Hi everyone, long time lurker here first time poster.

I have done extensive research on L322 common problems, best models/engines to get etc. I think I've decided the best one to get would be a 2011/12 4.4L V8 Diesel. This will be my first Land Rover so before I start booking viewings with the intention on buying I thought it would be best to see what advice you guys would have. I have an alcohol wholesaling business and will be using the Rover to go on 1-2 hour journeys carrying smaller quantities of goods in the boot/backseats.

I know this has probably been done to death but a lot of the threads I'm seeing are for earlier BMW models or 2007-2009 ones. I've also seen and heard two different sides to Range Rover ownership and even though I expect high maintenance costs and the need to repair things early and properly a lot of what I see is contradictory. Some people say they stay on top of maintenance, do a lot of preventative measures and inspect parts every so often to stay on top of everything and haven't had a problem in years other than minor repairs here and there. But then I also see people saying their L322 cost upwards of £5k per year to maintain. I also hear that their Range Rovers spent more time being repaired than being on the road... but then i'm seeing so many on the used market with over 100k miles! So which is it?


Even though the L322 is really my dream car, I don't want a 2nd mortgage. I'd be happy to pay an average of £1k on maintenance & repairs a year, happy to pay more some years but would hope it would be less in others. Is this dreamland? Or actually grounded and realistic? I'm fairly handy with a spanner, I work on my Harley Davidson often and have a cracking independent mechanic local to me when needed.

Secondly, if all the costs and finances make sense is there anything in particular I need to look out for? I'm definitely going to muck around with the electrics and suspension to make sure it all works but this is a much more complicated car than i've ever driven before so for example I'm not sure how quickly/quietly it should perform commands. I hear that the 4.4 diesel is quite reliable if looked after. I'd probably only get a 6 month warranty and just see how it goes - is this a deathwish?

All comments are greatly appreciated!

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I purchased a 2010 (last of the 3.6TDV8) a few years ago and now has 165k miles on it had about 98k miles when i bought it, The car like both my earlier TD6's has been flawless... change the oil and filter regularly .. service the transmission.. replace suspension bushes as required. I did replace the alternator and it looks like i now have to do the rear shocks and air compressor but hey its ten eras old so if i replace them they will do another ten years... Beautiful

I get sick of hearing morons with no idea say these cars are plagued with problems or dear to maintain.. they really are no more expensive to maintain than any other car and the 3.6 and 4.4 (i think to a lesser degree) diesels are bloody bulletproof.. the gearboxes are also!

I have two friends right now having issues with nissans .. one a blown engine and the other has just spent 13k aud on new injectors (two sets) and fuel pumps etc... the difference is you wont hear people saying nissans are unreliable etc .. it will just come down to bad luck however had it have been a land rover you would never have heard the end of it from stupid people who are clueless and know nothing about these amazing cars

Try and buy one thats been looked after buy some one who knows how to care for a car and has not flogged it whilst it is stone cold etc... highway k's etc if you can

For what these cars were worth new and how little you pay now, given the r&d and no expense spared attitude that went into desigining them they are the bargian of the centrury imo

Dave 2010 3.6TDV8 Autobiography
Bas remap, Egr deleted (blanked & via remap) , Cold air intake, Turbo back exhaust, Provent 200 catch can, Banks idash gauge, 275/55/R20

GAP Diagnostics

Past - 02 & 03 TD6 And an 1984 Classic

Thanks for the reply Dave, sounds like you have a solid one. I agree people love to hate and pretend to be professionals on cars they can't and won't own!

Is mileage that big of a factor? I'm thinking it might be a lot better to get one with over 100k miles that have recently replaced some of the more expensive parts with loads of service history than one with 70k miles and nothing replaced yet. If so, what would be the highest miles I should consider getting?

yes indeed they can be expensive to maintain but when you look at what you get for your money it's worth it . My car has given me issues with sensors mainly but it's equally rewarded me with the grin factor every time i drive it . Even my wife who hates spending money on car's wouldn't want to go anywhere any distance in any other car they are amazing off road too if you want .
The one thing i have noticed with some garage's is the lack of knowledge or just plain ignorance on doing the most basic tasks just because it's a Range Rover . It's still a car isn't it ? .
When you look underneath mine and gaze at the quality of how it's put together it gives me assurances that it's the car for me .
I if anything over maintain mine , don't chance anything and treat it with respect and it will last years , 80 mph at 1600 rpm it's doing 32 mpg or more , what car can do that and climb up hills you couldn't walk up .

It's easily the best car i have ever had and i enjoy owning it , they change your life for the better. 2011 tdv8 4.4 vogue Santorini black

Good luck, if you get a good one and you look after it, maintain it as has been mentioned above, you should enjoy the experience as they are great cars, with few peers that are as capable or classy as a RR. As our Australian friend says, what else can you get for the sort of money a late L322 will cost you that comes close?

However, be under no illusion, they can also cost a lot to keep on the road and if you happen to be unlucky enough to have a turbo fail and damage the engine or a gear box fail, you'll be facing eye watering bills.

The advice on this site is well worth reading (buying guide etc), look at and drive a few so you can get the feel of what they should drive and sound like and if you get close to buying one, crawl all over it and check everything actually works as it should.

Hope you find a good one. RR Vogue TDV8 Grey/Black
D3 TDV6 HSE Silver/Black (Gone)
D3 TDV6 HSE Black/Tan (Gone)
RRS TDV8 Black/Black (Gone)
RRS TDV8 Stornaway (Gone)
RR Vogue TDV8 (Gone)
RRS 4.4V8 (Gone)
Defender 110 300tdi (Stolen, much missed)
RR Vogue V8 P38 (Gone)
LR 90 TD (Gone)

Agree with all of the above.

Some of it also comes down to how much are you prepared to do yourself? If your handy and brave there is a lot you genuinely can do yourself which will grow your knowledge of the car and seriously reduce running costs. Regular servicing is a job you can do yourself, for example.

My advice:

Read up.
Drive some, get a feel for how they should be.
Don’t be surprised at how many dogs are out there.
Take your time in choosing.
If you take the plunge...and further to the normal advice that applies to all car purchases:
Get a GAP IID tool.
Oil leaks: scrutinise the O rings and oil cooler gaskets. Are they leaking or have they already been repaired?
Make sure the battery is healthy.
Corrosion...the later the car the worse it gets so inspect well.

The list really isn’t that long, no worse really than any other car.

I’m a fan of the Westies: cracking value for money.


Even with all the potential issues a late L322 may encounter I’d still highly recommend one. So long as you don’t treat it like a normal car and expect plain sailing all of the time. Look after it very well and you probably won’t regret it.

Good luck 😉 2012 4.4 TDV8 Westminster - Baltic Blue, Jet interior
1997 P38 2.5 DSE auto & 1998 P38 2.5 DT Manual
1988 Vogue 3.5 EFI - Manual, gone.
2004 Volvo C70 2.0T convertible, had since new.
2007 Mazda MX-5 2.0 Sport Roadster/Coupé, had since new.
2024 Mini Cooper S cabrio, JCW kit, 2.0, DCT auto

Agree on all points so far
My experience, 4 posts down
https://www.fullfatrr.com/forum/topic44115...p;start=75
Still worth the few grand I’ve spent getting it “right”
Big one for me is make sure the engine is bone dry of oil. Get underneath and also take off the engine cover and if possible the pollen filter box and look down into the V behind the oil filter housing. Again, bone dry is the default. Oily mess means oil cooler gaskets. Tell tale is also oil down bellhousing and onto rear of engine undertray. It will also stink when hot for obvious reasons

Picture of failed oil cooler gaskets from rear of engine looking forwards:

Have you seen this from a fellow forum member?

https://www.fullfatrr.com/forum/topic56061.html

4.4TDV8 = great choice.
I think you need a good Indy who knows these girls inside & out [no disrespect to your mechanic]
I'm approaching my first 12 months with my Westie & this years servicing & repairs totalled £1k. Partly because I'm totally anal about oils. I've spent more in one year on this girl than three years on my old X5, but hey, I knew that.
I had all the oils changed inc diffs-transfer box etc & had the gearbox megaflushed [best thing ever].
I had the usual oil cooler leak which the majority at some point suffer from.
The second turbo actuator was stripped, cleaned & now works perfectly.
If you're not in a hurry, there are a few cars that come available on here which is always a bonus.

There is a huge plethora of information on here from members, it's unreal what people know & has reassured me on several points. Just don't be afraid to ask, simple as that.
Good luck anyway. 2012 Orkney Grey Westminster 4.4TDV8 with Ivory interior.........nice!
BMW R1200GS
Alfa Romeo Giulietta
Just one Montesa now, 349 White Wonder
Austin A40 Farina MK2
1975 Morris Marina 1.8TC

Thanks for all the comments guys. I'm definitely taking my time, in fact I think i'm going to wait a month or two until the recession really hits and hopefully that drives down the price of luxury cars...

I'm now wondering, for a 4.4L V8 diesel, would I need to use V power diesel? Or does regular diesel to the job?

I hear that the main problem with these engines are the oil cooler leaks, from what I read the turbo injectors are more of a problem on the 3.6 engines. Is there anything really I need to look out for? I'm going to be walking away from anything that isn't tip top condition but will also buy one without hesitation if it fits all the boxes regardless of mileage as long as its not over 150k

FFRR64Royal wrote:

Have you seen this from a fellow forum member?

https://www.fullfatrr.com/forum/topic56061.html

Buy one, they are fantastic! But budget to spend 5k in the first year to have things sorted. Anything less than that, consider it a bonus.

And buy a forum car if possible - then you know what you are getting.

Dealers, in my experience, do not have a clue about these cars....

good luck! RR Vogue 4.4 TDV8 - 11
Toyota Land Cruiser Prado - 02

LR Discovery 4 SDV6 -11 - Gone
RR Vogue 3.6 TDV8 - Gone

£5k for repairs? Even in the first year without knowing what to expect, that seems really excessive

I'd expect £2-3k in the worst scenario on things that could go wrong. But I'd be getting a 6 month, with a possible extension, warranty that would cover engine/transmission faults with it. I'd hope nothing major would go wrong for the first few thousand miles at least.

The oil cooler issue on my 4.4 cost just over a grand. Had to do that in first week of ownership.....

Not been too bad since.

 2011 Range Rover Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8

Previous cars :
2003 Range Rover Vogue TD6
1999 Discovery Td5 ES
1995 BMW M5 3.8 6 speed
1992 Range Rover 3.9 Efi Vogue
1992 BMW M5 3.8
1988 BMW 735i SE
1989 Ford Sierra XR4x4 2.9i
1981 Ford Fiesta Supersport