Range Rover’s are extremely capable on and off road vehicles that provide a more composed, luxurious experience than the typical 4x4. When properly maintained, they are surprisingly reliable vehicles.
The level of performance and features they provide over a more basic SUV does require a lot higher level of maintenance and expense than say a Toyota or Ford, but the driving experience and unique style and presence is something everyone that owns one understands makes it worth the extra care.
One of the most important things in our experience has been performing oil services well before the factory stated interval of 15,000-20,000 miles. These intervals were set to try to meet certain cost of ownership and emissions categories and are not in the best interest of the vehicle’s longevity.
Euro Motors recommends using only high quality OE or OEM filters and high performance fully synthetic oil changed every 6,000-7,000 miles. This will prevent the normal oil consumption of the engine from creating dangerously low oil levels and ensure the longevity of the timing components and bearings.
Some of our customers have made it to 200,000 miles on the 3.0L and 5.0L engines without performing the timing chain service simply because they stuck to our recommend service intervals.
Like most modern vehicles, a majority of the cooling system is comprised of plastic components. These components can get brittle and fail due to age and heat. Replacing coolant at regular intervals and regular inspections during oil services can avoid break downs and engine damage from coolant loss.
Newer Range Rover engines (2009+) are not very tolerant of overheating so it is very important to pay attention to low coolant warnings, engine temperature and any coolant smell or leaks on the ground. If your Range Rover starts to over heat or lose coolant while driving, don’t try to make it to the next exit, pull over safely and shut it off and have it towed.
In addition, there are a lot of updated components that have been released to try to fix the common failure points such as the coolant cross over pipes, water pumps, and thermostats that can provide a better level of reliability once replaced. These updates effect Range Rovers and Range Rovers from 2010 to 2024 depending on the vehicle.
Water leaks from clogged sunroof drains can cause electrical issues if they are not properly fixed and the vehicle carpet dried out. Air suspension leaks can cause the vehicle to sink down when parked and cause the air compressor to run far more than normal which can lead to failure if not caught in time.
Otherwise, they are like any other high performance luxury vehicle and require normal wear and tear maintenance items like brake pads and rotors, control arms, tie rods, alignments, fluid changes, air filters, cabin filters etc.
There is nothing especially problematic with buying a used Range Rover but it is crucial to have it checked prior to purchase by a shop familiar with them to avoid being stuck with the last owner’s deferred repairs and maintenance. Maintenance history and consistent oil change intervals under 10,000 miles are the most important things to look for with used Range Rovers.
If you are interested in buying a used Range Rover in the Raleigh-Durham area, schedule a pre-purchase inspection with us before you buy!