 | Home > Puma (Tdci) > Do all Defenders break down.....! |
 
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| CyberCharlie Member Since: 01 Jul 2010 Location: Reading Posts: 140   
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Defenders don't have issues, they have features! Water ingress? a feature to keep carpets/rubber mats clean Noise? a feature to keep you awake while driving And so on, and so forth... |
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23rd Nov 2010 10:42am |
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| alantd Member Since: 14 Dec 2008 Location: Northamptonshire Posts: 1513 
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 One that started out as a 2.4 TDCi 110 XS
+ New Defender 110 First Edition |
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23rd Nov 2010 11:27am |
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| 110SEB Member Since: 29 Jan 2009 Location: Essex, England Posts: 1444 
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23rd Nov 2010 1:12pm |
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| dgardel Member Since: 30 Nov 2008 Location: Veneto (Heart & Head) Posts: 3586 
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 no dubt!!!! Discovery 5 td6 HSE Stornoway Gray Outback Engineering Limited Edition
IID Pro MV License |
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23rd Nov 2010 8:26pm |
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| Grockle Member Since: 24 Nov 2008 Location: Peak District National Park Posts: 2266 
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I think most of us on here are pleased with our Def's sometimes things get blown out of proportion
ps has anyone seen Russell's other boot  2.4 90 XS
1968 1/32 scale Britains 109 Pick up. |
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24th Nov 2010 9:51am |
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| Setok Member Since: 16 Jan 2009 Location: Helsinki Posts: 419 
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After touring around Iceland I can report that Land Rovers have all but disappeared here, except for the tourist things. This used to be *the* country for Landys, but no more, despite them being cheaper here than the competition. This is a country that is begging to have Land Rovers as it's one of the few places you can go where 'roads' will seriously be 4WD only. Just today I went to a remote farmhouse in Seythisfjorthor and I can guarantee you wouldn't make it in a normal vehicle. My first river crossings
I talked to several locals about this and the thing most repeated was reliability. Toyotas, they say, will go on forever. With a Defender something is, according to them, always breaking. They said it doesn't matter that it's cheaper when it doesn't work. One thing offered by a local was that the undercarriage and chassis is very rust-prone as it's not protected properly. So while the aluminium panels will be fine, the chassis will rot in the wet, Atlantic weather. Remember that this was a country where, in the 70s and 80s, Land Rover was the definitive car, and very much linked to the history of the country. People were used to having them, so they have vanished for a reason. I think if any of this is true, it's a real issue. The Defender is such a simple vehicle that there's no reason it couldn't be made 100% reliable. Also, if ever there was a country that would be a great market for Land Rover, it's Iceland. Every other car I see is a 4X4, and even big super jeeps are ubiquitous — not just something for the freaks. I keep getting the feeling Land Rover isn't taking proper care of the Defender brand and not really bothering to promote it. I still wouldn't want anything else, but the reputation is there: it's not as reliable as it should be. |
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24th Nov 2010 6:28pm |
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| szracer Member Since: 10 Oct 2010 Location: Cotswolds Posts: 356  
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A very interesting post, Setok.
I think the Icelandic situation is pretty much typical everywhere except the UK (where, let's face it a certain amount of jingoism and nostaligia comes into play with the Defender). The thing is, as a short-term Defender 2 owner, but previous Series II and Lightweight owner, I am pleasantly surprised at how relatively civilised and 'together' the 'new' Defender is. Saying that, for an expenditure of a couple of grand, I could adequately rust-proof it, sort out all the potential leaks, make the engine run better, solve the dust ingress problem, improve the turning circle, have programmable wash-wipe, give it better lighting, increased security and lower emissions. But why should I have to? The question is - If I can do that, why the f*&k can't Land Rover be bothered?! Why are they still happy to put out cars that, despite reliable running gear (thanks to Ford etc.) have chronic panel fit, bad paint, swarf under carpets, leaks, bits falling off etc. etc. The old defence that 'Oh, it's a rugged vehicle..blah blah...village blacksmith...blah..blah...utilitarian'''blah' doesn't wash any more. Thanks to 40+ years of cars like the Land Cruiser, people expect ruggedness WITH reliability. If a vehicle is well-built, simple and ultra-reliable, it doesn't HAVE to be able to be fixed in Ulan-Bator with a hammer and an anvil! I suspect (although I hope I'm wrong) that Land Rover would rather sell lots of Evoques to urban poseurs than develop the icon that made the brand. I'm not nostalgic - I'd welcome a 'new' Defender, even if it looked nothing like it's forebears, as long as it encapsulated the brand values in a modern, reliable, and simple package. But...the fact that LR are even talking about kiliing the Defender full stop, to me, displays a certain shortsightedness. Phew....rant over!!
2010 110 XS USW (the slow one) 1960 Alfa Romeo Giulietta SZ (the fast one) 2005 Ducati ST3 1954 Sunbeam S8 |
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24th Nov 2010 8:43pm |
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| RED-DOT Member Since: 29 Jun 2009 Location: stirling Posts: 2363 
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I once asked why my brand new showroom fresh Defender had rusty grille screws and the answer i got was that they could fit stainless screws but the farmers of this world would moan about the extra cost!! 2008 RS4 gone, 123d M Sport, and a Puma 90 XS..
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24th Nov 2010 8:57pm |
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| MK Member Since: 28 Aug 2008 Location: Santiago Posts: 2412  
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I do not know if I´m being naïf hopping I can get rid of all "features" some day. I do not bother about the dust, water leaks and stuff like that, but certainly I care about reliability.
This chap got enough I guess: http://landroverhell.com/ Puma 110" SW ............................................................. Earth first. Other planets later |
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24th Nov 2010 10:12pm |
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| Setok Member Since: 16 Jan 2009 Location: Helsinki Posts: 419
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I'm afraid the very fact they even have Evoques proves you are correct. I don't get Land Rover. So many companies have become big failures when they have lost their focus and forgotten where they came from. I like what the Defender looks like, but I'd happy to have it evolve (as it has done). But I wouldn't want it to be totally redesigned into yet another Japmobile. I doubt the looks are what is the real issue here.
Hm, I think you'll find those farmers are now moving into Toyotaland 
The thing is, I'm not even sure the rumours are true. The Defender is, or should be, pretty basic and the components seem tough. I certainly haven't had any problems during my trip, at least that I could blame on Land Rover! But the perception is not good. I understand the Discos and Rangies going funny, with so many computers (look at how well computers work on your desktop — so you want piles of them in your car?). But it can't be difficult to get a Defender to be highly reliable. |
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25th Nov 2010 12:11am |
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| Naks Member Since: 27 Jan 2009 Location: Stellenbosch, ZA Posts: 2637  
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Same here. And that's the one thing that cannot do  |
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25th Nov 2010 7:46am |
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| Vixen Member Since: 16 Mar 2010 Location: NSW, Orstraya Posts: 97 
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Russell went waltzing with some bird named Matilda in the hills on the border  Maybe that's when he lost the other boot ......or maybe the kat got it |
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25th Nov 2010 8:12am |
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| Grockle Member Since: 24 Nov 2008 Location: Peak District National Park Posts: 2266
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evenin Pat,I think your right their,see you in the pub later 2.4 90 XS
1968 1/32 scale Britains 109 Pick up. |
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25th Nov 2010 8:15am |
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| Vixen Member Since: 16 Mar 2010 Location: NSW, Orstraya Posts: 97
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I don't care how many issues or features land rovers (real ones that is, not those disco thingeys
) have, be they series or defenders.........it would take a lot for me to get rid of one just because of a few issues
You should see some of the issues some of them have had when bought!! |
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25th Nov 2010 8:15am |
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