Thread: 3 Zone Climate Control is not fit for purpose for Australian conditions?

"You will find better (ACTUAL) 3 zone aircon in a $40,000 Kia Grand Carnival or a $60,000 Ford Everest."

Yep, heard that exact same thing many times about the accessories packages (ie expensive) on many Land Rovers. Recently some friends of mine went looking at D5's to replace their current D4 and they loved the D5. What they didn't love was the price fully fitted out the way they wanted it (including 4 zone aircon) as it was being bought through work. Ended up doing a cost benefit analysis and bought a Kia instead as they will never use the D5's offroad ability.

They were the ones who told me about the air con (your exact problem) and if I ever buy a D5 in the future, it will definitely have the full package. Land Rover Australia really needs it's butt kicked for this one.

And that’s who the problem is LRA not LR itself.

LRA builds its options lists for our market, then screws the punters for everything it can

Dealers can only work with what’s offered here which is sometimes very poor.

I read somewhere the current restrictions on importing new private vehicles into Australia were going to be relaxed in the future. I doubt that will affect the majority of buyers here, but for the real fanatics/enthusiasts, it would open up a much wider market from which to find the perfect spec car.
If LRA insists on putting massive premiums on the option list, we may be able to simply buy direct from the UK, Japan, SE Aisa, etc. And with the new TFT based dashboards, I'm sure the car can be 'australianised' (km/hr instead of mph speedo) without too much hassle.

Won't help you with your climate control though

Well, haven't we turned into a tasty mob of wimps over the last 30 or so years. whinging and moaning about the quality of air conditioning in the third row of seats. No so long ago we would have been saying "Wow, that car has air conditioning, and in a 4WD too."

Try doing the Diamantina mail run in high summer in an overloaded overheating 4 ton Dodge or Bedford. We used to think we were flash if we had a dashboard fan. Heater/demister for below zero Channel Country winter mornings? I wish. Very few of those about until they were mandated by the ADR's.

Originally Posted by Bigbjorn

Well, haven't we turned into a tasty mob of wimps over the last 30 or so years. whinging and moaning about the quality of air conditioning in the third row of seats. No so long ago we would have been saying "Wow, that car has air conditioning, and in a 4WD too."

Try doing the Diamantina mail run in high summer in an overloaded overheating 4 ton Dodge or Bedford. We used to think we were flash if we had a dashboard fan. Heater/demister for below zero Channel Country winter mornings? I wish. Very few of those about until they were mandated by the ADR's.

It's about expectations and misleading product description's. Stating that a car has a 3 zone climate control when it actually ISN'T is false and misleading. When you pay $133,000 for a car with the "cache" of Landrover you expect a certain level of integrity which in the case of the climate system has been seriously marred.

I'd be complaining about this issue if it were in a $30,000 Isuzu as well (although I'd be less upset because of the hit to my hip pocket) - it's the principle of basing a decision on a product description that isn't fit for purpose.

Like buying a 6 cylinder car with only 5. You'd be angry.

Originally Posted by meremortal

It's about expectations and misleading product description's. Stating that a car has a 3 zone climate control when it actually ISN'T is false and misleading. When you pay $133,000 for a car with the "cache" of Landrover you expect a certain level of integrity which in the case of the climate system has been seriously marred.

I'd be complaining about this issue if it were in a $30,000 Isuzu as well (although I'd be less upset because of the hit to my hip pocket) - it's the principle of basing a decision on a product description that isn't fit for purpose.

Like buying a 6 cylinder car with only 5. You'd be angry.

If the goods are not fit for purpose then you can proceed against the vendor under The Sale of Goods Act.

Originally Posted by Bigbjorn

If the goods are not fit for purpose then you can proceed against the vendor under The Sale of Goods Act.

I know and I've considered it - still may if these last issues aren't fixed to my satisfaction. However these things take time and I already have a lot of work on at the moment. I don't need the headache/time of a minor legal battle right now (and finding a new car - potentially jumping out of the frying pan into the fire) so for now I've decided to see how they go repairing the other problems and then just resolving to live with the ****ty aircon, aiming to let go of the car after 3 or 4 years rather than enjoying it for 6 plus and making it a member of the family.

Landrover have done themselves out of a lifelong customer with me - I was all ready to love this car for years and then upgrade to a Range Rover Sport or Vogue in years to come but such is life.

I will be writing a letter to Landrover letting them know of my discontent however that's more in the hope they address this issue for future models than getting my money back or compensation. I just want them to know.

Originally Posted by veebs

I read somewhere the current restrictions on importing new private vehicles into Australia were going to be relaxed in the future. I doubt that will affect the majority of buyers here, but for the real fanatics/enthusiasts, it would open up a much wider market from which to find the perfect spec car.
If LRA insists on putting massive premiums on the option list, we may be able to simply buy direct from the UK, Japan, SE Aisa, etc. And with the new TFT based dashboards, I'm sure the car can be 'australianised' (km/hr instead of mph speedo) without too much hassle.

Won't help you with your climate control though

Unfortunately that proposal was dropped after representations to the Government from ..... the motor industry. What a surprise.

Government changes direction on private ‘parallel’ import plan