First off, let me say—I loved this car. The looks, the performance, and especially how well it handled in the snow on our ski runs. I also really liked how the diesel drove (though I know that’s a personal preference). Bought it in 2020 with around 7K miles and never looked back.



I was aware of Land Rover’s reputation for reliability issues but figured most of the horror stories were overblown. At the time of purchase, the main concerns I saw were windshield leaks and older diesel engine issues, so I took the plunge. Over the years, we did deal with the usual Discovery quirks—windscreen leak, sunroof leak, random trim falling off, transfer case roughness—but we still loved the car and stuck with it. All work was done at the dealership except for a few oil changes, which I did at 5K-mile intervals (except for one that stretched to around 10K).



And then… total engine failure at 39K miles (a few months out of warranty)



We were driving on the freeway when I noticed a subtle vibration, almost like rough pavement. No warning lights, no major symptoms. It briefly went away, then suddenly got noticeably worse—the engine got loud, and power started dropping fast. Had it towed to JLR, and here’s what they found:

• Tons of metal in the oil filter

• Oil level was 2.5 quarts high

• Diagnosis: “Overfilled oil at last change led to total engine failure.”

• Solution: A brand-new engine for $35K (parts & labor). 😵



Checking the receipts…



At first, I panicked—did I mess up the oil change? But I had receipts showing I bought the correct amount of oil, always double-checked what came out with an extractor, and made sure the digital readout matched. Plus, JLR had done their complimentary inspection three times since my last oil change, and each time, the oil level was marked as fine—the last check was two months before the failure.



Hypothesis: Fuel Dilution from the DPF?



My guess is that fuel got into the oil, not that it was overfilled. I’m planning to get the oil analyzed to see if diesel contamination explains the extra 2.5 quarts. I know oil dilution is a known issue with these diesels, especially in cars driven mostly on short trips (school runs). I now realize that’s not great for a DPF-equipped diesel engine…



Also, I was bummed to learn that while the car can detect an oil overfill in the system menus, it doesn’t display a warning on the main interface—which seems like an easy software fix if the risk is total engine failure.



What are my options?



A $35K repair is insane, and while JLR offered $10K goodwill, I can’t justify spending $25K on a car that’s only worth $25K. Has anyone had luck pushing JLR for more coverage in situations like this?



Class action lawsuits?



I also found class action suits for TDV6 diesels in Australia and the UK, plus one for Range Rovers in the U.S.. Has anyone heard of anything for U.S. Discovery models?



Any advice or insight would be appreciated!

 

I don't know what part of the US you are, but $35K is way to expensive for replacement engine.

1. Look for another shop.
2. Do it yourself.
3. take the loss

Sorry for your loss

 

I would see if you can put a remanufactured engine or a used engine from a junkyard in the vehicle, you could likely purchase for $8-10K. I would also recommend not doing the work through JLR as they will completely price gouge you and will only recommend new. I have put remanufactured engines in plenty of cars over the years and have had nothing but a great experience. They typically come with a warranty and any reputable mechanic should also warranty their work. If you go that route I would suggest tracking down the original VIN number to see how the service intervals were on the used engine and making your best judgement there. Sorry for the hassle, good luck!

 

Stories like this are why I always get oil changes at dealerships until the warranty is expired. Unless you can find some evidence to disprove their diagnosis I don't think you have any other options. If you don't go through a JLR dealer you will likely not get the 10k offer from LR. You might get 1k for it as it sits, or spend the 25k and drive it for 10 plus years to reap the benefits. I would insist the new engine and labor come with some sort of warranty similar to the factor powertrain warranty. Or maybe ask JLR to throw in a new dpf system if you agree to the engine purchase. As others have said, you can search for a used engine but there are no guaranties it want have issues. It will likely be an 8-10k engine plus 3k or more for labor.

 

Thanks for all the replies and good suggestions. I'm definitely not getting the work done with them at this point as it pains me to toss any more money in that direction. Good thought to hunt around for a good used engine and go from there.

Regarding the oil changes, I hear that. It just pains me to spend 300-400 for the oil change when I can do it for just the oil cost. I "think" I have them convinced it can be a poor oil change as their own courtesy check was ok right after I changed it and the oil analysis should show that the extra volume was fuel and not just more oil.

merging a separate thread, but I'm also a bit frustrated as it sounds like the "service engine now" message comes on early if the car has a number of DPF regens and dilutes the oil. I took it to JLR and they refused to reset it since "they didn't do the oil change" and told me just to change the oil at the normal internal. the 6k I drove from the last wasn't substantial but makes me wonder if and when that message would have popped up based on the driving conditions.

 

OP, that is tragic to hear indeed. Are you in touch with JLR-NA, or just the dealer?
I recall reading some folks escalated this sort of issue further up the chain, to get better results.
These stories do tremendous damage to the brand, and I hope the JLR takes it seriously.

Please keep us posted on what you do next. All the best.

 

Thank you appreciate that. Unfortunately I have been and my experience with their customer center hasn't been great. While they are willing to offer something, it's something from a huge number and any request for escalation has gone no where.

I'm hoping I can find some local shops that have quotes much lower and go for one of those

 

where are you located? hopefully one of the members may know a recommended LR specialist.

 

Located in SF Bay Area. I did get a quote from a Jaguar 3rd party service center with a reman motor and that came out to be around 29k. Still feels high especially without root cause diagnosis of the issue.

 

try these folks for a second opinion
https://www.yelp.com/biz/cerrones-european-redwood-city