV8 RRS. Similar price to a D4 and I don't have to worry about scratching it up in the bush if I keep the D3 and I get the same ride and comfort as the D3. I'm also interested by the Grand Cherokee and if they ever put a new engine in the Patrol maybe one of those.

Regards,
Tote

**lpj** · 13th May 2011, 09:51 AM

I am also looking to get back into a 4x4 after a lot of years in sedans. Growing family and both our Mums are getting to the stage where they are less confident driving, so i need a bigger vehicle. In my mind, it's gotta be a diesel disco 7 seater, either late D3 or a D4.

Heart says D4 3.0. Head says get an MY09 2.7 D3 HSE and save some money for the goodies I want. Bar work, spare wheel carrier, dual battery etc. Getting the latest in a model line seems more logical than the early model of a new line.

The problem (apart from finance at present) is that there are very few MY09 D3 2.7's around. I won't buy black or any dark colours. Too many dusty roads and I like to keep my car looking clean when I'm not off road.

I'm VIC based but not averse to travelling for the right vehicle.

**stevo68** · 13th May 2011, 11:37 AM

This is what I got after owning a D3... Pics for proof

Sold D3 and got this....

Which now looks like this

Regards

Stevo

**Mully** · 13th May 2011, 12:12 PM

Stevo you may be reading my thoughts lately... I sold my '99 TD5 Disco however... just found it to be too long for personal taste and kept the '98 300TDi because of this... but the TD5 was excellent and I LOVE what yours looks like... perfect... although the roof rack is fair huge!

Do you miss the D3?

Cheers!

Thread: What do you get after a D3?

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