The end of the Rover 75 as a useable car ?
 

Looking at all the various posts and my recent purchase of an 06 Rover 75 CDTi, it seems to me that the Rover 75 at over 10 years old has become a very different car.

The seller of my car was genuine but he did not know the problems he was passing on.

As a start the Rover 75 at over ten years old cannot cope well with rain water (when wet or when frozen). These cars after 10 years old will start to leak around the bulkhead, sunroof, boot and locks. That not only turns the cabin of the car into a paddling pool but plays havoc with the electrics and locking.

We have one of the most sound engine and gearboxes on the Rover 75 but the problems that are now emerging are more awkward to fix than a worn out engine or gearbox (where most back street garages can throw in a s/h unit to an average older car quite cheaply)

I have an enormous job to not only strip out the drenched main carpet in winter, but also be accurate and certain about both the present leaks (there are at least six leaks) and other weak points for potential future rain water leaks before I put the carpets back in.

But from postings on forums there are very many potential rain water leaks (and in addition freezing rain issues) on a Rover 75 that require a proactive approach.

If we look at the postings on forums it is obvious that unless we get a better understanding and be clearer about what is happening to the decade plus old Rover 75 it will no longer be viable for most people.

Happy Christmas

Hi, bit of a contradiction really, sound engine and gearbox then, you mention throwing in second hand motor and or gearbox.

Don't think the 75's are more or less better or worse than most modern cars available over the past 10 to 15 years, they are nice to drive especially on motorways, comfortable with plenty of extras.

They can suffer with clutch problems but so do many other makes such as Ford and Vauxhall, this is more down to design and especially dual mass flywheels, slave cylinders inside the gearbox. Repair cost again is more or less the same for all makes.

Water ingress can be a problem though, it can be rectified as can sticking door locks, I'm running a Passat and get rain water in both foot wells when it rains, the rubber matt's catch it.

With any car of 10 years plus you will have to keep on top of the maintenance, in the case of the 75's it's no different however, with this forum you have access to a huge knowledge base to help you.

Consider also the price at which you can buy one, they represent great value for money, a lot of car for not a lot of money.

Merry Xmas.

I would hazard a guess that the R75 owners are either enthusiasts who will make time to fix the ever increasing problems (just like any other car of its age) or people who got them cheap and will run them into the ground until something goes bang or they are fed up with niggly faults.
Big cars like the R75 Mondeo Vectra etc are now being substituted for Ford Focus size cars as they are cheaper to run and easier to park etc.
I made a living 10 years ago from selling Mondeos etc but even then I could see the demand falling away to smaller family cars.
Lots of belting R75s about but thats a testament to the owners looking after the car and doing the appropriate checks and services etc.:xmas-smiley-008:

Quote..."...Hi, bit of a contradiction really..."

Please read the post. There is no contradiction. The problem is not the engine and gearbox but a worse problem then that making the Rover 75 unusable unless we are clearer and more honest at how very bad the problems with a now older Rover 75 are and we find clearer and easier solutions.

I am familiar with swapping engines and gearboxes but the Rover 75 has more awkward problems

Overly harsh, IMHO, and singling the R75 out for typical faults of any 10 year old car.

We have a 52 plate Fiesta (nicknamed "the Fester" due to the damp smell) on which I've finally resolving a persistent but niggling leak through the rear lights. The final(?) fix was to soak and scrub the foam seals, dry them, clean the body and light units first with soapy water then panel wipe to remove any traces of dirt, then liberally grease the seals with red rubber grease before re-assembling. The simple fact was that the 10+ year old foam seals around the lights were failing due to having been compressed in situ for so long, compounded with much fine grit/dirt having worked its way into them over the years. Not a Ford issue, or a Rover issue, etc.

OP, do you have a dry garage to work in? That makes a huge difference (with any old car) especially for jobs like stripping out the interior and drying after leaks. Having an alternative motor can help at times too.

I would not class myself as a true enthusiast as I am not able to work on my car other than very basic items.

I love the car and what it does and would like to keep it going, funds allowing....

The problem is finding local people who know what they are doing... I've already been "seen coming" by one local garage who charged me a fortune for beggar all and I can't afford to get ripped off again so it seems like the 75 will be run down until i trade it in for scrap.

Let's hope I can afford to keep the ZTT in reasonable condition.

I see many makes and models of cars and a lot have inherant problems like water leaks and mechanical problems. I dont think ours are any worse than any others.

Only yesterday I was talking to an owner of a new Qashqai, now all the initial problems have been sorted like warning lights, stalling at traffic lights as he slowed down and it sounding like a bag of nails when it is cold he still finds the creaking from all the interior annoying and the leak in the passenger footwell, sound familiar? This is on a new £25k car.

Dont get me started on the interiors of new Mercs, impossible to remove with destroying them and Merc now even supply dealers with a kit to silent noisy interiors.

Sadly this seems a case of "speak for yourself"; no problems with my fourteen year old, and a fantastically versatile limousine/van. Luxury at a very affordable price.

We know our cars are old and we know they are second hand and anyone buying an old second hand car, for the money they can get a Rover 75 for, probably expects there to be problems but hopes there are none.

Doors on other cars freeze in winter, not just those of a 75. Water ingress happens to other cars, not just a 75.

water ingress on a 75 has come up a number of times on this forum and therefore there is a lot of advice on where to find these leaks and how to solve them.
It would be more of problem if no one knew where to look or how to solve them.

This from the op's post I just don't get "If we look at the postings on forums it is obvious that unless we get a better understanding and be clearer about what is happening to the decade plus old Rover 75 it will no longer be viable for most people."

macafee2

The OP is being overly harsh. When comparing to similar ages cars, and newer come to that, the problems are across all manufacturers. Simple fact is they’re getting old. The benefit is that this great forum has members who have experienced the vast majority of the issues between them and as a result there’s the fixes published.

Water ingress......never had an issue, other than a very minor sunroof drain leak. My Vectra on the other hand. My sons Corsa actually sloshes going round corners!

As a previous poster stated, it’s a direct result of robbers and foam strips breaking down with use and age. All cars suffer this. My 75 has been the most reliable car I’ve ever owned. It’s now 13 years old and will hopefully see the same again.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk