1996
From: Rick Jones
<ssauer40@ix.netcom.com>
Newsgroups: rec.autos.4x4
Subject: Re: Discovery VS 4Runner
Date: Thu, 30 May 1996 19:17:06 -0700
Organization: Netcom
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Malinda Garris wrote:
>
> We are currently deciding which SUV to purchase and we have
narrowed
> it down to the 1996 Landrover Discovery and the 1996 Toyota
4Runner.
> WE would appreciate any comments--positive or negative on
each.
> Thanks so much in advance,
>
> Malinda Garris
> garris@uspto.gov
Get the 4Runner and put the extra monet into savings. Maintanance
will
cost much less and reliability is better.
Rick, Toyota Master/ASE Master/L-1 (PS my opinion is a bit
biased)
From: cmoore@signet.org.au (Charles Moore)
Newsgroups: rec.autos.4x4
Subject: DISCO-Its a lemon
Date: Thu, 23 May 96 09:39:29 GMT
Organization: Signet Systems Pty Ltd
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Thanks for the many replys to my last post, it seems that I have
a lemon, but
the Quality of Land Rovery discoveries is JUNK.
I have after several attempts and two weeks go my car back in a
usable state.
According to Land Rover Australia " I dont have a problem as
they have a
quality system that ensures that this does not happen !!!"
Based on experience to date, anyone considering purchase of a
Land rover
product should look very carefully at the purchase. Dont expect
any "quality
or customer support from Land Rover" my next 4X4 will not
come from the UK or
from anything controlled by BMW.
From: ag832@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Grant
Wilkinson)
Newsgroups: rec.autos.4x4
Subject: Re: DISCO-Its a lemon
Date: 24 May 1996 12:02:37 GMT
Organization: The National Capital FreeNet
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Sender: ag832@freenet2.carleton.ca (Grant Wilkinson)
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Reply-To: ag832@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Grant Wilkinson)
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Charles Moore (cmoore@signet.org.au) writes:
> Thanks for the many replys to my last post, it seems that I
have a lemon, but
> the Quality of Land Rovery discoveries is JUNK.
>
> I have after several attempts and two weeks go my car back
in a usable state.
>
> According to Land Rover Australia " I dont have a
problem as they have a
> quality system that ensures that this does not happen
!!!"
>
> Based on experience to date, anyone considering purchase of
a Land rover
> product should look very carefully at the purchase. Dont
expect any "quality
> or customer support from Land Rover" my next 4X4 will
not come from the UK or
> from anything controlled by BMW.
>
I can't comment on the BMW part, it's too soon to tell, but as
for LR
quality, you are dead on. My lemon keeps me in the dealership at
least 3
or 4 days every months. The repair bill to LR is in the many
thousands of
dollars. I have spoken to Land Rover Canada, Land Rover North
America and
Land Rover Solihull. No luck. The dealer is great, but I don't
want to
see him every damn week. I am now going with the
government-sponsored
arbitration route to try to get rid of this piece of @#$%#$$. I
can't
advise strongly enough to stay away from this junk. Land Rover is
resting on it's well deserved, until lately, reputation. They
deserve to
lose their shirts for the way they produce vehicles now, though.
--
Grant Wilkinson
Ottawa, Canada
grantw@freenet.carleton.ca
From: kpstein@aol.com (KPStein)
Newsgroups: rec.autos.4x4
Subject: Re: LANDROVER-JUNK or LEMON??
Date: 26 May 1996 12:02:29 -0400
Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364)
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Not the best move getting the Disco. Off-roaders like them for
their
capabilities as do lots of folks who like the romantic notion of
driving a
Land Rover (imagine crashing through the Nairobi bush in search
of the
elusive white rhino!). But be real - it's British, and British
vehicles
break for inexplicable reasons that've baffled mechanics for ages
(Joke:
Why do the British drink their beer warm? Because they have Lucas
refigerators).
Unless you plan to do some very serious off-roading (which 90% of
4x4 suv
owners don't) and what you want is kind of an exclusive 4X4 SUV
with scads
of great capabilities, get a GMC Yukon or a Chevy Tahoe. You'll
be a lot
happier. You'll save $5-10,000, get more space, trailering,
comfort,
horsepower and better on-road performance and besides - if you
ever DO
break down in one, you'll have about 10,000 U.S. dealers to
choose from to
get it fixed vs. about 90.
Opinions are my own and not necessarily those of my employer -
though they
should be.
Cheers, Kevin
From: cmoore@signet.org.au (Charles Moore)
Newsgroups: rec.autos.4x4
Subject: Re: Land Rover Discovery96
Date: Thu, 23 May 96 09:27:52 GMT
Organization: Signet Systems Pty Ltd
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Message-ID: <4o1f3a$b3n@grissom.powerup.com.au>
References: <4mlqtt$gbc@freenet-news.carleton.ca>
<DrC6yL.G3u@hpqmoea.sqf.hp.com>
<31978E30.761C@eos.ncsu.edu>
<4nd2pp$r4k@beavis.kronos.com>
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In article <4nd2pp$r4k@beavis.kronos.com>,
greynolds@internet.kronos.com (Geoffrey Reynolds) wrote:
>If you really are looking for a replacement vehicle in the
$30,000 range, why
>not look at the Toyota 4Runner or Mitsubishi Montero?
Personally, I have
>owned a 1995 Mitsubishi Montero LS for a little over a year,
and have only had
>1 minor problem that was present at delivery. The problem was
that when you
>lock either front door with the key the other doors are
supposed to lock also.
> That wasn't working properly when I picked it up, but one
visit to service
>had it fixed. I actually could have lived with this, but
figured for around
>$30K I ought to have things right.
Based on personal experience the Discovery has parthetic
"quality" or rather
the lack of it the UK factory has significant quality problems.
In Aus 96 actually means 95 so perhaps your 96 may have fixed
some of the
manufacturing bugs!!!!!.
>
>Good luck,
>Jeff
>
>In article <31978E30.761C@eos.ncsu.edu>, Ralph Andrew
Sterlen
><rasterle@eos.ncsu.edu> wrote:
>>> Grant Wilkinson (ag832@FreeNet.Carleton.CA) wrote:
>>>
>>> : My Disco and others on this list are real lemons.
>>
>> I've talked to several people on the net and I have come
to this
>>conclusion. People in the UK and Commonwealth Countries
have far less
>>problems with their Discoveries than people in the USA. I
know that the
>>Land Rovers shipped here are especially designed for the
US market and
>>most of the folks I know with them say they have been
terribly
>>disapointed.
>> After years of praying every morning that my old K-5
Blazer will start
>>and not break down, I really don't want to spend over
$30,000 dollars on
>>a vehicle every bit as bad.
>> A lot of folks on the net have said, "...well it's
meant for rugged
>>outdoor use not for driving to the movies or to buy
groceries." If a
>>Land Rover Discovery cannot survive a trip to the grocery
store, I sure
>>as hell am not going to drive it into the desert or out
in the middle of
>>the woods.
>> I've grown up with 4x4's and if I want a vehicle I have
to repair
> every
>>1000 miles. I'l just keep my '84 K-5 Blazer and invest
the $30,000.
>>
>>Andy Sterlen
From: ag832@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Grant
Wilkinson)
Newsgroups: rec.autos.4x4
Subject: Re: Land Rovers are giant tinker toys
Date: 4 Apr 1996 12:48:34 GMT
Organization: The National Capital FreeNet
Lines: 39
Sender: ag832@freenet2.carleton.ca (Grant Wilkinson)
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<faurecm-0204962151310001@blv-pm3-ip26.halcyon.com>
<31630E0B.7C38@eos.ncsu.edu>
Reply-To: ag832@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Grant Wilkinson)
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Ralph Andrew Sterlen (rasterle@eos.ncsu.edu) writes:
> C. Marin Faure wrote:
>>
>>
>> Unlike American 4X4s, Land Rovers (Series and Defender)
are "erector set"
>> vehicles. You can take them almost completely apart with
a few wrenches,
>> a socket set, and a can opener. Broken parts are very
easy to get at to
>> fix or replace.
>
> Is this really true? I want a Land Rover, so bad I can
almost tatse
> the diesel exaust. However, I was really terrified that it
being an
> English vehicle, it would be totally metric with even more
screwwed up
> special tools and crap than my Chevy Blazer (if possible).
> I am really mechanically inclined and I could do more work
on my Blazer
> IF I owned a GM service bay with all of thier special crap.
> How much computer controlled crap is there on the Deferder
and older
> Land Rovers. And what about the LR Discovery? Does it live
up to the
> Land Rover name and is it also relatively easy to work on
(ie. a tinker
> toy). Please let me know.
>
> Andy Sterlen
> rasterle@unity.ncsu.edu
Andy
From what I have read and heard, Mr. Faure's opinion of Defenders
and
Series vehilces is right on the money. You can take them apart
and put
them together again for fun. As for the Disco - it is not the
same at
all. LR has tried to go sophisticated - and failed miserably in
my view.
They have lost the "erector set" ability of earlier
designs, and they have
not gained the quality and reliability that they were shooting
for. All
in all, a total loss.
--
Grant Wilkinson
Ottawa, Canada
grantw@freenet.carleton.ca
From: Chris Knox <cknox@earthlink.net>
Newsgroups: rec.autos.4x4
Subject: Re: Land Rover Discovery Faults-MANY!
Date: Tue, 03 Dec 1996 22:41:59 -0700
Organization: CMK Partners
Lines: 31
Message-ID: <32A50F27.3171@earthlink.net>
References: <19961109144100.JAA15520@ladder01.news.aol.com>
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Sean P. Murphy wrote:
>
> faurecm@halcyon.com,News2 writes:
> >> To all foolish LR shoppers -
> >>
> >> I have now had the misfortune to be a Disco owner
for almost four
> >months
> >> now. To cut to the chase, I am going to sell my
Disco. I will lose
> >> $8-10k in doing this. I feel I have to do this
becasue LR's are
> >crap....
> >> Woe to anyone who foolishly buys a Land Rover.....
From: dstock@hpqmdla.sqf.hp.com (David
Stockton)
Newsgroups: rec.autos.4x4
Subject: Re: 96 Land Rover Discovery...Should I Buy On
Date: 10 Dec 1996 10:02:12 GMT
Organization: Hwelett Packard
Lines: 21
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Andy Dingley (dingbat@codesmth.demon.co.uk) wrote:
: Ever seen the old Landie poster ? One of the original selling
points
: of the Landie was its suitability for "light
ploughing".
...
: I've also seen my father in law
drive to the garage by tractor to get
: a new clutch hose for his 90 8-)
From: wrath@topdog.cs.umbc.edu (Vijay Gill)
Newsgroups: rec.autos.4x4
Subject: Re: LR Discovery bad weather starting
Date: 11 Dec 1996 11:29:24 -0500
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In-reply-to: "Diana O. Omecinsky"'s message of Tue, 10
Dec 1996 23:30:39 -0500
X-Newsreader: Gnus v5.0.15
In article <32AE38EF.167E@aa.wl.com> "Diana O.
Omecinsky"
<omecind@aa.wl.com> writes:
>My 1995 LR Discovery won't start
after precipitation. It cranks, but
>won't start- until you crank so
hard you think it's going to explode.
>The dealer changed a chip last March and guaranteed the
problem was
>solved. Last week during our
first snowfall of the year, the problem
>re-occurred. The car is no
longer under warranty (60,000 miles) and I
>need to know from fellow Disco
owners what to do and what to expect from
This is the worlds best 4x4xfar? And people wonder why I always
seem
to root for the Toyota Landcruisers....
Path:
nntp.farm.idt.net!dial114.skypoint.net!user
From: creg19@mail.idt.net (Craig Smith)
Newsgroups: rec.autos.4x4
Subject: Land Rover Discovery won't start after precipitation
Date: Tue, 31 Dec 1996 00:56:25 -0600
Organization: IDT
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NNTP-Posting-Host: dial114.skypoint.net
In article <32AE38EF.167E@aa.wl.com> "Diana O. Omecinsky" <omecind@aa.wl.com> writes:
>My 1995 LR Discovery won't start after precipitation. It
cranks, but
>won't start- until you crank so hard you think it's going to
explode.
>The dealer changed a chip last March and guaranteed the
problem was
>solved. Last week during our first snowfall of the year, the
problem
>re-occurred. The car is no longer under warranty (60,000
miles) and I
>need to know from fellow Disco owners what to do and what to
expect from
>the Land Rover Customer Service/Owner Care and from the
dealership? Has
>anybody had the problem solved successfully?
Even if it was still under warranty, I wouldn't expect much. I
had the
identical complaint with my '95 Disco - anytime it rains or snows
it
would crank famously (thanks to a Sears Diehard Battery), but
just would
not "kick." Over the course of a year, the dealer
replaced the software
chip, installed a water anti-intrusion kit, cleaned the contacts
that were
supposed to have corroded had water got it, replaced the
distributor cap
... Likewise they always claimed to have fixed it, but they never
really
did. I had followed the manual's starting procedure exactly: keep
your
foot off the throttle, cranking for 10 to 20 seconds at a time.
Finally,
a Land Rover mechanic told me to try this, and IT ACTUALLY WORKS:
1. Depress gas pedal fully to the floor.
2. Crank engine for up to ONE FULL MINUTE if necessary (it will
be).
3. When it starts to sputter, immediately release the pedal and
continue cranking.
Although this technique worked, I was not pleased to put up with
it in a
$35,000 car. Nobody would tolerate it in a $10,000 car. And I was
afraid
that when the starter motor burns out, they would ask "Did
you crank for
more than 10 seconds?" I visited the service department
frequently, until
I was convinced they simply could not fix the problem, nor did
they seem
particularly interested in doing so. This problem, coupled with a
continual litany of new and recurring problems [footnote 1],
forced me to
sell the vehicle. The straw that "broke my back" was a
defective rear
view mirror (on hot summer days it would not stay put). The inept
dealer
[2] fractured the windscreen while attempting to remove the
mirror, AND
THEN REFUSED TO PAY FOR REPLACEMENT.
> This is the worlds best 4x4xfar?
That's what they would have you think. I complained to Land
Rover's 1-800
line multiple time, only to be assured "the dealer will take
care of any
problems." They are long on promises and lip service, but
lacking in
customer service, quality, reliability, and serviceability. As
other's
have posted, my purchase depreciated $10,000 during one year of
ownership. I will *never* do business with Land Rover again. On
the
contrary, I am taking the dealer to court and have now published
the top
10 reasons why I hate my Land Rover Discovery.
****************************************************************
***
*** TOP TEN REASONS WHY I HATE MY LAND ROVER DISCOVERY
*** http://shell.idt.net/~creg19/landrover_sucks.html
***
****************************************************************
a former Discovery owner,
Craig A. Smith <creg19@mail.idt.com>
__________
Footnotes
[1] Some of my problems: rear door won't lock (6 trips to
dealer), oil
leaks, hood release frozen (can't check oil level), frozen locks,
(can't
open fuel inlet cover door - you won't find this out till your
nearly out
of gas - couple that with Rover's notoriously poor fuel economy),
front
bumper fell off, roof racks destroyed in D.C. parking garage,
power
steering fluid leak, replaced plastic trim on column - twice,
recurring
oil leaks, sunroof refuses to function, excessive hood vibration,
duplicate keys don't work, security system malfunction (it's made
by Lucas
Electric), 3 digital clocks, radiator hose, rear window spray
nozzel
replaced twice (they break off in carwash).
[2] For the record, the clueless dealer is Carousel
Automobiles,
Minneapolis, MN. The next closest LR shop is 300 miles away in
Milwaukee.
From: Chris Knox <cknox@earthlink.net>
Newsgroups: rec.autos.4x4
Subject: Re: Land Rover Discovery Faults-MANY!
Date: Tue, 03 Dec 1996 22:41:59 -0700
>To all foolish LR shoppers -
>I have now had the misfortune to be a Disco owner for almost
four months
>now. To cut to the chase, I am going to sell my Disco. I will
lose crap....
>Woe to anyone who foolishly buys a Land Rover.....
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From: lito@smart.net
Newsgroups: rec.autos.4x4
Subject: Re: Land Rover Discovery Faults-MANY!
Date: Sat, 07 Dec 1996 10:57:14 -0500
Organization: lcubed ltd
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End 1996
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