My D4's Reliability (or lack thereof)

Lance Dixon at Doncaster in Melbourne are good when you annoy them often enough. I had leaking suspension on D4 and after 1 week off the road and the problems still persisiting I call Land Rover Austrlia and they were fantastic, organised loan car FOC, organised dealer and 3 weeks later car was ready and problem fixed- leaking cross-link and airbag. 200 series Land Cruisers are not what they pretend to be- mate's one was off the road for 8 weeks with buggered transmission and transfer case (brand new) and has to go to Sydney to Toyota- no one else is allowed to open up the transmissions. Also now speaker is blown, battery has gone flat, and at the end of the day it is $100k+ car that looks like a Camry inside and out! Don't be tempted they are no longer the 80 series we all think they are.:)

AFAIK no roadside assist services covers bridge tolls or ferry fees, I know when NRMA took my RRc to a specialist repairer, they took my eTag off the screen and used it to pay the Bridge toll.

While I hate motorway tolls in Sydney, there is always another route you can take without the toll. What I find interesting is that the Qld government is happy to have roads and houses on places like Russell Island, and charge the residents rates and taxes, but turn around and refuse to provide access between the island and the rest of the Qld roads network.

Would LR Assist recover you from Frazer and other Qld islands if you paid the toll?

Gordon I know what you are saying and no I dont know of any other manufacturer who offers this service - but I was promised by LR that they would get me on beaches etc as noted in the post above and it seems they no longer do that.

The point is that if the vehicles are to be used for what they are designed (and advertised) for they should be backed up....ie when they are failing.

They dont need to buy 4wd recovery trucks. They dont buy 2wd service vehicles - they rely, like very other manufacturer I can think of, on the RACQ, RACV etc - ie the automobile clubs in each state - to do the work for them. So for eg on Fraser Island the RACQ have access to tow truck operators (often seen with Cruiser on them :)) who have 4wd recovery slide trays that will go and get people who are stuck/broken down.

So LR can do it...they just choose not to because they are worried it will cost them too much...and in so doing they are letting people down. Most people would think that they would be assisted off road, but it would seem not to be the case (anymore).

Cheers

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Originally Posted by ozscott

Gordon I know what you are saying and no I dont know of any other manufacturer who offers this service

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Good, remember that statement.

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Originally Posted by ozscott

So for eg on Fraser Island the RACQ have access to tow truck operators (often seen with Cruiser on them :)) who have 4wd recovery slide trays that will go and get people who are stuck/broken down.

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And are these services used by Toyota/Nissan/LR? Or are they premium services? I got recovered out of a lake once, by a 4WD tow-truck, so yes, I know they're available. But it cost me $650 for a 10 min recovery. If Toyota can't afford it, how do you expect LR to?

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Originally Posted by ozscott

So LR can do it...they just choose not to because they are worried it will cost them too much...and in so doing they are letting people down. Most people would think that they would be assisted off road, but it would seem not to be the case (anymore).
Cheers

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Boy you really have it in for LR, don't you? No, I don't think they're letting people down - I think people's expectations for a "ROAD SIDE ASSISTANCE" service might be a little out of the ball-park. If your LR dealer told you he would personally recover you from the middle of some swamp, then hold him personally to it (and I hope you got it in writing). But you can't just pack a couple of cans of coke in the car and head off to the Simpson expecting to be collected when things go wrong.

I have clients who HAVE been recovered via LRA in desert situations, but that was down to the individual contractor's willingness to do it, not a corporate policy. No corporate assist package will cover you - and I don't think they could or can - but blame one, then blame them all, NOT just LR.

Cheers,

Gordon

Maybe if you need 4wd recovery you should find some friends. :)

We have done many mad recoverys from way way down the west coast of Tassie. you just need a few mates and a sense of adventure. Our last 3 day weekend took 5 days with 2 trips to recover a Ford Bronco (big heavy American heap of rubbish). We had to return with parts and replace the whole rear axle assembly to tow out. Nothing like 110 kmh on a snatch strap.

There always great bonding sessions when the boys have to dig deep and pull together.

my 2 cents worth
Cheers

It's absurd to say I have it in for .LR if you dropped down to the other boards and I own 2. I will make no.further adverse comments about .LR Gordon don't worry I know it gets you all defensive

Cheers

I know my D4 is only 6 months old,but it is the only LR i have ever bought new ( i have had 4 previously) that has not been back to the stealer with some type of issue in the first 6 months of ownership:)

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Originally Posted by gghaggis

Good, remember that statement.


And are these services used by Toyota/Nissan/LR? Or are they premium services? I got recovered out of a lake once, by a 4WD tow-truck, so yes, I know they're available. But it cost me $650 for a 10 min recovery. If Toyota can't afford it, how do you expect LR to?



Boy you really have it in for LR, don't you? No, I don't think they're letting people down - I think people's expectations for a "ROAD SIDE ASSISTANCE" service might be a little out of the ball-park. If your LR dealer told you he would personally recover you from the middle of some swamp, then hold him personally to it (and I hope you got it in writing). But you can't just pack a couple of cans of coke in the car and head off to the Simpson expecting to be collected when things go wrong.

I have clients who HAVE been recovered via LRA in desert situations, but that was down to the individual contractor's willingness to do it, not a corporate policy. No corporate assist package will cover you - and I don't think they could or can - but blame one, then blame them all, NOT just LR.

Cheers,

Gordon

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Beg to differ Gordon. Have you noticed the difference in price purchasing a D4 in Australia Vs the UK. They are price gouging off us, their poor antipode cousins. At least they could pretend to justify the difference by offering a comprehensive service, They would still have 5 figures of additional profit selling in Australia V UK

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Originally Posted by ozscott

I would say they might exclude recovering the vehicle if it was on fire Gordon but you can't keep a straight face and say it is reasonable that they only come to assist where it's 2wd access ...

Cheers

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Yeah, any gazetted road should be fair game, including Fraser Is beaches etc

Gordon's right. I think there needs to be a bit of reality checking here. First, these are VERY complex machines. Which in part is what makes them so capable. And also what makes them so pleasurable and desirable.
I've had more problems with my 2010 3.0 RRS than most. Next week, the dealer has it for a full week, doing a total engine replacement, after only 31,000km.
Yes, annoying. It's been with the dealer six times in the last six months. BUT...if you're polite, reasonable, understanding (hell, it's not THEIR product, they're just supporting it) and willing to work with them, I find they bend over backwards for you.
All cars have problems. I'll bet Toyota and Nissan owners could fill these forums with their vehicles' faults too.
But let's be thankful that Land Rover has become hugely profitable, and thus able and willing to support their owners to the nth degree.
My car must have cost LRA upwards of $35,000 in warranty work so far, without a squeak of protest or an ounce of push-back. You've got to give them credit for that. I've had lots of new cars over the years, and I've never had such absolute no-questions-asked service.
Sure, they're complicated, imperfect, sometimes infuriating, but always a marvel.
If you want completely trouble-free, brainless motoring, buy a Corolla. If you want something interesting, desirable, sometimes worrying, always rewarding, you've already got it.
And let's not forget, the issues and problems we're talking about here were par-for-the-course 30 or 40 years ago for even the most basic and simple of vehicles. LR vehicles are pushing the outside of the envelope with each new model. The price you pay for that is imperfection.

Anyhow, gotta go. There's a beige Camry I've got to look at...might even have cup-holders...