It does sem to have the old problems

I think the new defender looks ace. And I went through a phase of really wanting a discovery. However after looking at them in the flesh and reading countless horror stories across pretty much all of the Jlr cars I dropped the idea quickly ! Jlr do some stunning looking cars but reliability seems to plague the brand ?

The velar is the exception as it’s one of the ugliest looking cars I’ve ever clapped eyes on 😢

And I went through a phase of really wanting a discovery. However after looking at them in the flesh and reading countless horror stories across pretty much all of the Jlr cars I dropped the idea quickly !

There are horror stories, but I bought a MY16 D4 Commercial 2 years ago on 38k – it’s now on 94k and other than minor mechanicals that you’d get with any vehicle, it’s been no problem. I regularly tow a 2t caravan around

Know loads of people who’ve had JLR cars…XF’s, XE’s and a Range Rover Sport and none have had any issues whatsoever. The chap who had the RR Sport had an X4 previously that has a few issues requiring the dealer to have it for a few days at a a time to address. Good old internet..excellent at reporting bad news but not so good in providing a balanced view.

There’s a few YT videos of new Defenders with various faults, all techy electronic things.

Guy near me has a bit of a YouTube channel going for all things LR – he sells upgrades for them. Bought a brand new Defender and it went into limp mode immediately after picking it up. It was only a badly fitted breather pipe that had melted and dropped off, but still 🙄

Seems OK now though, see him out and about.

There are horror stories, but I bought a MY16 D4 Commercial 2 years ago on 38k – it’s now on 94k and other than minor mechanicals that you’d get with any vehicle, it’s been no problem. I regularly tow a 2t caravan around

I’m not saying there all shit guessing good ones exist without problems but they are very much in the minority.

My wifes RR 3 years old July 21 and only issue was brake disc and pads changed through warranty when vehicle went in for service. Its been a good purchase for us with no additional costs so far and certainly no problems, I am not a fan of the new defender looks like and expensive metal box.

I think range rovers were almost bottom on the Which list of reliable cars recently:

The following is from their report and is talking about Land Rover brand:

One of the most recognisable car brands in the UK is also one of the least reliable – around half of owners reported issues with their car in the year before our survey. It was also the only manufacturer to get the the lowest mark possible (one star) for both its new and old cars.

My brother’s discovery has had to be recovered a couple of times.

Given where I live and my family background plus having driven them at work I have experience of others owning them and driving them, LR do what they are designed for very well but they realisability is terrible. When Defenders were still defenders a work horse it wasn’t so bad to live with but since trying to be a luxury car it’s an issue.

I’m not sure about the new one have a love hate towards them, I’d still have an old one if I could be bothered with unreliability.

Very big outside but looks cramped inside…boot looks ok but seats look close.

One went past me in the fast lane on the way to work on Friday. Looks lovely in the flesh, but what’s a Defender doing in the fast lane?

ordered a 90 commercial variant

with a few choice options

3.0 engine,

silver with black roof

will see how it is

test drove the 110 version with rear seats in , was impressed

I also had one of the last old defenders in 2015, which I replaced with a jeep wrangler in 2019

I’m not saying there all shit guessing good ones exist without problems but they are very much in the minority.

The minority? Facts don’t back up your opinion.

Our Discovery Sport has just gone two years old and been fault free so far.

Disappointing in the flesh- had to read the bonnet badge of the blingy metallic brown 110 that was being driven towards me too figure out if it was a Defender/RRS/Disco5. Too amorphic.

Think they’ll look better when the bolt on crowd get making parts for them.

Any brand new vehicle has initial teething issues – I’d wait a year for them to be ironed out.

Too expensive – but they’ll sell well to their new upmarket clientele, they aren’t for farmers any more.

Ex- 110 owner.

One went past me in the fast lane on the way to work on Friday. Looks lovely in the flesh, but what’s a Defender doing in the fast lane?

About 3mpg 😅

they aren’t for farmers any more.

Neither was the old Defender for the last 30 years. Farmers don’t tend to be bothered both whether their vehicle is trendy or what it looks like.

The minority? Facts don’t back up your opinion.

Our Discovery Sport has just gone two years old and been fault free so far.

I’m not sure that disproves his theory.

Maybe not but reliability surveys do.

Are you sure?

https://www.reliabilityindex.com/ratings/best/Large%20SUV

I know these are questionable as some car buyers expectations have to be taken into equation.

I may be being thick but where on that survey does it give a percentage? The one I saw recently suggested less than 50% had faults reported which is why I questioned his suggestion that the majority fail.

Don’t get me wrong, LR reliability is terrible compared to most.

It’s not a percentage base it’s based on user surveys.

Percentages you say?

https://www.osv.ltd.uk/how-reliable-are-land-rover-and-range-rover/

@chestrockwell

I get it you have one and luckily for you you seem to be in the minority(having no issues) But ! In every car survey I’ve seen in recent years Jlr cars are on or hovering near the bottom 🙁

Agreed mate, just not the majority 😉

Oh, and it’s the wife’s. I’d have bought something else.

Idly browsing autotrader there are 123 new defenders listed most with few k on the clock ! Folks realised they are flawed really quickly !!

Idly browsing autotrader there are 123 new defenders listed most with few k on the clock ! Folks realised they are flawed really quickly !!

Or have fallen on tough times through covid and can’t afford the repayments?

Probably binning the crap 4cyl model for the new 6cyl

I have a Series 1, a Series 3 and 2 Wolf Defenders. Always said I wouldn’t touch one of these with a barge pole, but have to admit they are growing on me. But I don’t understand where they fit next to Discovery. Hope they do well tbh – gotta be better than buying anything from that **** who runs Ineos…

I think they look great and looking at all the YouTube reviews most folks are having nothing but issues with them 🙁

Build quality and software gremlins seem to be a common theme.

Those guys on original post are awaiting defender no.3 !!

The same is true of a lot of ‘new’ ie never buy the first year of a new model, but LR products do seem especially prone to it. It’ll be sorted by year 3 😀

Having seen a few more of them – I’m still really disappointed by them. The interiors are good but I think the Space1999 styling will date really quickly.
The exterior has softened far too much for me even though it has carried DNA or styling cues from previous generation Defenders.
The back ends are a mess though – the lights just don’t make styling sense.

LR haven’t done early adopters any favours with dropping the 4pot engine so quickly.

My money would rather go on a Landcruiser commercial, half price of a new Defender and just as capable but with (probably) better reliability

Even as a long term fan I’d not buy anything past 1999 that LR made.

Electrics got stupid and their monocoques on ladders all love to rot too much and they adopted crappy engines.

My money would also go on a land cruiser commercial unfortunately.

Because nearly every other option is horrific

I love the fact that people now think they have a reliable car if nothing goes wrong in the warranty period or as in the cases above just a few minor things fixed under warranty. I love defenders but I would never run one on the road as my only vehicle. I’ve trialed them off road in various competitions. We used a Shogun to tow it to and from events. If I had to choose any landrover product I’d go for the Freelander 2.

For me they are too similar to a Discovery and almost overlapping in the marketplace.
The old Defenders were popular with gas/electricity companies and the Forces – so now I can only assume they will buy Toyotas or Nissans.
Although the Army should be ok for a while as most of their 4×4’s around here have Thrifty Car Hire written along the sides…….

We’ve got two Landcruiser Commercials at work, a LWB basic and a SWB (slightly)upmarket version. They aren’t exactly fun to drive. They make my Navara look like a sportscar (well, not quite, but you get my drift). Also, like the Navara, they have the van speed limit issue.

The old Defenders were popular with gas/electricity companies and the Forces – so now I can only assume they will buy Toyotas or Nissans.

Fire Service here. We’ve swapped the god awful Defender for Ford’s and Mitsubishi’s.

I love the fact that people now think they have a reliable car if nothing goes wrong in the warranty period or as in the cases above just a few minor things fixed under warranty.

Our Land Rover will go back by the time the warranty runs out so if nothing goes wrong it gets 100% from me.

The new ones definitely aren’t work vehicles, can’t see us panel beating a new one with a bit of 4×2 before giving it back to the lease firm and it still looking new. I’m sure it will tow fine, but not going to get 200m of fencing and tools in the back of one like our 130. Too many round edges to treat it as a work platform too.