Rover 75

COB MGV8

Does anyone know if the Rover 75 had a 2.0 V6 petrol engine after 2002 ? According to Wikipedia they only used this between 1999 and 2002 and I have just seen an ad for a 2004 facelift with the 2.0 petrol engine the dealer is certain that its petrol and not the BMW diesel....

colm_mcm

nah, there's plenty 2003 and 2004 2.0 V6 models for sale in the UK, don't believe anything on wikipedia.

check out http://www.aronline.co.uk/ for great info on the 75 development, recalls, stories etc.

pjmn

Beware of head gaskets....

colm_mcm

head gasket problems aren't really a problem on the V6, only the 1.8 because of low coolant capacity

pjmn

Fair enough - I'm basing my comment on next door neighbour who has the petrol V6 - 60k miles on car - he's on his third engine, due to two head gasket failures... (one at around 40k and the other very recently at around the 60k mark). I know as I've been ferrying him to/from garage.....

COB MGV8

pjmn wrote: »

Fair enough - I'm basing my comment on next door neighbour who has the petrol V6 - 60k miles on car - he's on his third engine, due to two head gasket failures... (one at around 40k and the other very recently at around the 60k mark). I know as I've been ferrying him to/from garage.....

Doesn't sound good !!

colm_mcm

there's a lot of Rover related hysteria out there.

pjmn

No - he's not a happy camper as you can imagine...

It's an '03 car, so he feels he'll get very little for it either by way of private sale or trade in, hence why he's holding on to it - I just hope I'm not around if this engine blows....

Owen

Rather than listen to the experiences of one owner with one car, why don't you register on one of the Rover forums? There are 2 active ones with very knowledable users who will be able to tell you the pros and cons, based on hundreds of owners with hundreds of experiences.

If I was buying a car I was interested in the morning, registering on an owners club/specialist forum would be the first thing I'd to do find the pros or cons rather than taking advice from an all round motoring forum.

maidhc

PaintDoctor wrote: »

Rather than listen to the experiences of one owner with one car, why don't you register on one of the Rover forums? There are 2 active ones with very knowledable users who will be able to tell you the pros and cons, based on hundreds of owners with hundreds of experiences.

If you read those forums you will automatically conclude the car is the most unreliable piece of junk in the world. I'm not referring to the Rover in particular, but most fora related to a particular marque will be a focal point for discussing common probs.

Either way, a Rover 75 would need to be exceedingly cheap (heading towards free) at this stage to bother with.

Owen

maidhc wrote: »

If you read those forums you will automatically conclude the car is the most unreliable piece of junk in the world. I'm not referring to the Rover in particular, but most fora related to a particular marque will be a focal point for discussing common probs.

Not so. Most enthusiast forums I know have technical sections for discussing faults, but they have general discussion sections where you can ask about the pros and pitfalls of ownership. Not every forum is like boards where there's just one motors section. You may see faults being discussed, but as long as the entire forum isn't discussing the same fault, then it's fine.

It'd be like going to a Honda forum, seeing one guy discussing a VTec fault. If you were to then think every Honda out there has problems with their VTecs, then you'd be better off handing your money to someone who can buy a car on your behalf and doesn't jump to conclusions.

maidhc wrote: »

Either way, a Rover 75 would need to be exceedingly cheap (heading towards free) at this stage to bother with.

Totally disagree. Mine is easily one of the best cars I've ever driven, and definitely one of the best equipped. There's little or no maintenance in it, and everyone who drives it or sits in it compliments it. They're a great car, and because people believe they're not, it means the rest of us who are willing to look beyond the bonnet badge and the pub banter get a superb car with *all* the extras, for half nothing.

colm_mcm

I'm with PaintDoctor on this one, I'm a member of the Mitsubishi FTO owners club and used to be a member of Fiat and Alfa forums when I had them. and the technical queries and knowledgebase sections detail all common problems and how to identify and remedy them. The Rover ones are the same. sure there will be a certain amount of fanboyism and patriotism but these guys will know their stuff.

I think the 75 is a great used buy and it has many strengths. If you were to listen to boardsies you'd never buy anything other than an Octavia, Golf or 3 series.

Guy:Incognito

colm_mcm wrote: »

head gasket problems aren't really a problem on the V6, only the 1.8 because of low coolant capacity

Yeah unfortunately too many people that never use the bonnet handle bought K series Rovers over the years and hence never checked coolant levels until they see steam.

COB MGV8

I'm really just trying to verify that the car is being described correctly in the ad....more interesting is that the dealer didn't know if there was a service history with it and was to call me back....I'm still waiting...

Guy:Incognito

COB MGV8 wrote: »

I'm really just trying to verify that the car is being described correctly in the ad....more interesting is that the dealer didn't know if there was a service history with it and was to call me back....I'm still waiting...

Dont block up any of you air intakes while waiting by the phone

colm_mcm

go to the UK, there's so much choice out there and they really look after their car and have dealers and specialists who understand how the cars work and how to maintain them.

hinault

I've a 2004 Rover 1.8 : have not had one single problem with it.

Like a lot of posters here I was wary before buying but, having been told that Rover had improved in quality, I took the chance.
have not regretted buying

si_guru

2 things...

1. BMW designed the Rover 75 and it uses alot of there elctronics (good)
2. The K-Series (of any size) is okay if you look after it!

3... okay 3 things.. go for the 4.6 litre!! I know, I can hear you screaming at me about the VRT and the €1300 Road Tax... but go on live a bit

SG (Rover V8 owner)

hinault

si_guru wrote: »

2 things...

1. BMW designed the Rover 75 and it uses alot of there elctronics (good)
2. The K-Series (of any size) is okay if you look after it!

3... okay 3 things.. go for the 4.6 litre!! I know I can hear you screaming at my about the VRT and the €1300 Road Tax... but go on live a bit

SG (Rover V8 owner)

correct : this what persuaded me to buy the Rover 75 : you're getting BMW reliance / efficience, under Rover label.
That was what persuaded me to buy.

I would recommend them.

but remember BMW only had ownership of Rover between 2001 and 2006 : anything outside those years were not BMW owned/designed.

Owen

hinault wrote: »

but remember BMW only had ownership of Rover between 2001 and 2006 : anything outside those years were not BMW owned/designed.

That's not true, BMW were overseeing the production of the final sportspack Minis from the later 90's.

hinault

PaintDoctor wrote: »

That's not true, BMW were overseeing the production of the final sportspack Minis from the later 90's.

Funny, the internet is filled with quotes from BMW regarding the launch of Rover 75.

Owen

hinault wrote: »

BMW only had ownership of Rover between 2001 and 2006 : anything outside those years were not BMW owned/designed.

hinault wrote: »

Funny, the internet is filled with quotes from BMW regarding the launch of Rover 75.

That's what I'm saying, that BMW were in on the 75 right from before it was launched and they called it the R40. You're saying in one quote - the top one, that they only had ownership of Rover between 2001-2006, and below in the second one that they were in at the 1999 launch.

COB MGV8

Stekelly wrote: »

Dont block up any of you air intakes while waiting by the phone

Maybe the weather is causing these guys issues, and if so, then fine....most dealers I've called in the last week - there's no answer (and no message) , they answer and can't answer any questions about the car, if they say they willl call back with the answer, they don't.....

maidhc

PaintDoctor wrote: »

Totally disagree. Mine is easily one of the best cars I've ever driven, and definitely one of the best equipped. There's little or no maintenance in it, and everyone who drives it or sits in it compliments it. They're a great car, and because people believe they're not, it means the rest of us who are willing to look beyond the bonnet badge and the pub banter get a superb car with *all* the extras, for half nothing.

I think you just agreed with me.

Oddly enough I only know of one Rover 75 that was a complete unfixable pig that had to work its way through the legal channels. It was a diesel.

si_guru

Get the VIN number from him.. that will tell you exactly when it was built.

Owen

maidhc wrote: »

I think you just agreed with me.

Sometimes I'm useless at debating online

hinault

PaintDoctor wrote: »

That's what I'm saying, that BMW were in on the 75 right from before it was launched and they called it the R40. You're saying in one quote - the top one, that they only had ownership of Rover between 2001-2006, and below in the second one that they were in at the 1999 launch.

I see.

Anyhow, my experience with the 75 has been very positive : I've had no problems with my car (touchwood).

BMW didn't have huge input into the 75 aside from the diesel engine and the rear suspension, remember that the 75 was launched in 1998 perhaps a bit prematurely (BMW decision). Rover had decided to replace the 600 and the 800 with one car before BMW came along. Also the 75 chassis is not as believed by many an unused one BMW had knocking about, it's all Rover. The KV6 in the 75s and MG ZTs do not suffer the HGF the similar KV6 was known for in the 800s. But they do have their little problems, the VIS motors give trouble, the manuals have an awful clutch design (average price for new clutch, inc master and slave on a 75 is around £1200 in the UK according to the folks in the know), ECUs can become waterlogged if drains are not cleared. Still all cars have their issues.

The V8s are great but I have heard looney prices for parts, rear discs and pads circa £1000 :eek: