Please share your Defender 130 problems

[Sparkys]

Hi everybody, I'm a noob with a few questions about the Deefers. I currently drive a 2004 Rodeo Dual Cab which has been a fantastic car, but I'm looking to change to a newer, solid axle 4x4 dual cab chassis with a bit more off road cred. Which leaves me with two options, the new Toyota Landcruiser dual cab or the Landrover Defender dual cab (130). Or if Nissan ever get their act together and make a dual cab with the 4.2 turbo diesel! The purpose of this thread is to ask you to let me know of any problems with the 2.4 TDci powered 130 Cab Chassis Defender............I know, I know, you don't see them as problems you see them as 'character'! I want to compare them to the problems I know about with the LC79 dual cab. Please let me know of any more you may have experienced. So far I've searched this forum and come up with the following problems. * Water leaks into the cabin area including into the footwells * EGR system is best blocked off * Handbrake drum can bind up when taken offroad * Axles and CV's are a bit weak

[newhue]

Hmmm, you can open a can of worms here. As all makes have there issues. I think just have faith in the warranty period. LR at least are happy to fix issues and accept they happen. You wont find Toyota being so understanding. As for a Defender, By the end of warranty I think the truck will a solid performer.

I'm going to tell you some positives however. Fill a 130 till the brim, add the family and go for a burn into the desert. It will leave the LC behind in comfort and capability. Take it down some rocky rutted crazy hill with the family, and you are so glad first gear is only capable of 15km/h tops. A Rodeo doesn't even compare as I have had one myself, but you dont have to worry about bottoming out anymore, or GVM. And I'd forget about Nissan coming good.
A LC may blow a front diff, a Tdci may blow a rear diff. But for the money down on a defender, then nicely modded, the finish price comes to about the start price of the Toyota.

[Sparkys]

Hi newhue, thanks for your reply. One of your threads showing how water was pooling in the floorwell is where I found one of the potential problems. I'm not trying to open a can of worms so hopefully I don't! I understand that all makes/models have issues, what I'm trying to do is identify what those issues are and make a decision for a long term car that I will be happy with. The LC79 for example has a narrow rear wheel track, potential injector issues (and at $2,000 each x 8 injectors that's not a cheap fix) and (still) a pretty poor handbrake. I did the same with my Rodeo (identified the problems before buying it), I bought the petrol V6 knowing that it was an unpopular model (but that meant a cheap buy in price) with poor fuel consumption, weak clutch and faulty O2 sensors. I fit a vapour injection LPG system, a heavy duty clutch and some aftermarket O2 sensors and have had 260,000 trouble free kilometres so far. I agree, the price of the Defender is one of it's attractive points. An LC79 is $75,000 including onroads, and there are no second hand ones for sale (yet). Whereas a low km 130 (still in warranty) can be had for around $46,000 leaving $29,000ish for modifications. $29,000 would go a loooooong way to solving any of the problems leaving a very solid performer. That is probably one of the biggest factors for me at the moment. However, I want to know that I haven't missed any of the obvious problems that may pose a big cost later on.

[The ho har's]

May have missed it, what year are you looking at?

Jason's/newhue is a puma, ours is a TD5.

There are differences.

Foot well, yes water will invade but, it will get out just as fast when above the water

You can hose out a defender inside if it gets muddy, and it usually does

EGR, yes we have ours blanked off and chipped, goes like the stig now

We have taken ours, Plenty Highway, Tanami Track, Gibb river road and several roads all over Aus with the slide camper and have never had trouble with the hand brake.

Did do a half shaft on our driveway doing 40K's have Land Rover heavy duty fitted now


Mrs hh

[Jack Isa]

love the truck but two gear boxes within 50,000 km is a bit much, and yes always serviced by a LR "just bad luck i was told''

[Sparkys]

Thanks guys. Ho Har, looking at a Puma. By the way, sorry about my posts not being separated into paragraphs, I put separate paragraphs in and when I hit submit it lumps them all together. So the half shafts and boxes are weak?

[newhue]

EGR valves seem a definite ongoing problem, but remap will resolve that. You can also disarm the immobiliser with the remap. Perhaps worthy as it to has been know to cause some grief.
People have had rear diff issues with the P38, some have had several replaced. Mine has been good. A salisbury is a reasonably easy re fit, other wise a rover diff can do but I'm not clear if they are much better than a P38.
Some have had gear boxes issue, but many have not. I recently had a transfer case replaced, I seem to be out there on my own for that one.
Most have had a replacement clutch, but I think the upgraded replacement has been stable.
Suspension seem to be fine, as is the motor and turbos. Water, it's going to leak so get your head around it. Same with dust, but mine is I'd say 95% dust free. The 110's seem to leak more.
That's about the big ticket items. Most seem to happen with in the first 60K.

There seems to be few things that are just part of the build, like rear windows lowering 25mm. However I changed the winders to hang vertical and seems to have fixed it. Door handles working loose, just small silly stuff really.

[Cammo]

Mine is a 2011. In 16000 kms I have had 2 rear gearbox seals (the second one was to fix the ineffective first repair), a strange engine harmonic (repaired by realigning exhaust), drivers door I'll adjusted, drivers door handle worked loose, and now the tub is rubbing on the rear of the cab on the left hand side. Which is where the rear diff breather runs. So now it's not breathing. LR to look at when I can get it to them.

I love it. They're not just a vehicle. Landcruiser owners don't understand.

[lambrover]

I think it depends on what you want to use the vehicle for as well.

I don't rate the cruisers off road ability at all. The front end has little flex same as the rear and its on leafs on the rear.

When the v8 cruiser 4 door came out they did a comparison with the puma 110, the cruiser was optioned with mud tyres and factory lockers front and rear couldn't keep up with the 110 with its factory tyers.

Saying this the 110 has traction control and the 130 doesn't but with the price difference you now have money to do a few upgrades;

Lockers front and rear, this will help address the issues with the rear P38 diff.

Hy tuff axles.

With these mods they aren't needed if you use the vehicle normally it's just if you are going to use it properly.

With the P38 rear diff I think they break or fail because people don't check them even though they are a known weak spot, my mate had a puma 130 and I jumped under and yep it was loose so we fixed it up there and then, I think they shag out because the loose preload and destroy them selves. After fixing it no problems.

So get under your vehicle and inspect it catch stuff early and it will cost you less rather then waiting for it to break or the dealer to pick it up.

Sent from my iPhone using Forum Runner

[Sparkys]

Thanks Guys. Lambrover, who is the 'they' that compared the 110 to the 76? I would like to read that.