Are 1997 defenders Piece of Garbage like all rovers?

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Can't say much about the 1997 Defender, but I had a 1990 200TDi which I bought with 140,000miles and sold with 165,000 on it to a mate, who's had it for the last 10 years. I thinks its got nearly 300,000 on it now.
Its been super reliable, apart from a wheel bearing failing (and that was really my inexperience - I heard the growl and ignored it!)
Yep it leaks but as it was vinyl seats and 2 rubber floormats it was never a real issue, we just chucked some of those silica sacs that absorb moisture up into the headling to stop it going mouldy over winter.
Electrics are dodgy - but 200/300TDi doesn't have any that really matter. My headlights used to go out if you hit the indicators sometimes, but randomly hitting other stuff (usually the hazard switch) would bring em back up.

It all boils down to what you want and are prepared to do.
If you self maintain they are a good fun truck to own, if you use a mechanic, it can be expensive. They are archaic and quirky, but brilliant.
I would own one again definitely, but with a 80series cruiser and a series 2a land rover
 
A funny picture a friend sent me

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Paying close to 40 large for a used NAS Defender 90 is pure stupidity.

For half that you could import an exceptional truck from Europe, with a turbo diesel and a 5 speed. With some creativity and $40k, you can import a nearly new Puma Defender.

I brought my 300Tdi 110 Defender to the US from the UK for under $8k.

Defenders are not "garbage." Are they as reliable as a Toyota? No. But a large part of the poor reputation they have in the US stems from cheap-ass owners who will not do the proper preventive maintenance. Also contributing is the choice of LRNA to promote the Defender as a luxury-price vehicle, not the basic tractor it is sold as elsewhere. The Defender is a coil spring evolution of the original Land Rover, a very basic and rudimentary vehicle with exceptional off road capability. It's like an FJ40. An FJ60 seems sophisticated in comparison.
 
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Depends on what you mean by unreliable.......
Horrible fuel economy
Under powered
Leaks in the rain
Marginal heater
Rear cross member prone to rust
Woefully overpriced.
However my 1995 D-90 never left me on the side of the road. :)
 
My 1994 NAS D90 was one of the most fun cars I've ever owned. Drove it for years and sold it for $8000 more than I paid for it. It never left me stranded either. Sad I sold it.

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if they were 1/10 the price, they would be worth it.

they drive horrible on the highway, are underpowered and underbraked, some parts are either NLA or stupid expensive. a dash costs 6k for a used one. and they leak, are hot in summer, cold in winter, loud, bouncy.

they only look cool and have the defender name. people buy them as investments and this kills the market.
 
Most of what I've read here can be said for any vehicle with some years and miles.

My daily driver of seven years with a minimum of eighty miles per day was a '00 Discovery. Bought it with 60K and sold it with 160K+. Never let me down and far from roads to boot! I had often thought I was a fool for not taking a bicycle for emergency back up.

Do not confuse a LandRover with another truck. It is its own animal.

I'd love to own a Defender.
 
The advantage the 94,95, & 97 Defenders had over other Land Rovers was simplicity. Minimal electrical do-dads which can plague other Land Rovers. I enjoyed my 1995 D-90 SW while I owned it but have no desire to own another one.
Save your money and by a Toyota HZJ77 which in my opinion is a far more reliable vehicle.
 
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Well , If you want a car that is watertight, not noisy with air leake and drives nice get a Landcruiser.
But for a very caperable 4x4 a mid 90 defender 110 130 with a TDI engine is good.
I worked on a fleet of 25 of them that worked on the beach as hire cars to the backpackers
They had a problem stripping the gearbox output sharft , a phone call to Landrover and a new gearbox was supplied with the mods so it didnt happen again.
The timing belt problem, every now and then a belt did break, due to shifting down gears 4 to 1 by a backpaker. The fix, remove the tappot cover remove and replace bent pushrods and broken rockers. Replace timin belt and send it back to work. No bent valves. Try doing that to a 1HZ . The onley way the garrot turboes died was when the rust on the turbo housing got that bad it rusted a hole in the oil gallire. Or dont worry about how hot it is ,just flog it and turn it off. They dont die.
You can blow a radaitor hose and drive it till it sizes. let it cool down, replace the hose and drive it home. In the next 6 months it will blow the head gasket but the head wont be cracked, machine the head reset the valves and its all good.
You have onley got to get a 1HZ hot and the heads crack.
As for driving off road very good .
As for the rust they worked on salty beackes, they are no worse than any other 4x4.

I dont own a landrover i have 3 Landcruiser
 
i have had both landrover and landcruisers for years,yes landrovers are unreliable and leak water oil ect but really good fun,if you want comfort and reliability buy a landcruiser.
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I was fortunate to own a new 2009 110 Defender while I was stationed in Germany. It was my daily driver until I came back to CONUS. Common rail diesel 2.4 liter got about 30mpg on the Autobahn and was comfortable to take the outlaws on a week long tour across Germany. I likes it so much I brought back an 85 110 with the 3.5 v8. Trying to bring back a 200tdi or 300 diesel is dicey getting it through customs.

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We ran LC 60-70&80`s in the darkest Africa in the mid `90s. They lasted about 120+K kilometers with regular maintenance every 3,5T kilometer, using only original parts.
The project we where connected to, had a fleet of in total 150 LC`s... I think that that makes up for a fair foundation of knowledge.
In addition the garage mentioned above served another 50 LC`s in the very rural area.
The LC, especially the 75, all cracked in their body & chassis from the road abuse. In average 1 or 2 rolled every year & where completely written off. I can only remember 1 60-series that actually resurrected before being stolen & rolled again.
The Land Cruisers where in general steered by local drivers. They had an average life span of abt 3,5 yrs before being parked up.
We also had a Pajero that was pretty bust after 40Tkm and 2 yrs "recreational" driving.
Due to circumstances we had to replace our private automobile QUICK & @ the time we could choose (locally, there where next to NO 2.hd cars available on the open marked, owning a car was better than COLD HARD CASH....) between a refurbished 75 for 12,5K US or a brand new Defender 110 Tdi out of a showroom for 17K US.
We opted for the Defender. It had WAY better milage than any LC nor Pajero nor any Patrol. The lack of AC was indeed a "sales killer" at the time for LR.
The significantly improved offroad capabilites & improved ride in the Defender over the LC as standard vehicles impressed even the most stubborn LC-fanatics @ the time.
The Defender 200Tdi was new to the marked and for above mentioned reasons not that widely spread. It was however a very capable competitor & superceeded the different LC`s in many ways. By far not as posh as the 80 :) inside&out...
The ONLY make & model that outlasted both LC & LR where the Mercedes G 300D. Even when they rolled, they where rolled back onto their rubber, re.glassed & continued without pesonal damage! Mercs are THOUGH:steer:
Above a `97 is mentioned, that will make it a 300Tdi. By a distance the best (non-electronic) engine the Defender has ever had. The interior is so so. One woule need to get a post `07 PUMA to appreciate a proper working AC & heater.

Had prices for parts been as accomodating for Toyota owners as it is for Land Rover owners, owning a Toyota would been much more of a :clap:
Sadly that aint so. Parts for Land Rover are so cheap, anyone running a Toyota should be :bang: in that aspect
Or maybe TLC owners don`t need that many parts??:poof:


I may be shot down in flames for this, but I enjoy both brands! & own both brands
& I have stated that fact in both "fanatic-camps" more than once.

& btw; the mentioned "African" 110 200Tdi is still running strong, in NORWAY, original engine & trannies, same frame & body. Front doors replaced due to rot, rear axle due to a disc conversion. I am sad I could not afford to buy it back this time around.
 
I have a 1999 Td5 Defender 90 in Panama. I have owned for 11 years. Other than the fuel pump going once, and the the headlight switch going twice, I've never had a problem with it. Not sure who started the rumor that they handle bad, but compared to my LC my Defender handles like it is on rails. A/C blows super cold. Gas mileage is 30 MPG all day long.

I would never pay 50K for this vehicle, but I would pay 17K which is what I paid. I miss it a lot as my daily driver.
 
Lots of hating here on the landy.

The Defenders are simpler than the 70-series landcruisers in many ways, I own both LC and LR, which is rare. For a new inexperienced mechanic choosing a between a failed-engine diesel landcruiser or failed-engine landrover, the landrover is a better choice.

Quite a bit simpler construction, simpler older-designed drivetrain, an aluminum body that doesn't rot out in the corners and wheel wells. Lower parts costs with LR if you buy OEM and cut out the middleman than Toyota. Almost all critical spares are available new OEM at a huge discount with LR. It doesn't seem to be the case so much with Toyota.

Seals are for sure better with Toyo, and the LR does need more maintenance when new than the Toyota does.

If you're handy, and a MAN, the landy isn't that bad. Yes, you will get your hands dirty and need to figure things out for yourself.

Lots of the Landrover guys are stuck to that one brand also. Harley guys hate Japanese bikes, Ford and Dodge, I could go on.

I have no brand loyalty. Not putting a tattoo on me.

Haters gonna hate.
 
@wapitimud ...... "Lots of hating here on the landy".
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Quite the contrary, I loved my 1995 D-90 SW however I would be less than honest if I didn't mention the ....
Horrible fuel economy and an anemic V8
Inefficient heater
Inefficient a/c
Smallish windows compared to a 70 Series Land Cruiser
Rear cross members that are prone to rust along with the forward bulkhead.
Leaked water into the cab during rain showers.
Doors had to be be closed rather firmly to stay shut.
The brake boosters are under engineered and are prone to failure.
...... Did I mention how much I loved my Defender?
 
It doesn't seem contrary at all to my arguments.

I noted the simplicity of LR defender and the more basic construction and technology for a beginner. You outlined all fitment issues, some of which are caused by the more basic design.

It has no cab. Everything just bolts together. Apples and oranges.
 
Was based in South and East Africa for the better part of a decade and my take home of the Defender is this... they have a following but it’s become more about the image than it’s suitability for use in the bush. As others have mentioned they’re sealed horribly. Dust gets everywhere. The ergonomics are a disaster for anyone over 5’ 9”. The controls and the way they drive are forgettable. I’ve never been in one that didn’t break, with me in it, causing a walk of some distance. Weak diffs and dodgy transmissions are the most common culprit but puma LRs ate vacuum pumps. Someone above mentioned the lifespan of LCs in fleet service. The simple fact is no one in their right mind would use Defenders instead. Some lodges use LR because that’s what tourists expect but I know for a fact that more than a few have LC chassis under the LR bodywork. Sure they are easy to fix but you have to get the parts to fix them and the dealer network is horrible and restricted to major cities. Bust a diff in the Karoo? Get ready to wait a couple days for the parts for your easy fix. As a result the Defender (and all LR/RR vehicles) are now seen as city cars. Africa is big (bigger than most realize — that map you’re looking has it all wrong) and given a choice no one, except perhaps a nostalgic Brit, is going to drive 400 km out past the end of the pavement/ tarmac in a LR/RR.
 
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