Land Rover Discovery 3 (2005-2009)

Worst Vehicle i have ever owned The 2006 Landrover Discovery HSE 4.4Lt – I could never afford a new vehicle, but this is then best one i have ever owned. Super smooth gear changes, powerful and very comfortable. Every possible luxury you could have, but no Bluetooth or reversing camera, . LR want some $500.00 to supply an updated CD for maps for the GPS, really? I just bought a $70- GPS that updates from Google! Apart… Read more

from that, it's regularly serviced, cared for and it doesn't cost me buckets of money to keep repairing like they are notorious for. The fuel consumption is as good as how heavy your right foot is. In my case, i love the power so my consumption is high. If i wanted fuel economy, i would have bought a Prius!

I have changed my 4 star rating to a 1 star rating, since selling the pile of junk. I had spent so much money on the vehicle in the short year that i owned it, it wasn't funny. The week it was put up for sale, the suspension compressor went, forcing me to pay over $1700- for it to be repaired, then i sold it for less than i paid and blew about $7K on the pile of junk. Land rover discovery is a soft n roader, highly NOT recommended.

An Excellent Vehicle – I bought this vehicle primarily to travel throughout Australia and was acutely aware of the risk given Land Rovers reputation for a troublesome ownership experience. All I can say at this stage is that the gamble has paid off handsomely. Pro's: - Extremely capable in stock form, particularly compared to the competition from Toyota, Nissan and… Read more

the like. The air suspension and terrain response largely negate the usual requirement to fit a suspension lift and differential locker. If you can find a disco with the optional rear E-Locker differential this is even better, though mine has yet to get stuck even without it.

- Amazing value on the used market. Mine was $12k and in first rate condition, whilst a far worse condition Toyota Prado is well into the $2*k region.

- Well equipped, with a far better standard equipment level and specification than the equivalent Toyota.

- Extensive aftermarket support. Since purchase (in stock form) I have added an ARB bullbar, Frontrunner roof rack with accessories, Traxide dual battery system and much more.

Cons:

- This is a complex car and at this age they really suit an enthusiast owner who is able to perform basic to intermediate diagnostics,maintenance and repair themselves. Often a very minor issue can appear much larger with the car throwing faults for various systems, which without efficient troubleshooting can result in large bills for misguided diagnostics and unnecessary part replacement. I think the dealerships are a large part of the problem here, and often have a "replace not repair" attitude that costs the owners and LR reputation dearly.

Example: Mine had a suspension fault and lowering at the front axle over several hours, indicating an air leak. I rebuilt the existing air compressor (2 hours work, the dessicant/drier cannister had blocked causing low flow and triggering suspension fault) and the front solenoid valve block (dessicant powder had caused O-rings to leak air back out of the strut air lines) for less than $150. This repair at a Landrover dealer would have involved complete air compressor and solenoid block replacement and cost around $1500 + labour...

- The Disco is heavy!! 2700kg unloaded, easily breaches 3000kg with occupants and associated camping gear.

- Fuel consumption is not great, though I have the V6 Petrol so that was always going to be the case. With 265/70R17 BFG K)2 tyres, FR roof rack including Darche roof top tent and a boot full of camping gear I get 16 L/100km around town, and not a whole lot better on the highway. I must say though that from my own experience and what I have read, most of the other 3 tonne petrol 4wds are actually a lot worse than this, with some of the Diesel ones (yes looking at you 200 series ;) not even far off.

- The fuel tank is too small. 86 L for the petrol is not sufficient, only getting me 600km on the road, significantly less offroad. The Diesel would be better here due to lower consumption, but that has an 82 L tank which is still insufficient in my opinion, given the outback touring aspirations of the vehicle. My fix has been 2 x roof mounted 20L Jerry cans, for use when we will be away from service stations for a while.

TLDR: Great car, but thirsty and complicated. Suit an enthusiast not scared of tackling any issues.

Best 4WD under 20k – More comfortable and prestigious than the Japanese 4WDs under 20k, you get the luxury car feeling as soon as you get inside, and drives very comfy and quiet. Fuel costs are relatively high, 15-16 litres per 100km, and could only be serviced by land rover specialists. Don't even bother bringing it to a normal mechanic shop. You might get some… Read more

trouble with the engine warning lights etc. but once fixed by a good land rover mechanic it runs smoothly without any problems. Really enjoy driving this one and wouldn't change for another SUV for under 20k, this is the best you can get for that sort of money. Petrol ones are less trouble than the diesel ones.

Poor experience – There is no doubt that the Discovery 3/4 are lovely cars to drive and full of good technical features however reliability issues are a major source of expense and concern for many owners: I was one such owner. The cars are full of clever electronics which are great when they work but can be a nightmare to repair when you have a fault. My… Read more

experience begun after 5 years of ownership and about 100000kms. The car developed a problem which put it into a type of limp mode which meant no power and coasting to a stop. Once stopped you could start the car again and drive off as if nothing had happened until it would stop again without warning. This problem, which was very dangerous as you can imagine, went on continually for 12 months with many visits to Land Rover dealers and specialists. In the end I spent 10,000 dollars with no successful resolution and got rid of the car. Dealing with Landrover Australia over the issue was another unpleasant story that I won't go into. Anyone considering buying a Landrover Discovery 3/4 as a used car needs to go in with their eyes wide open as expensive repairs and issues of unreliability are common. The cars'poor resale values in part reflect this fact.

Great Car with great ride – Good car that is great to drive, for its size is very easy to park great turning circle and visibility. Quiet and comfortable ride. It is a bit thirsty around the city 14.5L/P 100km but not to bad on the highway 11.5L/P 100km. There are lots of parts on EBay, by reading reviews and watching YouTube you can save a fortune on servicing.  Show details

Love me disco! – Absolute tank this one. Love my disco and wouldn't look at any other truck. I've put a few mods on her but she's still going strong, costs buggerall to run compared to others and I've never spent more than the occasional service keeping it on the road (when it's not on the farm)  Show details

Discovery for big 4x4 with luxury, power and the most comfortable ride on the market – We bought a Disco after extensive searching and reviewing. I have to say it is one of the best cars we have ever owned. The ride is unbelievable, so comfortable and soaks up very rough terrain like it's not there, those suspension airbags are a bit dicky, but when they are working they are amazing! The engine is superb, this car weighs nearly 3… Read more

tonne and motors smoothly & quietly until you stick your foot into it, then it slots down a gear, growls like a big angry bear and heads for the horizon at an impressive rate, up hills or otherwise. It's not cheap to run, but nobody buys a vehicle like this for fuel economy. The internal appointments aren't a patch on a BMW X5, but you feel like you could go through a brick wall in this and the Beemer definitely doesn't feel like that. I have to say that the reliability of some of the systems is not 100%, but so far nothing too expensive has gone on the fritz.

Dont get one without an extended warranty! – These cars look great, feel great and are awesome off road.They are perfect in most ways except they go wrong! And this costs. The landrover dealers are buffoons and have little knowledge of the car. We had handbrake problems,$2500, alternator and battery failure $1300, turbo actuator $750, suspension bounce $1500, leaking windscreen, reversing… Read more

camera failure, front bushes $1600. This is what we signed to? Got rid of it! In 30 years of car ownership, owning over 20 cars never had I paid out so much money. We would get in to it, I would look at my wife and say "what will go wrong today!" Would still consider an old defender. Bought a German car and it never goes wrong!

Don't buy a Land Rover Discovery3 – Can't afford to sell my Disco 3 SE 2007 as it owes me too much money. Probs New Alternator at 20K New air suspension pumps x 3 New steering rack 80k New hydra bushes 80k new handbrake 60k New rear diff unit 100k 3 x sets of tyres in 90k. No off road. Very comfy vehicle but has let me down too many times  Show details

Awesome But Expensive (Do Not Buy One Without A Warranty.. An Extensive Warranty) – I bought the 6 cylinder petrol model with 68,000km's from a dealer and I still own the car and I have done 140,000km. I purchased an ALIANZ Advantage extended warranty which cost me $3000 extra which covered me for two years. During that 2 years the insurance company covered a total of $13,000 worth of repairs including a new gearbox which cost… Read more

$7000. Be VERY careful, some warranties limit each warranty claim to $2000 or even $1000. My warranty allowed EACH claim to be up to $10,000 and the total sum of the claims over two years could be up to the value of the car which in my case was $30,000

This vehicle is by far the most comfortable & capable 4x4 I have driven, for off road, I would recommend buying a locking rear diff though as it can get bogged in deep mud with the center lock only.

The car is an absolute joy to drive, I love driving it every day. I must say that I have absolutely thrashed this car so hard you would not believe it, I have treated it like a race car, driven 60km's an hour over rocks, bottomed out the suspension numerous times, and it just keeps going.

Engine has started to rattle a bit at 140,000km's but just had it checked and mechanic says it's all good. LOL, Seriously, this car has been punished every day and just keeps going. The petrol engine is very reliable, never had an issue with ANY engine components.

The things that I have had replaced are:

- Front suspension bushes (twice)

- Gearbox

- Brake rotors

- Belts

- Some faulty sensors and some electrical stuff

- Handbrake ($2,000) Seriously [censored word removed]?

Whoever came up with the idea of an electronic handbrake should be.. disciplined.

Would I buy another one? YES, but under warranty. Would I buy one to travel to the middle of the desert by myself, absolutely not, it's not reliable enough. If you want reliability, you a Land cruiser 79 series.

If I had unlimited dollars, I would buy a brand new Discovery 4.

Disco 3 Excellent value – I bought my Disco 3 td6 as a demonstrator in 2008; I have just sold it with 125,000 klms on the clock. In that time, apart from normal servicing it cost me one set of tyres (Coopers) one windscreen wiper & two windscreens (not the cars fault). The Disco was used to tow a 2.8 tonne caravan all over Australia & any land Rover Service Manager will… Read more

tell you the Disco's that work hard give hardly any problems. Most of their work comes from the ones used for shopping trolleys or school runs. Average fuel (diesel) consumption for this period was 13.5 l/100klms, used without the caravan it was 9.5 l/100klms.

Unfortunately I couldn't afford another Disco so I bought a Jeep - already having problems.

Heap of crap – I purchased my Disco as a brand new vehicle in 2005, it has now travelled only 108,000 kms. It has been regularly serviced & never done any serious off road nor towed a caravan. I have replaced the Suspension Pump at 67,000 kms, the Front Suspension Upper Arms at 97,000 kms, Front Door Locking system & now the Air Conditioning compressor is showing signs of failure. Maybe I have been unfortunate to buy a lemon but be warned.  Show details

Can not fault - Drives like new or better – Done 228,000kms since new on all types of terrain. Never failed. Only repairs have been routine maintenance requirements. Tows a 2.5 tonne gross caravan and appears to run better after towing the van. It is comfortable with excellent road vision. Fitted with a lone ranger reserve tank giving an approximate range of 1600 to 1800 kms. I would… Read more

purchase another one any day if I could afford it.

I am sure the key to a long and reliable vehicle life is the correct servicing which mine receives from authorised Landrover Dealers or Landrover Specialists.

Love this car – Land Rover Discovery 3. I wanted a family car to carry 5 plus the kids friends plus bikes plus kayaks and a dog , the thing is it can do it all at the same time . It's not cheap , things do wear out (it's heavy) but I love this car !  Show details

Love it and hate it at the same time! – My 2005 TDV6 Discovery 3 is an awesome car on road and the most capable car I've owned off road too. It has a fantastic seating design which is really comfortable and allows heaps of room for carrying your gear or sleeping in it... BUT... It is completely unreliable, so I'm scared to do long trips with it. They have a huge list of things that go… Read more

wrong and it seems that they ALL have ALL of these faults. They are extremely expensive to maintain and fix. Good luck finding a mechanic who will work on them! If you like travelling in the outback, you'll spend your whole trip worried about what will strand you next... and you won't find parts or anyone who will fix them!

Land Rover has massive reliability issues. Be very cautious buying one. I would say they make the best unreliable 4x4.

Discovery,grace space and pace! – Purchased 09 diesal Disco with 203000 Km on the clock four months ago unit had been serviced by original dealer up until sale. fitted Michelin Latitude tyres, handles very well, upgraded gearbox by fitting replacement filter unit as fitted to BMW and XR6 Falcon,allows filter replacement and oil change. Disco eats up those Kms in style although… Read more

front seats should be more comfortable,is not unduly heavey on fuel and was purchased primarily because I required 3 plus tons of towing ability for our caravan,appears to meet all our requirements at this stage no problems or failures so far. I would consider fitting spare tyre carrying bar or support and understand there is some sort of mod' involving a piece of fishing line and the tailgate release that is worth having,anybody know anything about it?

My first Disco – Had a Freelander 1 HSE in the UK which we shipped to South Africa but sadly left it there when we moved to Aus last year. Bought my first Disco - a '07 Disco3 with 105000kms on the clock. Thank goodness I bought the extended warranty as the suspension compressor went within the first few months but that was entirely covered. The dealer I bought… Read more

the car from was helpful but I did get the distinct feeling that once you'd bought the car they weren't too interested in looking after you (perhaps my skewed perception from an unreasonable expectation?).

I love the car. The offload capabilities are fantastic. Yes it's definitely a lazy mans offroader and not a car you seriously want to through around in the bush but it's great. I am a bit apprehensive about the upcoming service costs but remain a LR ambassador for now.

Not really happy $80,000 disappointment – I have a 2007 D3 SE TD. Issues i have had. Handbrake locked on, fuel pump failed, 3 sets of brakes 2 sets of rotors, 4 rear mainseals, thermostat housing replaced, front end repairs x 2, on the third set of tyres - coopers wont warranty their tyres on a Landrover 3, i only have 97000 k,s on clock!!! Never been off road. Beatiful comfortable car to… Read more

drive actually better than any cruiser i have driven? I have owned 7 of them Discraceful resale, unreliable and not durable,

I love my Disco – Three years ago bought my 08 HSE diesel with 40K on the clock. Had a fuel pump and driveshaft go - both covered by warranty. It's been a great car. Easy to drive around town, great on the open road, the space has been invaluable, good off-road, quiet, refined, a great drive. Looks great. A bit of turbo lad when you need to accelerate quickly.… Read more ·  1

But I love it. Interior space. Comfort. Ride. Command driving position. Versatility. Slow acceleration.

Piece of expensive garbage – If you planning on going through the arabian desert take note they have been upgraded . If you plan on driving thru rivers get a life vest. Unless you enjoy spending money get one.... why do the rich want a vehicle thet is designed to go off road??? to show every one thet you have money??? expensive rubbish thats only a status symbol for the rich who will never take them off road . Show details

D3 Lover – Wow, just reading the negative posts here. I have nothing but praise for the vehicle. I bought my 06 model second hand with 55000k's on her, I have her serviced with a mate who services all sorts of prestige cars. We do a lot of hwy, back road and fird trails and have never had a problem. Everything about this vehicle is fantastic, from the… Read more

excellent ride and handling, brilliant engine to its amazing solidness.

Yes I'm about go get a D4, love them. Everything Find somewhere other than LR to service it.

tonka has better built quality – I bought a 2008 disco 3 with 78000 on clock and since that day I have had prob after prob ( hydro bushes. Anti roll bars and bushes. seat ecu. temp sensor. tailgate. Driveshafts. And the list goes on and on. Dissapointed with dealship as keep taking money hand over fist and the select warrenties is just a joke never worth the paper it is printed… Read more

on. Never will I buy one again. As I say more reliability in my boys battery ride on tonka toy. Grrr take note landrover. The colour

I love it, don't hate it! – Do a search on the world's best 4WD and see what name comes up most. I bought my 2008 update model V6 Petrol Disco 3 (SE guise) in late 2007. I was lucky enough to buy it through an employers corporate plan so got some great discounts and I could afford to option it up a lot more. Electronic rust protection guarantees the vehicle for life against… Read more

rust (as it says in writing). Centre console fridge bin, chrome styling kit and a few more bits and pieces. iPod adapter actually cheaper than multi disc player at the time and I think LR has cottoned onto this. As new Evoque doesn't have option of multi-disc anymore, but offers hard drive storage- smart! I bought this vehicle with the full intention of an off-road holiday upon delivery, I was quite disappointed when told I had to run it in for 3000kms, I didn't think that was required on new cars anymore? Run it in meant don't take it over 3000RPM, which is going to happen in the sand. I have literally tried it on all of the terrain settings and not missed a beat. I was most impressed with it's handling of the Stockton Beach desert like sand dunes. Went on a tag-a-long tour, the tour guide said to turn the fancy bits off, I didn't listen and never had any trouble, also found that extra height adjustment, the manual says the vehicle engages to dislodge itself when I was stuck haunching over the top of a dune. The traction and hill descent kicked it when it meant to and i powered out in second (auto-sport mode). I was lucky to get three years warranty at the time, but never had any major issues, just some door adjustments, and replacement of plastic wheel guards that had discoloured. I have seen this on a few now, so probably the reason why latter models have painted guards. Now had it close to 5 years and the suspension compressor has just failed. It cost just under $1300 and this has been the biggest cost so far outside of normal servicing, brake and tyre replacement. I had a series 1 (V8 with terrible fuel economy) and traded it in on this petrol series 3, I think I will be looking at the next series 5 whenever that comes around....by looking at the new Rangie, I am sure it will be impressive. Off road capability, luxury inside, soft ride, 7 seats (for adults), lay flat storage in the back. Becomes my ute at times. Envious looks from the carpark at shopping centres. Disappointed with plastic wheel guards

Owning a Disco 3 is like being married to a problem gambler - love it but it's expensive! – Having purchased the vehicle second hand with 135K km on the clock it has cost me almost $20k in repairs and service in less than 10k km. Whilst it is a wonderful vehicle to drive it is so expensive to keep going I would love to get rid of it but I simply can't afford to dispose of it as I would be out of pocket about $40k. Pros - A wonderful car… Read more

to drive when it is going. Remarkably tight turning circle for such a large vehicle; excellent tow capacity and fuel economy; great comfort over long distances; terrific power and acceleration; very stable in all conditions; a joy in traffic due to excellent visibility. Cons - Despite vehicle being regularly serviced at original LR dealer since new, after 140k kilometres vehicle has suffered 2 compressor failures; flywheel failure; ball joint replacement; cruise control failure; exhaust system fault resulting in wiring loom being destroyed and repair bill of $8600; hand brake locking on several times. Not a car I would recommend beyond new car warranty period.

worst purchase I have ever made – I persevered with this vehicle from new for too long. It was unbelievably unreliable and ultimately I stopped using it in the bush because I was never confident in it. There were so many issues that it's daunting to relate them all. In order to get at the spare wheel winch you need access to the rear of the car.One of the repeated problems we had… Read more

was that the actuator motor for the tail gate latch keep dying. Not being able to open the tailgate means you effectively have no spare wheel. We had this happen 3 times.

Even if you can open the back you still have to unload the rear compartment (basically empty it) to raise the 3rd row of seats to get at the winch. On one occasion, with campervan in tow ,in the bush, a flat tyre meant unhitching the van to remove the factory towbar to allow the spare tyre to be lowered (after unloading the rear and doing the rear seat thing) We had gear scattered all over the track.It took hours.

The air compressor motor for the suspension failed on several occasions, once necessitating the car to be off the road for 4 weeks while the new part was delivered on a slow boat from The UK.( Having no suspension clearly would be a disaster way out in the bush)

The electric hand-brake failed and took ages to fix.

A key sender unit died and we couldn't unlock the car. (Luckily this didn't happen in the bush).

The original tyres that came with the car were far too soft and I had done a side-wall in within the first 30 kms off road.

On two occasions while towing less than a tonne at about 90kms per hour in high 20s outside temp the gearbox overheat warning came on and the car had to be stopped for about 30 mins to allow things to cool.

There was a litany of irritating things go wrong with this car; so much so that, now I've ditched it, I'm rejoicing in being a non Land Rover owner once again

I had had two earlier Discoverys and had great expectations for the Disco 3.

I wrote to Land Rover Australia about my experiences and got back a fatuous "Hi thanks for your letter.Have a nice day." type reply. Great ride ,gutsy diesel motor Expensive to service,lousy availability for spare parts,bloody unreliable

Excellent – I wouldn't buy another vehicle again ever. I'm hoping this one will last a long time anyway. It looks good, gives a great ride, is economical, and my kids can be easily separated when they fight. I can carry 6 people safely - all in seatbelts - this is very important. I live on a small island and was one of the first to have one - have got… Read more ·  1

nothing but compliments. This vehicle is absolutely wonderful to drive. They have thought of just about everything. It gives the best ride of any car I have ever owned (includes Honda CRV's, vans, Mitsubishi Pajeros....etc.). Its very roomy but doesn't feel big when driving. Its a winner. I would change a couple of things: back seats are awkward to fold down and up, especially for a woman. Cup holders are too big for small containers (water) and too small for coffee - nothing actually fits. Controls for 4wd etc. are in between seats and can easily be accidentally turned on and off if handbag is put there i.e. nowhere to put your handbag if there is a passenger!

Excellent – I have a V8 HSE 2007 model. The best 4w4 drive that I've seen. It has an excellent design inside out. A real full 7 seater. It is very practical 4w4 drive and is very comfortable to drive. Plenty of power when you need. It has the V8 Jaguar engine so the engine is very smooth. The fuel economy is not bad if you don't push your foot on the… Read more

gas pedal. Excellent design.Excellent off road.Good safety.Comfortable drive both off road and on road.Very practical 4w4 drive.

Ridiculously Good. Coming up to 200,000km and hasn't missed a beat. Looking forward to a D4 soon – As soon as we drove this car we realised how far ahead LR had come from the opposition and even from the D2. We had both driven many 4WD's and were use to the bone jarring of some, or the boat like handing of others that is usually the trade-off for a large 4WD. This car has very few compromises. The handling is great for such a heavy car, and… Read more

the economy and dynamics when towing are also mighty impressive. The fact that it will tow 3500kg is a bonus.

PS. Some other reviewers may not realise that the parking sensor can be muted when you know something is there, and the cup holders have inserts to hold smaller bottles.

We are now looking for something more recent but the opposition sampled still haven't caught up with the D3, so it looks like the D4 will be the obvious target. Is as comfortable as a car in town or on the rough stuff. Great long distance cruiser. Quiet. Special 4WD programmes make 4WD a doddle. Extra seats fit adults and fold into the floor. Great headroom, legroom and shoulder room - even for people over 2m tall. Still trying to find something. Have only had regular servicing which has been reasonable.

Questioning this Discovery 3 – Purchased a Discovery 3 S - diesel, standard series one year ago. This is my third Land Rover Discovery and wanted to buy another one as I like the new shape. Once you work out how to fold the back seats down gives loads of space. However there is a few pros and cons with the Disco 3 and considering selling which makes it disappointing. Still… Read more

have my 98 model disco and runs well, but showing it's age....good for the beach. Great looking four wheel drive, great to drive, plenty of space, lots of storage, comfortable front seats, good for long distance driving The back seat head rest don't seem to rest your head well as friends find it uncomfortable and end up pulling them off. Ensure you get authentic parts like brakes, if don't it will squeals. Make sure you don't loose any of the keys as the only way to replace them is through Landrover and they have to get them from UK. Can cost from $500 per key (not set of keys) and Land Rover have to programme them into the car. Wish it had as standard an AUX point for your Ipod or Iphone. I heard someone was on a drive holiday and had their keys taken as sitting in their bag. The only way they could get going was for one to get a return flight home to get the spare key. I was told it has to do with some security technology, I am still waiting for my key replacement and it's been two months. Now considering selling, but am disappointed not knowing what to get next

Good – A beautiful car, which satisfies everyone. Better drive the V8. I do not have the money to fuel it, but I love it so I am managaing somehow. It is a love or hate affair. Mostly love. Almost Everything is world class. Seats, Lights, Sound system, Air conditioning, Sun roofs, Moon roofs, Build quality. A satisfying thud when closing the door. a… Read more ·  2

fantastic ego booster on the road whedn you feel like a HE-MAN with this car. I own a Black one, so it looks even more fantastic. The worst fuel consumption coz, I own a V8. Gives me 5.5km /100L urban. The headrests are awful. The parking sensors are too sensitive and keep beeping in traffic lights.

Good – This vehicle lives up to the hype. I have a middle of the road model with the made for Australia V6 Petrol out of the Ford Explorer. The Engine is not startling, performance wise but, the whole package still comes together in a vehicle I love to drive. The build quality is better than the others for sure but not sure if it is yet good enough. It… Read more ·  1

is the driving experience that keeps me buying them. Pretty much everything, this is my Third Discovery. Really impressed with the Cargo Area, a queen size bed is the only thing I could not fit inside it with all the seats down. Only that I couldn't afford the top of the range HSE Diesel Model with all the trimmings. I am still nervous about the build quality given the last one I owned.