Land Rover Defender SUV (1983-2016) | owner reviews: MPG, Problems & Reliability

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It's a vehicle that will do virtually anything you throw at it, green laning, going to the dump, occasional snowy day commuting, transporting 9 people to a party, sunday morning drives, and most importantly it was my wedding car! It has cost me £500 quid as I couldn't do the work myself, not bad for virtually every expendable part changed including bearings, that's the first time in 7 years! Yes they have their moments, but if you look after it (I get under mine twice a year and clean and waxy oil), don't let things get worse if they need fixing, and don't be afraid to do it yourself, suspension brakes oil and fluid changes are simple, it will last forever. Mine's 27-years old and still going strong, 85,000 miles on a V8 which has never had the rocker covers off. Buy one, you will want to sell it if you do, unless it's to buy anther one.

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It's reliable

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For a car of its age its doing well, dont see many other cars around from that year

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Usual issues with a 20 year old car, have had a few bits break or wear out

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No Problems

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Starts every time in all weathers and has never let me down

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Starts everytime, never had a problem and it will literally go anywhere.

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Reliably unreliable

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No Red thumbs down

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1462455472

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No Red thumbs down

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No problems, except one electrical fault sorted under warranty

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Very good

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Two faults since new. Engine management problem and leaking roof

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Never missed a beat. Only needed servicing so far in 2 years of ownership

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Yes Green thumbs up

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It's an old land rover!!! What could go wrong.

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perfect

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Yes Green thumbs up

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quite happy considering the age of the land rover

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Yes Green thumbs up

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The only issues I have had so far is a wiper motor failure and a coolant hose which rubbed through on a clip.

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never had a problem

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Clutch slave cylinder failed.

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Its a land rover!!!! Reliability is its middle name!!

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Yes Green thumbs up

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never had a problem.

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No problems in 4.5 years

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Yes Green thumbs up

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only minor stuff goes wrong, but it s regular!

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A few minor niggles but it has never let me down

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Never had any issues, never let me down.

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It even develops faults while sitting in garage >power steering bottom Seal leakes , 4th power steering bo , now replaced with bmw box. Brakes poor , soft pedal , now replaced original with rear disc and 90 servo and master cylinder.2 alternators , 3 starter motors ,speedometer lights poor , door locks and doors jam , cab Leaks in rain . Replaced glass fuses with blade type 3rd gear box And two differentials in transfer box . But its landrover and we love It it main use is for expeditions . Going to texas rover club Rally april 2011, has been to sahara , sweden , berlin landrover Club rallies. with www,vsar.org.uk cadets. So although might Have tough life , it only does about 5000 miles a year. .

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No Red thumbs down

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My defender is the best all round car ever, all the mechanical breakdowns have been caused by serious off road use, i think that if this car was used as a chelsea tractor it would never have broken down, it still has the origional battery.

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A defender does what it says on the tin.....The Best 4x4 by far. For that it cannot be faulted and that's why we buy them, that's why i buy them. Solihull's finest.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Best car for my needs ever. & yes i do use it for off road only. My other car is also a 4x4 but i use that when my landrover is broke,

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Gr8

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Great

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Yes Green thumbs up

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She's my baby.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Love it

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Great big lump that does every thing i want and more and i love it!!

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Perfect for its use

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Yes Green thumbs up

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My car is a lifestyle choice that fulfills my motoring needs as well as supporting my hobby of off road racing and trialling

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Yes Green thumbs up

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It goes where i want it to go

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Yes Green thumbs up

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It does whatever i need it to do. Whether that is a trip to the supermarket, a trip to the dump or 200 miles in snow. It doesn't need a lot of pampering. Parts are relatively cheap and easily available and it doesn't need some guy with a computer charging £75 per hour to tell me what is wrong.

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The perfect car for all my needs. Snow and ice have been no problems to me

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Yes Green thumbs up

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It does what i wanted from it- i have other cars which perform different functions

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No Red thumbs down

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Superb machine - may not be the most comfortable on a long journey from the Lake District to the Alps but that's not what it is designed for. Local Land Rover dealerships are superb. Excellent in winter (including deep snow), and residuals are very good.

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Never let's me down

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There is always something going wrong but only minor and that can be repaired easily. Has never let us down.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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No Red thumbs down

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It is pretty reliable, but as a 15year old land rover I expect a fair amount of wear and tear.

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Just keeps going Easy to repair

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Yes Green thumbs up

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It's a Land Rover.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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I have only had the car 4 months it has not broken down at all

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No Red thumbs down

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For all the abuse it gets, its tremendously reliable. Only one issue that actually stopped it in past 3yrs. As its getting on for 10yrs old now thats pretty good in my book

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Yes Green thumbs up

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only ever let me down with battery and alternator

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Very reliable and robust considering the varied road and track conditions that I regulary drive

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No problems so far.

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Only had flat battery

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Just small niggles. Nothing major goes wrong but manufacture quality is rough and the vehicle is very basic and prone to the off leak and badly fitted door.

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Good reliable Vehicle no major problems

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no problems

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No Red thumbs down

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Due to age there are some things to sort from time to time

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Yes Green thumbs up

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My landrover defender d cab is the dog,s bolcks but that just me thanks lee

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This car is not just any old car but a land rover, built in britain for the british way of life it is woven into the fabric of the land as much as tales of lore.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Yes Green thumbs up

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My defender is an icon.I Love it !!!

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Yes Green thumbs up

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I love it and wont be changing it, ever!!! I'll just rebuild it when it needs it. I couldn't hope for a more reliable, fun car to own!

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Yes Green thumbs up

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I won it, so some of your questions don't apply

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No Red thumbs down

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It's a land rover series 2a noisy uncomfortable bits fall off but it can go anywhere do anything and no one ever tries to get in front when lane changing galvanised steel against plastic no contest

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Best working car available for my type of use work,rest and play

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Very reliable

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Yes Green thumbs up

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My '99 defender swb county station wagon has been a triumph of motoring since i purchased it with about 12k miles on the clock. I'm now up to about 70k with no problems, cheap servicing and a vehicle that makes light of city, urban, motorway and of course, country lane driving! I had so much advice against buying the defender as a daily commuter but thankfully didn't take heed! I remember a few years back being stuck in a jam for 7 hours between the m11 and m25 junction... When we finally pulled in to services along with all of the other drivers unfortunate enough to have gotten caught up in the jam, it was notable how hunched and creased they all looked on stepping out of their cars! All we needed was a quick toilet stop before happily hopping back into the defender to meet whatever was ahead ;-)

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Needed to replace the alternator which i did myself in 2 hours, because the land rover is like a meccano set, very easy to work on and perfect for my job as a landscape gardner it is also very reliable and has never let me down.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Land rover it is the best 4x4xfar, reliable practical and go any where

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Allways keep going , puts a smile on your face when you see a more modern car broken down at the side of the road.

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Practical, reliable, easy to work on, dont get stranded in bad weather, Excellent tow vehicle and workhorse, cheap to insure, massive load space, loads of accessories available, spectacular off road performance. 11 seats, only improvement would be a better heater but can live with that.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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The most practical vehicle ever.... great if you like defenders and i do ! Absolutely unbreakable and infinitely repairable transport ...pity tfl thinks it is a commercial vehicle and will be banning them all from london on emissions grounds in 2012 ...so wont be going there again

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Ideal for what i use it for

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Love the classic look and durability that will never age. Very practical for my work and weekends with the family. Will not feel the need to replace for newer model so has longevity over rivals.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Hands down, there is no better SUV off-road or for that matter on road. Mine is now almost 13 years old. The only issues in all this time have been a clutch plate replacement, and more recently I lost my front diff. Had I known what sound to watch out for I could have prevented a major repair. This vehicle has taken us through the worst Africa can throw at it. It has a top speed now of 160-170kph, it has never been chipped either for those of you thinking that. It literally runs on vapour so do not understand why everyone says its fuel heavy? It has taken us 226,000 km now and I still love it. It has never been stuck and had to be towed, and the only leaks have been caused by slack technicians not the vehicle. for all the little niggles everyone else has, I say get a life. your a bunch of softies. one more vehicle the English have been stupid enough to lose. I say get rid of the Queen and keep the Defender, it's a hell of a lot more useful!

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I cannot recommend this car enough, if you are looking for a workhorse look no further. Mine has done 189k miles and still runs perfectly. I regularly use mine for towing and it will pull my 16hh chunky boy up the steepest of hills without a problem. I have driven it to North Scotland and find it comfy and not at all tiring! Yes it's noisy and a bit basic inside but I can have muddy dogs, bales of hay, garden rubbish for the tip and a whole range of other things in the back one day and it only takes 10 minutes to clean out then I can easily take 6 people and 4 guitars to a gig that night. If you are looking for luxury go for a Range Rover, if you are looking for practicality go for a Defender!

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Yes Green thumbs up

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My beloved 'Louis', the most trustworthy and generally reliable workhorse I have ever owned! I have removed the rear seats and converted the cargo area into a safe and secure area for my dogs to travel in. I honestly can't recommend these trusty workhorses to anyone who needs a very rough-and-ready vehicle and who is capable of undertaking their own maintenance.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Great Vehicle and as long as you appreciate what it is you will not be disappointed. In all honesty in my opinion there is no way that this vehicle does not measure up. Its impossible to compare a Defender with any other vehicle as it is essentially pretty unique, you simply cannot compare it to either a conventional car or to a 4x4 SUV. The grin factor is enormous and your kids will love it though. I took the 3rd row of seats out of mine and rubber matted it out for carrying cargo, fold the 2nd row of seats up you have a van. My wife complained it was noisy even though it's the quietest Defender ever made so I fitted some Dynamat, hey presto now its quiet. The TDCI has a 6th gear so cruises happily at 70 mph. I am 6ft 2" and find mine is very comfortable to drive, great upright driving position and the Puma seats are great. The gearbox takes some getting used to but once you master it and get the nack changes are clean and smooth. Off-roading in this thing is simply amazing! To sum up this vehicle is comfortable, versatile, great fun and you can make it into anything you want. Buy one and modify it to your needs. It can be a family car a working vehicle, a great off roader and it will tow anything you want it too. As long as you buy one realising what it is and what its built for you will not be disappointed. If you want luxury and a quiet ride with a eurobox transmission then buy something else.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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I have been through rivers,over rocks and up to my front bumper in mud and my landy never complains. I have had mine for 3 years and the only things that have broken are the rear wiper motor which was replaced with a used one and a UV which is not bad considering the abuse I give it. I know it sounds silly but I have become very attached to it. Land Rovers are a living legend.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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I keep it regularly maintained to improve reliability issues.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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not let me down yet!

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Good for age

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Yes Green thumbs up

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routine maintanance keeps it going strong

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Yes Green thumbs up

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I continue to work with the car to ensure it functions correctly, but i know that my car will work even when a component fails, and normally its an easy fix.

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Yes Green thumbs up