K9F wrote:

I'm with Russell,

I agree with both Allan and yourself, rational debate and the sharing of experiences (good or bad) is healthy, in my opinion vilification is not! I am truly amazed that you still persevere with your Puma. I may only have reached a second service on my Puma for which I apologise, but in possible mitigation of your implication of my lack of experience I have 'bought into the marque of Land Rover' for some considerable time and driven them for many many years.

I can also understand your exacerbated frustration at being continually let down by something you so dearly wish to be more reliable, especially being so isolated in your journeys and the logistics behind recovery of your vehicle when it does let you down. We over here are indeed lucky, not only do we have the manufacturers but a multitude of dealers within a stones throw of our front doors in comparison to yourself. I have five main dealers and four independants within a 70 mile radius of my work and home addresses that I know of (there's probably more).

Indeed as an engineer myself we would all like to achieve that 'Holy Grail' of owning something mechanical that would never let us down through fatigue, environmental impact, abuse or anything else we would like to throw at it....but we all know that is not achievable.

Allan stated that his vehicle owes him about $80,000 that equates to about £45,700. Is that not possibly a case of throwing good money after bad, after all that would buy another two second hand good example Pumas over here?

Good and bad in everything...Sorry you appear to have a 'baddun' I probably would have moved on to another marque or at the very least another Puma by now if I were you!

As a footnote mates of mine over here would rather trailer their off-road vehicle to their off roading destination as they have an assured means of getting home in the event of problems. So we too don't necessarily implicitly rely on our vehicles capability or indeed reliability either despite being at dealers doorsteps.

Finally in summation and in such dire conditions such as yours and being in the current position of "I have a 1956 Series 1 - it's a vehicle I trust more than my 07 Puma!" Life and livelihood depending on it I would use the 1956 model everytime, chop in the Puma and get a couple of extra old uns instead maybe a 300tdi or two, or move to something rumoured to be more reliable! There is no 'quick fix' or answer to all your woes and I am sympathetic but I do not think Land Rover are about to change their entire Quality Control System on a model of vehicle that is about to be replaced and has one foot in the grave and another on a banana skin! Do you?

Who knows maybe they'll get it right on the Defender replacement but I for one will not be rushing off to the bookmakers to check what odds they'll give me. My love for them will not wane either I suspect!


I wish you well.

I baught an SVX and put loads on it when it was new. I expected a winner at the price. Its taken 2 years of ownership but now I find it a good vehicle to drive. Most of the new car problems fixed, But In April I am going to the far north of Western Australia, abouat 1200km, if it stuffs my fishing trip its gone. I am still tossing up if I should go in the wifes TD5 90 as I trust its reliability far more than the Puma
Sory forgot to say, WE WILL WIN THE NEXT TEST>
Allan