Thread: My D4's Reliability (or lack thereof)

Originally Posted by ozscott

If the vehicles have a good build and have a low failure rate recovering the odd one in the middle of nowhere is hardly going to break the manufacturers bank . I am not talking getting bogged I am talking things like engine failure. I can see why Ferrari or alfa isn't going to be paying to get your car if it breaks down on a beach at moreton island or Fraser hut I cant for the life of me see why if we want to use our genuine OFFROADER (wait for it...) OFFROAD breakdown (not 'bogdown') should not extend to that.

Cheers

Are you really entirely missing my point, or just playing about? If you have ANY form of breakdown (bogged, engine, tyre, whatever) and you're on an isolated 4WD track, how is a tow-truck going to get to you?? Even if it's a 4WD truck, how can the operators guarantee that they'll be able to go where you've gone (and if you're driving a D4, that could be pretty out-there!!). Your thinking of only one situation - beach driving.

And note that the individual recovery crews would need to be certified for 4WD operations. Short of a Chinook, it's not feasible to extend free guaranteed recovery to 4WD situations. No manufacturer offers that service for free - why do you think LR should?

It's not the individual recoveries that would cost a company. It's the maintaining of the infrastructure such that you could guarantee it. For example, you can't have a single 4WD recovery crew "just in case" - suppose there are two recoveries required at the same time on opposite sides of the country? Your guarantee to recover would be expected to cover both of them.

From there, it doesn't take much cognitive effort to see that the argument extends to "x" number of 4WD recovery crews, until x is quite a sizeable number. So it's immaterial whether you're talking of one or hundreds of recoveries.

Cheers,

Gordon

The policy only covers 60km of free towing anyway, so its no skin off their bottom line where you are distance-wise...
I guess for starters recovery/remobilising due to bogging or mech failure, and actually towing/flatbedding out of remote country are different prospects.
I still don't know how Deano could have avoided calling the cavalry, and he was hardly out the back of Rudall NP...

Again, no infrastructure necessary - they already contract to RACQ etc who have 4wd breakdown contractors. My argument is not confined to LR. You can cut it 3 ways from Sunday, but they should have assisted him at Moreton. Cheers


Ps

Originally Posted by ozscott

Again, no infrastructure necessary - they already contract to RACQ etc who have 4wd breakdown contractors. My argument is not confined to LR. You can cut it 3 ways from Sunday, but they should have assisted him at Moreton. Cheers


Ps

In what locations do RAC (Q, WA, SA etc) have 4WD breakdown contractors? And do RACQ provide this service for free? If so, then yes, you can argue that LRA could avail themselves of it, if the breakdown occurs in the stated covered areas.

If you can't be bothered reading the fine print, or just for peace of mind, ask Roadside Assist if they'll recover you BEFORE you head out to a particular area! Just like asking what's covered with any insurance policy. No point crying foul after the event - it rarely gets you anywhere.

How many people have actually read the assist policy? If you're going to depend upon it, don't you think you should?

Cheers,

Gordon

No they are no free - RACQ charges LR for the tow, using approved contractors in remote areas, just like they charge back to LR for tarmac breakdowns - both the patrol that might attend and get the vehicle going (less and less likely these days) and tow trucks. Gone are the days of the average bod solving an off road breakdown themselves - vehicle are just so complex and often even the experts with all the gear have problems. I have expressed my opinion and dont think I can add to it. What I do know is that I would be bitterly annoyed and disappointed if I had spent some serious coin on a new Toyota, LR etc and took it over to Moreton (again hardly the arse end of the world) and it chucked a wobbly on the Western beach and (despite that you can see the skyscrapers of Brisbane) I was told sorry you are on your own until its back in 2wd territory.

Anyway, thats me done for this debate because clearly there will be differences of opinion about what the backup for a genuine 4wd vehicle should be.

Cheers