This isn't a rant as such but more of an observation. I have never encountered a manufacturer with such a poor build quality across the board as Land Rover. My car has been in and out the dealer with basic things which clearly weren't checked or inspected before they left the factory or at the supplying dealer. Bits of external trim are also hanging off and door seals aren't glued properly. On a £90k car you really do expect more. Have had crap service from BMW in the past but their build quality was always second to none, even on the 1 series. Have a Defender as well and sometimes I think that is better built than the L322.

Having seen posts on here about bits missing here and there, basic problems emerging early in the car's life, it does point to some major quality control issues. Is this and has this always been a LR probem?

As far as I know it's a fairly well know LR thing that the best deal on a new Land Rover is to buy one a year or two old.
This is one of the reasons, it's not just because of depreciation.
You wait for the first owner to have the hassle and then buy it once it's all sorted.

Of course, some are OK. But 70k+ for a car that could well need to keep visiting the dealer?
I'd not take the chance thanks.
It would annoy me to the stage that I'd never ever buy one again.
Sad really, because look at cheap cars and they are often a lot more reliable.

BMW build quality is worse I reckon. Seen both my Brother's X5's. Shocking.

Still, could be worse I suppose. Could be a Renault or Citroen. All the build quality of a cereal box there. Or wait, how about an Alfa, or a Fiat ??? Or worst of all, a Yank.

Maybe LR have some build quality issues, but they sure aren't the worst out there. If you want ultimate reliability and build quality, go buy a Honda (and a pipe and slippers to go with it). Or maybe a Toyota Landcruiser (complete with 6 sacks of Chapati flour in the boot), hell what about a Datsun Terrano thing with it's London Taxi engine and the personality bypass operation.

L322. Yes it has issues, yes they're annoying and no I wouldn't swap it for anything else. Some things in life are worth the hassle. (someone please remind me of this next time I bitch about mine)

In a disconcerting way I'm troubled by this fact & I know I'll probably have some niggling (or big) problems when mine finally arrives. I agree it's not good & I shouldn't feel like this when spending so much money and I hope I'll be the lucky one who gets a good one

But the fact is that's what they seem to be like. I've not owned a RR for about 15 years and those early models were generally good, hard work horses with very little to go wrong so I never had problems.

These problems seem to come with the territory and I'll need to try & chill out and take it as it comes. At least with new I have 3 years of getting it fixed for free even if there is some hassle along the way.

If there was another marque more reliable that could come close to the prestigiousness of the RR then I would have considered that instead; but there simply is not in my opinion.
I looked at all the 4x4's available - BMW, Merc, Toyota, but nothing can compete with the style, class & elegance of the FFRR.

I hope these issues you've had won't put you off driving it. Has the dealer managed to sort them all out ?

Don't get me wrong I still like it. It's just annoying. DVD changer, CD changer, interior bulbs which don't work, loose trim. Dealer service okay.

having solely owned LR's and RR's since the 1970's and lost count of the number of vehicles in that period, there are good ones and bad ones, some are lemons, others are faultless - the bad ones are rapidly ditched.

Of late I have had more issues with poor main agents on more than one vehicle, bad service, vehicles damaged, and vehicles returned absolutely filthy internally from peasant mechanics in their grubby greasy overalls - a plastic seat cover costs pennies!

To be fair, there is only one thing I can fault on my 2005 FFRR... The squeeking from the seatbelt on the drivers side and the slight noise from the sunroof.

Seatbelt cured with WD40 and sunroof cured with a small glue repair.

It's no Audi quality (What i've had before) but it's still leaps ahead of most.... Used to have:
2005 FFRR 4.4 Vogue - BRC LPG Conversion & Remapped

Now have:
2008 SSRR 3.6 TDV8 - HSE and plenty of toys

come come Mr Johnson

surely you are trying to wind everyone up?
you don't buy a RR expecting the CD changer to work. You have an Ipod for that !

hahahhahahahhahahaha

Very true Rambles. iPod gets most use but I do sometimes prefer CD quality music.

To be honest I'd must prefer for the DVD changer to be where the CD changer is as this gets much more use.

have to say my CD changer is shocking
the after market changer I had in an old vauxhall years ago was far superior.....

Is it the Clairon one Rambles?

indeed

made in china

high quality it is not