Hey all, been on this forum for 8.5 years, since I had purchased my 2011 LR4 new. Not much off-roading, but lots of camping and ski trips over the years - always met the challenges and did so in comfort and style. Have found so much useful info on here, in particular the threads years ago to convert to HID headlights from DDM tuning, tire options (although I hated the Zeons), Mityvac oil change pump (saved me hundreds over the years). Had a full breakdown last summer on a road trip (water pump blew on highway, but no engine damage as I pulled over and shut down within seconds) and have had some of the other typical issues (no timing chain problems, as far as I know). Until a year and a half ago, most of the repairs were covered via LR warranty and then by my Geico Mechanical Breakdown plan, which was good for 7 years and was worth every penny (even with the $250 deductibles - peanuts on a big LR repair and they paid for dealer repairs using OEM parts). The water pump and related repairs last summer (including crossover pipe) ran almost $3k at the LR dealer I had it towed to. Since then, I’ve wondered what the next repair bill would be - $3k? $5k? Not so interested in making repairs that cost upwards of 50% of the vehicle’s current value - independent shops can do some of the stuff needed, but many of the parts can still be costly.
Was pushing up on 100k miles and noticed things start to churn a little more in the engine, along with some new sounds. Radio reception was failing at times, and other minor issues (but all costly just to diagnose at an LR dealer, let alone repair). Considered exploring repairing any potential issues, but ultimately decided our time with the LR4 was up, since it’s our primary SUV for road trips, etc. It was by far the best car we’ve owned (mixed in with Audi’s, Jeeps, MB, GMC) and we’ll miss the unique nature of the truck - very little on the road has a similar ‘personality’. Traded it in for a new Ford Expedition Platinum, which is a bit different in many respects but somewhat luxurious, elevated ride height (we didn’t like the other 3-row SUVs that sit lower), massive inside and super comfy for road trips — I did cross shop the new Discovery 5 and it just did nothing for me, when comparing it to the LR4. Ride felt a bit ‘mushy’ (dealer would say ‘refined’) and the V6 didn’t have the ‘gusto’ of my 5.0 V8, and while I loved my LR4, other parts of the LR experience (i.e., insane parts/service pricing) were a bit of a turnoff to me. Granted, Expedition is ‘mushy’ as well, but I can seat 8 comfortably in it and still have space behind 3rd row...
Anyway, good luck with your LR4’s, and I will glance at them fondly as I pass them on the road...