Planning on buying a 2006 LR3 HSE

[Frostiex]

I am planning on buying a used 2006 LR3 HSE. Mechanically, I am not worried. If the LR3 really that bad electronically in the real world? How much of these problems need to be fixed by the dealers? How about the maintenance. At the 4 year mark and 106000KM. Anything to watch out for? This will not be my main vehicle, it will be my weekend rider and for long summer trips..

I really love the interior and the look of this SUV, the ride was solid. But what am I looking at in regarding to the cost of ownership of this SUV? The owner said he did his first brake pad change @ 90k...that sounds like a lot to me...is it reasonable?

the LR3 has the auto height adjustments, how long is that expected to last and how much does that system cost to replace?

anything I should be inspecting for on these 2006 LR3 HSEs?

Thanks so much for all your experts!

 

[NickLR3HSE]

My wife and I have a 06 LR3 HSE. We bought it used with around 20K on it. It is an awesome suv, love how it drives plus has the 7 seats for when needed. Taken it on light off roads a few times and has been flawless. We have had no major issues with it. Been very reliable, only issue was the washing fluid container had a crack in it, replaced under warranty. It currently has around 42K on it and the air suspension is as good as the day we bought it. It just went out of warranty and we plan on keeping it for a long while. At some point we may trade in and get a range rover, but it will be a while before that happens.

I am planning on buying a used 2006 LR3 HSE. Mechanically, I am not worried. If the LR3 really that bad electronically in the real world? How much of these problems need to be fixed by the dealers? How about the maintenance. At the 4 year mark and 106000KM. Anything to watch out for? This will not be my main vehicle, it will be my weekend rider and for long summer trips..

I really love the interior and the look of this SUV, the ride was solid. But what am I looking at in regarding to the cost of ownership of this SUV? The owner said he did his first brake pad change @ 90k...that sounds like a lot to me...is it reasonable?

the LR3 has the auto height adjustments, how long is that expected to last and how much does that system cost to replace?

anything I should be inspecting for on these 2006 LR3 HSEs?

Thanks so much for all your experts!

 

[RvDUB]

I have been a VW AUDI guys for years and sold our 2004 VW Touareg! I just picked up a CPO'd 2007 LR3 SE with, Tech, Xenon and Cold Climate package and so far really like it! I like the room and the "heavy" handling. Very different from my S4!

The reason i went for a 2007 is this. I had the first year VW Touareg and had more toubles then you could imagine. Since the LR3's came out in 2005 I personally wanted a LR3 that was atleast two years out from 2005 when they first showed up. I also wanted a CPO'd LR3 so I get the additional warranty and LR performed their 140 point inspection.

Just my two cents...

 

[Panzerknacker]

The common problems have pretty much been pointed out in the sticky thread at the top already. The occasional ride height sensor, windshield washer fluid sensor. Leaky sunroofs due to a clogged drain tube, and compressors. I would figure that the more you raise and lower the vehicle the shorter the lifespan of your compressor. For example if you put it in access mode every time you stop the truck you may be replacing your compressor sooner than someone who doesnt. Not proven or anything just sayin.

Ive only had mine for about 3 months but I drove it from Ky to Co loaded down with belongings, now it is my daily driver and I take it out on the trails on the weekends. Been good so far.

 

[cbboard]

i've discovered that the battery in my '05 LR3 SE drains quite quickly. the LR3 loves its electricity. when washing my prior vehicles i would always have the windows down and play the radio. i learned quickly that doing that doesn't go over too well with the LR3. my wife also left the tailgate open for about 2 hours while she moved some stuff into our new place. that didn't work out too well either. i've already gone through several batteries and they aren't cheap, but they were covered/prorated through the LR dealership. your '06 might not have these problems, but i would be cautious until you get a feel for it. otherwise, i feel like most of the kinks are worked out in mine....fingers crossed.

 

[gtc]

I am planning on buying a used 2006 LR3 HSE. Mechanically, I am not worried. If the LR3 really that bad electronically in the real world? How much of these problems need to be fixed by the dealers? How about the maintenance. At the 4 year mark and 106000KM. Anything to watch out for? This will not be my main vehicle, it will be my weekend rider and for long summer trips..

I'm assuming that you are Canadian, given the kilometer reference rather then mileage; unfortunately there are not many indie LR mechanics in Canada, but the simple stuff can be done by non-dealership places (or DIY, if you are so inclined). Given the extensive nature of the electronics and the custom diagnostic equipment, you may be stuck with the dealership for more severe problems (if they ever occur). In regards to regular maintenance, there's nothing overly outrageous compared to other brands that I've encountered so far - we imported a 2006 SE a few years back.

I really love the interior and the look of this SUV, the ride was solid. But what am I looking at in regarding to the cost of ownership of this SUV? The owner said he did his first brake pad change @ 90k...that sounds like a lot to me...is it reasonable?

Pretty high mileage for a first brake job - this is an almost 6000lb SUV, so it requires a fair bit of force to slow it down; we're at roughly 83k kms, and are still on our first set of pads, though I'm just about to swap 'em out (along with the rotors). The quote from the local LR dealership is $1400 CAD, which seems relatively common for 4 pads/rotors. I may just perform the DIY (about $350 in parts, if you order from the US and can pick up in the US, if I recall correctly), or have either the dealer or an indie mechanic install my parts; the local LR dealership is happy to install whatever parts you want, but will only warranty the work, not parts.

the LR3 has the auto height adjustments, how long is that expected to last and how much does that system cost to replace?

Good question - seems to vary, so I'm not sure if there's an average expected life; there's a guy floating around with more then 100k miles (as of last year some time) still on original everything - only work he's done is brakes and oil. My wife uses the LR3 as her daily driver in the winters, and it's lowered and raised every time it's parked - often 4+ times per day (since I often take it skiing in the evenings) - no signs of problems.

anything I should be inspecting for on these 2006 LR3 HSEs?

Thanks so much for all your experts!

I believe one of the threads here has a list of TSBs that may be helpful - might be worthwhile determining what has been addressed; however, it seems that most 06+ vehicles are pretty reliable, and 05s with the appropriate TSBs/recalls performed are equally reliable.

Have fun!

GTC

 

[NeilP]

Put some cash aside ..........

There are alot of electrical and mechanical component problems with LR
They have very poor quality control and the parts cost alot. I've taken out
Extended Warranty on my 2 year old ( 3 years Factory cover in Oz ) LR3SE
which gives me a total of 6 years or 160000km maximum . That was USD2100
with no excess for the policy. I wouldn't expect you to get NO trouble from
the diffs, ball joints , air compressor/ride sensors, EPB & HiFi . If you're unlucky
the ZF trans and transfer case may leak . The electrics CANBUS system can be
a nightmare . Consider buying a Fault Code Reader/clearer ;

http://www.blackbox-solutions.com/products.html

This will enable you to clear CANBUS fault codes that can shut down the
vehicle. No saying it won't instantly reoccur , but may get you home/Shop
Small software glitches are a PITA when driving functions are system limited.

The LR4 is turning out to be as bad as the LR3 was when it was launched.
LRUK have thrown the towel in re: customer support in the UK .
The Company never was too great , but now it's going to Hell in a hand cart .......

Read around the Forums before spending your money . There's no rush to jump
in . There's plenty of these vehicles around the traps .

 

[magicmarker]

Hi

I bought an 06 LR3 HSE used with 22k miles on it about one year ago. I live about 110 miles from the closest dealer.

I have had a couple of problems, but nothing unexpected.

I have replaced both front ($600) and rear ($850) brake pads and rotors at the dealer in the past year. I think it's nearly impossible that the vehicle you are considering is still on the first set of pads. I'm not a very agressive driver, but at ~6,000 lbs curb weight I think you have to expect this will need pads every 40-50k miles.

My OEM tires were badly cupped due to a failed front suspension component. That component was replaced under warranty but I ended up buying tires at 32k. Put on some Alenzas and they are awesome.

Here are my observations about dealerships. 1) If you didn't buy the vehicle NEW from them, don't expect loaner cars or other convienences. LR USA does NOT pay for this stuff and it's 100% left up to the dealer to decide. Both Chicago dealers I've used have not provided loaner cars. This has been a bit of a problem for me (living 110 miles away) but I knew that when I bought the LR3. 2) Dealers have done a good job on making repairs but getting parts is tedious. On both of my repairs, it has taken 3+ weeks to get the correct parts. About one week to get the parts, then the wrong part is shipped, then 2 more weeks to get the correct part from the UK.

So if you have a repair that impacts safety (like a front right strut), and it takes 3 weeks to get the part, that gets to be a PITA pretty quick. In my case it cost me $320 in car rentals (because dealer doesn't pay for a loaner - it wasn't purchased at the dealer).

BUT - I love the vehicle. It is, bar none, the best kid vehicle I have ever owned. Mine are 7, 5 and 5. They have plenty of space. The sunroofs on all three rows are brilliant. Mine has the headphone jacks at every outboard seating position which they LOVE.

Good luck!