Questions about new purchase

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Sean A

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Hello everyone!

I have Scoured these forums for information and there is SO much!
However I have a few questions still.

Tomorrow the plan is for me to purchase a 2012 LR4 HSE with only 95k miles.

Everyone online highly suggests a pre- purchase inspection, but the dealer and all the import shops near me are booked for another 2 weeks. So I can not get the inspection done. I am first on list to get this out of 20 people. So I want to jump on this considering the lower miles and the condition of it. It’s a one owner who Owned it on Long Island New York, dealer maintained. I know of some of the major stuff to look for and to see what’s been replaced like control arms(they look like in good shape but maybe original) water pump, thermostat was replaced but no mention of Crosslink pipe. CARFAX reads as -Vehicle service,Water pump replaced,Exhaust pipe replaced,Thermostat replace,Antifreeze/coolant checked
Do they normally replace this? It was all done 12k miles ago.
The timing chain from the oil fill seems good and no abnormal sounds
I didn’t get a chance to look at air shocks as they were closing and I will tomorrow. The car lot Its at(mainly sells imports) put new rotors, pads and sensors on it today.

What else should I look at tomorrow before I sign my name?

they also want to sell me a extended warranty plan for $1800 which covers a TON of stuff I did my research on the company and they check out. The plan covers control arms, fuel injectors and a bunch more.
With how well maintained it has been should I spend the 1800 on the plan? Or should I just hold onto the 1800 and keep it for just repairs?
It also needs its 90k maintenance done at dealer, whT does that intail and what kind of ballpark range should I expect for it? Any help would be amazing!
I plan on doing some light off-roading dirt paths, maybe some mountain roads in Colorado when I go out there again!
THANKS!

Sean

I am including photos of what the warranty covers, I’m thinking bronze. Is there any reason I should do silver. I don’t know the cost of silver, but bronco is $1800 and that’s for 2 years

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ttforcefed

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in general extended 3rd party warranties say they cover alot but then dont, usually because they stipulate that for them to cover x,y,z you need to be able to show receipts for oil changes every 6 months etc...id avoid the extended.
 

Mehmet C

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The stuff they write in the tiny little fonts at the end usually means they will find multiple excuses for you to pay for the repairs when the vehicle breaks down.

Other than that, I'd say it depends on the asking price. If it is lower than average, the car might not be as in tip-top shape as they claim it is. As a personal rule, I never buy a car without having it inspected. I once came across a car that was literally cut in half and reattached with another half, I was dumbfounded. I am not inexperienced when it comes to cars but I'd never figure it out myself if it wasn't for the mechanic.

I hope it works out for you in the end, it is a decent car after all.
 

Quijote

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From what you describe, this car seems like a great find. Decent maintenance records from dealer, no noises, etc. That said, it is 8-9 years old and with 100k miles. Stuff will come up.

What are your expectations? If I were looking at that LR4 as a car I'll put 15k+ miles per year and the thought of expensive maintenance or repair scares me, personally I would not get an LR4. It's just pricey to run. If it's more of a 5-10k miles per year and I'm planning to do some of the basic work myself (fluids, brakes), I'd probably go for it - although with the full understanding that chain or additional cooling work could be in my future and I won't be horrified if it happens.

I guess my point is, as a recent college grad I wouldn't buy such a car. As a middle age guy with a good income who likes it because it is unique and won't be driven too much, sure, I'd go for it. In short, to me, it's a combination of use case and operational budget.

But all that aside, I think that looks like a pretty good 2012 LR4. Good luck.

Oh yeah, and I am also not very trusting of 3rd party warranties, but that's just me. I've heard both good and terrible stories. Except for excellent deals on factory extended warranties, I've always self-insured.
 

avslash

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From what you describe, this car seems like a great find. Decent maintenance records from dealer, no noises, etc. That said, it is 8-9 years old and with 100k miles. Stuff will come up.

What are your expectations? If I were looking at that LR4 as a car I'll put 15k+ miles per year and the thought of expensive maintenance or repair scares me, personally I would not get an LR4. It's just pricey to run. If it's more of a 5-10k miles per year and I'm planning to do some of the basic work myself (fluids, brakes), I'd probably go for it - although with the full understanding that chain or additional cooling work could be in my future and I won't be horrified if it happens.

I guess my point is, as a recent college grad I wouldn't buy such a car. As a middle age guy with a good income who likes it because it is unique and won't be driven too much, sure, I'd go for it. In short, to me, it's a combination of use case and operational budget.

But all that aside, I think that looks like a pretty good 2012 LR4. Good luck.

Oh yeah, and I am also not very trusting of 3rd party warranties, but that's just me. I've heard both good and terrible stories. Except for excellent deals on factory extended warranties, I've always self-insured.

You make good points.

They are expensive to run. Period.

Of course the first car I ever bought myself after college was a used Porsche, so it can be done. I taught myself a lot working on that car. It just sucked to be up to 3a.m because you needed to drive the damn thing to work tomorrow.
 

DaytonaRS7

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the "advertisement" booklet that describes the warranty isn't as important at the terms and conditions on the actual warranty contract. you'd be surprised the fine print in the contract that may contradict, or void out things listed in the booklet.

To be honest, id be weary of any warranty on a luxury 8 year old car for "only" $1800, let alone a land rover. these companies know very well which cars break more often, and how much repairs can cost. and typically the warranties get more expensive to purchase as the car gets older.

Just to compare, the extended warranty on my brand new Audi (rs7) was $1900 for 3 additional years of coverage, at time of purchasing the car. i got quotes ranging from $1500-6500. i find it hard to believe that an company that has intention of paying out at time of a claim would be as cheap as the quote you have.
 

Troy A

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the "advertisement" booklet that describes the warranty isn't as important at the terms and conditions on the actual warranty contract. you'd be surprised the fine print in the contract that may contradict, or void out things listed in the booklet.

To be honest, id be weary of any warranty on a luxury 8 year old car for "only" $1800, let alone a land rover. these companies know very well which cars break more often, and how much repairs can cost. and typically the warranties get more expensive to purchase as the car gets older.

Just to compare, the extended warranty on my brand new Audi (rs7) was $1900 for 3 additional years of coverage, at time of purchasing the car. i got quotes ranging from $1500-6500. i find it hard to believe that an company that has intention of paying out at time of a claim would be as cheap as the quote you have.
The (Platinum) quote I got for full extended third party warranty for my 2013 was $7500. I think that $1800 sounds suspiciously cheap and has a lot of caveats.


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avslash

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If you have any mechanical expertise at all, I wouldn't pop for $7,500.00.

You biggest failure modes are timing chains (a $5,000ish give or take job) or a complete engine failure (mega bucks). Just about everything else can be done by a guy with a few beers and some tools.

My fervent suggestion if you buy it and it has not been done is to change the transmission filter, fluid and mechatronic sleeves and seals rikki-tik. Highly unlikely it has been done unless it was owned by an enthusiast and doing that bit of maintenance will stave off some high-dollar transmission issues.
 

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