Hi Trevor
Yes , I am aware of the vacuum pump troubles . I understand that there has been an upgrade- problem fixed? As far as I know , yes.
I am unaware of front diff problems- I guess possible. Read my original response to your enquiry- I did mention that the Defender has not yet reached the assembly line quality levels of the Discovery 3 and 4 . Hence my advice that a good used Defender , thoroughly checked out , will be reliable. Let the first owner sort it out. I am sure there will be Land Rover experts that will say that the new Pumas are now sorted out fully. I just dont know - so I wont comment.
The term Tdi should not be used in conjunction with the Puma. Tdi in Land Rover speak is specifically the motor that was discontinued in '98. The motor in the Puma is referred to as the Puma or sometimes the TD4.
The Land Cruiser 80 is a formidable performer , as I have previously mentioned . Probably the last of the great Toyota SUV's. You would not regret buying a good one , fuel consumption excepted. But dont believe the aura about them that says "no breakdowns".....They also have hassles.
Dave