Well, I returned my 2014 SDV8 AB to the supplying dealer today. I bought it on 27 April and, since then, it’s spent 2 1/2 weeks having issues ‘fixed’ that should have been on delivery. The front suspension knock defeated them (my local dealer, Guy Salmon, made it better but the supplying dealer wanted it to sort properly - which they didn’t). I’m not patient enough to waste more time with them, particularly as they’re 125 miles away, so have arranged a refund. It’s a pity because I loved the car apart from the suspension but couldn’t live with the feeling of jitteriness and the random noises every time I drove up the side road to my house (a proper tarmaced Road, just with a few manholes, ridges and the odd very small pothole). My partner’s Hyundai Santa Fe rode up the same road better.

So, if anyone’s selling a lowing (under 50k) mileage car of the same spec - any body colour apart from black and with a light interior, please get in touch. Cash waiting, as the saying goes.

Stuart

Sorry to read that Stuart... Once again JLR dealer network!

Sorry to hear that that didn’t go according to plan

Hope you manage to fin the right example soon

Suspension issues are well documented with earlier L405's which is a shame. I find myself avoiding potholes / low drain covers etc. which in my L322 I'd drive straight over without thinking about it. I've had both front shock absorbers replaced plus lower suspension arms and front anti roll bar bushes. Still not great so I'll probably get other bushes looked at in the near future although I don't seem to suffer the knocking noise. When I bought the car I asked the independent dealer to have a four wheel alignment carried out. The printout was spot on, however I still wasn't happy with the ride so took it to my local tyre fitter who carried out a Hunter alignment check. The results were a fair way out and although they managed to improve some aspects they said the only way to get further results would be looking at replacement bushes etc. I can only imagine it's quite easy to 'customise' the result of a four wheel alignment check.

I know (now). I'm annoyed with myself for not picking up the issues on the test drive but, needless to say, the roads were smooth, the radio was on/off and the sales guy talking...

Anyway, the refund came through on Tuesday this week (not without chasing) and I've found a replacement (which I tested properly this time)

The supplying dealer, Lookers Chipperfield, were lousy - didn't do what they promised until I chased and chased; didn't return calls. The only thing they did right was take the car back without quibbling. I got the impression they didn't give a stuff. I paid them over £40k cash yet have had better service in an Apple store buying a £1k iPad.

If I was in senior management within the Lookers group I'd be spitting tacks if I knew how one of my dealerships treated customers. From other comments on this forum it appears Lookers aren't the best of the bunch

I think what you have identified is a disease infecting the vast majority of premium manufacturer main dealers, it's endemic and untreatable. Most of them have not the slightest idea how to treat customers or how to generate sales from prospects, they are quite frankly useless to all intent and purpose. They succeed despite themselves not because of themselves. There one or two independant dealerships that are shining lights, but most of the large chain dealers are only interested in maximising workshop utilisation and an easy sell. The workshops seem to be capable of only changing oil and filters and they even get that wrong (just been reading on a BMW forum how a member's M3 trashed its big end bearings, to discover the clowns of a main dealer had been using the wrong oil for the last 3 sevices, un-bloody-believable).

How the hell a main dedaler can't fix a knock on the front suspension of an L405 is totally beyond me, surely to god LR know what the problem is and if they don't they damn well ought to. Drives:
2010 FFRR TdV8 Vogue - Stornoway Grey
2010 FFRR TdV8 Vogue SE - Zermatt Silver
1998 BMW E36 M3 GTII

To add to the above. I was asked to go in and drive my car with their chief tech yesterday so we could get to the bottom of this knocking noise only i can here apparently! I was told in no uncertain terms "the active dynamics system in certain circumstances make a hydraulic knocking noise!" he was told "AHEM NO" "read the TSB (which he was holding the print out from topix LTB00557V10) i am complaining about that knocking noise, clearly illustrated in front of you and i DO want you to investigate further!!!"

We got back to reception where he told his manager "we need to order the latest specification front actuator bar for this car" i then suggested after fitting this actuator bar (active anti roll bar to you and i) to roadtest it himself and if there is any knocking to change the valve block to the later unit as my time does not need to be wasted any further!

We will see in a few days time i guess

The complaints about dealers reminds me of the situation here, when I first came here, with British vehicle dealers
I rang up the dealer, wanted to buy a new car, it was for my boss, took them three weeks to get back in touch, it was so funny
It was a take it or levee it situation, there was no competition.
When the Japs took over, they soon knocked them in to place; they didn’t know what had hit them.
They also opened up other dealers, which of course created completion
I remember when I was an apprentice in England; the workshop manager went on a company course,
Lasted a week, about a new vehicle which was being released.
I was later working on one of these vehicles and I found he had no idea about them, apparently on the course they were given a look around the factory and spent the rest of the time drinking at the company’s expense.
And don’t mention lucas
It doesn’t look like things have changed RR 2005 4.4 petrol
Any spelling mistakes are the fault of spellchecker
Previous MG J2, CITROEN light 15 x 2 gone unfortunately
Present MERC 180e, RANGE ROVER L322, JAGUAR XJS, MERC 280SE, MG F, JAGUAR S-Type 6v 2003, jaguar s-type 8v 2004, Ford Cougar

In most other areas of business a supplier would be falling over backwards if a customers £100k investment wasnt performing as it should. It's back to the 'they all do that' syndrome when they are too inept to fix it, which is simply uinacceptable.

How you managed not to roll up that printout from Topix and insert it into that 'chief tech' (what are the others like?) I simply don't know. Fabulous self control. Drives:
2010 FFRR TdV8 Vogue - Stornoway Grey
2010 FFRR TdV8 Vogue SE - Zermatt Silver
1998 BMW E36 M3 GTII

Last edited by rvbush on 13th Jun 2019 3:22pm. Edited 1 time in total

I have had poor communication and almost what could be called rudeness from dealers but in my time with LR I've used both Lookers at Chelmsford and Beadles at Southend and found them to be courteous and always called back when they'd promised to do so. I bought a Discovery 5 from their sales only to have a work issue causing me to cancel the order. They refunded the non-refundable deposit I'd paid. Service at less than quoted and an ICP update to Apple Carplay was done at no charge. I did have to take it back when I had issues with the voice control system which they did immediately. It's worked well ever since tbh. I have had poor service from another but the two above were excellent when I used them.

No excuse for a manufacturer to hang on to bad dealers at this end of the market (or any other really). JLR need to sort them out, big time (along with BMW, Audi, Mercedes, etc.). Drives:
2010 FFRR TdV8 Vogue - Stornoway Grey
2010 FFRR TdV8 Vogue SE - Zermatt Silver
1998 BMW E36 M3 GTII

I agree. When I took the car to be sorted I left a printout of the TB on the passenger seat with a note asking them to work though each of the items on it.

When I asked if they'd done so they (Guy Salmon Bristol, acting on the instructions of Lookers under the warranty) said they had changed the ARBs and that had sorted it. They didn't have authority to do more. I collected the car, drove it for 1/2 hour, took it back in, drove it for another 1/2 hour with the chief tech (who agreed with me there was a noticeable noise/feeling). Then drove a 2019 FFRR SDV8 demonstrator. Obviously better (though actually not as good as I'd anticipated over uneven roads at low speeds).

Reported this to Lookers who said they'd collect it and sort out. They sent a driver and left me with a Disco Sport for a week, during which time they found nothing wrong, did a 4 wheel alignment (at my request) and refused to work through all the TB steps. They then delivered it back to me saying it was fine. I genuinely wanted to believe that and keep it, as otherwise it was a great car. I drove around my neighbourhood and further for an hour or so trying to persuade myself this was 'normal' and I could live with it. I couldn't. Hence my returning it.

None of this should be alchemy. If the customer suffers well-documented problem, swap out all the parts, no argument, no bad PR, moaning on forums, reluctance to buy LR products in future etc. Any short term cost is easily outweighed by the medium term benefits.

They've now got a car back with another owner on the V5 (it was one owner when I bought it) and another 1,000 miles on the clock (360 of which are to/from their dealership). If this was their own money/reputation they might care more

I'm an eternal optimist though so am hoping my new one (which drove properly) will be good. Prior to this I had a trouble free D4 from new in 2014/55k miles and before that 2xDisco 3 V8s, both of which were great cars. The older stuff was a bit less trouble-free, though that might be more to do with my available budget at the time...

PS - just got message re the new car - they won't be respraying the front bumper (which had a mild case of 'road rash') but 'touching up and polishing' as a respray would cost £405 and 'it doesn't warrant it for a car of this age and mileage' (4 years/45k)

But, I said, I signed the order form which listed all the things they agreed to do before collection, including the bumper respray.

'Ahh...'

Muppets

Who knows. They didn't want to do anything to it at first 'under warranty' as it was too soon after I'd bought it (that's a good one!)

Anyway, am glad not to have to deal with Lookers again.