1997 Land Rover Range Rover from UK and Ireland - Comments

Hi all.

Since December 2004 I own a 1997 Range Rover 2.5DSE that appeared to be on good condition.

Now I am dealing with a EAS problem that will be solved only replacing the compressor and, maybe, an air spring.

It maybe is hiding some other surprise, but... I love it too much to say that's a mistake.

By the way, pay attention to dealers and mechanics... The official dealer took half an hour to propose a repair for 2.600,00 Euros with only 100,00 Euros of workmanship. At the moment I paid 300,00 Euros for a new compressor and another 75,00 Euros for various spares. I'll put four hours of work rebuilding the valve block and I am confident that, after this, a good Test-Book reset will fix everything.

The point is: Land Rover costs a lot when you buy it and when you service it, but if you know a good mechanic (one of those who fix problems and not only change spares parts) you can dramatically save money (huge amounts).

I have some spare time and I like doing repairs so I can (hopefully) fix it by myself, but a good mechanic is the best investment.

Bye all!

Dan

Italy.

I am considering buying a 2.5 diesel RR. Probably around 98 or 99. But reading the comments on here I am starting to change my mind. I have some questions though, If the air system is replaced with coils, will this affect ride quality? The air suspension seems to be the biggest problem, correct? I am mechanically minded and enjoy diy motor maintenance. From reading he comments, a lot of the problems sound like minor problems, for example bulbs, brake lines, leaks etc. These are problems I would tackle myself.

So for a mechanically minded person, who is not afraid to work on it, is a Range Rover a feasible buy?

I am considering purchasing a new RR LR3 SE. I currently own the XC90 '05. I test drove the LR3 and completely fell in love with it. It sits higher than the XC90 (since I am short). Have any comments on the two vehicles? I love the XC90; inquiring before I make the decision. I've compared the vehicles side-by-side via Internet. Lots of similarities and some differences.

Any comments would be appreciative.

Buy a 2003 and up Range Rover, or for all you others living in another country 2002 and up. They are basically BMW X5's on extended platforms with better off-rad capability. I have owned 4 Range Rovers, a 1995, 1999, 2002 and now a 2004. The 2004 was expensive, but so worth it! The 2002 has the extended warranty and has not been that bad so far, but the 1995 and 1999 needed head gaskets at 65000 miles! The quality seemed to somewhat improve around 2000 for the existing design, but still was not great. The new ones are amazing. Build quality are not an issue as they once were. So far, knock on wood, it has not broken down! The new LR3 is amazing, but is really just a Ford SUV. I would buy another Range Rover again, but only the current ones.

I LOVE my DSE!!!

I bought a DSE which I thought was in good condition- upon the recommendation of a Range Rover garage.

It turned out to be the single most neglected car I have ever bought- worn brake pads and discs, EAS compressor, every single bearing in the entire drive train and leaky airsprings and valve block. It seemed that outside of the usual things every car has- exhaust pipe, wipers, windscreen, (BMW) engine and gearbox etc everything that could have gone wrong with this car had gone wrong.

After 6 months, copious amounts of money spent and lots of persistence, it's running well- and reliably. I have also (belatedly) discovered that this car is eminently DIY-able by anybody who has played with Meccano sets as a child- at least the EAS part of it is.

With so many online resources now available for the enthusiast who doesn't mind googling and getting his hands dirty, this car is much less daunting a prospect than its fearsome reputation would suggest. Rather good value and great fun, actually.

Well all I can say is "Good on you!" If you are clever enough to work on this monster, in the Angolan desert, after dark, or Catford, I want you as a passenger, everywhere.

I have a DSE year 2000 and the thing is absolutely dreadful. I need reliability, my car is part of my work and if I don't turn up I lose £35 an hour! I'm not well either and only work a few hours a week. I bought this car because it's very easy to get in and out of and can carry all my kit. I part ex'ed my Volvo for it, which had twice the mileage and ran as sweet as a nut.

I bought the Range Rover in May and so far, its EAS has let me down, literally, four times.

I think that's totally unacceptable. It's going back to the garage I bought it from and I'm getting my money back!

Range Rover, Beautiful but terminally flawed. What's wrong with those people at Range Rover? £40,000 + for a car that's no good!

If I worked for them, I'd die of shame!