Thread: Buying a D3

Turbo's replaced due smoke that issue never came back
Front end vibration Fixed with a whole host of new front end parts and steering wheel
GPS Antenna replaced
Rear Shocks and airbags replaced at 50k (lots of towing with a big van) warranty.
Oil consumpstion monitored settled down ok uses very little now

This is Mowog's recent post on D4. How much do you reckon to fix if it was out of warranty. Turbos=mucho thousands, Front end vibration= thousands, GPS antenna=hundreds going by LR prices, shocks and airbags= thousand or so

The other big issue is whether the transmission fluid has been changed and when on a 200KK car. This is the big one at $7-9K.

What about lower control arms, compressor, shocks, airbags, timing belt change/breaking block, possible bearing failure through no tangs, various engine limp home needing reboot.( I don't know where this leads as 2 D3/D4 did this over Christmas on a club trip,) 19 inch tyre price and fragility ( so get 17s). Rear diffs failures seem to be increasing also.

To me the safest one to get would be a low K V6 S with coil springs from a contingent liability point of view. Second probably a V8 with low Ks, preferably under 80K.( although I would probably weaken if a nice V8 came along)
That is just my opinion and probably what I would do now that fuel is down and I have done the lap twice so range is not such an issue.
Regards Philip A

Originally Posted by PhilipA

I speak from not being a D3 owner but being exposed to lots of them in the Range Rover Club of NSW. Being an Old Fart, I prefer my D2 .

Regards Philip A

The last time I was out with the RRC of NSW near Lithgow I had to tow another members D2a with a broken diff up the steep hill it broke its diff on and then out to the road, so he could get it home.

I did this in my good old diesel D3.

My D2a has cost me just as much, if not more, to maintain as the D3 and both have done similar miles, horses for courses I reckon.

If I had to choose either the D2 or the D3 the D3 would win hands down every time.

While I prefer a V8 D3 or D4 over a diesel D3/4, I don't mind admitting the diesel is in many situations a better thing all round, just not when it comes time to fix something.