1996 Land Rover Discovery Tdi S 2.5 Tdi from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Solid, reliable,safe and comfortable

Faults:

Within the first week of buying the car the immobiliser caused the car to lose all electrical power during brief stops after a 2 to 3 hour continuous drive. Took a while for the dealer to locate, but was traced to the 'spider' loom.

Within the first week the wiper motor failed and would only operate when manually selected (1 wipe only). This was fixed within a hour once given to the dealer.

Corrosion inside the rear door, where the frame meets the rear wing. This is due to the poor application of seam sealant. Can be rectified satisfactorily with a little patience.

General Comments:

Considering the all up weight of the vehicle, the 2.5 turbo diesel pull well, delivering good fuel economy if driven lightly (30mpg+).

Sometimes I wish that it was quieter within the cabin whilst on the highway, but that's a minor point.

Internally it is very roomy and it's easy to keep clean.

For the home mechanic the vehicle is easy to maintain, with most components very easy to access, and the cost of parts is generally cheap.

Great tow vehicle, I regularly pull 3000kg, and fuel consumption drops to the mid to low 20's which is quite acceptable.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 15th July, 2002

8th Jan 2004, 02:21

I had the same problem with the immobilizer. After driving 3 hours I stopped in a fuel station and when trying to turn on the engine I found it dead. After 1/2 trying all the hints given by the dealer we finally had the energy back. Problem is that I never found the reason and am afraid of it happening again. Can you be more specific about the cause you found?

Thank

Mario

mmalagodi@hotmail.com.

8th Dec 2004, 10:41

Mario...been having problems with the immobilisation of my Disco 1996 128,000 miles sometimes it just won't start when its been stopped even if the vehicle hasn't been locked...I've found that just by pressing the unlock button while the key is still in the ignition turns everything back on...don't know about other problems with it, but it works for me so far!

Cheers

Peter.

1996 Land Rover Discovery TDi 2.5 turbo diesel from Mali

Summary:

Desert prince

Faults:

Shock absorbers replaced every 20000 kilometers due to very bad "roads". As a matter of fact, I'm constantly off-roading.

Battery has to be replaced about every 18 months for the same reasons as the shock absorbers.

Ball bearing of air conditioning compressor belt roller was replaced at 25000 km.

General Comments:

Not too quick, but I don't care. Quicker than a Nissan Terrano though..., and economic.

Extremely comfortable, but somewhat jumpy. The new generation should be better (longer wheel base)? I love sitting so high, surrounded by glass.

Dust seal on rear door should be reviewed.

Without a snorkel, water gets in the air cleaner rather easily. Have to watch out during the rainy season!

Extremely capable off-roader. I will never forget that outrageous scene in Timbuctoo (!) where a colleague of mine drove through sand - on the standard issue tyres- where Land Cruisers (with professional drivers behind the wheel) got stuck.

Even in the desert heat, I got no "dashboard wrinkle".

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 27th June, 2002

1996 Land Rover Discovery SE7 from North America

Summary:

Excellent value for a Sport Utility Vehicle

Faults:

The alternator had to be replaced at 95,000 kilometres. The cost of the alternator was $950.00 Canadian Dollars.

The front shocks were replaced at 100,00 kilometres.

The radiator cracked and leaked and was replaced at 105,000 kilometres.

An oxygen sensor was replaced at 85,000 kilometres at a cost of $600.00 Canadian Dollars. The sensor is again needed to be replaced at 113,000 Kilometres. From talking with the dealer this problem seems to be common.

General Comments:

This vehicle has a comfortable ride and is very heavy which is great for pulling things. Very good torque.

It is however expensive to maintain and is best serviced by an authorized dealer.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 26th April, 2002