Today after getting my 15 year old Defender MOT'd (nowt wrong/ needing attention) I went over to the indie who looks after it when it is sick/ needs repairs. I was horrified to see lined up among all the wrecks and car waiting for repair 6 L322's, more than any other model in the yard, more even than the P38A's the place specialises in. I asked what the problems with them were - well the two obvious one were both riding on 24" wheels and tyres and I was right - one with a broken steering rack, the other with a knackered gearbox. of the others another couple had drowned electricals in the boot and there was one with a blownup engine (4.4 V8)and another on it's 4th gearbox in 2 years! Two of the cars were only 4 years old too......... 2018 Mini Countryman Cooper S E All4 PHEV in Melting Silver - it’s whisper quiet in EV and polluter modes

Conversely this one still seems in good nick, despite the owner finding out it had had 100k miles clocking off it!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2005-LAND-ROVER-RANG...2eb31c9424

 My Previous RR's!
2018 P400e Autobiography
2008 TDV8 Vogue
2006 TD6 Vogue
2007 TDV8 Vogue
2007 RRS (I know, it doesn't count!)
2005 4.4 Vogue on LPG
2005 TD6 Vogue
2003 4.4 Vogue
2001 4.6 HSE
2000 2.5 DHSE
1999 4.6 HSE
1997 4.6 HSE on LPG
1995 2.5 DSE
1989 3.9 EFI classic
1988 3.5 EFI classic

and how did the owner find out? 2018 Mini Countryman Cooper S E All4 PHEV in Melting Silver - it’s whisper quiet in EV and polluter modes

Unfortunately I think the latest generation of Range Rover owners just don't give a damn about the car. They run them ragid and treat them like the preverbial.

A defender buyer will generally have some level of mechanical sympathy. I would also bet that a defender is serviced more often than an L322 due to the miles vs years thing. Oh and the "sealed for life" box has a lot to answer for!

I've yet to hear of an L322 owner having the diff oils changed. Yet I did mine at 80K on my classic, at 130K on the L322 it's not even crossed my mind! 

not all of us are abusers of the finer rides, i did all the oils on mine 2 weeks ago. gearbox, diffs and transfer box, the gearbox ive done twice allready in its life. its showing 80k now and touch wood no problems at all.

arron wrote:

not all of us are abusers of the finer rides, i did all the oils on mine 2 weeks ago. gearbox, diffs and transfer box, the gearbox ive done twice allready in its life. its showing 80k now and touch wood no problems at all.

I think you just proved my point... Maintenance is the path to reliability and longevity. 

Based on my own experience and what I've read on forums, the L322 is still a blessing when compared to a P38. And P38's have dropped in value so much that it's becoming more and more of a DIY car - which may be why you're not seeing any at the shop anymore. I think that an L322 is at least as robust as most of the other luxobarges in it's class.

My personal impression would dictate 'not particularly' as an answer to your question. 
RRC 2Dr, RRC 4Dr,
P38, and 2 L322s
(wife thinks I'm nuts - prob right, too)

Quote:

A defender buyer will generally have some level of mechanical sympathy.

SteveMFr wrote:

Based on my own experience and what I've read on forums, the L322 is still a blessing when compared to a P38. And P38's have dropped in value so much that it's becoming more and more of a DIY car - which may be why you're not seeing any at the shop anymore. I think that an L322 is at least as robust as most of the other luxobarges in it's class.

My personal impression would dictate 'not particularly' as an answer to your question.

If you had no probs with the P38, you're one of the lucky 2-3 owners who didn't.

You never bounced your way to the dealer to get a fault cleared/the eas fixed? You never froze because the blend motor in the heater was stuck on cold in the middle of winter? You never came back to the car to find it unlocked because the lock motors in the front doors crapped out? Or couldn't get the tailgate open for the same reason? Or the gas filler door decided not to open when you're alerady running on fumes? Or the keys unsynched with the BeCM and wouldn't re-synch with the standard procedure - and the EKA proceduer didn't work because the microswitch in those same door locks failed? Or the BeCM drained the battery because it thought that some random RF source nearby was you approaching the vehicle and it (he?) was ready to unlock at moments notice so it didn't go to sleep for 5 days? Or the same because the sunroof wouldn't let itself be 'taught' for the one touch function which even the dealer couldn't fix - and the BeCm never went to sleep over worrying that the sunroof might be open (and that someone might steal it (him?))?

And the biggie: you were never confronted with not being able to start the car because the BeCM had begun feuding with the motor ECU and security synchronization was lost? And that in the middle of nowhere with no cell phone reception because you were using the stupid thing as god had intended RR's to be used?


I still have my P38 (and 2 RRC's - see sig). And I still love it. But NO amount of service will keep a P38 from causing problems. And I won't even start in on how little the dealer techs understood of the P38. And the fact that when 20cents worth of O-rings dry rotted after 5 years, you were required to purchase a new €800 valve block, or compressor, or.....  
RRC 2Dr, RRC 4Dr,
P38, and 2 L322s
(wife thinks I'm nuts - prob right, too)

I never had a problem with my P38 - until the A/C got a leak and I went through a winter with no A/C then had a myriad of problems including alarm issues, light probs and interior switches not doing what they should.
A/C fixed and after a month everything was well again. The headlining even started to re-attach itself!

Yes I know it's my favourite topic! I'll shut up now. 

The AC is about the only thing that's always worked on mine (not true - just remembered that I had to replace the AC condenser). You passed that car on to your brother, didn't you? Is he still driving it?

Ah yes, I'd forgotten the headlining. Mine is still drooping.... 
RRC 2Dr, RRC 4Dr,
P38, and 2 L322s
(wife thinks I'm nuts - prob right, too)

you seems to of had one ot two problems with yours, luckily im a mechanic and do all the repairs myself and even invested in a rovacom system when i bought the p38 just in case. the only thing i replaced in all the years i owned it was the airsprings, not because they failed but because they started to look a bit worse for wear. after doing all four the old girl was faultless, never let me down once. i hope the 322 is half the car the 38 was in terms off reliabilaty, although i do tend to over service some may say. every 3000 miles shes gets the engine and brakes serviced the same as the old p38 did, heres hoping to a faultless 322.

Was a mech full and part time for a not insignificant portion of my working life. Owned a shop in the US and managed a shop in Germany. Purchased a Testbook (used) for my P38 and did all of the work myself - though cars are just a hobby these days. If I wouldn't have - and would've been forced to pay dealer service rates for all my probs I would've probably committed communal suicide with the car.

I didn't experience all the failures I listed above personally - just enough to convince me that the P38 was not one of the highlights in LR's existence (at least as far as reliability goes). I've disabled vehicle immobilization and done numerous other things to make the Mr. BeCM (as he's affectionately known - not normally one for naming my cars, but this one seemed to have such a persona. Especially after we discovered that we have to worry more about his sleep than our kids sleep...) more reliable. He's got 340kkm's now - and still going strong (aside from his numerous 'quirks').

Mechanically the P38 is about as robust or fragile as any air sprung LR. Electrically/electronically... Unfortunately there is not too much preventative maintenance to be done on the electronics - aside from making sure that the AC is always on, of course.

Ohh, and if you thought a lot of your P38, you're going to love your L322. 
RRC 2Dr, RRC 4Dr,
P38, and 2 L322s
(wife thinks I'm nuts - prob right, too)

Only ever had two faults appear on my last L322 (a 2003 TD6SE)................. drivers side full beam lamp went a strange shade of pink then died within 3 months of delivery of the car. Just before I changed it, the little clip that holds the fuel cap onto the flap while you fill up stayed on the end of the cap's stalk and as I screwed the cap on I realised what had happened, tried to retrieve the holder from the filler neck and it slipped down inside the fuel tank. 2018 Mini Countryman Cooper S E All4 PHEV in Melting Silver - it’s whisper quiet in EV and polluter modes