QuestionHi,
Are looking at buying a great 2002 LR Discovery SE. Our friend said his sister had one but they traded it in cuz the routine maintainence (tune up, brakes etc) and repairs in general were exhorbitant. He said $50 per spark plug!
$800 for brakes...
How much is a tune up in Orange County, Ca?
AnswerHi Jim,
listen to what your friend has to say. Yes, it can be extremely expensive to repair and maintain a LR. If you have the dealer change the spark plugs, it can cost you $2000. An alternators, starters, PS pumps all are extremely expensive compared to N.A vehicles.
The way to save money owning a LR is to either trade it in just before the warranty expires OR do as much maintenance and repair yourself. Even doing the work yourself, you still will find yourself needing the help of a LR expert once in awhile. That can be very discouraging to your budget.
Then there is the reputation of the LR dealers. Good luck fining one that you can trust. They do exist - somewhere, I'm just not sure where to start.
As for the brake job - yes, if you have the dealer do the work - hold onto your wallet. Most local mechanics can do brake jobs - so long as it's just pads and discs. Many have no experience with LR's and can make mistakes. Some local garages won't even touch a LR - too complicated, parts are too expensive, may not be 100% sure of the work they can do.
Orange county...you'll probably have a greater chance in finding independent LR mechanics. From what I've seen, LR dealers in CA are very 'aggressive in sales' within the service department. I can tell you awful stories of how various CA dealerships have treated LR owners. Some of these service managers have no morals and its the bottom line that motives them - nothing else.
One woman, who's husband was stationed in Iraq - wrote to me in tears about how badly she was treated by a CA dealership. They were scamming her to buy a new engine (+ $10,000). With her husband 'on mission' and 7 months pregnant - the dealer did every trick in the book to get her to either trade in the vehicle or install a new engine. With the help of mechanics on base (29 Palms), they contacted me and together we were able to fix the problem - I believe it was below $1000 and some brews. I have more examples that could turn you stomach.
For the most part, if you are mechanically inclined, you could do most of the maintenance and repairs yourself. If you are not, you will need to have 'deep pockets' - this vehicle has problems that can tax even the most patient DIY'er.
If this is you only mode of transportation - move on to another vehicle. Check out JD Powers for customer satisfaction ratings - I think the Kia is just a bit worse than the LR - especially for those who own the vehicle after the warranty expires.
Best of luck,
JohnMc
