Thread: Puma frustation

Originally Posted by SVX37

Hey Scallops! I just range them........$1200! Just as you stated so no favours for me.

I rang Southern Cross too - they charge the same - don't know why the Melbourne dealers are so much cheaper.

Originally Posted by Lotz-A-Landies

Why doesn't LR get that issue.

I think it is because the Defender is an international model, supporting that you are supposed to be able drive it from here to the UK if you wanted to and during that trip you would likely be putting in some very low quality fuel compared to our standards. A TDV6 may be great for Australia and our diesel but travelling to other countries it might stop when feed junky fuel.

In any case it seems the new Defenders have some issues which is unfortunate as the rest of LRs model range is doing well at shaking the unreliable tag from its image. But then the Defender is the only new classic car you can buy and if you own a classic you're supposed to break down on the side of the road every so often.

I have said it before to LR themselves. If they wanted to compete with toy/niss in the defender range , fit them all with airbags and abs, every company that uses these comercial utes would be falling over themselves to buy a defender as most large companies and their subbie's have OH&S guidlines in place to only purchase the vehicle in the range/apllication they are looking at with abs/airbags. At the moment no large 4wd ute has these!(patrol cruiser, defender)
If LR wanted to go headon with toyota why not follow their lead and put a detuned TDV8, abs, 2 airbags( they had airbags in the disco in 1989 why not in a def 20years later?) into a defender at a price that would match the LEAF sprung toy. At the moment the price diff is around $7-10,000 with similar options surely puting in 2 airbags, abs in 130's( single and crew as business orders would flow) and a tdv8 would not cost more than $10k?

Originally Posted by inside

<snip>I think it is because the Defender is an international model, supporting that you are supposed to be able drive it from here to the UK if you wanted to and during that trip you would likely be putting in some very low quality fuel compared to our standards. A TDV6 may be great for Australia and our diesel but travelling to other countries it might stop when feed junky fuel.

<snip>

Try telling Dullbird and Muddymech that. LRA are getting upset if we drive our cars offroad, or even in the rain!!! How is the Puma supposed to be able to cope with crap fuel if it doesn't even have a decent sediometer/filter arrangement.

Tim

I am in the minority obviously. These are the faults so far with my Puma.
- Weeping Pinion seal on rear diff (that's OK my Tdi has one to match, will get fixed when next serviced)
- Loose door seal on driver's side rear door down the angle section (get fixed next service)
- Leak on driver's side door somewhere. It is very hard to find a leak when it is bucketing down rain which is also being blown almost horizontally against the side of the car. As I mentioned elsewhere, new Hilux down the road leaked a lot worse and is much harder to dry out. (will try an get fixed, have to find it again at next service)

And that's it! So far nothing else, drives well, fuel economy is improving after 11000km and in 6 weeks time it starts out on a 3 month trip. Doesn't use oil. As for what I've read on forums (or is that forii) about problems, the only one I am concerned about is the vacuum pump and I am procuring a spare for the trip.

The first 10 days of the vehicles life it did 4,500km with a Kimberley Kamper behind it. 630km of that was corrugated and very dust dirt road. Its now had all the oils changed except the gearbox at 5,000km (5 weeks old) and the engine oil and oil filter changed at 10,000km (6 months). If I drive it out of town it is on a dusty or muddy corrugated dirt track. It has clocked up a few km's on the beach having done about 6 trips out to Cape Arnhem on soft sand.

I think thats the problem Derek, they have the scope to be an absolutly brilliant vehicle. Some things could have been better, like the fuel filter arrangement I mentioned, but nearly all the people that have had trouble have been let down by dealer support and build quality.

Originally Posted by Scallops

Yes - just for warranty. I suspect LRA neither like me nor the fact that I take it to MR. But they only have themselves to blame - I've had to take my vehicle to MR to diagnose my issues (at my cost) so LR can fix them, so why would I trust LR to do the servicing?

PS - My dealer gave me a quote to do the next (40,000km) service - $1200.00

MR's quote - $500.00 - Get real LRA - $700.00 saved. And you know everything is done properly.

X2

The 80k service for the D2 from Austral was something like $1100.The vehicle had not actually done 80k,but the 4yrs was up.MR did the service PROPERLY
for $500 approx,including replacing the plastic filler plugs in the diffs with brass ones,and flushing & filling the auto with synthetic fluid,& doing the auto service.

Originally Posted by scarry

X2

The 80k service for the D2 from Austral was something like $1100.The vehicle had not actually done 80k,but the 4yrs was up.MR did the service PROPERLY
for $500 approx,including replacing the plastic filler plugs in the diffs with brass ones,and flushing & filling the auto with synthetic fluid,& doing the auto service.

Exactly - and congratulations on making "Wizard"!