First Rover

[Scofield]

Hi,

I purchased a 2005 LR3 for my parents, it has 148k miles and some minor wear on the inside, and a brake light is on? He said it was a bad sensor but I want a second opinion from Land Rover. I drove the car back home and didn't notice a very deep hole in the road, which ended up scuffing the driver's side lower control arm (photos attached). The car cost me $3500, how did I do? This is my first Land Rover purchase from a private seller.

He did provide me receipts of some recent service records, $1900 for both lower control arms replaced 2 months back at the dealer, ouch! Anyways, please let me know what I should do about the scuffs. Thanks.

http://i.imgur.com/RUi5yFg.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Z8posQd.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/KGQfHAP.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/ewjfvqn.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/kyTc1hC.jpg

 

[roverman]

It's easy and cheap enough to replace the brake sensors, easier still to just bypass the sensor by twisting the two wires that are in it together. Are you saying that you were driving at speed and hit that pothole that was deep enough to scratch your control arm?!?! If that's the case, I would find it hard to believe that there isn't more damage, like a blown tire/rim etc...
I can't imagine anybody worrying about a scratch on their suspension bits.....

 

[Scofield]

I'm Very OCD

Hi roverman,

I hit the pothole around 40 MPH or so, a lot of the wet dirt has dried up but I will wash her tomorrow. The previous owner spent $1,900 in July at the dealer for lower control arms and tie rods, as well as an alignment. Will they charge me to have it aligned once more since it's under 12 months? What should I do about the scuffs on the control arms? The car has 148k miles and I spent a lot of cash ($3500)...

http://i.imgur.com/z35pGGd.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/10oIook.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/ZYzTdoZ.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/WFBgRwg.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/S0SqL7F.jpg

 

[uoflcardfan77]

Sounds like you did pretty good on the price. Why are you doing another alignment? Did hitting the pothole knock it out of alignment? I wouldn't worry about the scuffs on the control arms.

 

[Scofield]

I am hoping the local dealer will perform an alignment under warranty as well as check and make sure all the suspension pieces are not damaged. After taxes it will run me $4k and it has 150k miles... I can get out of it now without loosing any money or should I keep the truck?

 

[roverman]

If you're going to keep it, be prepared to spend money. Plenty of things can go wrong, as with any car with that many miles. I might get the alignment checked, but I see no reason that they would pay for it, even if you didn't smash it into a pothole, I don't think alignments have any guarantee to them. I still don't see how you didn't mess up the rim or the tire, so maybe the alignment is ok. Does it drive ok? My advice is relax and enjoy it. They are GREAT trucks. If the repairs down the road get expensive, worry about it then.

 

[Houm_WA]

Uhh....kinda looks like dried up mud. Have you tried just washing the control arm?

 

[whydahdvr]

Looks like dried mud and that hole doesn't look too bad. It looks like it's more of a dirt hole - a lower angle entry and exit than a pothole in pavement with sharp-cut edges. Just like what we always get here in Boston in the Winter. If it was like that you're tire would have blown out and the rim would have been dinged.
Wash it and see what remains. Should be OK.
My $0.02.

 

[Airstream345]

I am hoping the local dealer will perform an alignment under warranty as well as check and make sure all the suspension pieces are not damaged. After taxes it will run me $4k and it has 150k miles... I can get out of it now without loosing any money or should I keep the truck?

Keep in mind these are expensive trucks to maintain. $3500 with 150K miles sounds like a good deal for a LR but you'll be putting more money into it over time.

Also agree with others, based on the photos and your description. IMHO - if you truly bottomed out and hit the lower control arm at 40 MPH the truck would've likely have been wrecked.

 

[jwest]

Hi,

I purchased a 2005 LR3 for my parents, it has 148k miles and some minor wear on the inside, and a brake light is on? He said it was a bad sensor but I want a second opinion from Land Rover. I drove the car back home and didn't notice a very deep hole in the road, which ended up scuffing the driver's side lower control arm (photos attached). The car cost me $3500, how did I do? This is my first Land Rover purchase from a private seller.

He did provide me receipts of some recent service records, $1900 for both lower control arms replaced 2 months back at the dealer, ouch! Anyways, please let me know what I should do about the scuffs. Thanks.

I'm having a hard time taking this seriously. That "hole", you didn't notice because it's hardly a "hole" and it certainly didn't damage the control arm. Not sure why you had to post 3 identical photos of arm and two of the "hole" but they were kind of a let down from my expectations

Someone needs to make it clear that if you think $3500 is "a lot of cash" as you stated, then you got the wrong vehicle make. I spent more than that last week trying to solve a driveline problem that is not yet solved and mine has only 105k miles and I've owned it since new.