Land Rover Newby Needs Advice

[Tricky Rick]

Good Evening all!

I work for an auto lender and deal with car dealers every day. Every now and then I see a vehicle on a lot and fall in love with it. Of course my dealers will sell me pretty much anything in stock at what they paid for it. I don't usually take advantage of my relationships with them but I have been eyeing Land Rovers lately and have the bug to get something new.

I ran across a 2013 Land Rover LR4 HSE Lux with 154k miles on it. It is a one owner with a clean AutoCheck (CarFax) report. No accidents, no scratches, dings, dents... The thing looks like it could be on the showroom floor. This is much more than the dealer just cleaning it up and making it look good. It IS good and looks to be very well cared for. The dealer bought at auction so I very much doubt I can get the complete service records.

The interior looks new as well. No scratches and all seats and carpet look brand new with the exception of the drivers seat... It has light, honest wear.

I usually will research a vehicle for days or weeks to find the pros and cons. I have always heard that the air ride can/will go out eventually on these... But I am not sure about this exact model.

The dealer just got it so he is asking all the money online for it... $15k... But I know he paid $8,500 for it and he said he'd sell it to me at that since I have been so good to him over the years. $8,500 is below Black Book rough wholesale value!

Right now, unless I hear a horror story here... My plan is to walk in there tomorrow morning and write him a check. However... Before I do. I hoped that you guys could school me for some of the things I need to look for BEFORE I buy it... Or at least let me know what I am in for AFTER I buy it.

I am usually one to ask people to do their research before coming onto a forum to ask questions that may be easily found. But time is short for me to make a decision and I need to get schooled quickly.

I have seen that the crossovers should be replaced and that would probably be job #1 when I get it. Looks fairly easy and I am fairly handy and have tools. But at 59 and with arthritis... My back ain't what it used to be so I might call on my son to help with that job.

Anyone have any comments? All are welcome!

Thanks in advance!

 

[f1racer328]

Timing chain on the '13 should be fine, but listen carefully on the cold start for any chain slack.

These heavier cars eat through tires, control arm bushings, brakes.

Check the coolant level. If it's low the water pump may have a slow leak.

If you can't get the service records, replace the coolant crossover pipes when you get the car.

The air ride is usually pretty durable. The compressors can go but the LR4s have the newer version which should be good. They're not terribly expensive to replace either. The air bags themselves also last a long time.

The other desirable option is the heavy duty package, which includes a full sized spare (You can look under to see if it has this) and a locking rear diff which is good for off roading.

Anyways, there are more things but it sounds like you're in a bit of a hurry haha.

If the car has the surround cameras, check to make sure they all work if you care about that stuff.

https://www.landroverworld.org/threads/help-build-crowd-sourced-used-lr4-buyers-guide.42241/

Check out this post.

Also, to check the oil level its all digital (Car must either be cold, or warmed up and then sit (after shutting down) for about 10-15 minutes.