QuestionI have offered to seek advice for a friend who has a 1997 Land Rover Discovery. It has been towed to the dealership after a radiator problem. She was given an estimate today of fixing what is wrong for $3800. It has 99,000 miles on it also.
The items needing replacement are:
head gasket
radiator
My friend is weighing whether she should not repair the car and buy another used car. Could she get these problems fixed for far less at another private repair shop?
AnswerThe head gaskets are probably leaking coolant onto the ground. How bad do they leak? Perhaps it's worth getting a second opinion. If you did that work, it's going to be costly. But are head gaskets truly needed? I can't tell from here. If the vehicle has "radiator trouble" perhaps you should change the radiator and evaluate your options then.
Should you do it? That's up to you. The case value of the vehicle is probably not high, but it provides transport. We do many jobs like this at Robison Service. You might look on the shop index at RangeRovers.net to see if there is a good independent near you.
Keep in mind that you get what you pay for in service. If shop A wants $4,000 and shop B wants $2,000 then they are probably doing a different job, or cutting some serious corners.
