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stevier88

Member Since: 22 Feb 2024
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 5

New defender excitement short lived

Thought I would have kicked off on a more positive note! Had a Porsche cayenne coupe on order since last year which was supposed to be delivered end of jan 2024. Unfortunately I could never get a build date and no idea when they would be released so it was time to look for something else as the velar was going. Was going to pick up a defender back in 2021 but the misses didn’t like them so stuck with the velar. Paid a visit to one of my local dealerships a few weeks ago and got talking to the sales manager, few hours later put a deposit down on a brand new 110 x dynamic d300 hse that was at another dealership. Got a loner for the day providing everything was well they would have it delivered in the next few days.

Picked up and all well for the first two days then issue with starting the engine, would take a few seconds before it started. Check engine light and battery light on and engine would cut out everytime stationary, unfortunately for me always happened while waiting at the traffic lights! This persisted for 2 days then disappeared with no issues until a few days later stopped at the lights again car juddered, check engine light on, stability control failure, loss of power and message saying drive carefully it’s two wheel drive and another warning light at the top left I’m unfamiliar with.

Got Land Rover assist out, after about 30 mins the tech came back and was baffled and suggested it may be a faulty sensor. Had it booked in with the dealership that day with a replacement car supposed to be delivered but spent the next 4 days back and forth with Land Rover assist saying sorry we’re busy and have no cars. Popped back into the dealer to speak to the service team to try and get some traction but nobody available. Got an apology from one of the salesmen’s who would have the service team call me as a mater of priority when they were back in on Monday. No call. Tried Land Rover assist again who finally managed to book it in and have a courtesy car delivered. Dropped in was told they’ll provide an update in 2 days…..nothing. Car sat for a week before it was looked at.

Received a call with an update to tell me that it had been put on to a master tech who was also baffled at the issues and had been escalated to Land Rover technical for support. Further update it appeared to be the crankshaft sensor which would be ordered next day and fitted and could pick up the car. Get another call, sensor fitted and hasn’t resolved the issue so has been put back to technical as they don’t know what’s causing it.

Apologies for the long winded post! But very frustrating considering I was lucky with my velar and never had any issues apart from a speaker rattle that was replaced in 24hrs. Hopefully have it back soon so I can start to enjoy it.

22nd Feb 2024 8:03pm

lohr500

Member Since: 14 Sep 2014
Location: Skipton
Posts: 1316

2013 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 XS CSW Santorini Black

Sorry to hear that you have had such a bad experience.

Personally I would reject it and ask for a full refund.

Pretty poor that a brand new vehicle should fail within days of collection and even worse that you have had to endure what sounds like appalling service from the network.

The fact that a master technician and Land Rover technical support can't fathom out what is wrong with it should tell you all you need to know.

22nd Feb 2024 8:31pm

scotsstag

Member Since: 17 Jun 2012
Location: D+G
Posts: 534

I agree, reject the car.
Not only for it's persistent problems but more importantly the way you have been dealt with and treated with utter contempt by Land Rover ... 04' 90 Td5 CSW..

22nd Feb 2024 8:47pm

steveww

Member Since: 05 Jan 2022
Location: Uppingham
Posts: 566

2015 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 XS CSW Bronze Green

Not an uncommon story and not just with JLR. I have friends with KIA and VW and both are having similar issues. I think modern cars are just too complicated and thus very difficult to fix when the electrickery escapes.

23rd Feb 2024 9:40am

Moo

Member Since: 01 Oct 2021
Location: UK
Posts: 1357

Reject it.

Eiger Grey MY23 D250 SE with bits. Known as Noddy.

23rd Feb 2024 11:23am

DSC-off

Member Since: 16 Oct 2014
Location: North East
Posts: 1400

2015 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 XS CSW Aintree Green

Sorry to hear of your problems.

Reject the car, get out while you can, don't let it drag on until it's too late.

23rd Feb 2024 11:25am

Down & Dirty

Member Since: 15 Sep 2023
Location: Somewhere outback
Posts: 58

Another vote for reject it

did same with wife’s evoque last year had to wait 3 weeks for a replacement but had free rubber mats, seat covers an umbrella and flowers sent directly to her

My 24 HSE X-Dynamic 90 Carpathian Grey

23rd Feb 2024 12:15pm

I Like Old Skool

Member Since: 23 Feb 2015
Location: Manchester
Posts: 808

1994 Defender 110 300 Tdi ST Coniston Green

Don't want to sound like a Luddite but....

Current vehicles are just far too complicated and technically advanced for the environment they live in. It's all finely tuned sensors and networked communication. All it takes is a bit of signal noise or a compromised electrical connection in the system and all hell breaks loose with little or no chance of fixing it unless your technician is either really, really, really good at his shoot or strikes lucky.

If it's this bad on new or nearly new vehicles with manufacturer support imagine how bad it will be 7-8+ yrs down the line. Anything less than simple faults will render otherwise perfectly sound vehicles as scrap. How is this affecting residuals? Anyone buying a car over 5yrs old and outside the manufacturers warranty is effectively buying a ticking time bomb, never knowing when the clock is going to stop and the investment of capital will become a collection of parts to be sold off and try to recoup some of the loss?

23rd Feb 2024 12:15pm

lightning

Member Since: 23 Apr 2009
Location: High Peak, Derbyshire
Posts: 2748

The majority of new Defenders are fine, l've had no issues with mine that weren't user error.

The trouble these days is, if you do get a fault it can be very difficult to track down, and this applies to all vehicles for the reason stated above.
They are basically just too complex.

83 microprocessors in the new Defender.
The Grenadier is billed as "more like the old Defender" but it still has over 40 microprocessors and a BMW engine full of sensors and ECU's

Our 2020 Jimny seems to be as basic as you can get nowadays technology wise.

If l were the O/P l would allow one attempt at repair, and (in writing) any more issues and l would reject it.

23rd Feb 2024 1:49pm

stevier88

Member Since: 22 Feb 2024
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 5

Thanks guys. Wasn’t sure where I stood on a rejection as the ones I have seen have had multiple issues and multiple attempts at repairing them. Frustrating as I want the car but reluctant to pay for something I can’t drive. They’ve had it longer than I have and don’t seem to have any idea what the issue is so who knows how long it will drag on for.

I think I’ll give them until next week to figure it out and try a repair then look to reject and get something else.

Much appreciated.

23rd Feb 2024 5:54pm

lightning

Member Since: 23 Apr 2009
Location: High Peak, Derbyshire
Posts: 2748

Have you looked at the Grenadier as a possible alternative?

23rd Feb 2024 6:24pm

stevier88

Member Since: 22 Feb 2024
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 5

Bit of an update on the rejection situation. Dealer was happy to raise a case to rejection the car to LR. LR initially rejected it (unsure why as they didn’t say) but after a bit of back and forth with the dealer and LR they came back with 2 options.

1. Return to advance, refund my deposit and any payments made and try and source me another defender. Failing that will need to be a new build which is currently 3-6 months which will
Leave me without a car until then.

2. Keep the defender while they try and fix the issue which at the moment they don’t have a fix for so god knows how long that will be and give me £4K comp for the troubles.

12th Mar 2024 4:00pm

stevier88

Member Since: 22 Feb 2024
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 5

lightning wrote:
Have you looked at the Grenadier as a possible alternative?

I haven’t mate! To be honest the extent of my off roading will be limited to visiting construction sites for work and trips up north for climbing. The RR sport was my initial choice however insurance premiums
Were mental so the defender was a good alternative, still got the luxury, comfort, capabilities for
The winter up north and size for the dog and my offshore
Kit bags.

12th Mar 2024 4:11pm

pjm-84

Member Since: 12 Apr 2021
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 661

4K not bad and you can always reject should the error, or another error occurs in the future.

12th Mar 2024 4:15pm

stevier88

Member Since: 22 Feb 2024
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 5

Initially thought this wasn’t a bad offer, will cover the payments for a few months but after that it’s back to square one paying for a car I don’t have if they haven’t fixed it by that point. I’ve got a feeling that because I’ve raised a rejection case and settled it by accepting the comp I wouldn’t be able to do it again if it was dragging on for months without a solution and they would have no obligation to resolve it within a certain timeframe.

I think the only way I would be happy with this was to agree a reasonable timeframe for them to fix it within and if not met agree to reject. On the flip side they fix it within a few weeks and I’m a few k up but considering they have had it over a month already and made no progress and still don’t know what the issue is it’s unlikely.

The dealer called me back not long after that saying that one of their dealers is expecting a pretty much identical defender to mine to come into stock at the end of the month, minis 22inch alloys, dark grey cross beam and matrix headlights and if I would be interested in that. Due to the options it’s a few k cheaper than what I currently have.

13th Mar 2024 2:23am

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