Discovery 2 - really that bad?

[mk1matt]

We're considering a Disco 2 as a replacement for the wife's Galaxy. The budget will be £5-6k, and we'll be looking for a manual TD5 with about 60/70k miles on it.

I've read lost of posts about woeful reliability on these. Are they really that bad? It's going to be doing about 15k miles a year, and will hopefully be going off road if she lets me . A good 10k of those miles will include 2 young kids in the car, so I really don't want it to let us down.

I've read about leaky sunroofs causing rusty boot floors, and some pretty frightening reading about cracked heads. What else goes wrong?

[anonymous-user]

If looked after they can be very good. Note: If looked after.
Expect to run one on a Fiesta budget and you may be disappointed.
Try to find one that hasn't been buggered about with.
All the head issues I've ever heard of have been from people chipping a two tonne 4x4 to make it go like a Golf GTi, with no other modifications.

[Denis O]

Pop over here and let these loony's explain the pros and cons.

http://thed2boysclub.myfineforum.org/about136.html

[fredd1e]

Had one for a few years had never any problems other than the sunroofs leak repeatedly (due to crappy drainage design) . Electrics are no worse than any other similar vintage landie and probably not as bad as equivalent Range Rovers/freelanders, I never suffered any electrical malady though rear door opener got a bit sticky (WD40 sorted). TD5 engine issues are fairly well known and understood, none specific to the disco, but ECUs on the 1st versions 1999/2000 are apparrently NLA and later versions dont work, not sure on the exact detail but a post 2001 car would be a safer bet and a facelift one looks nicer too IMHO.

[Blackpig2]

Denis O said:

Pop over here and let these loony's explain the pros and cons.

http://thed2boysclub.myfineforum.org/about136.html

Ask Urban Panzer about the really techie stuff. Or go to :

WWW.discovery2.co.uk

Thats his site.

[wild rover]

Had a 2000 model for the past 7 years wouldn't change it aprt from the leaking sunroofs.Been reliable up to now with routine services.Check out chassis if neglegted can require welding if not looked after.

[wild rover]

Had a 2000 model for the past 7 years wouldn't change it aprt from the leaking sunroofs.Been reliable up to now with routine services.Check out chassis if neglegted can require welding if not looked after.

[Denis O]

wild rover said:

Had a 2000 model for the past 7 years wouldn't change it aprt from the leaking sunroofs.Been reliable up to now with routine services.Check out chassis if neglegted can require welding if not looked after.

Not sure if you've seen this but worth a go.

http://www.muddy-tyres.net/standard.aspx?page_id=3...

[Rimmer123]

I had a 51 plate Disco 2 as a work car in the Ukraine last summer, Drove it from forfar in scotland across europe thrashed it on autobahns for hours on end and then in fields and the very very rough ukrainian roads and covered just over 17k in the process. needed a prop bearing and 2 suspension bushes... it was the basic one with no air suspension and very little electrical stuff to go wrong definatly the one to have. would have another tomorrow had I not taken a job in Libya.

[Zumbruk]

wild rover said:

Had a 2000 model for the past 7 years wouldn't change it aprt from the leaking sunroofs.Been reliable up to now with routine services.Check out chassis if neglegted can require welding if not looked after.

I just part-exed my 2002 Disco 2 Td5 ES. Apart from the usual leaky sunroof, it's probably the best car we ever owned (*). It's dragged my TVR to sprints all over the country and ferried us up and down assorted Scottish mountainsides. Before I handed over the paperwork I sat down and totted up the bills and it's cost us £700/yr in maintenance for everything; services, repairs, tyres, the lot, excluding fuel.

(* Except for the Disco 3 I now have. That makes the '2 look distinctly agricultural.)

[mk1matt]

Thanks for the replies chaps. No major horror stories there so it should hopefully be ok. I'm reasonably handy with a spanner and I don't think there's much I've read so far that I wouldn't be able to do.

The only concern is the probability of something going that could leave the wife and children stranded. I suppose you get that with all cars though! Maybe I'll make sure she gets breakdown cover...

Can anyone shed any more light on the cracked heads issue? Googling has found a few sites, but the work firewall blocks them all

[cpas]

Apparently up to about 2002, the heads were quite soft but with a hard coating. If the coolant level was allowed to get low, and the engine overheated, the head gasket could easily blow. If the head is skimmed on replacement, the hard coating is lost and the head becomes pourous on this surface so is effectively scrap.
The issue of ECU problems was addressed to me by a trader at the Peterborough show. Apparently they can supply chipped ECUs which replace the original ones for a couple of hundred pounds.

[cpas]

fesuvious said:

The 'head' issue has been somewhat overblown over the years.

I like it