Fit for purpose?

[OverSteery]

10 months and 10k miles after fitting 2 new hubs/bearing on the front of my son's Discovery 2, they are both knackered and need replacement.

Supplied by a leading LR parts specialist. Do I just buy some new ones, or can I reasonable say that they were not fit for purpose and so they should be replaced free?

[smokey mow]

Who fitted them? If not LR can you prove the fault was with the parts and not the way they were fitted?

[anonymous-user]

You can certainly try.

The OP reads as though they were just supplied bu the LR dealer though so if they weren't fitted by them I think their first move would then be to say they were fitted incorrectly and therefore damaged in some way during fitting that they can not warranty.

[OverSteery]

I fitted them myself. I'm experienced with a spanner and it's an easy job.

Hard to see how it could be F*ed up. They come as a complete unit and bolt in; so it's not as though I could have over tightened a taper bearing or something.

[paintman]

'Supplied by a leading LR parts specialist' so not by a franchised dealer.

What brand were they? Genuine LR part or A.N.Other?

What do the T&Cs of the supplier say with regards to warranty issues on parts supplied?

Have you contacted them & if so what have they said?

[Red9zero]

If it is the BRITish car PARTs company I think it is, the internet is full of similar comments. You would hope all pattern parts were of roughly similar quality, but it seems you have to pick and choose where you buy from.
I wouldn't bother with a fit for purpose argument with them either. There is probably a 12 month warranty at best, and then they could just accuse you of wading etc that had caused excessive damage.

[paintman]

Few other thoughts.

Is the vehicle 'standard' or modified & if the latter do any of the mods place unusual strain on the bearing - e.g oversize tyres, wheel spacers?

Is the vehicle used mainly on road & light offroading or heavy offroading incl deep wading esp on some of the more extreme pay & play sites?

[Bigends]

Certainly wouldnt hurt to ask. They could have had a duff batch and had a number of similar complaints.

[OverSteery]

Cheers that's all useful.

For context It's a 20 year £3k car.

To respond:
- No - I didn't get from a LR franchised dealer
- not OE parts. Not the cheapest nor the most expensive that the specialist stocked
- The car works for it's living - towing trailer across fields etc, but wheels are standard and it's not deep water or serious off roaded.


I have emailed them.
I got a standard response basically saying because of COVID they are unlikely to respond. this rang bells and sure enough when I complained about another part they sold me in march 2020, I got the same email and despite my chasing they never replied.

Personally, I struggle to see that a wheel bearing (or indeed 2 out of 2) should need replacing within a year, hence my question about the legalities/fit for purpose.

Time to start buying elsewhere I think...

[anonymous-user]

Defender/Discovery vehicles are hard on their wheel bearings even without extensive off road use. At a guess, did you buy the cheaper ones with Chinese bearings?

Buy the ones with Timken bearings and they will last the expected lifespan for such things.

[InitialDave]

Did they come in a blue box?

[anonymous-user]

OverSteery said:

I fitted them myself. I'm experienced with a spanner and it's an easy job.

Hard to see how it could be F*ed up. They come as a complete unit and bolt in; so it's not as though I could have over tightened a taper bearing or something.

No doubt on if you fitted them correctly, as you say it's not hard and you probably wouldn't attempt it if it wasn't within your capability. But i still think that's what they'll say. I'd recommend finding the warranty supplied by the part supplier and start from there. It may stipulate who needs to fit the part to cover the warranty but if it doesn't and there's nothing else which excludes them then it's worth approaching them for a replacement.

[OverSteery]

Andy-IM said:

Defender/Discovery vehicles are hard on their wheel bearings even without extensive off road use. At a guess, did you buy the cheaper ones with Chinese bearings?

Buy the ones with Timken bearings and they will last the expected lifespan for such things.

Err, the part number has "china" in it
Buy cheap etc etc etc..... I still think it should last longer than 10k miles..

I don't recall the colour of the box from 10 month ago.

Warrantees are full of weasily words etc etc. I'm sure that will not help me, hence on the focus on legal rights.

[paintman]

OverSteery said:

I have emailed them.
I got a standard response basically saying because of COVID they are unlikely to respond. this rang bells and sure enough when I complained about another part they sold me in march 2020, I got the same email and despite my chasing they never replied.

Personally, I struggle to see that a wheel bearing (or indeed 2 out of 2) should need replacing within a year, hence my question about the legalities/fit for purpose.

Time to start buying elsewhere I think...

Not good if they aren't replying. Any luck on the phone?

If they don't respond than you're going to have to buy & replace then retain the failed items & keep on trying to get a response.

Be careful buying as you don't want exactly the same things arriving - one of the reasons I specify that if they haven't got what I want an 'alternative quality part' is not required or acceptable.

Edited by paintman on Monday 1st February 10:44

[CharlesElliott]

Were they already greased, or did they need packing?

[OverSteery]

I'll try the phone in a bit, but I expect life is too short.

Quality bearings next from quality supplier. I remember dithering when I bought them - I wasn't sure it would make it through many more MOTs hence going cheapish. I am still not sure how many more years, but I don't want bearing replacement to be an annual exercise - it's cold out there!

update - phone lines closed. I will not use them again

Edited by OverSteery on Monday 1st February 10:52

[paintman]

CharlesElliott said:

Were they already greased, or did they need packing?

The front hub is a complete sealed assembly supplied RTF & the bearings aren't replaceable on their own.
Not like the older Disco 1/RRC taper roller bearings.

[paintman]

OverSteery said:

I'll try the phone in a bit, but I expect life is too short.

Quality bearings next from quality supplier. I remember dithering when I bought them - I wasn't sure it would make it through many more MOTs hence going cheapish. I am still not sure how many more years, but I don't want bearing replacement to be an annual exercise - it's cold out there!

update - phone lines closed. I will not use them again

Edited by OverSteery on Monday 1st February 10:52

They're well out of order!

Be careful as many suppliers use the dreaded term 'quality aftermarket part'. A description I use as an example of an oxymoron when it is used to describe Land Rover parts.....

[C Lee Farquar]

InitialDave said:

Did they come in a blue box?

That was my first thought, but then they did last a full 10 months, so unlikely.

[SiH]

C Lee Farquar said:

InitialDave said:

Did they come in a blue box?

That was my first thought, but then they did last a full 10 months, so unlikely.

To last only 10 months would suggest that this is something of a 'stpart'