There's no point going SC on them, but it's tempting...

[LesserSouthernFroglet]

I have a six year old Land Rover Defender 90. It's a tough as guts little truck, and I love it. However, the dealership is starting to bug me. This is in itself a fairly impressive feat, as I'm usually a calm, considerate little Froglet but today is just too much.

The clutch failed a couple of months ago. Peeved me no end (stuck on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere, at night, waiting for a tow for a couple of hours, $1600 to replace it at an independent shop) but these things happen.

A couple of weeks ago I had it in to the dealership for a service. The dealership stocks exactly 2 of each routine service replacement part - filters etc. This day, they had 3 Defenders to service. Guess who was # 3 off the block? Yup, lil ol' Froglet. Which means I had a service and had to rebook for a few weeks time to get the replacement bits, which should have been done at the service, actually replaced. Now, they're a busy dealership and service centre, and it takes several WEEKS to get a booking. So why, oh why, did they not realise they would run out of parts and, oh, I don't know, actually ORDER them in so a customer wouldn't have to pay twice?

After the service, they tell me there's an oil leak where the gear box joins the drive shaft - the gear box needs to be removed to replace the clutch. OK, I'll talk to Independent Shop. They also tell me they will need to replace the brake pads, oh and they didn't change the wiper blades like I asked, and they're on order too. I'm wondering what the hell they're actually charging me for...

So, I pay and book for two weeks' time to get the unreplaced replaceables replaced, the brake pads changed, and the wiper blades changed.

I return it to Independent Shop, no oil leak except near the sump plug, which is on Dealership.

Today is the big day. As I surrendered the keys I asked if there was a ballpark figure. Dude starts with "Well, when the brake pads are changed they have to re-seat the wheel bearings as it's all part of the wheel hub, and that's normally around $1700..." What the everloving F#ck???

Several jolts with the defibrillator and a few shots of adrenaline later my heart starts beating again. I question him at length, seems legit. OK, glad I asked, now I know I have to organise enough $$ to pay for this. Sheee-it, that's more expensive than the clutch replacement!

Two hours later, at work, my phone rings. They have the wrong brake pads. Can't get new ones till tomorrow. Do I really need my car tonight?

Well, unless you think walking home 30+ miles is a good idea, hell yes I need my car tonight.

I now have to take the car back in tomorrow, hope to hell they actually have the right bits (in the past they've had it down as a totally different model in their computer system which has caused all sorts of stuff-ups) and get it fixed. And I also get to hope like hairy hell that it's still in one drivable piece tonight so I can get home.



It would be easier to take the damn truck on the overnight ferry service to Melbourne and get it serviced there, I swear.

[Chromatix]

Weren't Land Rovers originally designed to be *easy* to service?

I think your dealer is screwing you over. You certainly shouldn't ave had to pay *twice* for one service conducted over two appointments, due solely to *their* error.

[LesserSouthernFroglet]

Yeah, that's what I thought.

I might have a few words to say tonight when I pick the car up - or tomorrow maybe, after its actually been finished.

[bainsidhe]

I totally agree with Chromatix. BTW, if you have an independent shop, why is the dealer performing the repairs? If I used a nearby Toyota dealer, I'd be charged an arm and a leg, and would be upsold on each and every option. If it's a repair my local mechanic can perform, I will always take it there first.

Even if, IF, your dealership isn't scamming you, it's ridiculous to keep getting the runaround and pay a service fee multiple times for something that was the dealer's fault. You need to complain to the manager, ask for the service fee to be waived and hell, ask for a discount on top of that. So long as you're not asking for something unreasonable, there is no reason they shouldn't discount the total based on the irritations you've endured. Asking for a discount does not automatically make a person sucky.

[LesserSouthernFroglet]

That's a point - and it is really easy to contact Head Office by phone or online too.

Well, an update of sorts. I clarified it is, indeed, discs and rotors. When I went in this morning I made it clear (politely and pleasantly - hey, you get more flies with honey than vinegar) that I was not best pleased and surely the run-around I've had deserves a bit of movement on price. The service manager agreed that yes, indeed, I do deserve some movement. time will tell.

I have a dozen big burly biker-type mates willing to go in and 'sort them out' in a far less pleasant fashion, but I think I've managed to stall them for now.

[csquared]

They wouldn't provide a loaner car so you would not have to make the trip again?

You need to start getting estimates from another shop.

[LesserSouthernFroglet]

I have another update.

I dropped the car in at the dealership yesterday to get the correct brakes fitted. Around lunchtime I got a call - the diff oil is leaking into the wheel bearings. Seals need to be replaced. None in stock and it will take until tomorrow to get them. Can't just put the wheels back on because all the reseating stuff will have to be redone.

I'm like Seriously dude?

He assures me they will have a loaner for me to take home, so I trundled back up to the dealership after work and picked it up.

Well, it wasn't the gorgeous $300K Jag I was hoping for, but it was pretty cool anyway. They sent me home in their demo Range Rover Evoque.

So far today no more messages about anything leaking, broken, frayed, worn or otherwise needing to be ordered. It's only 2:45pm though. Still plenty of time for the hammer to fall...

If my local independent spanner-man can get parts, I will be sticking with him in future.

[wolfie]

I have another update.

I dropped the car in at the dealership yesterday to get the correct brakes fitted. Around lunchtime I got a call - the diff oil is leaking into the wheel bearings. Seals need to be replaced. None in stock and it will take until tomorrow to get them. Can't just put the wheels back on because all the reseating stuff will have to be redone.

I call bullshit on this. In order to find out that the originally-ordered brakes were the wrong ones, they would have had to have taken things apart to the point that the leak would have been spotted (assuming rear axle - the diff oil would be leaking OUT of the wheel bearings). Seals don't go bad quickly enough to be OK when they had the wheels off the first time but leaking now (unless THEY damaged the seals).

[Rosco the Iroc]

Sorry to hear that but Land Rovers are the bane of repairable cars.
VW made me cringe, LR's made me laugh at you at AZ autoparts.

For what ever reason aftermarket parts are rare and OEM are rarer. They don't seem to hold up half as much as the myth. The LR's sold here are not the ones you want to trek across Africa with.

That dealer is a bad in it's own. Oil on the bearings. I would of said good and left.
How much. All axle seals will have some seepage.
Wrong brakes. Really. Most dealers use the same system that the vin is used. Kind of narrows it down.
Unless it's for a covered service I'd use the indy shop.

[LesserSouthernFroglet]

Finally, the epic ends...

Friday afternoon I picked up the truck. Everything done, washed and vacuumed, all leaks plugged.

The total cost was high, but much less than it could have been. They only charged me for 3 hours' work at trade cost, rather than the 8.5 hrs at regular cost. So they did 'look after me' and for that I'm happy.

Rosco, for some reason they had my landie down in their computer records as a much older model than it is. This surfaced around 6 months ago when I needed a new fuel cap. The one they gave me was for a 1980 or 1990 year model. I had them check their records and (supposedly) fix them.

She's all out of warranty now, so it's the Indy guy from here on.

[Minflick]

I have an excellent independent auto mechanic. Treats me well, love him, recommend him to all and sundry.

I had a '98 Rav4, with personalized plates on it. Traded it in for a 2015 Rav4, and transferred my plates to the new car, naturally. It's my NAME, of course I'm keeping the plates. They're 29 years old now, I'm [not] dumping them any time soon...

Their computer system took 3 times to successfully transfer the plates to the new car, with the correct year, correct VIN, etc. Possibly the first time they've had somebody do that? Dunno, but they kept plugging away until the computer stopped auto-correcting.

ETA - I can type, reely, I khan!