There have been posts on this subject before but let me impart my experience. My wife bought a 64 Metropole from a main midlands dealer, 7 months old and with 12K on the clock. She was told it had belonged to Landrover, but my research was that it was a hire company, possibly a subsidiary of Landrover. At 19775 miles and most of the 7775 miles were driven by me, she was told she had to have all new pads AND discs at great cost. Well She wont listen to me, but there is no way in this world I would have paid for that job. My only explanation is that the brakes were half knackered when she bought it and they should have changed them before selling it to her. In my own considerable driving, I have rarely had to have new pads and only once had to have new discs on a transit at about 160K. I'm flabbergasted!. My other comments are:- its a nice vehicle, its comfortable, it does all it should do, its got strings and bells all over and they all work nicely, but as a driving experience its completely bland and characterless. I prefer to drive my 08 reg Mk7 transit. At the price she paid I certainly wouldnt buy a landrover and certainly not from that ( very large) dealer. Comments?

"Comments?"

Looks like your wife wears the trousers.

20k seems reasonable enough for pads on a 2 tonne car. Not for discs.

Last edited by de1979 on 21st Apr 2017 10:44 am. Edited 1 time in total

Did the brakes and discs need changing? Did you have a look at them when you bought it (they are plainly visible)? Most garages will try it on and suggest new pads at a service but I always ignore the advice and look myself.
I have a 14 plate SD4 auto with 26k miles for about a month and judging by the state of the discs I think that it has had new ones in the last few thousand miles and the rear pads are definitely new. I have had several manual Freelanders and never had to change discs so perhaps the key feature here is the auto box which as everyone knows is harder on brakes due to lack of engine braking.
Good luck with the Transit (which incidentally as a Ford shares a lot of components with a Freelander) 3 x FL1 2 manual + 1 auto
5 x FL2 4 manual + 1 auto
Now Discovery Sport P250 MHEV SE

Since the removal of asbestos from brake pads and the now higher metal content in most pads discs do wear quicker than they used to do easpecially with an auto box. Most main dealers will now class them as a normal service part. Most lease companies will now authorise replacements without a quibble at service time. The dealer will go by the book and have a plausible reason for recommending that they are changed. However in most cases discs etc will have many more miles left in them if common sense is applied. Most people I am sure would rather spend their hard earned on "blingy" things for their Freelander than boring stuff like brakes! I know I would! As to Transit v Freelander I have driven both and I have to choose the green oval every time!

OP could always get a Defender Puma with either the 2.2 (transit) engine or the 2.4 (transit) engine...... best of both worlds then

discs and pads are an individual grey area..... dependant on driving style, loads carried/towed on top of the standard vehicle weight, and if the vehicle has been stood even for a short period the discs can easily become rust pitted etc.

They are a consumable item, as long as they are not badly knackered on purchase then live with it and change them yourself.

Having replaced brake pads myself on previous cars by design they work or don't work.

If a car is driven reasonably the pads will last longer. Procrastination, mankind's greatest labour saving device!

Acoustic insulation ARB TPMS 3xARB air compressors After cooler Air tank On-board OCD pressure air/water cleaning Additional 50L fuel Carpet in doors ABE 2x1kg Waeco 28L modified fridge Battery 4x26ah Solar 120w Victron MPPT 100/20 DC-DC 18amps 175amp jumper plug Awning 6x255/60R18

dondiddy wrote:

Transit v Freelander I have driven both and I have to choose the green oval every time!

And what have you been doing in a bed in the back of a van? (testing shock absorbers is not an acceptable answer)  3 x FL1 2 manual + 1 auto
5 x FL2 4 manual + 1 auto
Now Discovery Sport P250 MHEV SE

Dealer prices are going to be expensive.
Life's too short to worry about it. It's paid for and done now so at least it won't need to be done for a while

With due respect I love humour but give the lad a welcome a not knock down.

I had the same issue at 25K with a LR dealer, told them I was amazed I could have worn discs that soon. I have since learnt the MY13 with EPB eats rear pads.

My approach was it must be a defect and they changed ALL the discs and pads at what they said was parts only price. Of course that gets to the cost in a local garage using LR parts. FL2 MY10 TD4 GS traded in at 2 years
FL2 MY13 TD4 GS Current

TD4 limits as follows:

Front: New disc 28mm; minimum 26mm. Pad minimum 2mm.

Rear: New disc 12mm; minimum 10mm. Pad minimum 2mm. Shoes minimum 1mm.

Bob 10MY (Sept 09) TD4 HSE Auto in Stornoway Grey (Now Gone)

08 FL2 TD4 SE Manual in Rimini Red (Now Gone)

To be fair to a dealer with those tolerances most people are going to think that their discs are perfectly ok as without measuring them you would be unlikely to notice a couple of mm wear. Obviously a mattress in the back of a Transit is to help protect whatever you are carrying from damage, giving hitch hikers a nice cumfy place to sit or to help as sound deadening/insulation during the cold winter months. Whatever other possible reasons would there be?

dorsetfreelander wrote:

And what have you been doing in a bed in the back of a van? (testing shock absorbers is not an acceptable answer)

Yorky Bob wrote:

I have since learnt the MY13 with EPB eats rear pads.