Are Range Rover Sports really that unreliable?

[Funk]

A few years ago my boss bought a 60-plate RRS 3.0 TDV6. It's been like death by 1000 cuts for him and has cost him as much in repairs as he paid for it - engine required a rebuild, gearbox shat itself, turbos failed... About 6 months ago he finally seemed to get to a point where it's enough 'Trigger's Broom' that everything now finally seems to be OK (although it still has a slightly excessive penchant for oil). The issue was that each of those things came sequentially and the deeper in he got the more he couldn't afford to write it off.

He wanted one for ages and now swears he'd never have another JLR product ever again.

[ettore]

I note most of these comments relate to the earlier, and now much older, models.

Conversely, I bought a current shape RRS new in 2013 when they came out. I did around 75k miles over 4 years with not a single issue bar an occasional warning light. I originally didn’t want it (wife’s choice) but grew to love it very dearly. Now in a new FFRR after a brief sojourn in a Disco5 - again, so far, no issues at all..

[irfan1712]

Buy one from a Dealer because your warranty is worth its weight in Gold. When you buy a RR you may as well just assume it'll be going back under warranty for something or other. And when it expires, extend it.

My 2018 Autobiography was in my possession for 48 hours and then sat at the dealers for 3 months while I was in a courtesy car. The worst experience of any Dealer I've ever had (South Wales... will leave it at that). A few meetings and stiff emails and I rejected the car and demanded my money back. Ironically I wasn't that miffed with the problems with the car, I was more infuriated about how the Dealer dealt with the issue.

They redeemed themselves and ordered me a brand new car 6 months later, and gave me my 'broken' one back as a stop gap inbetween.

The dealership in the end pulled through but initially I thought I had made a dreadful choice moving form BMW with the X5. Because of the nonsense I now have a good relation with the sales manager. Its just a pity you have to kick and scream to get nothing but what you expect from a premium dealership. Unfortunately as echoed by most, at least initially, they are not run like a premium dealership.

No warranty, no buy!

[Osinjak]

Osinjak said:

Six months with an Approved Used:

Squeaky tailgate - resolved itself.
Air suspension compressor - fixed on first attempt.
Geometry - fixed on second attempt.
Faulty braking system, excessive and noisy pedal travel - fixed on second attempt.
Front right suspension squeak/clonk - fixed on second attempt.
Faulty blind spot monitor - fixed on third attempt.
EPB noise - two attempts, still not fixed.
Rotational vibration felt through steering wheel with associated noise - three attempts, still not fixed.

Mine's back in again - at a different dealer - for the last two bits on the list above to be fixed. Word back from the frau is that they've replaced the gearbox module, 'vacuum engine (something) and pipe replacement' and replaced a tailgate strip. Amusingly, they've booked a further appointment in a weeks time if we're not happy and want to return it.

rich12 said:

Awful, awful cars for reliability but 'when(if)' they're working, nothing comes close to them.

I have to agree with this, they truly are wonderful things to mince around in, quite unlike anything I've ever had before although I miss being able to chuck a car around but I'm thinking of buying a weekend toy to scratch that itch. However, I live in perpetual wide-eyed and white-knuckled fear of it destroying itself on the way to Waitrose. That I can live without.

[Cheib]

Mate of mine has a Velar...he’s owned two RRS a Discovery and an Evoque....he reckons they’ve all been great. Maybe he’s lucky ?!

I was at Bruntingthorpe last week doing some track work....there were literally hundreds of brand new and pre-registered RR of all sorts lining the runway there

[jonttt]

ettore said:

I note most of these comments relate to the earlier, and now much older, models.

Conversely, I bought a current shape RRS new in 2013 when they came out. I did around 75k miles over 4 years with not a single issue bar an occasional warning light. I originally didn’t want it (wife’s choice) but grew to love it very dearly. Now in a new FFRR after a brief sojourn in a Disco5 - again, so far, no issues at all..

Nope the new ones are just as bad as the old ones which makes it worse.

When the velar was launched my local dealership had bets on what % would be back in within a week, 16 out, 9 back in says it all.

All my posts relate to L405's

[ettore]

Like I say - personal experience - six and a half years of daily smoking in an RRS, Disco5 and FFRR. Nil issues.

Unlike any other cars I’ve ever had bar a very happy experience with an E350 Merc’.

[So]

Cheib said:

Mate of mine has a Velar...he’s owned two RRS a Discovery and an Evoque....he reckons they’ve all been great. Maybe he’s lucky ?!

They haven't, and he hasn't been. Whatever he says, those are the facts.

There is something odd about Range Rover ownership that is akin to Fight Club. The first rule of Range Rover Club is you don't TALK about Range Rover Club.

Before I bought my first one, I was seduced by the beautiful Vogues that some friends of mine used to buy every three years. "How do you put up with the unreliability?" I asked them. "We never have any problems" they replied.

So I bought one and it developed a list of faults as long as my arm within a couple of weeks.

As soon as I actually OWNED a Range Rover my friends were all about, "ooh they're just the worst aren't they? You'll never guess which bit fell off ours last week".

So when a Range Rover owner tells you that they have never had the slightest problem, you can be confident that they are lying. But you won't know the truth until you own one yourself.

[Tyre Smoke]

I've owned my Sport from new for over 12 years.

Faults, it's had three handbrake modules, and two fuel tank pumps. It has only once need recovering when one of the handbrake modules failed while filling up and locked on.

It hasn't been unreliable at at all. And I suspect most unreliable issues are due to reactive rather then preventative maintenance.

[So]

Tyre Smoke said:

I've owned my Sport from new for over 12 years.


It hasn't been unreliable at at all. And I suspect most unreliable issues are due to reactive rather then preventative maintenance.

No, it isn't. All our Range Rovers have been new or nearly new, as have those of our friends. Always serviced on time* and repairs under warranty.

• Except my first L322. After 12k miles the service indicator had not come on, so I asked the dealership when it should be serviced. "don't worry about that Mr So, the car will definitely tell you".

After 19k miles it still hadn't come on, so I went back to the dealership and they said, "blimey Mr. So, you should have had it serviced at no more than 15k miles, your car now has an incomplete service history".

[Tyre Smoke]

So, Mr So, why didn't you get it serviced?

It clearly states in the service book the intervals, and I'm sure no garage is going to turn away work.

That is hardly a major fault of Range Rover. More a case of you trying to use "well, nobody told me" as an excuse to absolve blame.

Getting it serviced would have been preventative maintenance and not reactive.

[So]

Tyre Smoke said:

So, Mr So, why didn't you get it serviced?

It clearly states in the service book the intervals, and I'm sure no garage is going to turn away work.

That is hardly a major fault of Range Rover. More a case of you trying to use "well, nobody told me" as an excuse to absolve blame.

Getting it serviced would have been preventative maintenance and not reactive.

It absolutely didn’t state service intervals in the manual, which formed the basis of Land Rover’s defence.

Even after I had it serviced at 19k they were still trying to claim that it would have come on eventually and that it could not have needed a service (this was LR head office).

Unfortunately for them one of their managers told me over a recorded phone line that the service light issue was a known one and that it had caused problems to other customers.

[Tyre Smoke]

Right.

Ok then.

[RobinBanks]

So said:

No, it isn't. All our Range Rovers have been new or nearly new, as have those of our friends. Always serviced on time* and repairs under warranty.

• Except my first L322. After 12k miles the service indicator had not come on, so I asked the dealership when it should be serviced. "don't worry about that Mr So, the car will definitely tell you".

After 19k miles it still hadn't come on, so I went back to the dealership and they said, "blimey Mr. So, you should have had it serviced at no more than 15k miles, your car now has an incomplete service history".

You had a RR that did 19k miles without the need for a trip to the garage and you say the cars are unreliable!

[LaurasOtherHalf]

RobinBanks said:

So said:

No, it isn't. All our Range Rovers have been new or nearly new, as have those of our friends. Always serviced on time* and repairs under warranty.

• Except my first L322. After 12k miles the service indicator had not come on, so I asked the dealership when it should be serviced. "don't worry about that Mr So, the car will definitely tell you".

After 19k miles it still hadn't come on, so I went back to the dealership and they said, "blimey Mr. So, you should have had it serviced at no more than 15k miles, your car now has an incomplete service history".

You had a RR that did 19k miles without the need for a trip to the garage and you say the cars are unreliable!

Because the service indicator failed You couldn’t make it up!

[So]

LaurasOtherHalf said:

RobinBanks said:

So said:

No, it isn't. All our Range Rovers have been new or nearly new, as have those of our friends. Always serviced on time* and repairs under warranty.

• Except my first L322. After 12k miles the service indicator had not come on, so I asked the dealership when it should be serviced. "don't worry about that Mr So, the car will definitely tell you".

After 19k miles it still hadn't come on, so I went back to the dealership and they said, "blimey Mr. So, you should have had it serviced at no more than 15k miles, your car now has an incomplete service history".

You had a RR that did 19k miles without the need for a trip to the garage and you say the cars are unreliable!

Because the service indicator failed You couldn’t make it up!

That particular car was in the dealership endlessly and they were asked explicitly whether it needed a service. They were quite definite about relying upon the service indicator.

After that we had it serviced annually regardless of miles.

[RobinBanks]

So said:

LaurasOtherHalf said:

RobinBanks said:

So said:

No, it isn't. All our Range Rovers have been new or nearly new, as have those of our friends. Always serviced on time* and repairs under warranty.

• Except my first L322. After 12k miles the service indicator had not come on, so I asked the dealership when it should be serviced. "don't worry about that Mr So, the car will definitely tell you".

After 19k miles it still hadn't come on, so I went back to the dealership and they said, "blimey Mr. So, you should have had it serviced at no more than 15k miles, your car now has an incomplete service history".

You had a RR that did 19k miles without the need for a trip to the garage and you say the cars are unreliable!

Because the service indicator failed You couldn’t make it up!

That particular car was in the dealership endlessly and they were asked explicitly whether it needed a service. They were quite definite about relying upon the service indicator.

After that we had it serviced annually regardless of miles.

Are you a masochist because you have had a few RRs and were looking for another but are always slagging of LR products and the manufacturer and the dealerships?
Just buy something else if you are so unhappy.

[So]

RobinBanks said:

Are you a masochist because you have had a few RRs and were looking for another but are always slagging of LR products and the manufacturer and the dealerships?.

Clearly.

I did try to end the Land Rover habit this time. We looked at Merc and Audi. In the end it came down to a RS6 or another Range.

We bought the Range about 3 months ago.

It’s in the dealership on Tuesday for the fourth time. Second suspension fault.

But you know what? I buy their products and reserve the right to slate them when they are crap. I am honest about them, whereas a lot of owners are not.

[Osinjak]

Osinjak said:

Osinjak said:

Six months with an Approved Used:

Squeaky tailgate - resolved itself.
Air suspension compressor - fixed on first attempt.
Geometry - fixed on second attempt.
Faulty braking system, excessive and noisy pedal travel - fixed on second attempt.
Front right suspension squeak/clonk - fixed on second attempt.
Faulty blind spot monitor - fixed on third attempt.
EPB noise - two attempts, still not fixed.
Rotational vibration felt through steering wheel with associated noise - three attempts, still not fixed.

Mine's back in again - at a different dealer - for the last two bits on the list above to be fixed. Word back from the frau is that they've replaced the gearbox module, 'vacuum engine (something) and pipe replacement' and replaced a tailgate strip. Amusingly, they've booked a further appointment in a weeks time if we're not happy and want to return it.

rich12 said:

Awful, awful cars for reliability but 'when(if)' they're working, nothing comes close to them.

I have to agree with this, they truly are wonderful things to mince around in, quite unlike anything I've ever had before although I miss being able to chuck a car around but I'm thinking of buying a weekend toy to scratch that itch. However, I live in perpetual wide-eyed and white-knuckled fear of it destroying itself on the way to Waitrose. That I can live without.

Back today and still not fixed although they replaced some other bits that I wasn't aware were faulty. Needs to go back for a week for a 'proper' investigation. Wife was given an Evoque whilst it was in and absolutely loved it and she's usually utterly indifferent when it comes to cars, sees them as tools and that's it.

Lest others view my posts as my own little diary, it might just paint a picture of real life ownership for the OP.

[jonttt]

Tyre Smoke said:

............ And I suspect most unreliable issues are due to reactive rather then preventative maintenance.

Yep your suspicions are wrong, I paid c£100k for a car which I neglected by only taking it for a major service when it was due on 15k miles and 2 weeks later the engine seized solid on me whilst I was in the outside lane of the M6........completely my fault........not