Just got screwed by Land Rover. I have a disco 03 w/ a blown oil pump that ripped a whole through the front cover. 2000 dollars right there. (The said my engine was "fine"). Warranty just ended 10mos ago. My car has only 36,000 miles. Hinsdale Land Rover Service Manager Rob said he could no assist. I called Land Rover Customer care and after thorough review (2days) they denied me a "goodwill gesture," b/c my warranty is almost 1yr out and I "have not spent enough" at Hinsdale dealership to be considered a good customer???? I have posted a complaint on NHTSA under engine cooling, contacted my local chicago news, & contacted a lawyer. They have acted "awkward" throughout this whole process...."never heard of an oil pump problem" Well they lost a customer that is for sure & I will inform all my coleagues of this misfortune. The Lawyer told me that both Land Rover & Mercedes have horrible customer relations. I definetly have a case but by the end of the day it would cost me more in attorney fees that what we would get. Hed did inform me that he has sued Land Rover for the oil pump problem in past (in those cases he won/and it was under warranty). I also have contacted my friend at Depaul University Law to see if they would take it on as a class? I would love to get involved in a class action if anyone has the time/money. I am currently a broke medical resident w/ little time.

 

Have you read your warranty book about your legal rights after all else has been tried, you might want to.

 

That really sucks jark, a company should back their product a little better than that. I had a similar experience with Jeep a few years back when my throwout bearing broke when I had only 16,000 miles on my Wrangler. As your aware clutches, throwout bearings and brakes are not covered under warranty and it cost me over 800 bucks to have it fixed. I was pretty peeved and wrote them a letter but it did no good. They wouldn't even pay for my rental while the Jeep was getting repaired. So I know how you feel, used and abused. Good luck.

 

Sorry to hear about your loss. I hope it works out for you.

 

Jark, if I were you I'd file a Pro Se action in small claims court. It'll only cost you $50 or less and a couple hours of your time. They just might reconsider. No one buys a car expecting an oil pump to disentigrate at 36K miles. This goes to the 'fitness and merchantablity" standard that all products are expected to posess under our legal system.

 

It all comes down to ethics. And when you look at LR's track record it doesnt seem like they have a very high standard of ethics when it comes to stuff like this. If it were me my values would come into play and I would give a "good will" fix to you on the spot. But not everyone is like me.... I agree with looking into a small claims court, you might get something out of that and it wont cost you nearly as much.

 

Will they split the repair cost with you? You pay for the parts and they pay for labor?

 

Ifhis past casewas under warranty then what was the lawsuit needed for? Sounds fishy.

As for costing more in attorney's fees than it's worth, that's not always the case. Juries have awarded plaintiffs in similar situations the entire new cost of the vehicle, even several years later if the problem can be shown to be either recurring or a well known problem.

Being out $2K is probably hard to justify legal action on, but if the engine proves to not be "fine" and you end up with $7K in repairs, it would probably be worth your time to pursue it. The jury could award you the cost of your legalexpenses in addition to the settlement.

Dave

 

Jarkalina,

Go see posting by sigler12 entitled "2003 Discovery Oil Pressure Light Engine Failure ". His attorney is getting ready to file a lawsuit andreviewing it for possibleclass action. He gives a contact for his lawyer.

 

Jarkalina,

You've got to get over to Land Rover Only. There is a thread going over there titled "03 Discovery II Oil Pump Failure Engine Repacement Technical Alert" started by sigler12 that you'll enjoy.