Thread: Rear diff issues

Hey guys I have a 2010 Defender 130. Has only travelled 55,600 and the rear diff has been changed under warranty 3 times already. The car is still under warranty as it wasn't sold until 2011 some time. This is basically a family car we take camping. Not used for work. I'm now the stay at home dad with 2 kids under 3. This was my wife's car until recently when she has gone back to work. Now I use it
The diffs aren't failing but become very noisy. Usually at a tad over 100 km/h when backing off it howls in a kinda high pitched way. The first one was that noisy we had to yell at each other in the front seats just to hear one another.
Standard height, standard tyres (just changed them recently to the same size Hancook mud terrains), standard everything else except for the bolt on stuff. I'm not doing anything crazy off road as its still in standard form so no dints or scratches even.


I've had a fair battle every time I have taken it back into Land Rover for them to have a look at it. After the first diff was changed and the second became noisy, I took it back 6 times and every time was told it was the tyres! Eventually some one decided it was the transfer case that was noisy. I honestly think they changed it just for the sake of changing something. I tried to explain that I wasn't the transfer but they insisted that they're head mechanic had taken it for a drive and it was the transfer making the noise.
So it was booked back in they changed the transfer case and I took it home. Still the noise was there. Nothing different. I took it straight back.
They ordered a new rear diff. Changed that and apparently the one they changed it for was noisier than the one they took out. (I didn't drive it so I cant comment)
They ordered another diff, along with rear hubs axles bearing the lot (they come as a complete set) I took it home and it was quiet for about 3 weeks (No 4wding at all, just road driving) I rang and was told it might just be the tyres as I had just changed them to mud terrains. So I bit my tongue and put up with it for another month or so. Progressively getting noisier.
I then changed the tyres for some standard ones from another mate with a defender. Still very noisy but much more noticeable as the tyres are much quieter.
I took it back yesterday and took another guy for a drive and yep its definitely noisy.
I've had many conversations with Land Rover Australia and the service manager at the Land Rover I take it too. My understanding of what they're going to do next is PUT ANOTHER STANDARD DIFF IN IT. The last one with axles and hubs didn't even last 5,000 road km's
I don't want to have to take this back again for the same problem


I know there is a fix. But I cannot afford putting a maxi drive in the rear end nor should I have too!


Has any one else had the same issues with these?
Cheers
Dan

Can you go to another dealer? The service advisor s generally don't know anything, see if you can deal direct with the service manager as I do in Canberra. It seems unlikely that you could get 3 bung diffs, so it has to be something else..bent housing, backlash, rear diff housing geometry/setup...?
My old 2010 130 had a flogging and never a diff issue..if you have no luck I would start to put some serious pressure on land rover Australia...good luck