Have a 2016 Landmark edition with 86K miles on it. Cosmetically it's in great shape - paint still looks like new, has all the bells and whistles (HD pack, towing, vision, rear entertainment, etc.). Just did new front brakes and new tires and lower control arms.
It has never over-heated (as far as I know) and haven't gotten any check engine lights, but I sense that I'm on borrowed time. For the past 2 years I haven't been able to get a coolant issue sorted out. I had the water pump and crossover pipes replaced a couple of years ago. 9 months later, the coolant reserve seemed close to empty. They repaired a rear heater something under warranty. 9 months later same thing. They pressure tested it and couldn't find any leaks. 6 months later same thing. Thought I saw faint signs of white smoke coming from the exhaust. Spoke with a few mechanics and consensus seems to be (without any physical tests) it's a head gasket issue and only real fix is a new engine. Haven't done any further tests to confirm, but they said I should dump it at CarMax while I can still get something for it.
I know "rebuying" this LR4 for $35K isn't the most rational thing to do (call it $10K I could get from CarMax plus $25K for new engine). I know it's not a classic or anything but I love the look and feel of it (and wouldn't consider buying another LR4 because who knows how long that engine would last). Just seems like the perfect 3rd car to have until the wheels fall off (I would get a new daily driver and only put a few thousand miles on this per year going forward) if I had confidence it's not a ticking time bomb after replacing the engine.
Crazy or not?
It has never over-heated (as far as I know) and haven't gotten any check engine lights, but I sense that I'm on borrowed time. For the past 2 years I haven't been able to get a coolant issue sorted out. I had the water pump and crossover pipes replaced a couple of years ago. 9 months later, the coolant reserve seemed close to empty. They repaired a rear heater something under warranty. 9 months later same thing. They pressure tested it and couldn't find any leaks. 6 months later same thing. Thought I saw faint signs of white smoke coming from the exhaust. Spoke with a few mechanics and consensus seems to be (without any physical tests) it's a head gasket issue and only real fix is a new engine. Haven't done any further tests to confirm, but they said I should dump it at CarMax while I can still get something for it.
I know "rebuying" this LR4 for $35K isn't the most rational thing to do (call it $10K I could get from CarMax plus $25K for new engine). I know it's not a classic or anything but I love the look and feel of it (and wouldn't consider buying another LR4 because who knows how long that engine would last). Just seems like the perfect 3rd car to have until the wheels fall off (I would get a new daily driver and only put a few thousand miles on this per year going forward) if I had confidence it's not a ticking time bomb after replacing the engine.
Crazy or not?
