As a new potential owner, I have read with interest and some dismay of people's negative encounters with Range Rover dealers, customer services and the factory, as well as the many quality control issues that seem to affect some cars.

To balance the argument, it would be good to hear from owners/buyers who have had good, positive experiences.

So, ladies and gentlemen, the floor is yours!

Will be interested to see how this thread develops. Two friends who are serial FFRR owners rave about them, so there must be some enduring appeal (one friend buys new, or very nearly new, and owns two, the other friend is very mechanically capable and drives a 4.4 TDV8 Autobiography).

I've recently paid for a 2012 Westminster (LR Approved) and should be collecting soon despite some delays during preparation. I will update on the service I receive and initial experience, but I must admit that having trawled through this forum and Pistonheads, there seems to be wave after wave of issues; almost to the extent of me pulling the plug on my purchase.

Given the miles that so many RRs do, the majority must be capable and generally reliable...as with the OP, please reaffirm that I'm making the right choice...

Just a quickie reply - but in a sentence: probably the best cars in the world, there isn't anything they can't do BUT they are incredibly complex beasties and you either need to be pretty good with a spanner or have a _very_ good warranty. Maintenance/repairs aside, they are also very costly to run.

But worth it imho.

Ive had mixed responses, Duckworths parts have been spot on, really good with the very few dealings I've had. Duckworths service though is DREADFUL. I have requested two quotes, one for the turbo drain mod and one for PCM software update. I had to chase them via their parts guy on here for the oil drain mod quote which was ridiculous figure so I assume they didnt want the job. The PCM software update they havent bothered to get in touch so I wont be using them any more for anything, not even a new car when I retire next year.
Marshall Land Rover in Lincoln, again, they didnt seem to want anything to do with me which I do find slightly amusing because in less than a year I will be looking to spend 60 to 80k but theyre all shooting themselves in the foot, it's a real good test at the moment.
I was recommended to get in touch with Green Oval Garage at Leeds, so far these guys have been fantastic and really seem to know their stuff. Proof of the pudding will be on Wednesday when old Fatty goes to them for the oil drain mod and other work. Just talking to them instils confidence.
So it seems to me the two main dealers that Ive tried arent bothered unless you want to buy a new car, their customer support is abysmal.
As for the vehicle, if you want quality Go VW or Audi, if you want bling then Range Rover has its points but the quality is dreadful. My Touareg was an 06 plate and didnt have any rust anywhere including underneath (galvanised shell), brake lines etc, all like new. My 12 plate FFRR has rust on the bodywork in several places and underneath is dreadful, everything is rusty. It failed it's first MOT at 3 years old on corroded brake lines. The wiring is so thin it breaks easily, Ive repaired the parking sensors already by making a new loom, the wires had mechanically fractured.
That said the engine is a delight, the seats are very comfortable and its a nice way to travel I do though fear the reliability and their reputation of being able to empty wallets. BMW i3 Electric Car
2012 Full Fat RR 4.4 TDV8 (now gone)
2006 VW Touareg 3.0 TDi V6

Last edited by AJGalaxy2012 on 21st Oct 2018 6:06pm. Edited 1 time in total

I have found that if you take everything negative on a forum as the basic truth, you will never buy anything! I read so much negative stuff about TVR (including Pistonheads where I was a moderator for many years), but I had 3, drove over 100,000miles in them in total, and was only let down once - mind you it was in the middle of Germany on the way to the Nurburgring, a 50p fuel pump connector came loose and stranded me on an autobahn for 4 hours!

Trouble is, forums (fora ) tend to attract the negative comments, because people need a place to vent, and happy owners rarely look for a place to go to say how great their car is. They're too busy enjoying trouble-free motoring!

I’m on to my second Range Rover, having owned the first for over 4 years. As previously mentioned, you need either a good warranty or be very handy/confident with the spanners. I choose the warranty route. Generally, my experience is positive, every now and again a problem arose, but always dealt with without fuss by the dealer. These are complex cars, so things can and do go wrong. They are also not cheap to run.
So why own one? Quite simple, it really is the best car in the world. Effortless power, really comfortable, great ICE, flexible, just all round awesome. Makes you smile every time you get into it.
I tried another car and within weeks regretted it, so a year later now back in the fold.

The RR (L322 or L405) is great.

They are expensive to buy, maintain and run, whether new or approved used.

Main Dealers, MD service departments and MD/ LR customers services don't always get good press on this forum. That's often for good reason, based on the experiences of those posting.

Unless you buy your car new, LRCS have no obvious authority to intervene when you have an issue with your AU selling dealer (in short, they can ask not task).

MD shortcomings seem to centre around the fact that whilst these cars are marketed as the premium car to own and enjoy, there is complacency on the part of LR dealers whose expectations on how these cars should be presented often seem to be at odds with the expectations of prospective buyers. Add to that the volume of customers and volume of work MDs have to deal with, means that many customers (on this forum at least) don't seem to feel they are receiving said premium service.

My experience is that more often than not, MDs are not reliable from a pre-sale preparation perspective (poorly prepared) and from an after sales/ service dept. perspective.

Often, you initially think you are telephoning your local garage but are directed to call centres where staff are geographically displaced from 'your garage', call centre staff 'don't know their business' or much about these cars at all; and they incorrectly assure you will be called back; and you are rarely called back (at least not when they say they will).

Further, when you have made what you believe to be final arrangements for what work that should be getting done/ the issues to be examined, cars can often be returned with issues not looked at and/ or unresolved. I've found that warranty covered issues are often overlooked by the MD garage that believes things are not covered. You do you own homework and research and then establish that things are covered and will be honoured by the warranty.

My experience is also that if you complain 'in the right way', most issues generally do get resolved. It's just that days can turn into weeks and weeks into months.

Our latest L405 has been superb. However, every time it has been to a main dealer, they have not fully and finally resolved previously agreed issues, usually due to poor communication on their part.

Whilst it does not put me off these cars, the LR network can be 'hard work'.

Ps... You can change the thread title as often as you like, you won't get one way (the dealer network is fantastic) answers, because it is not. A post like this will give the reality, which is a thumbs up for the RR, perhaps not what you and/ or LR want to hear about the LR brand machine that is supposed to be behind the car... And look closer in this particular post and you will draw out that in fact the 'argument' is 'balanced'.



Last edited by pld118 on 21st Oct 2018 8:53pm. Edited 2 times in total

Range Rover - the vehicle = awesome

Range Rover - the dealer network = awful

I've been lucky - I bought a good car - it's been serviced by a good independent garage and not cost name much money - i'm about to hit 90k and see no reason to change any time soon.

Had seven altogether, never had a serious problem with any LR product, just niggles, which in this latest very expensive new car just should not be there.

LR have launched the new 2018 car with the complex Infotainment system because they had to meet a deadline and consequently it has not been tested for long enough hence the problems and why dealers are inundated with cars needing software updates

My advice to anyone thinking of buying one is..." Be careful, once you've had one you'll never want anything else!!" As they say "'Nuff said!"

Andy S wrote:

I’m on to my second Range Rover, having owned the first for over 4 years. As previously mentioned, you need either a good warranty or be very handy/confident with the spanners. I choose the warranty route. Generally, my experience is positive, every now and again a problem arose, but always dealt with without fuss by the dealer. These are complex cars, so things can and do go wrong. They are also not cheap to run.
So why own one? Quite simple, it really is the best car in the world. Effortless power, really comfortable, great ICE, flexible, just all round awesome. Makes you smile every time you get into it.
I tried another car and within weeks regretted it, so a year later now back in the fold.

I've had LR vehicles since the mid 1980s. New, nearly new, and very old.

My experience is that new and nearly new vehicles are often money pits. This is both down to the depreciation and the fact that they've usually been "serviced" by LR main dealers. This means they have had the minimum done to keep them going and rarely had any improved or updated parts fitted.

I reckon the best buy to avoid issues and to maximise enjoyment is to look for a good used Range Rover with around 80k miles on the clock. Seems to be the point at which most issues have been fixed and depreciation has slowed to a crawl.

Then find a good independent to keep it serviced if you choose not to do it yourself.

Also like to add to the above, once the MD have your money, the free coffees soon stop, when they are sitting on your non-working car for months, refusing to supply a loan car, it's costing you to rent one, and missing days of work while you try to get it sorted.

Land Rover Assist have always provided me with a loan vehicle - never had an issue in that department - they may take some convincing you need a RR on loan but have always either come up with that or a Discovery 5 HSE 2021 L405 Vogue SE 4.4 V8 DIESEL ~ #17

Perhaps they are a little better these days. Last time I was in that situation, I had a brand new Discovery 300TDI.

The AA dropped it off at the MD and they expected me to catch the bus home.

Simes wrote:

Also like to add to the above, once the MD have your money, the free coffees soon stop, when they are sitting on your non-working car for months, refusing to supply a loan car, it's costing you to rent one, and missing days of work while you try to get it sorted.

Thanks, but I was hoping for positive comments really - there are plenty of threads with complaints