Land Rover Repair: Three Amigos, deep pockets, jd powers

Question
John,

I am looking at a 2001 Discovery SD with 86000 miles. The vehicle seems to be in good shape and the seller assures me that the only mechanical issue is the trhee amigos. He says the guys at North Texas LR told him not to worry about it. Basically, the lights are on but the truck is fine. My nephew has a disco and spent a large amount of money getting rid of the three amigos. He insists it is a critical fix. This is all new to me, this will be my forst Land Rover. Any input?

Thanks,

Doug Loyd

Answer
Hi Doug,

I would listen to your nephew.  Of course, the dealer will say anything to make a sale, as would the seller.  I doubt very much if LR will ever acknowledge the 3 amigos as a problem.  They'll say "never heard of it" or ignore the problem (ostrich in the sand approach to problem solving).

IF you really want this Disco, factor into your offer to purchase the $2000 or $3000 needed to fix this problem (maybe).  

Lastly, reliability for these SUV's has always been an issue - that and customer satisfaction when it comes to the dealers.  JD Powers use to rate the Disco just below the Kia.  

If you don't have mechanical skills, lots of tools, or deep pockets to cover repairs, I would
be more careful when purchasing a Disco.  The 3 amigos has to do with your braking system and I agree with your nephew - that's a critical problem that should be fixed.


Best of luck,
JohnMc

NB:  I coined the phrase "3 amigos" many years ago and you only have to google this to find out how common it really is: Discovery 3 amigos.  And it's a global problem with Disco's.