A very unpleasant situation: please comment and advice

Dear friends,

As much as I like Land Rovers (I am at my third now), I am currently very upset with the treatment I am receiving from Land Rover UK.

Last week I bought a 2012 LRD4 GS with 31.000 miles from a Land Rover Dealer. This was a car sold as manufacturer approved vehicle with 2 years warranty.

I got the car on Friday and on Sunday I took it for a spin. Went to do few lanes (legal) and at the end of the day I got stuck on a muddy one. In fairness I under estimate the condition of the edge of the lane and the left side of the car got stuck in a muddy paddle as deep as probably 50-60 cm no more. I got stuck. Obviously you can argue that I am lacking in experience but this is not the point.
Fortunately the rest of the lane was hard compound and very close to the tarmac road that an AA T5 VW rescue van was able to come to me. After a bit we managed to tow the car out.
It came immediately evident that the rear suspensions were completely flat and not responding to height selector. A dash message was showing: “suspensions will rise when system cool”.
The AA diagnostic tool said: "C1A35 Air Suspension pressure accumulator. Solenoid Valve, Electrical interference.”
Car was recovered home with a flat bed truck and then to my local LR dealer in Manchester for repair.
The following day(yesterday) I was informed that on preliminary inspection it was found that the underbody of the car and the area around the suspension air compressor was cover in mud. This was indicating an inappropriate use of the car and therefore any further diagnostic and repair won’t have been covered by LR warranty.
I called immediately the Central Land Rover Costumer/Warranty Enquire Centre to ask them. After speaking with my local garage they agreed that this could have not been cover under warranty.
Due to personal circumstances(I should drive away in Europe this weekend) I agreed to proceed with the job on my expenses.
Today they called me back to say that this is the damage:

Air Suspension Compressor
Air Suspension Control Valve
Wiring pin repair pin repair due to water corrosion.

This is worth in excess of £1500.

Following this I contacted again Land Rover Costumer/Warranty Enquire Centre. I stated that while is true that I got stud in a muddy paddle with the left side of the car it also true that I was driving on a standard off road condition. In actual fact one of those for which this car is designed for. The fact that I got stuck is most likely due to me be incompetent rather than the car been in the wrong place. The car was not in water any deeper than what it would be if it was wading a 70 cm deep river as is designed for. What has most probably generate the large collection of mud under the car and around the compressor has been the fact that when it was pulled out the underbody was actually sliding on mud. And finally as I clearly stated, if the car would have been somewhere inappropriate it would have been able to be tow out by a 84hp two 2WD VW fully loaded van using a 5 meter long rope.

They haven’t get back to me as yet, but I am not too optimistic. I fear that unless the local garage is willing to convince LR to pay…they won’t.

Is any of you able to advice and comment?
Am I missing anything? Am I actually wrong expecting this to be covered? Because if this is not the case then I don’t really think this car is safe in mud as it is shown…let’s take for example the G4 advertisement and official pictures.

Ciao

Nic

Dr LC8 said:

Dear friends,

As much as I like Land Rovers (I am at my third now), I am currently very upset with the treatment I am receiving from Land Rover UK.
Am I missing anything? Am I actually wrong expecting this to be covered? Because if this is not the case then I don’t really think this car is safe in mud as it is shown…let’s take for example the G4 advertisement and official pictures.

Ciao

Nic

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Land Rovers are essentially utility vehicles for 'off road use', that's what the marque has built it's reputation on. To imply you shouldn't have used it in muddy conditions is absurd. Ok, the vast majority of vehicles don't wander off the tarmac. If LR are saying you shouldn't use them 'off road', then their advertising is misleading. I would be inclined to contact Trading Standards, point out the many LR ads showing vehicles being used 'off road'. If you cannot use you vehicle 'off road' then they are guilty of fraudulent claims.

Many farmers in this part of the country have abandoned LR completely in favour of Mitsubishi's, the 'after sales' service is good and the vehicles take a lot of battering..... even in mud!

Whilst you can splash thro water, and drive river beds, if your car was stationary in water for a long period, and the air compressor was under water, including its air intake, then that cannot be covered by warranty, it's misuse surely, as you had bottomed out and spinning your wheels, you were churning water and mud everywhere, and to take a D4 laning, you have more money than sense, imho.

I am suprised, I work at a main dealer and we repair under warranty enviroment agency defenders that have broken transmissions when stuck in deep mud, last one was a broken transfer box output shaft.

I work in the very centre of Landrover and we deal with the most outragious customer complaints like it were our own children. . E.g. "Mr Smith: I want to take my Evoque off road, but I love my wheels and I am scared of them being scratched.. I would want to trust the durability ". I will ask the guys in the office the best think you might be able to do..

Hi SirRoryOConnor,

This is very kind of you. Will check and contact you. Your help is much appreciated.

Nic

No problem Nic

If I can help then I will, I would bring it to another dealer and mention to the manager
Send me a message anytime.

Rory

freelance said:

Whilst you can splash thro water, and drive river beds, if your car was stationary in water for a long period, and the air compressor was under water, including its air intake, then that cannot be covered by warranty, it's misuse surely, as you had bottomed out and spinning your wheels, you were churning water and mud everywhere, and to take a D4 laning, you have more money than sense, imho.

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Hi Freelance,

Thanks for your comment on the car been stationary in water for a long period. Noted. What you mean for a long period though?

With regards to how much money or sense I have, this is not the matter of this forum discussion and even less any of your business.

Nic

Bit harsh I know, as soon as you bottomed out, had you raised the suspension it would probably have driven out, but as the wheels spun any gravel out from under the wheels, the vehicle thought it was being jacked up, the suspension then needs to be reset on a level surface, as you do when wheels are changed, for punctures,new tyres etc, had it been pressure washed before taking it back probably nothing would have been said, yes it should cope with the conditions, but the driver has to play his part too, imho.

freelance said:

Bit harsh I know, as soon as you bottomed out, had you raised the suspension it would probably have driven out, but as the wheels spun any gravel out from under the wheels, the vehicle thought it was being jacked up, the suspension then needs to be reset on a level surface, as you do when wheels are changed, for punctures,new tyres etc, had it been pressure washed before taking it back probably nothing would have been said, yes it should cope with the conditions, but the driver has to play his part too, imho.

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All true and I can't hide my inexperience.
Anyway in my defence: the car was on full extension and on the mud terrain selection.
I jet washed it as much as i could keeping in mind that it was completely flat down and the angle of the jet wash pistol was limited...
Could I have put it on a jack? Maybe. However the car had to go quickly to the garage and me to work...

Nic

Pure daft.

Hardly 'very unpleasant'......? It's either covered by the warranty or they'll give you good reason why not? The mud and wet seem kind of what it was built for, but did dragging it over a bank do the nasty.....who knows. The 'corroded pin' probably didn't happen sat in the ditch...... Having to pay because of your trip is a pain, but getting an answer and paid work in two days is kind of unlikely. Hope it works out right obviously...... A

Nigel-S said:

Many farmers in this part of the country have abandoned LR completely in favour of Mitsubishi's, the 'after sales' service is good and the vehicles take a lot of battering..... even in mud!

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I'm not in the market for a working 4x4 but if I were, despite owning nine LR products over the years, I'm afraid LR would not be on my short-list either.