Land Rovers unreliable but the brand’s still strong

I’m really surprised by the unreliability results of Land rover. The two recent Land Rover products I’ve owned ( a Td5 Discovery and Range Rover TDV8 Vogue, both bought new) have been totally reliable over 60K mileage (Discovery) and 40K mileage (R.R.)

I’ve owned several so-called "Prestige" marques from BMW, Mercedes and Audi but the Land Rovers are much better built and more reliable.

Every year it is pretty clear which manufacturers win the reliability awards. There is really no excuse for others to meet this standard as each manufacturer would probably boast that they have the most advanced manufacturing systems and quality control. So is it component design that is the issue ? Possibly ! My 17 year old son recently had a 52 plate Peugeot 206 as his first car. This car seems to tick a lot of boxes – style , versatility and small engine. However we quickly encountered problems I did not foresee until we drove the car for a while. Wobbly gearstick and clunky gearchange and an indicator stalk that does its own thing in changing to left after turning right are just one of the common issues ! The internet is of course a wonderful thing and checking quickly showed these are all common problems. Changing the gear linkage was pretty easy and around £70 for parts from a Peugeot dealer. The indicator mechanism is one whole unit though and costs £240ish exc labour – although it is easy to remove the airbag ( following safety precautions) steeering wheel etc and do it yourself. The point is here that, in my opinion these are both design issues. So much so my dealer tells me they sell several of each every week. The next point is after sales. If there are common issues why don’t manufacturers recognise this, modify the deign and make replacements much cheaper ? So – is it all down to design and of course….cost ?

Drivers of budget brands tend to have to justify their purchase by praising their vehicles in survey’s such as this. Drivers of premium brands potentially are busy both work-wise and socially and therefore do not necessarily have the time to feed back in a Which? kind of way. That is of course unless they have a gripe with the product, in which case they then ‘find’ the time.

This means that data such as this needs to be taken with a pinch of salt……….

Is someone more or less likely to complain about a Thompson Holiday or a night at The Grovsner on a site such as this? I think you get my point!

Hope this is ‘on topic’ for this site.
As an 81 year old I find the system whereby the Blue Disability Parking Badge has to be re-applied for (not renewed) every three years, including a ‘passport style’ photograph and a fee, a pain.
Compare this with the driving licence renewal, also every three years. The renewal form is sent (you do not have to remember that it is about to lapse) every three years, after you reach 70; a reply paid envelope is provided, and so far no new photograph has been requested.
Whilst I see the point for younger drivers; their disability may have improved to the extent that they no longer qualify, But what are the chances of a disabled 70+year old improving to that extent? I would also think that a 70 year old looks recognisably the same person even after as much as 20 years, and a fresh photo is totally unnecessary.
The irritation of the ‘how long is a piece of string’ type questions on the form are also a trial (- and the goalposts keep moving).

As a farmer my husband has had several Defenders and 2 Discoverys, but only for their off road abilities and towing capacities. The Discoverys basically ‘died’ at 70,000 miles, but only after we had spent far too time and money much fixing lesser problems in them. My main niggle with them was that, try as you might it was impossible to pressure wash one without getting the interior wet – very wet! He’s now given up on Land Rover altogether!

Down here in Australia, I have just gone from my Land Rover to a small Chevrolet (Holden) Cruze. During and after 77,000 kilometres, my Land Rover Discovery 3 has had the following repairs:
New front diff / New back diff / ZF transmission rebuilt @ AUD$10,000 / new front ball joints / 4 new air suspension compressors / new battery / new horn / new electronic park brake / new Air Conditioner servo motor / new radiator overflow tank / new tailgate door lock / short in fog light wiring / new auto dimming interior mirror / new windscreen (faulty attachment point for auto lights on device / alloy wheels corroding / worn out control arm bushes / worn tie rod ends / worn steering rack.

The D3 is the best four wheel drive I have ever driven. But it is the worst car I have ever owned. Forty years ago when I was an apprentice in the motor trade, we all thought English cars were rubbish…. it is obvious they still are in terms of quality.

I simply cannot recommend the Land Rover to anybody.

Garage Myths and folks that complete Car Surveys – all very Hans Andersen.

British cars and motorbikes are rubbish – German cars are brilliantly designed engineering marvels and Japanese motorbikes dull but utterly reliable. Those statements are congested with Brobdingnagian falsehoods upon which the misguided public gorge themselves daily. They should be consigned to the eternal rubbish bin, unfortunately however they continuously regurgitate in the seedy pages & forums of the tabloid press and social networking websites like so many other snippets of so called “reality”.

I have been motoring for over 42yrs during which time I have own many British and Italian cars & motorbikes – all purchased from new and regularly serviced by trusted professionals. If I’d have believed the stories related to me by much more knowledgeable (automotive) friends and colleagues I’d have spent the majority of my high mileage life residing on the hard shoulder awaiting a recovery vehicle. I have not.

So Land Rover please continue to have the persistence to retain a firm grip on the bedrock of the Which Car Reliability Survey, for such resilience is evident every time our Land Rover completes it’s quotidian task without mishap. And I have every confidence that it will remain so.

There is bad about everything. I own 4 rovers, oldest of which is a 92 rrc with 312k and a 98 d1 with 258k both of which look and drive as if they were only a few years old. Best older cars I’ve ever owned…my 03 has had a few niggles but nothing worse than I’ve had from a Ford or Chevy…who wants all that cheap plastic anyway. They aren’t all great but I think the majority of the bad rep is not deserved. Nothing really does what a rover does is why people still buy them. Jeeps a r e horribly cheap