LR3, to keep or sell?

[CaliCruiser]

This is a multilayered post.

I have an 06 LR3 HSE with 104,000 miles. Just ran out of extended warranty. It's had the usual set of random problems, some are re-dos of the same problem, others taking 2 or 3 visits to the dealer to be figured out.

At about 99,900 miles I noticed a front end noise at slow acceleration, coming from "wheel" area?, usually after a speed bump, rarely after a full stop. It is sporadic (ie not predictably reproducable). My wife says she's noticed it for over a year, but is a little more frequent now. I first thought I ran over something small, but NO steering wheel vibration. My wife says it has the "crunching" sound/sensation of driving over snow - which is pretty spot on, but we are not in the snow. No alarms, car drives normally. Noticing the mileage, I took it to the dealer, but they couldn't reproduce it so nothing for them to say.

Also, there is a long crank, before the engine starts. Also random. But started up after the warranty ran out. My wife seems to think it happens more often when the tank gets to 1/4 full. It happended once before and more often before until they replaced the throttle body (see below).

Notable service at the dealer:
68K miles - engine stalls while driving - replaced mass air sensor and eventually throttle body for "sticking throttle plate assembly"

76K miles - "susp replaced front lower control arms due to loose bushings and ball joints" (the car made a "clunk" sound entering driveways).

88K miles - "axle replaced leaking Lt fron diff output seal"

99,300 miles (just before taking back in at 99,800 at top of thread) -
long crank - got new throttle body and gasket
oil leak - L front CV axle leak; got new CV boots.

I would like to keep the car, but all LR emotion aside, is it practicle? Or is it time for a new vehicle?
Any tips for my current problems would be appreciated, too. If I keep it, should I start using a non-dealer mechanic? Anyone know a good one in the Ventura County California area?

Thanks for listening!

 

[Houm_WA]

You sure that sound isn't just the traction control or DSC kicking in?

 

[CaliCruiser]

I suppose it's possible, but why now? In the 99,000 miles previous, I've never noticed it (although my wife has in recent years). Plus it would be kicking in when slowly accelerating from 0-3 mph to 4-7 mph on dry asphalt. Not the usual set of circumstances I would expect to need traction control or DSC to kick in...
So if it is either of these features, it begs the question is there now something wrong with any part of them?

 

[Houm_WA]

There are a lot of variables that go into the engagement of those features. You'd have to have a case of it never doing it and then all of a sudden doing it over the SAME speedbumps and driven the same.

....then again, even worn down tires and/or wet pavement can cause it where before it didn't.

 

[toddjb122]

Long crank may just be the battery.

Every LR3 is different of course, but I'm at 135K with mine and had the same concerns as I crested 100K. In my case, it has seemed that most of the kinks had been worked out under warranty and now I'm dealing with normal wear and tear items. I think an attentive driver will always have suspension maintenance on this truck, it just seems to always go out. Isn't awfully expensive, but requires some labor.

Best tip I could give is to find a non-dealer mechanic to work on it. Your costs will drastically reduce.

Funny thing in my case was that because the dealer service advisors had become so inept, they forced my hand to look for outside service...and now I'm keeping the vehicle longer than I would have. So, if they invested more in their service department, I'd probably be buying another truck from them right now!

I'd love to make it until the 2016 model comes out, but we'll see. The gamble with any high mileage car is to keep it until just before you require a major engine or transmission repair...