My LR4 experiences in terms of mechanical issues that keep piling up

[david cook]

I have a 2013 LR4, now 60K miles. Some out of town trips but mostly in suburbia. Kept under regular maintenance by an experienced Land Rover shop (not dealer).

The issues keep to be piling up specially in the last two years: water pump replacement, rear hatch issue, front control arms, and most recently the engine oil cooler replacement to rectify an oil leak issue. This required the car to be with them twice: first for a few days so they could identify the source of an engine oil leak, and then second time to correct it. And a suspension sensor light comes on but now issue with all suspension components.

A car not gone off-road requiring new control arms and driven 60K miles , and requires a new oil cooler?

I really like the car (more because its a Land Rover and its appearance). But its really testing my commitment. Is this everybody's experience and you are all experts fixing these issues or am I an outlier. I feel like I am paying for the up keep of a mistress and the older she gets the more I have to spend.

How did the company that made the defenders through out history that was a military grade vehicle end up making the cars with this poor quality that the oil cooler and water pumps had to be replaced with in two years. Was this the gift Ford gave them in terms of their sub quality processes.

Thank you as always on people's sage thoughts (and I use them a lot)

 

[ftillier]

I think it all depends on how you look at it. You're dealing with an 11 (maybe even 12 at this point) year old vehicle, so it's going to be due for some fixing on account of rubber deteriorating.

The LR4 is a heavy vehicle, with liquid filled suspension bushings to give it a cushy ride. The control arm bushings don't last super long because of that, and there are solid rubber (as well as even stiffer polyurethane) bushings that will last longer, at the cost of extra NVH. Hopefully when they did your water pump replacement, they also did the coolant cross over pipes (probably not, since the water pump is somewhat straight forward). The cooling system on the 5.0 V8 is really its Achille's heel, expensive for preventative maintenance, and prohibitive if you experience a failure that causes the engine to overheat.

I've been trying to do more and more repairs myself, and have found them within reach for the most part, and acquiring tools far cheaper than having it done. I enjoy tinkering though, so I don't see wrenching on it as a tax.

 

[ttforcefed]

maintenance history since new 2013

Nope, timing chains are just fine. I've replaced just about everything else though. Rear air shocks are still original. Thats’s love. Have you had the dealer do the work or an independent shop?

www.landroverworld.org

 

[mm3846]

Is this your first Rover? Never has the brand been associated with quality, and the military defenders were anything but.

The oil cooler isn’t out of the ordinary but also not common. The control arms water pump and hatch, yes totally normal.

It’s an old Rover. At this point in its life if it is still being babied it’s going to start complaining about it. It needs to get worked and beat on. This same thing happened to all the D2s 15 years ago. People with low mile street queens had issue after issue, people who used and abused them got a lot more miles and years out of parts.

 

[avslash]

High performance vehicles require more maintenance than a Japanese sedan.

It's a 6,000 pound plus vehicle that will compete with stock Wranglers to get you down a trail, and also cruise comfortably and quietly at 100mph to get to the trail.

Other than the timing chain and cooling system issues I think it is a very solid vehicle for what it offers.

Control arms and bushings, sunroof drains, rotors and pads, tie rods, alignments, air struts, trans flushes, etc are all maintenance items. Ironically, despite reputation, I have yet to have an electrical issue.

 

[ktm525]

Low miles or not the fact is this is an 11 year old vehicle with complicated systems. When everything is working it is a great vehicle but it will require more $ and TLC than lets say a Honda Pilot or something of that ilk. My LR4 and LR3 cost about $0.10/km in maintenance while my Honda is about $0.06/km (turning my own wrenches, likely double if you utilize a shop) That's just the way it will roll. That being said my Rovers have been quite reliable but as time marches on they will get more troublesome. My 06 turns 18 this year.

 

[f1racer328]

Yeah all of your issues with the exception of the oil cooler are normal for these vehicles.

My 2013 has had the water cooler, coolant crossover pipes, control arms, two air struts, and a lot more parts replaced.

I wouldn’t worry too much about it. Get your crossover pipes replaced if you haven’t already, that’s the biggest problem that can bite you.

 

[powershift]

I searched for all the problems before buying my '12 July 2023 and decided if I had every one of them I'd still be fine with it. If you haven't replaced the air compressor that might be next on your list of repairs. Mine was replaced at about your mileage. Around 80k+ mi the timing chain might need replaced because of a tensioner defect, although the popular belief is dragging out oil changes to the Land Rover recommended interval is the root cause. I'm not convinced of that.

I've been overlanding in mine several times. After going through the whole truck and doing shake down runs. My current overlanding stint has been since May and I plan to keep going. I'll setup camp out in the country and go off-roading on trails. Only problems so far was a flat tire and then the tire wench_ broke because of previous abuse with an air gun. Then there was a squeal noise that I fixed by backing off the ebrake. No regrets. 109k? on it now and I bought it with 97k.

 

[markusbarbarian]

I have a 2013 LR4, now 60K miles. Some out of town trips but mostly in suburbia. Kept under regular maintenance by an experienced Land Rover shop (not dealer).

The issues keep to be piling up specially in the last two years: water pump replacement, rear hatch issue, front control arms, and most recently the engine oil cooler replacement to rectify an oil leak issue. This required the car to be with them twice: first for a few days so they could identify the source of an engine oil leak, and then second time to correct it. And a suspension sensor light comes on but now issue with all suspension components.

A car not gone off-road requiring new control arms and driven 60K miles , and requires a new oil cooler?

I really like the car (more because its a Land Rover and its appearance). But its really testing my commitment. Is this everybody's experience and you are all experts fixing these issues or am I an outlier. I feel like I am paying for the up keep of a mistress and the older she gets the more I have to spend.

How did the company that made the defenders through out history that was a military grade vehicle end up making the cars with this poor quality that the oil cooler and water pumps had to be replaced with in two years. Was this the gift Ford gave them in terms of their sub quality processes.

Thank you as always on people's sage thoughts (and I use them a lot)

Looks like you have received the right advice here , a good test of your garage is they would have told you to do the cross over pipes at the same time as the water pump as the the intake has to come off to do those pipes and BTW do not use the OEM ones as they are plastic. There is a 3rd party co that makes a better solution that you can find in the forum. Meanwhile you can park the LR when you have had enough, good luck doing the same with the mistress LOL....

 

[scapistron]

Could get an LX 570 with similar mileage for twice the money, or more.