TLDR: "My question is, is this too good to be true? Should I not trust a Buick dealer shop to do timing chains on an LR4?":

Hi! I've been lurking for a while and am thankful for all the info I've gleaned from this forum. I've been trying to buy an LR4 for a few months and I finally made a deposit on one I thought was perfect. I've done a lot of research and decided I'd get a 2013 LR4 because of the updated timing chain tensioner design. I'm a sucker for a naV8 and the 2013s seemed to be the top of my price range and hopefully the most reliable (touch wood). I drove ~3hrs to see a few in the Philly/NJ area and while up there I went to see one that was recently traded in at a Buic dealership. It hadn't been "processed" yet but I was up there and it checked most of my boxes so I went to see it before they had put up photos. It has pretty decent service history with a water pump job around 40K and nothing else major, all at LR dealerships. Corris Grey 90K miles, HSE Lux. Well, it was in straight enough order but clearly needed lower control arms done and it had a check engine light on. It sounded good to me, no real ticks from the engine and it drove totally fine. So the sales rep said they'd fix anything they found wrong with it and sort everything out if I wanted it. It was a great price relative to all the other's I'd looked at, too. So i made a "risk free" deposit on it and waited to hear what they intended to fix, knowing I could back out if I didn't like what I heard.

So today, they tell me they just ordered the parts to replace the water pump, the LCAs, and... the timing chains. They're going to do all these fixes for the originally agreed price of about $23K, no extra charge to fix everything. My question is, is this too good to be true? Should I not trust a Buick dealer shop to do timing chains on an LR? For context, they are just down the street from the LR dealer and had LR do the diagnostics to see what needed to be done, and to order the parts. The Buick shop will do the work. They're going to sell me a 3rd party extended warranty, too. So that's a safety net(?) LMK if anyone has thoughts on a 3rd party warranty.

Any thoughts are appreciated!

 

Do you know why they're replacing the timing chains? The '13 models had the factory updated parts that were much better than the 11-12 model years.

 

I'm a bit skeptic about another dealership trying to work on a Land Rover, but I would say that Buick is trying to take care of you, which is awesome. I would for sure say that the 3rd party warranty is for a peace of mind.

Also, depends on the 3rd party warranty. I lucked out with mine when I got it with the dealership, where it was literally bumper-to-bumper warranty and my deductible was only $100. Forgot who it was from, but I utilized it several times and was lucky to have it, including water pump, LCAs, and other wear and tear stuff.

ALL LR4s are susceptible to timing chain failure due to the timing chain tensioners and guides. The '13 and up had updated tensioners and guides, but they're not that much better.

 

I'm a poster here on the forums and landed here as I researched whether the 2013 and newer models were "free" from the timing chain tensioner issues of the 2010-2012 because I'd read that mid-2012 they started fixing the issue at the factory.

So, it sounds like you might have some insight on this - so 2013s are "fixed" but are still an issue? If you were looking at a 2013 would you still be worried about it or if it was well taken care of would you feel way more comfortable than a similar 2012?

Thanks!

 

Would like to get an proper answer to this question also!

 

All timing chains wear out. Even the updated ones need to be replaced before 100k. The buick dealer wont even be able to get the crankwheel off. Let alone be able to do the timing chains. You need a special tool to get the wheel off, then you need a special tool to pull the injectors, then you need a special tool to set the cams up while you change the chains.

 

. Welcome to the world of Land Rover. As all of us know… you’ve got to pay, to play.

I concur, great of them to look after you and with the warranty, what’s the problem?

Whether you take the extended warranty or not, there will be other maintenance issues. Do you want to pay up front with a warranty, or at the shop when the issues occur?