Member Since: 05 Feb 2019
Location: Windsor
Posts: 2
Hi all, Disco3 buying advice required
Hi everyone
I have just registered here after being pointed here by other various car sites and forums.
I am a dog walker and currently run a Mk1 Kia Sorento. I like it, but it's getting a bit tired and I would quite like to see what other options I have and something a little bigger.
So the discovery 3 is on my list.
I've heard some concerns over reliability though, and after some reading, am seeing mixed reports.
So I wanted to ask here, are they the money pit that some say? Or are there actually a much more positive ownership experience that just doesn't get spoken about.
Many thanks
Aaron
5th Feb 2019 12:02 pm
rrhool
Member Since: 28 Aug 2014
Location: Norfolk
Posts: 4400
Hi!
Yes, they are great! That's the only reason we sill love them. There is no other car so versatile IMHO.
The trouble is, they are expensive to run, expensive to maintain, and there is always the risk that something really major will go wrong.
If you want cheap and reliable, don't get a Land Rover product.
If however you want the most versatile car ever made, and you like a challenge, go for it! Richard
D3 SE 2007. Triumph 2.5Pi 1973. Ferguson TEA20 1948.
Discovery 2 4.0 ES 2001- Gone
Discovery 1 300Tdi ES '95 - Gone
Range Rover Classic '79 - Gone
5th Feb 2019 12:08 pm
Pelyma
Member Since: 06 Jan 2005
Location: Patching, Sussex
Posts: 15496
Get a transit or the like.DS3 TDV6 HSE - Silver with Alpaca (old one) Gone
DS3 TDV6 HSE- Silver with Alpaca (new one) Gone
D4 HSE Lux - Montalcino Red Gone
Porsche Cayenne V8 Diesel S
When you say you are a dog walker, is this your job?
In any event what is your annual mileage & normal days driving? Three round trips in traffic a day of less than 6 miles, or 30 miles commute on M & A roads?
NJSSAm I Gammon or Woke ? - I neither know nor care.
2016 Discovery 4 Landmark
2011 Mercedes Benz SL350 (R230)
1973 MG B GT V8 - 3.9L John Eales engine, 5 speed R380 gearbox, since 1975.
1959 MGA roadster - 1.9L Peter Burgess Engine - 5 speed gearbox
Past LRs - Multiple FFRs, Discos & a Series I - some petrol, some diesel,
none Electric or H2 fuel cell - yet.
There are 10 types of people in this world: Those who understand binary, and those who don’t.
5th Feb 2019 12:26 pm
ianm27
Member Since: 02 Jun 2016
Location: Hertfordshire
Posts: 2154
Hi Aaron,
As you will have read on this forum, they are expensive money-pits, when they go wrong - boy do they go wrong!
BUT...
they are great cars, versatile and fun to drive.
As with alot of forums the majority of posts are about problems and faults. The lucky owners (and for now I'm one of those lucky ones - said very quietly so she doesn't hear and decide to make me eat my words) don't post they've had xx thousand miles carefree motoring with no faults other than usual servicing and maintenance. If you have a look at the mileage post you will see that these cars can run for 200,000+ miles and keep going and going and going.
As with any car, be it new or previously owned, you roll the dice and see what lady luck does Uncle Ray's spare wheel protector
Limo Tint
Blackvue front & rear dashcam
Cruise control switch pack
Bodsy's remote for FBH
5th Feb 2019 1:12 pm
Aaron1204
Member Since: 05 Feb 2019
Location: Windsor
Posts: 2
Thanks for the responses all.
To answer a couple of posts up there,
"Get a transit or the like". - Not for me. Insurance is considerably higher, and I don't like the image they give. Many of my customers are with my business because they like that we use cars instead of vans. I do agree though, it would be far more practical.
Also, this is my car too, when I'm not working, I like my cars. We have another car for the family, but I like my SUVs.
"Is a dog walker your job?" - as said above really, yep! I have up to 6 dogs with me at one time, some large some small. I have rear seats all the way down and crates and guards etc. Completely lined out and buckles for the dogs. I occasionally use my car to transport me my wife and my son, so would then just put all the seats back up and remove all the cages.
So I can sense from this that yes they have their problems, as do most cars of this age, but the thing to take into account is that they are more expensive than your average car to actually fix when they do go wrong?
Do any of you work on them yourself? I do all my own servicing and can do things from changing propshafts to light bulbs. So I'm fairly handy when in comes to cars. Is there specialist jobs that I just wouldn't be able to do on these cars?
Many thanks
5th Feb 2019 8:59 pm
Grandadrob
Member Since: 21 Dec 2017
Location: Leominster
Posts: 279
Welcome to this great forum. They have helped me so much over the past year of D3 ownership.
This place can be like a Doctors surgery, where they only see sick people.
As was said ^^^^^ I am not saying how mine is going, just in case. Suffice to say its wonderful, but don't tell it that I said that !!!!!
I am a fair mechanic, but there are lots of jobs on here that are just to modern for my older skills.
Good luck.1955 SWB Series 1 86 inch
1960 SWB Series 2 88 inch
2009 Discovery 3 HSE Bournville Pearl
5th Feb 2019 9:09 pm
ClassikFan
Member Since: 02 Nov 2016
Location: Surrey
Posts: 1026
If you do your homework and buy the best one you can find and if it has had all the major issues fixed in the recent past then you MIGHT be lucky, but things will wear out and stop working and then it could cost you big time. I love my D3, look for excuses to take it for a drive even after 2+ years and do the maintenance I can manage myself. I enjoy working on the car and researching how to tackle jobs that are beyond my comfort zone. It is an investment in money but also time to keep the car sweet. Never ignore a warning light or a strange noise as in the two months while you're thinking about visiting the mechanic you be sure the problem is having a knock on to other components and making a small job into a big one.
Do all that and keep a few thousand tucked away for contingencies and you'll be fine. If you don't want to make that commitment get a Hyundai or Kia. Just 'cause you got the power... that don't mean you got the right.
5th Feb 2019 9:20 pm
D&G
Member Since: 29 Jun 2017
Location: Charente 16480
Posts: 3483
I love it and hate it.
Would I buy another, not if it was my primary source of income, unless I could afford to buy new which I can't.
I brought mine to tow my digger but luckily I brought a tipper that will also tow 3.5t soon after. Otherwise I would have struggled.
My choice was a Nissan Patrol or a D3. My head scolds me for my choice but my heart (when the D3 runs OK) loves it.
I had a air compressor, corroded aircon pipes and the TC replaced in the first few months of purchase.
I have the judder back now so expecting a gearbox problem soon. In the last 6 months I have had sunroof drain leaks both sides, three door catches fail, the upper and lower tailgate locks fail. Steering angle sensor come unstuck from the column.
The fact that I still keep says something, I guess.
If you go in eyes wide open then you will be fine and make sure you budget at least 2/3k per year for repairs if you can't do it yourself.An honorable defeat is better than a dishonorable victory.” ― Millard Fillmore
2006 Disco 3
Gas Gas 300ec / Gas Gas tx249 / Bandit 1250
XR 650r / Pajero 2.8 Lifted and Safari Snorkel-gone.
5th Feb 2019 9:44 pm
Dazz360
Member Since: 03 Sep 2016
Location: West Mids Walsall
Posts: 871
I think as far as I believe everyone has hands the colour of my picture, it is a love hate relationship but whatever happens you will always be able to turn to the people on this site for help and advice as I’ve found over the years. The advice given here is the best you can get, do your research on normal issues and find a car that has hopefully had them resolved, don’t think the first one you see is great and the only one. Search the web and don’t be shy getting a good look inside, outside and underneath. Make sure to try all the switch’s and buttons to see potential problems, Oh don’t forget to take a torch to get a good look underneath Metal auto sump & fluid change (3 hrs)
LR door puddle projectors (10 mins)
Tinted Bonnet wind deflector (10 mins)
All Intercooler pipes and Tbolts (2hrs)
3 injectors replaced so far (30mins)
Sunroof drain pipes both sides 2.5 hrs)
Rear discs, shoes,pads,callipers,flexi hoses, rigid brake line, n/s upper hub carrier bush and rear n/s upper arm (13hrs over 2 days)
5th Feb 2019 9:54 pm
Dusty
Member Since: 23 Sep 2013
Location: London
Posts: 1022
To give you some idea of costs, in the last year of ownership of my old D3, which was 10 years old and covered 105000k I had the following done.
By Me: Full service, new discs and pads front and rear, new callipers front and rear, new rear brake shoes. Both steering track rods.
By local Independent: Both front wheel bearings and rebushing of front lower suspension arms.
Plus 4 new tyres.
Grand total just under £4.5k from memory.
Not a typical year, but even doing stuff yourself the costs soon mount up.
But when they’re working properly they are a joy to be driving around in Discovery 4 HSE
SDV6
2015
5th Feb 2019 10:41 pm
Ringostarr
Member Since: 24 Jan 2016
Location: N/A
Posts: 130
I've lost track of the spending that goes into my discovery. Last I checked it was up on 4k and i don't know did that include the 4new tyres. And the spending still continues . Every time I see a similar car on the road. I just think to myself. How does he or she managing to keep it on the road. Mine is a fairly sick puppy at the minute. Sorry rant over and excuse the pun Dicovery 3 (Rimini Red)
Toyota lc 150 (Black)
Toyota Hilux Crewcab (Dark Steel)
Toyota lc 120 (Silver)
5th Feb 2019 11:47 pm
XDAndy
Member Since: 16 Jan 2018
Location: Gibraltar
Posts: 597
My 2p worth on this is ...
If you end up buying, may be worth buying from dealer over private so you have a bit of comeback if it goes wrong.
Especially if buying private, budget for getting cam belt and oil pump casing done after purchase; should also get aux belt and HPFP belt and water pump done at same time. Bank on between £700-£1200 for Indy rates and up to £2000 with JLR dealer.
If private, if it doesn’t have a clear service history, ideally dealer, showing that everything is up to spec and serviced according to recommended schedules, think very carefully before parting with money. My interpretation of the ‘reliability issues’ of the car relate to not being serviced according to schedule. Big thing to consider is if the car has had a hard life, hard enough to fall into the ‘arduous’ schedule, then it really should have been serviced every 3 months or 3750 miles. If it’s not been looked after, perhaps avoid.
Buy an IID tool from Dan at Duckworth (cheapest going). It the OBD2 diagnostic tool specific to JLR cars and is invaluable at helping with the numerous electrical issues that crop up. £405 iirc.
Get the automatic gearbox flushed when you get it! Unlikely to have been done. Plan for £300-400.
Take a look at the mot history online and try to verify that any advisories have been taken care of. If not, ask here as there could be cost implications.
The car I had before this was a Honda CR-V. Never really let me down, and just kept going.
The disco 3 is a far more engaging drive, but it certainly keeps you on your toes as regards it’s upkeep; ‘high maintenance’ is the term that comes to mind.
Love it to bits though.
6th Feb 2019 12:37 am
tut_gareth
Member Since: 10 Dec 2018
Location: West Byfleet
Posts: 135
Had mine 2 months now, 132k mile on it. Have spent £750 so far on gearbox filter and flush, oil filter service, egrs temporarily blanked until i can afford to replace (350ish in parts alone)
It will need front wheel bearing soon, steering rack arms and tie rods. Lower arm bushes. The cat is rattling and there's a whistle I need to find. And the diffs and transfer box need a service. And the CD player doesn't play. And the key remotes are temperamental.
I will do most work myself which will save money but wont be cheap parts wise.
Getting 28mpg doing the 17 mile work commute via motorways. Short journeys its pants, about 20mpg.
Its not cheap to run but so good to drive. Be prepared to spend money on maintenance!!
Thankfully there is an amazing amount of info and help around to do things yourself if you can.
Oh And the tax is £555 a year as I bought an 08 not an 04-06...
After all that I still want to Keep it!!08 D3 TDV6 SE
Last edited by tut_gareth on 6th Feb 2019 11:11 am. Edited 1 time in total
6th Feb 2019 9:06 am
G_Cam
Member Since: 12 Aug 2010
Location: Fife
Posts: 2048
Doing the same job as you I can give my own POV on this if it helps?
I have a D3 as a backup and personal car. Mrs G_Cam has her D4 for picking up and dropping off dogs (she is a dog groomer). We are rural and a mile up a private road on top of the hills... so 4x4 is a must.
I do not run the D3 as the walking vehicle. It is too thirsty, unreliable, expensive to keep repairing. If you cannot do lots of the work yourself you will be at the mercy of your local garage/specialist in terms of hen they can fit you in. And you always need to get to the dogs.. so when a Disco breaks down(and it will) you need a backup plan and deep pockets.
I know a Transit would be too big as we operate in a similar way to you. Ie no Big vans rammed with dozens of dogs..! They can also be difficult to park and even getting in to some car parks would be an issue due to height restrictions! We have a home custom built grooming salon and we also have a mobile - so we can cover the grooming, but a big an is not an option for the walking.
My walking vehicle is an Outlander Mk2, It is a 4Work ie the van version with bulkhead and custom rear door gates. i find the size, running costs, image, capacity and above all reliability very good for the job. It runs in 2wd but you can switch to 4x4 and can lock the diff when things get tricky!
I know that might not be what you were looking for in terms of advice.. but I hope it helps?
the other option could be a FL2 Commercial. The load space is smaller and the back floor is at a higher level for the dogs getting in and out, but reliability and running costs are significantly improved Vs a Disco 3
You can see some photos of our setup if you look at facebook for PAWWS (not band!). Our website needs an update... another thing on the never ending to do list!!
Hope this helps?1 TR6 Rusting away quietly
1 FARR UTV SOLD
1 International Harvester SOLD
7 x D3 all SOLD
2 x D4 both SOLD
1 x Mrs D4 'Panther' SOLD
1 x Outlander van SOLD
1 continual stream of car parts and me living in the garage...
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
. Every time I see a similar car on the road. I just think to myself. How does he or she managing to keep it on the road. Mine is a fairly sick puppy at the minute. Sorry rant over 
