Landrover: A Study: The demise of British customer service

[Northern Banana]

Grab yourself a coffee and settle in!

 

It's my own fault, really it is. From previous experience I knew how appalling Landrover customer service was, but after finding that a pickup wasn't the best for towing heavy loads I found myself with a Defender sitting in the drive.

 

My previous Landrover nightmare had been with a Discovery 3, alas this was the golden period when JD Power had them as the most unreliable vehicle on the planet, and AA men just laughed at you when you explained what you drove.

 

The 'Disco dog' as it unflattering became known to the house hold, needed a bit of attention in the 3 years of ownership. drive shaft, diffs, 2 electric handbrakes, parking sensors, coolant sensors, ERG valves - the hinges on the doors worked, I wouldn't say that they inspired confidence but you weren't filled with a dread opening and closing doors as you were when you sat in the seat and turned the key.

Its maybe a good thing, but I can no longer let the kids enjoy the illuminations on Blackpool's promenade, such is my post traumatic affliction to flashing coloured lights brought on by the Disco 3 dash.

 

Anyway onwards and backwards - a Defender, 50 years in development surely won't have as many problems, less fancy electronics and surely even Landrover R&D could have ironed out any niggles during 5 decades or gentle refinement. Bollocks to that theory,

 

The first let down was towing the Caterham at 5:30am down the M6 climbing Shap hill. Limp home mode left me with a few interesting moments dicing with the 40 tonne lorries but I made it to the services and called Landrover Assist - (not a particularly relevant name as you hear about later).

Nobody around there I'm afraid we'll send a local guy - local guy turns up but he must have been very 'local', the aroma of sheep hinted that he may have been stuck in the hills for the last 5 years. "Sorry don't have them engine type on my box, can't do much for you 'fraid. Can get you recovered or reset the code." I chose the latter - yes it was the wrong choice for 3 miles further into my journey limp home mode again and a full recovery was the order of the day.

 

The dealership based in Carlisle, who probably evolved from bartering turnips and fixing nothing more technical than a spade had the Defender for 4 days and proudly sent it back to me on a flat bed. The body was gleaming the tyres had received a liberal coating of dressing - only problem was that the whole assembly for the air box was missing from the front wing - doh you turnip heads. I told the driver to take it back, and eventually this happened but not before Service Manager of the turniphead dealership tried to suggest that he post the missing bits out to me for me to fit myself - its a 90 mile round trip to this dealer maybe he was trying to think of the greenest solution to get my defender onto the road - personally I don't buy that I think he's just a useless ****er.

 

So fast forward 6 weeks..and the Defender present us with a new optional extra - we now have water getting into the roof above the drivers door. We aren't talking a few drips which any tatty old Barbour wouldn't even flinch at. No we had a cascade, pissing onto your shoulder and then tumbling down the windscreen stanchion, filling the footwell, so impressive and dramatic it would merit a silver medal at Chelsea Flower Show.

 

So back to the dealers for a thorough investigation - those were there words. You'll thank me for shortening this for despite promising that the roof head lining had been removed and areas where water could enter all being fixed on TWO separate return visits to the dealership the water leak persists. Now I'm not calling them liarers, but not for one minute do I think they even touched the headlining...for gods sake it was turnip planting season.

 

Now a slight aside, if you own a Landrover and need it to tow, the problem arises that dealers generally can't provide you suitable vehicle. After my problems with the dealers at Carlisle it was time to try my next nearest dealer (110 mile round trip).

Whilst I'd been able to get provided a 2 seat defender with a tow bar from Carlisle, these next dealers couldn't provide any vehicle with a towbar.

 

I spoke with Landrover Customer Services why can't you provide vehicles with towbars - 'we just don't" was there response.

So important this, if you are a Landrover owner and tow regularly, whether that is a caravan, a horsebox, racetrailer or just grass cuttings down to the tip, the chances are if you break down you won't get a vehicle with a towbar leaving you basically...up **** creak.

 

Anyway after a several phonecalls with Landrover customer services I was getting no where - they eventually convinced me to give the Turnip huggers of Carlisle another go.

Defender was collected 3 weeks ago and a 2 seat defender with tow bar left for my use. Now my Defender is posher than average it has heated seats, electric windows and even air con. My loan hack didn't even have a radio just a notice saying 'Sorry for the inconvenience that you are having to be subjected to this thoroughly mediocre example of a vehicle but, You must replace any diesel used!!"...you've probably sussed that the notice didn't actually contain any of the words before 'You must'..that was just my suggested wording for Landrovers Customer Loyalty Programme ...if they had one!!

 

So the dealers have had the defender for 3 weeks its now been back between the body shop (read: apprentice turnip heads) and the workshop 3 times they've found 5 leaks..and are still counting. This brings us pretty much upto date...but get another coffee its not over yet.

 

Never anticipating that the dealers would have the vehicle for 3 weeks, I had forgot horsey show for my daughter which required the transporting of 1 pony a 3 persons.

 

So back to Landrover Customer Services - really positive guy "I can see you've been having a few problems, I'm sure we can help" - ****ing comedian!

 

"I'm going to get Landrover Assist's vehicle partner Enterprise Rentals to source you a suitable vehicle with a towbar that can transport 3 people and a horse" I didn't whoop with joy, I knew what was coming. 20 minutes later enterprise calls "Hi - we are organising a vehicle for you, can I ask does it have to be a Landrover product?" "No." I said it has to...you get the gist.... transport horse, 3 people.

Enterprise guy "Only problem is we don't have any vehicles with towbars!".

 

I didn't even flinch, I didn't bite I just calmly said what have you got? "I can send you an RR Evoke"...just send it.

 

By this time I'd accepted that we'd be travelling to the horse show separately, and that 5 minutes of prancing a temperament animal round a ring would be met with lots of smiles disguising the bill for diesel. We have 2 courtesy cars sitting on the drive, one to tow and one for passengers.

 

The Evoke turns up, a hitherto never previously considered masterpiece of style over substance. With carefully thought out 'insurance engineering' designed in, such must be the claims for new bumpers given the arrowslot rear window. I walk round to check for scratches and low and behold, the higgs bossem of Landrover Courtesy Vehicles - a detachable towbar is fitted - my radiance subsides as I learn

(1) it won't really tow a horsebox and (2) the actual detachable bit is missing! Normal Landrover service is resumed.

 

There is no happy ending to this sad tale of Britsh Customer Service and a once great brand, now more interested in bling and wags than vehicles that can go anywhere and be replied upon.

 

Venturing outside yesterday the Evoke tyre is flat, there is no spare, Landrover won't send a tyre fitter to my home, instead want the vehicle to be recovered by the AA 24 miles to a Kwik Fit depot and we have to attend and sit there whilst an other relation to the turnipheads scratch their heads and decide if they have a suitable spec tyre. The reality is the Evoke will sit on the drive until Enterprise come and collect it they can sort it out.

 

So my daughter missed her horse show, she hates Landrover, my wife hates me for buying another Landrover, I've just had a call from the dealership to say my Defender still has a water leak - I hate Landrover, I hate the dealers, I hate turnip!!

 

The only moral from this sad story is no matter how much you may think you need one, or desire one there is never, ever enough of a compelling argument to ever buy a Landrover ..period!

[Red SLR]

Our Range Rover had a fault code / dash warning lamp on for about 90% of our ownership. Spent £3k a year on bits that decided they had had enough.

 

Like... front NS susp air bag... dealer - you have been really unlucky these *never* fail.. £1k please..

 

Weeks later... the other side fails... yeah never fail.. let me guess a grand...

 

[badger]

Alternatively, I love LR and am on my 13th Range Rover!

[Martin J]

That was a good read.

 

What's the answer? Is it to buy a Toyota Landcruiser or a Shogun?

[Mark Piper]

Quoting badger: 

Alternatively, I love LR and am on my 13th Range Rover!

 

Is that your 13th this year?

 

 

[N Blandin]

I had Landies for 20 years, then bought a Jeep Cherokee followed by a Landcruiser.

I'll never go back to a Landy.

Sorry.

[Myles]

The boy next door I grew up with worked for Landrover QA. I'm saying nothing! 😬

[Englishmaninwales]

Nissan Patrol did all the towing during eldest daughter's horsey time. Never went wrong 130k miles. Needed an oil well to run it mind!

[CharlesElliott]

I suspect Guy might be along in a minute....

[tbird]

That will be the same welsh descended dealer I was lulled into a false sense security with, they never found all the leaks in mine either, despite several assurances, I finally tracked the roof leaks to the alpine light seals. Being welsh you would think they would be good with leaks, I have also just discovered that despite doing every service on my Defender they have never changed the fuel filter, presumably as she is low mileage nobody bothered to look to see if it was rusting away after 8 years(actual filter was dated 2004) . In their defence the young ladies on reception are always pleasant and very helpful. But won't be going back

 

Tim

[Jonathan Kay]

Quoting tbird: 

Being welsh you would think they would be good with leaks...

Is this a pun... on "Snowden"?

 

:-)

 

Jonathan

 

Edited by - Jonathan Kay on 14 Jun 2014 19:40:01

[tbird]

Sadly no I am not that clever ☹️

 

Tim

[Tim Sture]

Four years ago I had a discovery for five and a bit months. First three months bliss. Next two nightmare with wiring problems, leak in sunroof, egr valves. Next two weeks bought a subaru. Last week bought another subaru. Glad I didn't get another land rover

[Oily Mick]

Anyway onwards and backwards - a Defender, 50 years in development surely won't have as many problems, less fancy electronics and surely even Landrover R&D could have ironed out any niggles during 5 decades or gentle refinement. Bollocks to that theory,

Some might say you could replace Defender and Landrover in that sentence with Caterham

😳 😳

 

 

[James.S]

I run over a dozen LR's & RR's, all spot on, towing and 40k a year. Customer service is spot on.

 

I run another 25plus mix of Nissan, mitsi and Isuzu pick ups and the service is bloody pants. Oh and Nissan still have a ****e warranty!

 

 

 

[Jonathan Kay]

Quoting James.S: 

I run over a dozen LR's & RR's, all spot on, towing and 40k a year. Customer service is spot on.

 

I run another 25plus mix of Nissan, mitsi and Isuzu pick ups and the service is bloody pants.

The subject and original post are about customer service, but in the context of high unreliability. Poor service wouldn't be be nearly so important if nothing went wrong.

 

With that experience how would you summarise reliability across those manufacturers?

 

Thanks

 

Jonathan

[McBreadhead]

Oh god we're doomed Capn Mainwaring, doomed I say.

 

Just bought a 4yr old Disco 4 😶‍🌫️

[7TOM]

Although many years out out of warranty My 90 defender roof leaks so does the engine and transmission but can still pull an NHS ambulance bogged down to its axels out of the mud leaks n all

[tbird]

7Tom this has sorted most of the leaks in my 90 roof and seams Captain Tolley's creeping crack cure

 

Tim

[7TOM]

Quoting tbird: 

7Tom this has sorted most of the leaks in my 90 roof and seams Captain Tolley's creeping crack cure

 

Tim

thanks Tim I give it a go 🥰

[Tony Whitley]

I have been communing with a voice from The Other Side, known in this life as Cannonball Bob

For the love of God please point out that it's Land Rover. Two words, not one. It's almost enough to make me re-subscribe just so I can offer advice on spelling.....

Message ends. As you were.

[7TOM]

Quoting Tony Whitley: 

I have been communing with a voice from The Other Side, known in this life as Cannonball Bob

For the love of God please point out that it's Land Rover. Two words, not one. It's almost enough to make me re-subscribe just so I can offer advice on spelling.....

Message ends. As you were.

 

I spotted the incorrect spacing of Land Cruiser can I have a gold star

[Guest]

They have a saying Down Under:

"If you want to drive in to The Bush, get a Land Rover. If you you want to drive in to The Bush and back out again, get a Land Cruiser."

 

[david nelson]

Water coming into a defender is common. They all do it. Its a 50 year old design that has changed very little since the 90 and 110 came about. Its very much like the seven just a bit of Ali with a few rivets. my seven always leaks as did my last one. The sun roof and alpine windows are common water inlet spots, while the water comes through the front windscreen to bulkhead. The door do not seal well also.

 

The good thing about a defender is as they let water in your less likely to float way when wadding.

A good way to clean the inside of a defender is with a power washer or a bucket and yard brush.

 

I love defenders its a go anywhere car from Sloane Square to Val d'Isere.

[Guest]

I love defenders its a go anywhere car from Sloane Square to Val d'Isere.

 

True. But not very good at the bit in between.