Discovery

[richardwale]

Currently have a mark 4 hilux which is superb but am looking for something bigger, get the dog and kids in, tow the trailer for logs etc a work horse like the hilux, but have been told that the discos are always going wrong. Anyone here got one or can advise which model to go for? Looking for a early 2000 model. Cheers

[peaman]

weve got a 52 plate disco one of the early td5s and its on 230k original engine gear box exaust etc still pulls well starts first time few things to look at are the 3 amigos which are normally abs faults but can be cheap to sort

[Alycidon]

Got on 03 plate Disco TD5 ES auto, 250,000 miles or thereabouts. needed another set on injectors at 180K and has just had an alternator. Other than that pretty good. Pulls a 2.7 ton trailer loaded with 2 cube bags, just looking at a 3 cube trailer for next winter. Heaviest I pull is 2 x 1 tonne pallets of wood pellets, trailer is 700kg, dont go above 40mph.

 

Manual gearboxes have issues with synchro in 2nd, I have had 2 autos now and did 274k in the first one, a 200, never had any gearbox issues with either.

 

Stick a set if Grabber AT2s on it and it goes more or less anywhere and it pretty pleasant on the motorway as well.

 

A

[Jimni]

Like any car you will hear the stories of the bad ones! even Clarkson loves Discos. If its not a Land Rover it's not a real 4x4

[geoff]

Get a good one & they are big bang for the bucks,good solid motors,reasonable spares,& off road they are what every other 4x4 aspires ( Jimneys aside) to be.

[bigdave]

i`v had several discos mainley 200 300 series & can not knock them

 

i`v had 2 td5`s & my dad has a td5 now & we have had nothing but trouble with them oil coolers injectors & head gaskets!! also injector wiring harness had 4 on one motor in 18 months!!!!

 

my mate who is a land rover nut has had his for 6 or 7 years now & he has not had a minutes trouble with his it has over 300`000 on it now & is still on first set of injectors oil cooler etc

 

so i guess theres good ones & bad ones

 

i`v had my fingers burnt twice & i dont fancy a third go!!!!

 

when there running right there great cars good on motorway good towing i can not rate them enough but when they go wrong they go wrong royal style!!!

[WorcsWuss]

Between my old man and I we've had 7 or 8 Disco 1 & 2's since 1994, new and second hand, 200 & 300 tdi, v8, original and face lifted td5, manual and auto.

They've toured Europe, towed heavy trailers, been driven hard off road, problems we've had with the can be counted on the fingers I have....

200 tdi - gear selector, common fault, once, under warranty

300 tdi - clutch release arm snapped, 190k miles

Td5 auto - coolant leak from back of header tank

Td5 auto - gear position switch

3.9 v8 - leaky oil pressure switch

3.9 v8 - got submerged in floods, needed new starter motor and clutch after bearings disintegrated....

She's awaiting a new clutch but she's still going!

I love 'em, wouldn't stake my life on anything else...

[Alycidon]

I have had two trips on a recovery truck in 140,000 miles I have down with the TD5 ES, one from Welshpool when 2 injectors siezed, the other from the M1 hard shoulder when a bottom rad hose split and dropped the coolant out onto the motorway. The second was preventable but the hose concerned was tucked away running off the thermostat housing.

 

A

[Rich2484]

I can't. Knock my 1990 disco. 200tdi. Pulls like a freight train. Gives good mpg IMO. And with the option of 7 seats a day out with family is no problem. Plus being able to pull a trailer aswell.

 

Only had one real problem and that was a new water pump. Needs new batteries but that just normal IMO.

 

I've had all sorts of cars and this one is staying.

[woodyguy]

Of course the people who know about car reliability are Which?

They rate all cars made. So a Porsche Boxter gets 94% rating.

Guess which is bottom.

Yes Landrover, which is so bad that they don't give it a figure. Alone amongst all makes they say "very unreliable".

When I had a disco I found that the third engine it had was probably the best one, but then I sold it so hard to say how long that particular engine lasted.