Hi all,

I used to own a 2009 L302 that was a wonderful car. Have since owned a Jag XF and Volvo estate (family car).

Wife wants to go back to a FF range rover with a budget of circa £20k. This pretty much limits us to 2013-2015 3.0 V6.

I have struggled to find new buyer advice, the wiki section for this car does not really give advice for what to look for when viewing cars. Any good info out there that you can point me to? I have also read up on the issues with crankshafts on the 3.0, it looks like this is a lottery on what could blow / not blow. Are there any 3.0 specifically to avoid? I do not want to go down the 4.4 route due to higher tax and lower MPG. Is the crank shaft failure such a big issue or literally popping for 1 in 100 cars?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

Hi

So I've owned my 2015 L405 3.0 V6 since July last year, purely an impulse buy which so far I haven't regretted. There was a poll sometime ago and IIRC 88% of V6 owners had not reported a crankshaft issue (though this was only 35 voters). I guess good service history (a must)and the odd inbetween oil change should help the longevity of an engine ergo the crankshaft too.

https://www.fullfatrr.com/forum/topic54027...crankshaft

https://www.fullfatrr.com/forum/topic45832...crankshaft

Wow so you can't even get it covered by an aftermarket warrany! And there is roughly a 1 in 8 chance of it happening.

That's quite literally insane. I doubt oil changes can affect the longevity of a crank shaft?

I would guess that it's nowhere near 1 in 8 - people that have had issues tend to gravitate to threads about that engine.

That said, there's definitely some kind of design issue and it's a known fault as warranty companies won't accept it.

There was also this thread recently about 4.4 SDV8 failures - there seem to be way less of those, but still a few around.

Just on the poll thats a 12% failure rate so not, I'm sure, a true realisation. Typically people report "issues" on forum groups so you'll always get a distilled view of said issues in the real world.

I do though have the L405 empty credit card as my extra warranty ready for any major issue.

So any thoughts on buying one, what to look for etc?

Buyers guide here

(It's in the wiki, which can be found under the fullfatrr.com logo at the top right )

FWIW, my '13 SDV8 has been wonderful and cost me hardly anything which is why I keep kicking the can down the road on a replacement & keep saying 1 more year

Generic advice - figure out what you want that can't be retrofitted - for me, at least 825w music, for my wife, cooled seats - so it was easier to search by discounting Vogues & going VSE or AB - even though Vogues could have them as options, it was too hard . Then obviously colour (interior & exterior) Then any must have expensive options like a tow bar.

That should give you a shortish list - then look for one that seems well maintained & go from there.

At a distance, I would ask for the make & tread depth off all 4 tyres. That's my vague test of good maintenance. Anyone putting on cheap & unmatched tyres will be cutting other corners IMHO. Not universally true, but helps eliminate some of the crap before making a visit to see one.

Thanks yes I found that but it just seems to contain information of a few issues and how to fix them.

There's no 'when looking at the car check for A/B/C' etc.

you get failures on both the 3l and 4.4l..

i believe the majority of crank failures are on the SDV6 rather than the TDV6 because of the tune up of the engine to get more power.

but even on those there are only a small amount reported... ... - .- -.




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I don’t find the 4.4 that thirsty either to be fair 2016 4.4 diesel

Having driven both a 3.0 SDV6 (for about 2,000 miles) and 4.4 SDV8 (now 7,000 miles), my experience is that the real life MPG is practically the same - higher MPG on a run in the SDV8 in fact. Whilst the engine has extra capacity over the 3L, it also runs at considerably lower revs, rarely going above 2,000rpm, and not often using the second turbo, so it balances out.

One thing of note - there is more of a delay in the SDV6 between putting your foot down and the vehicle shooting off vs the SDV8.

I would say to decide the engine you want first and then the spec level you require. You save a fair bit getting the Vogue over the Autobiography, but then you will have to do without the massage seats and fabulous stereo.

Tow bar wise, I wouldn't worry. Mine didn't have a towbar fitted and it only took me a morning to fit. Was really simple to do also. 2015 Range Rover Autobiography 4.4 SDV8

Last edited by garyRR on 27th Apr 2024 12:52am. Edited 2 times in total

SDV8

AND I wasn’t hanging around

Click image to enlarge

To give this thread some context - I’ve had 4 x 4.4 V8 Diesels without any issues. Brother and a friend the only two V6 diesels I have direct contact with and both have failed catastrophically. Another friend Discovery 5, 2.0 Ignium and she is on her 3rd engine. 2021 L405 Vogue SE 4.4 V8 DIESEL ~ #17

Hi Jcoops.
I bought my L405 TDV6 last year and found that I was spoiled for choice of things to worry about. Crankshaft breakage inlet manifold, blocked DPF, gearbox problems, turbos.....the list is endless. All I can say is 'so far no catastrophes,' it's a lovely car, gives good MPG and I feel great every time I drive it. That might change if any of the above comes to pass.
I was looking to change my beloved Classic TDI for a P38 and all I heard was 'Don't even think about it....keep your classic...they are a disaster....worst car ever etc etc. I still have it 18 years later and it's now a very reliable workhorse which costs less to run than the price of a towbar for the 405.
I suppose you pay your money and take your chance but as others have said we tend to be more eager to tell tales of woe than stories of sterling service.
Hope I'm not back next week with a broken Crankshaft story.

I had the same questions when i bought mine regarding the engine. I decided condition and maintenance was more important in the end then the engine it had.

I ended up with the tdv6 and have had no issues what so ever. loved every mile and still look out of the window to admire it! I have a new vehicle on order and will be selling my 2016 model within approx 8 weeks if your interested and in no rush. Added a couple of photos to give you an idea