Broken down

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James,

It was MOT'd and serviced last November and has not done many miles since. I had a front tyre explode on a Ford Sierra in the fast lane of a dual carriageway and kept that under control. I also had a Ferrari accelerator jam at full throttle when leaving a roundabout and brought that to a stop with no steering or brakes because I turned the engine off. So I've had scary experiences before. This was different, I had no control.
wheel bearings werent checked at the service it seems,feeling for play at an mot wont show condition of the grease or if there is any
 
As above, sh*t happens:eek: . also as above, LR's need proper maintenance:) - neither an MOT nor a service are going to spot random issues - wheel bearings fail - search the tube of you for examples.

I wouldn't sell it based on this, but I don't doubt for a moment that it was scary as hell - especially as, during a similar incident in an RRC, 13M of the central reservation on the M1 at Newport Pagnell got completely trashed o_O.... the bright side of this is that, according to the coppers who were behind me in another RRC (!) ... had I been in any other vehicle, I might not have walked away. It was NOT an experience I would wish to repeat, but I have had LR's ever since, and no incidents that ever come close..

If you've had other scary stuff happen, then I'd suggest changing the "garage" - NOT the vehicle ;).

And, IME, DIY - you KNOW what has been done .... and of course what has not been done.
:)
 
Had a similar thing happen with my old Lada Cossack, the brake pads wore down so that 1 slipped out of the caliper and jammed in the disc- grinding, swervy halt! Mind you being a lada it could have rolled a couple of times and still got me home, pity it rusted to bits just like my disco:(
 
James,

It was MOT'd and serviced last November and has not done many miles since. I had a front tyre explode on a Ford Sierra in the fast lane of a dual carriageway and kept that under control. I also had a Ferrari accelerator jam at full throttle when leaving a roundabout and brought that to a stop with no steering or brakes because I turned the engine off. So I've had scary experiences before. This was different, I had no control.

Wheel bearings can fail on any vehicle.
 
James,

It was MOT'd and serviced last November and has not done many miles since. I had a front tyre explode on a Ford Sierra in the fast lane of a dual carriageway and kept that under control. I also had a Ferrari accelerator jam at full throttle when leaving a roundabout and brought that to a stop with no steering or brakes because I turned the engine off. So I've had scary experiences before. This was different, I had no control.

Unless you did the service yourself I would not trust that to have done anything more than change the oil. I have bought cars which have a just had a service, book stamped etc, and the oil filter hasn't been changed! (they are usually to go racing in and then scrap so it doesn't matter to me)
The service interval on a defender is quite short to begin with (6000 miles for early ones, longer for later models). But they require more maintenance than a normal car. They are not the sort of vehicle you can get a garage to do a basic service on and then not touch it again for 12 months until it has the next one. I would say I average some sort of work on mine every couple of weeks, but I proactively check things and investigate any changes before they get worse.

If you are worried about it, it might be worth giving it a bit of an overhaul, and a very serious service. Wheel bearing kits are relatively cheap and only take about half an hour and basic tools to replace yourself so you could do all four of them and rest safe in the knowledge that they are in good condition and well greased. But it may also be worth using the opportunity to give the rest of the vehicle a thorough check over as well, brakes, drive train, full fluid service etc and if you find anything else get it sorted. This would hopefully give you a bit more confidence back in the vehicle as you know it has all been checked, replaced and maintained to a good standard.
 
Unless you did the service yourself I would not trust that to have done anything more than change the oil. I have bought cars which have a just had a service, book stamped etc, and the oil filter hasn't been changed! (they are usually to go racing in and then scrap so it doesn't matter to me)
The service interval on a defender is quite short to begin with (6000 miles for early ones, longer for later models). But they require more maintenance than a normal car. They are not the sort of vehicle you can get a garage to do a basic service on and then not touch it again for 12 months until it has the next one. I would say I average some sort of work on mine every couple of weeks, but I proactively check things and investigate any changes before they get worse.

If you are worried about it, it might be worth giving it a bit of an overhaul, and a very serious service. Wheel bearing kits are relatively cheap and only take about half an hour and basic tools to replace yourself so you could do all four of them and rest safe in the knowledge that they are in good condition and well greased. But it may also be worth using the opportunity to give the rest of the vehicle a thorough check over as well, brakes, drive train, full fluid service etc and if you find anything else get it sorted. This would hopefully give you a bit more confidence back in the vehicle as you know it has all been checked, replaced and maintained to a good standard.

Agree entirely. Lack of preventative maintenance is the issue here.

All these vehicles are old now, and many have done high mileages and been abused. It is necessary to go right through them and check and replace wearing components if necessary.
 
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