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lightning



Member Since: 23 Apr 2009
Location: High Peak, Derbyshire
Posts: 2764

United Kingdom 
Servicing outside the dealer network
l have always been led to believe that you can get your vehicle serviced at any reputable garage, and so long as you keep the receipt showing what's been done (showing the use of genuine parts etc) it won't affect the warranty.

My local independent Land Rover specialist is
quoting half the price of the JLR dealer for the service that's due soon.

My question is.
Has anybody on here, had their Defender serviced by an independent specialist and had to later claim on the vehicle warranty.
And did you have any issues getting the warranty work done?
Post #1026108 27th Feb 2024 7:28am
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Huttopia



Member Since: 23 Feb 2016
Location: West Midlands
Posts: 1972

United Kingdom 
Not an L663 but a pre-16 shape, yes. The independent should be able to update the online service record. The dealership / LR *might* call up to validate the correct oils and genuine parts used but unlikely.

BTW, it was baked into legislation 20 odd years ago:

Introduced in October, 2003, the Block Exemption Regulation means that a manufacturer of a vehicle cannot force a driver to have their car serviced at a franchise dealership. It’s a legislation designed to ensure freedom of choice and parity for drivers β€” and to prevent monopolisation of the market itself.
Post #1026113 27th Feb 2024 9:13am
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SJT



Member Since: 18 Jan 2021
Location: Somerset
Posts: 27

United Kingdom 
I think you need to factor in the resale value to this equation as well.

We all look for a full main dealer history when buying! D5. Previously 90HT, D4, D4, D4, D2, D1 (3 door V8!)
Post #1026116 27th Feb 2024 9:34am
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DrRob



Member Since: 29 Mar 2017
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 175

United Kingdom 
A main dealer serviced car would worry me more than a good independent specialist for sure!
My local place (www.glenrands.co.uk) has all the online access as a main dealer has, is VAT registered and is a lot cheaper. I'll be using them for the "more than normal" oil changes etc. MY25 90 D350 X-Dynamic HSE in Silicon Silver and coil sprung
1974 Series 3 Lightweight = "Millie"
Many Range Rovers and Land Rovers over the years πŸ˜‚
1949 80" - still in family since 1975
Post #1026117 27th Feb 2024 9:56am
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Huttopia



Member Since: 23 Feb 2016
Location: West Midlands
Posts: 1972

United Kingdom 
/\ exactly that, I'd be more worried about a main dealer service history than a good independent.
Post #1026121 27th Feb 2024 10:18am
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SJT



Member Since: 18 Jan 2021
Location: Somerset
Posts: 27

United Kingdom 
I fully agree with what you are saying but for anything up to 3 years old a main dealer history will always be preferred (and have a value) if only to avoid the arguments "when" something goes wrong.

After 3 years I also prefer to use my trusty independent and never set foot in the dealership until I buy the next one.... D5. Previously 90HT, D4, D4, D4, D2, D1 (3 door V8!)
Post #1026149 27th Feb 2024 2:10pm
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TexasRover



Member Since: 24 Nov 2022
Location: Paris
Posts: 1051

France 2002 Defender 110 Td5 DCPU Chawton White
On a new car, it might have value to the uninformed, but frankly what do main dealer do nowadays other than sell the cars and finance? I don't think they really keen workshop staff, the main activity looks to be hooking up diagnostics scanning and resetting something. Maybe an oil change..
Post #1026150 27th Feb 2024 2:20pm
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pjm-84



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

United Kingdom 
SJT wrote:
I fully agree with what you are saying but for anything up to 3 years old a main dealer history will always be preferred (and have a value) if only to avoid the arguments "when" something goes wrong.

After 3 years I also prefer to use my trusty independent and never set foot in the dealership until I buy the next one....



Agree. My Volvo is now at 11years and little value so I broke the FVSH last year.... felt bad for all of 10mins
Post #1026153 27th Feb 2024 2:57pm
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Zed



Member Since: 07 Oct 2017
Location: In the woods
Posts: 3287

United Kingdom 2010 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 XS CSW Santorini Black
I always prefer to buy a car serviced by a decent specialist instead of main dealer. That goes for any marque. WARNING.
This post may contain sarcasm.
Post #1026157 27th Feb 2024 3:30pm
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Miran



Member Since: 14 Feb 2022
Location: Portoroz, Slovenia
Posts: 14

Slovenia 
Re: Servicing outside the dealer network
lightning wrote:

.....
My question is.
Has anybody on here, had their Defender serviced by an independent specialist and had to later claim on the vehicle warranty.
And did you have any issues getting the warranty work done?

Yes I had a very expensive experience:
Last November on my D200 (under warranty till May 2024) after returning from raid in Tunisisan desert, turbo charger broke. The car was towed to a garage (very nice looking, clean, far, far over expectations) having Jaguar and LandRover shields over the front wall. I informed JLR dealer in my country (Slovenia) what happened and was informed that even if I somehow managed to bring the broken car to them (I was still in Africa) the waiting period for new turbo would be at least 3 weeks. The local Tunisian garage managed to get new turbo in 2 days (!!!!). 4 days (including Sunday) after I brought the broken car to that garage, they handed over me my fully operational Def. The garage is Ennour Garage in Sousse.
When I returned home I sent the warranty remboursment claim for the expenses I had to area JLR dealer .... the answer I got: no refund! The Ennour Garage in Sousse is not authorised JLR garage in Tunisia.
But not only that! JLR showed no interest in causes for a turbo failure.
OK, long story told short: Yes, if you want to get anything covered by warranty you must allways go to authorised JLR dealers Crying or Very sad Crying or Very sad
Miran L663 200 S 3,0
Post #1026251 28th Feb 2024 11:36am
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TexasRover



Member Since: 24 Nov 2022
Location: Paris
Posts: 1051

France 2002 Defender 110 Td5 DCPU Chawton White
You probably find that it states in the small print that any warranty work will have to be done by Land Rover. This is pretty normal and for sure a practical way for a manufacture to avoid their warranty obligations: just make it very difficult, possibly unreasonably so, to meet the small print.

I suppose the question of the OP is if the warranty is still valid (available) after the car has been services by a non-LR garage, and we believe the answer is yes, LR can not refuse a warranty claim of say a failed turbo if you had your car services at an independent garage, unless they can prove the failure was specifically because of the work done by the independent garage.

To me once you have to go down the warranty path you are screwed already especially if you have purchased extended warranty. Too many exclusions, discussions and arguments. Too many reasons to reject your claim. One can be lucky yes..
Post #1026254 28th Feb 2024 12:16pm
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Miran



Member Since: 14 Feb 2022
Location: Portoroz, Slovenia
Posts: 14

Slovenia 
Just to clarify: I have had the car regulary serviced at the authorised JLR dealer before it broke down. Evil or Very Mad
Only the repair after the break down was not performed by authorised garage....that is true.
Miran L663 200 S 3,0
Post #1026255 28th Feb 2024 12:39pm
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stevemfr



Member Since: 18 Sep 2022
Location: Strasbpurg
Posts: 137

France 
@Miran: Well, yes. Warranty work needs to be done by the dealer. And this is one of the few instances where I even support LR (or any other manufacturer) in demanding that only a main dealer can honor the warranty. Otherwise they have no control over the entire procedure - from the diagnosis to the actual work to additional work required to ensure OEM quality (such as fluids/filters/adjustments/calibrations/etc. As an example, in the case of some transmissions it is required that the transmission cooler be replaced after a transmission failure - something many outside the official dealer network don't do).

LR has contingency plans in place for vehicles broken down in an area with absolutely no dealer coverage, but this all need to be discussed before any work is done aside from a preliminary diagnosis.

I don't mean this to sound harsh, but I completely understand LR's position in this case, and I have very little understanding for your being upset.

We (as GAP Diagnostic) will always bend over backwards to ensure that anyone with a defective IIDTool is compensated and not left unhappy. But if the customer has gone to an "electronic expert" who's attacked the IIDTool with a soldering iron first... No. 
RRC 2Dr, RRC 4Dr,
P38, and 2 L322s,
2 FL1s and a L663 on the way
Post #1026257 28th Feb 2024 1:19pm
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Miran



Member Since: 14 Feb 2022
Location: Portoroz, Slovenia
Posts: 14

Slovenia 
Although it was a quite expensive experience for me (approx 1/10 of the new car value) I didn't continue the "fight" with JLR for remboursement. I have not read the tiny print .... mea culpa Embarassed

Bit offtopic: I'm still wondering myself how it is possible that JLR technical dept is not interested in causes for a turbo break down on a relatively new L663 engine. If they were, I'd have a nice broken turbo to sell them Wink For a good price .... approx 1/10 of the new car value Very Happy Very Happy
Miran L663 200 S 3,0
Post #1026271 28th Feb 2024 4:26pm
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Mr Fox



Member Since: 10 Sep 2011
Location: green & pleasant land
Posts: 1037

United Kingdom 2015 Defender 90 Puma 2.2 HT Keswick Green
SJT wrote:
I fully agree with what you are saying but for anything up to 3 years old a main dealer history will always be preferred (and have a value) if only to avoid the arguments "when" something goes wrong.

After 3 years I also prefer to use my trusty independent and never set foot in the dealership until I buy the next one....


I'm inclined to agree with the above and would also throw in that another factor is how long you intend to keep the vehicle. If you are keeping it for 3-4 years from new, there is a high likelihood that a full main dealer service history will have a value.

Independents can be great but just like JLR dealers, they can also be rubbish - the difference is that JLR are supposed to have a universal brand standard they are held to by the manufacturer, hence the perception that main dealer service history has a value on a relatively recent car.

Interestingly, my Puma had only ever been to JLR dealers since new (2015) when I bought it used. When it was time to have it serviced, I shopped around and the local independents were inline with the cost of my local dealer. Perhaps it is a rural rather than urban trait but the JLR dealer was good to deal with, technician was decent, knew his stuff and there was ZERO up sell, which is what always annoys me with main dealers (any make). Perhaps some dealers are starting to wise up?

Had exactly the same experience with my daughter VW recently - decent price, service and no up sell when her car went in.

Perhaps the reduction in new car sales is making them more competitive and stopping them from being so willing to alienate the revenue stream generated by service.
Post #1026277 28th Feb 2024 5:06pm
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