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Home > Technical (L405) > front knuckle cracking

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woodyrvf750

Member Since: 10 Jul 2023
Location: Stratford Upon Avon
Posts: 41

You don't need crack detection spray to see that!

4th Sep 2025 11:46am

Mike T

Member Since: 27 Feb 2024
Location: Kent
Posts: 13

2016 Range Rover Autobiography SDV8 Mariana Black

Hi all. I can add my 2016 car to this list of cracks. Fortunately it was a crack and not a failure! I regularly check both knuckles for these cracks with no sign of anything one month ago but on 19th August I spotted a crack on the nearside - these develop fast!
I contacted my local MD and was referred to JLR Customer Care as my car is outside of JLR's recall VIN range. JLR Customer Care opened a case and asked I book the car into my local MD for inspection. What JLR could not do was give me any assurances that this would be covered by the recall because the VIN is outside of the range, despite displaying the issue which prompted the recall....
In the meantime they wanted £240 to carry out the inspection and the car for two days. My issue is that the Range Rover is my only car and that I could not continue driving with the risk of a failure, obviously.
It was the lack of assurance that prompted me to replace the knuckle myself. The inspection cost alone goes a long way toward the cost of the knuckle.
I did the work myself and it is all pretty straightforward, with the correct tools, and I will also add that the driveshaft also needed replacement as was well and truly STUCK in the hub! 12 tons of vertical press could not even begin to persuade the two to part ways!
In the end I could have faced the cost of the inspection, knuckle and driveshaft plus LR's labour rates. I realise that I cannot expect JLR to help me further with this particular case but I do not have a full MD service history or warranty to jeopardise so the risk of the high cost made my mind up to resolve this myself.
I have also lodged a Vehicle Safety Defect Report with the DVSA. When I explained the steps I took to JLR Customer Care they did not seem surprised and reminded me that they may need to inspect the removed knuckle as part of the DVSA's investigation.
One final point. Ignoring the reasons for my own decision to avoid the risk of JLR not covering these costs I will say that dealing with JLR Customer Care has been a positive experience with responsive and polite staff answering my calls and emails.

9th Sep 2025 11:22am

woodyrvf750

Member Since: 10 Jul 2023
Location: Stratford Upon Avon
Posts: 41

Any progress with JLR Poland?

Robbie993 wrote:

oooooops... normally I like cracks.. but not this one!

noooo way I'm going on the Autobahn home with this. Left it at the dealer abroad, and took the plane home. They will let me know.... fingers crossed. By the way: 2015 and in the VIN range.

I checked last year, no crack, and now, this crack. It develops fast!

Click image to enlarge

How are you getting on "Robbie993"? As this is not a UK registered car I wonder if the UK recall applies, even though it is within the VIN range..

9th Sep 2025 3:39pm

Mikey

Member Since: 10 Jan 2008
Location: Dundee
Posts: 1862

So, the fix now, is to fit a clamp over the top of the knuckle, so you can't see if it's cracked

Click image to enlarge

9th Sep 2025 6:57pm

Haylands

Member Since: 04 Mar 2014
Location: East Yorkshire
Posts: 8794

2014 Range Rover Autobiography SDV8 Loire Blue

Interesting, looks like it will be very close to the tyre.....

Not being on the list but with a 2014, do you know if you can you buy these and fit yourself to strengthen it up...? Pete
__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
-Click here for Thread-
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand Sold
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click here for Project Fatty off roader-

9th Sep 2025 8:07pm

woodyrvf750

Member Since: 10 Jul 2023
Location: Stratford Upon Avon
Posts: 41

That looks like a very sexy clamp. I want one, or two..

Surely the idea is to fit these clamps to knuckles that are not yet cracked.

This bracket may be designed to give the additional strength necessary to prevent future cracking. I see the date range is still 2014 to 2016. FFS.

I'm not an engineer, but this looks like recognition that the original knuckle design was just a bit crappy.

First person to post a photo of one of these beauties wins a tube of Smarties.

9th Sep 2025 8:15pm

goldeneye32

Member Since: 10 Jan 2024
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 97

2014 Range Rover Autobiography SDV8 Firenze Red

I am an Engineer (Mech Design) and there are a couple of possibilities for the failure.
As previously mentioned galvanic corrosion, or simply the incorrect grade of material was selected or no FEA was done on the component.
My car was registered in July of 24, so it falls outside the affected component assembly date from 01 Oct 2014 to 2016, one less thing to worry about!

9th Sep 2025 9:29pm

GraemeS

Member Since: 07 Mar 2015
Location: Wagga area
Posts: 2745

That bracket won't strengthen the casting as when the break occurs the broken piece moves inwards which is why the crack can be seen. The bracket will only prevent a broken piece from falling out if the 5mm bolt and thin sections of bracket can be trusted to hold it in.
Is it April 1st? L405 D350 SE Carpathian Grey D5 19" rims

Last edited by GraemeS on 9th Sep 2025 9:41pm. Edited 1 time in total

9th Sep 2025 9:39pm

JCW

Member Since: 13 Apr 2013
Location: Cotswolds
Posts: 941

This approach is reminiscent of the Defender front axle issue (failing weld) and eventual recall N706 which also involves fitment of two clamps to hold the axle together and stop the wheel detaching in the event of failure, opposed replacing the defective parts. Jonathan

2010 L322 5.0 SC Autobiography Black
2007 Defender 90 XS Hardtop

Last edited by JCW on 10th Sep 2025 12:20pm. Edited 1 time in total

9th Sep 2025 9:40pm

nicedayforit

Member Since: 11 Jun 2011
Location: Beside the Solway
Posts: 3983

2004 Range Rover Vogue Td6 Giverny Green

So now the integrity of the whole knuckle joint relies on a 5 or 6mm bolt in shear. You couldn’t make it up. Given that fitting these will constitute a modification and you will be obliged to tell your insurers l wonder what their reaction will be. Imo JLR need to go back to basics and redesign the whole joint.

Insurer, What’s the purpose of the modification.

You, To hide the crack that forms in the two front top knuckle joints so that when one fails it will stop the wheel flying off when I’m driving down the motorway at 70mph.

10th Sep 2025 8:47am

Alistair

Member Since: 11 Feb 2011
Location: Peterborough / Bordeaux / Andorra
Posts: 8108

2013 Range Rover Vogue SE SDV8 Santorini Black

I wonder if they'll just post them out like they did with the sleeping batteries

For our foreign friends - it's also worth noting that the first image Mikey posted says Global Recall Action at the top right

10th Sep 2025 9:54am

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