I'm at the end of my rope with this, so apologies, but here goes.

The main dealer has had the car another month to purportedly fix an oil leak under warranty.

I even offered to - and did - pay for a new oil filter housing assembly at a cost of over £350 for the part alone because they said that was leaking, needed replacing and wasn't covered under warranty. Perhaps I could have argued liability for a new OFH assembly but I Just wanted the car to be made good and thought it showed good will and reasonableness on my part.

They also confirmed that there was a secondary leak from the engine that the OFH assembly bolts on to.

I spoke to their Master Tech when collecting the car this week and he assured me all leaks were now banished and that they'd checked, road tested and checked again (they certainly must have road tested it as the fuel tank was full when dropping it off a month ago and it was empty when I got the car back).

Since getting the car back, it has been driving well, as it always does.

I've just got under car to check if the leak is in fact banished. It is still leaking, from exactly the same places as before and there's mastic like sealant that has been used on many components, including at the point where the new OFH assembly bolts on to the engine.

And to top it all, they have sheared a bolt into an engine component, that bolt being intended fix the below pictured pipe bracket in place but which is now insecure.


It is 2 years tomorrow since we bought this car and it must have spent at least 40% of that time out of commission in the same main dealer garage whilst they persitently fail to fix bona fide problems under warranty.

They have repeatedly told me that any leaks on the car will be their responsibility to repair because it has leaked since we got it and/ or they 'will have disturbed something' when taking the engine out to repair a so called ladder frame leak under LR warranty (it took them 5 weeks to do that November to December 2014). It has since been back to them at least 3 times because since they did the 'ladder frame' repair and gave the car back, the leaks have never actually stopped and the presenting symptoms have always been the same.

There seems little point in taking the car back, because history suggests they are unable or unwilling to fix the problèm.

How can they get away with repeatedly fobbing someone off like this, denying us use of the car for so long, undertaking what appear to be botched repairs, erroneously claiming to have repaired the car and compounding that by returning the car with unattended to damaged parts that were fine when the car went in to them?

What would you do about this garage, if anything?

Image evidencing leak, the sheared bolt and the insecure bracket (a bolt should go through the black/silver hole to top left of picture and into engine component that is yellow colour through oil staining/ that's where sheared bolt is):

I had a similar problem with the MD in Carlisle - with hindsight I was too soft and in the end just wanted rid of the car.

Experience says make it all legit and above board. I would tell them how you feel and that you intend to put it in the hands of your solicitor - but be prepared to go through with your threat - they'll hear it all the time.

Have you talked to Pete at LR Public Relations on here?

Good luck!

+1 as above tell them how you feel and advise you will take legal action if they don't fix the problems.

If you have legal expense protection on either your car or house insurance you may be able to use that to get a solicitor or legal advice free. 56 TDV8 Vogue SE
9 Freelanders, 2x 2002 TD4ES, 2001 TD4, 2002 1.8GS, 2000 XEDI, 2x 2000 1.8ES, 2004 1.8 & 2000 1.8 GS (rolled)
91 Lotus Carlton (sold)
90 Lotus Elan (BRG)

My thoughts presently are consideration of either giving the car to a trusted RR specialist to repair properly and bill them or or ask their Group Managing Director/ equivalent to get the car recovered to another of their group garages and get it right, all as a result of their apparent inability to competently remedy the matter within a reasonable period of time and all to my significant and unreasonable inconvenience.

Does any of that sound unreasonable?

My concern is why they can't fix a leak, persistently presenting with similar symptoms/ could their be a fracture on the engine block?

Last edited by pld118 on 12th Apr 2015 5:25am. Edited 1 time in total

Nothing about what you mention here is unreasonable. The way in which you present your points here are meticulous - don't give up on it.

If it were me, I would put everything above in a letter to the dealer principal (or whatever they call themselves) stating you have no confidence in thier work.
Send copies of this to the warranty provider and to whoever is in charge at Land Rover nowadays stating you are considering legal action. I'd also mention that your adventure so far has been documented of a world wide forum for Range Rover enthusiats consisting of "X" number of members.

I had an issue with a main dealer a few years ago whilst buying a FF which was downright deceitful. I bypassed the monkey and dealt with the organ grinder directly. Land Rover were very obliging and I was handsomely rewarded . . .

Make your case with Land Rover as you do here.

 Where do you go after one of these . . . ?

Ryan, you have the patience of a saint, but I think enough is enough.

Either get a solicitor involved with the goal of rejecting the vehicle as not fit for purpose when sold (as evidenced by the months spend off the road at the dealer having problems worked on) or get shot of it and cut your stress levels

Personally, life's too short, I'd get shot of it and look for a replacement - there are reliable cars out there!

I'll have had my TDV8 for three years in June - done 35k miles (now on 105k) and other than preventitive maintenance and age related consumables (eg battery, corroded brake pipes) I've suffered from split top hoses, a failed lower arm, snapped drivers door handle cable and leaking air con.

I'd happily leave my car for a week in an airport car park and not worry about a flat buttery on my return, or undertake a 1,000 mile trip without any special preparation.

If I didn't have this level of confidence in the vehicle, it would be replaced pretty quickly. I need my car daily and simply don't have time to mess about putting it into a garage any more than once or twice a year. 2007 Zermatt Silver TDV8 Vogue SE - now sold but was a great car!

Thanks for the replies.

Slept on it and have made a formal complaint to the Chief Executive of the UK group that owns the dealership.

On the basis of the car having been beset by a staggering amount of issues and the bottom line being:
we should not be expected to be left with a warrantied car that has long term, undiagnosed and unresolved leaks. If approved LR Technicians cannot complete the necessary repairs then the car cannot be fit for purpose and has clearly been defective since I bought it.

2 years to the day since I collected and paid for the car as well.

I've asked for a response within 3 working days.

And we wait...

well you know my feelings Ryan ....very much in your favour is that all your problems have been well documented..hope you get a successful outcome.  ... - .- -.




Y. O. L. O.
.

Last edited by stan on 12th Apr 2015 5:56pm. Edited 1 time in total

Ryan, I admire your patience, frankly I'm amazed that you still persist and keep giving them the chance over and over again to fix their screw ups. Hat off to you sir. I totally agree with your current course of action as I feel you have been more than reasonable by a very big margin.

I hope it does get sorted at some point and you end up with a great FFRR, you more than deserve it!

The dealer mechanics are so clearly incompetent it is becoming comical if it wasn't so sad.

Good luck my friend and keep us posted please! MY 2010 5.0 SC Galway green and sand interior!!
Have the Faultmate MSV2 Extreme to be tinkering with the settings etc. !!

Apologies chaps, never actually intend to sound like whinging on this great forum. Look at my posts from getting the car and so many of them lead to oil leak symptoms that have never been resolved.

This place is the definitive sounding board/ therapy from reasonable and helpful people that know and are enthusiastic about these cars. Therefore are also more likely to have higher tolerance levels than most, I'd suspect?

I couldn't knowingly and stealthily allow someone else to inherit this car with unresolved, undiagnosed issues because we wouldn't wish this experience on anyone.

Even if I decided to try and sell the car privately or trade it in, I'd be concerned that the desirability and integrity of the car would be compromised because of its current unresolved 'adverse history'.

Thanks

you certainly havnt been whinging Ryan..  ... - .- -.




Y. O. L. O.
.

Think if I had had all this happen to me I would be looking at trading standard for advice where to go or better still try the Sunday sun Mr Justice Alan Robsin he is fantastic and will tell you if you have a case against them and it's free advice. I had a problem a few years back and also my mam and dad had a problem with a flooring company he sorted both problems out and was free we got our money back. Just a thought might be worth a try he can also be found on the internet

Good luck. You've been more than patient.

I really don't think the car is unreliable. I think the dealer just seems unable to fix it. I wonder what would happen to it after a few days in the hands of a good mechanic. However, that's not YOUR problem.

If at any point they ask you how you want the situation to be resolved, I'd be explaining that they've had 2 years and many, many failed attempts at fixing your leak and that now the only option you're prepared to give them is to have the car in for a few days and replace the entire engine. At least that way the leak should be cured once and for all.

I agree with that the others have said though, if it were me and my car I'd be reading the main agent the riot act.

Our 2012 AB has an annoying issue where if you drop the window on the motorway, occasionally when closing it, it doesn't seal and leave a really irritating wind noise in the cabin. The only way to stop it is to come off the motorway, put the window down and close it again. It's been mentioned at every service for 3 years but this time we'd had enough. As per usual they claimed they couldn't find a fault with it. At this point we kicked off and told them that wasn't good enough and that they'd need to start replacing the seals. Apparently now there's a case with LR UK asking them for guidance on the fault.

Keep pushing, they will come through and you'll have a great, well sorted car at the end of it

David. 2002 4.6 Vogue SE - Alveston Red with Lightstone Leather
2012 Range Rover 5.0 SC Autobiography in Indus Silver with Jet/Ivory Interior
2012 Range Rover 4.4 TDV8 Autobiography in Baltic Blue with Sand Interior

Tend to agree I had a gearbox issue and the MD sort of tried to resolve it - I very quietly explained that if they didn't resolve the issue I would go legal - in the end I had my solicitor write to them and JLR that did the trick -
Don't give up you are in the right here