Question about D90 maintence

[repstein]

I am thinking about buying a D90 next month for my daily driver. Is the maintence bad on them? I only put about 8K miles/yr on my car now. I am looking to buy a 94/95 manual with 50-70K miles. I don't want to buy one if it has lots of mechanical problems.

[Mike Hippert]

Hey Russell, I'm moving your post to the Looking for help section as you are not selling a vehicle.

[Eric Siepmann]

Russell,

Like any used car it depends on the condition and previous owner. Just treat it like any other used car and look for the best D-90 you can get in the best condition. Make sure the owner checks out as well. Obviously someone who has a lot of pride and kept the car up to the highest standards would be preferable.

My D-90 is a daily driver and has for the most part performed very well. Just remember, that you are buying an older car and Defenders tend to have their own quirks and personalities.

EwS

[repstein]

Well that was really vague. Does it tend to have transmission problems? How does the engine hold up? I mean lots of used cars at 100K have no problems at all. I just don't want to buy this thing and have lots of problems with it. I am assuming it is very expensive to get work done on it. Also, is the insurance really high on them?

[dmarchand]

Russell, I would suggest searching this forum under "maintenance". Their are a number of threads usually titled:

"Buying D90 - what to look for?"
"Researching D90.."
"I'm smoking crack and think a D90 is a value added purchase to my current assets" :crazy

Anyway, that might be your best bet. If you can't find something that answaers your questions, post back and we can go into depth.

[Eric Siepmann]

May 3rd thread has a lot of good stuff. Search on reliablitiy, maintenance, and whatever else.

http://www.d-90.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1860&highlight=buying+rover

Engines tend to go if neglected at 100k. Manual R380 may develop sychro problems as early as 50k. Rust may be an issue. Maintenance can be very expensicve if brought to a dealer, reasonable if a local specialty shop is available. T-case and axles hold up fairly well if not neglected and are not beat on. Call your insurance agent - mine is reasonable with full coverage and a clean driving record.
Eastcoastrover.com has some great info on all things d-90 - especially how long they did to last if well maintained.


EwS

[Glenn_Guinto]

Russell,

D90's aren't exactly what you will call "reliable" in every sense of the word. But they could be if you are willing to spend a lot of time with the upkeep. I bought a 94D90 a little over a year ago and (knock on wood) so far only had to change the oil and fluids on it. I'm also scheduled to replace the spark plugs and plug wires, air filters and such in a week or so.

On the contrary, you can/will find some that will give you grief in the reliability department, specially poorly maintained examples. So, what Eric said is really not vague at all, it's just hard to predict. Good luck with your search.



Well that was really vague. Does it tend to have transmission problems? How does the engine hold up? I mean lots of used cars at 100K have no problems at all. I just don't want to buy this thing and have lots of problems with it. I am assuming it is very expensive to get work done on it. Also, is the insurance really high on them?

[repstein]

Thanks for the help. I have a good mechanic. I would never take it to Rover. I am mainly concerned about the engine and tranny. Glad to hear the insurance is not sky high on them. I heard Hummers can get really pricey for insurance.

[OCD90]

I live in Orange County, CA...and I have no tickets and no accidents, and I'm looking at the current bill for $840/yr for pretty standard insurance (full coverage) on my '97 SW...if that helps. Good driver discount and stated mileage of <8K miles/year.