Sold a low mileage Range Rover - 2 days later turbos blew up

[jazzdude]

Just sold a mint 50k mile 2006 Range Rover TDV8 Vogue SE, main dealer service history from new, hardly used over the last couple of years.

I thought I would get its last service done before I put it up for sale, just for peace of mind. Guy came along to buy it, took it to a respectable service garage, who stuck it on the diagnostic. Both this and at the last service clear, no problems.

After he drives away with it I get a call two days saying that both turbos have blown up, the first one seized and then the other spat all its oil out. Very extensive work required.

I thought these Ford engines were the best of the bunch, I mean before I bought the car three years ago they were supposed to be the most reliable engine ever put in a RR. Mechanic said it could have happened at any time, with no warning whatsoever.

Although it was a private sale and I believe that there is no comeback whatsoever, I am shocked to say the the least. I cant help wondering if the buyer had taken it somewhere to get it chipped or had done something else to the car. He amazingly had a 'st happens, just going to get it fixed' attitude towards it even though it cost him over 50k euros. If that had happened to me I would no way be as cool.

Has anything like this happened to you?

[andy-xr]

I stuck a tuning box on a Mondeo I had, I didn't know it at the time but I'd been sent the wrong one, it was for a Fiesta rather than a Mondeo. It idled at 500 rpm, which was supposedly within range while the ECU sorted itself out. Except it stayed there and rattled the flywheel to pieces. I needed new injectors not long after either, whether it was related or not I don't know, can't have helped though

[jdw1234]

Good job you sold it to a grown up!!!

[R11ysf]

jazzdude said:

He amazingly had a 'st happens, just going to get it fixed' attitude towards it even though it cost him over 50k euros. If that had happened to me I would no way be as cool.

Refreshing to read about someone who understands what a private sale is though. If he wanted to pay a few grand more he could have got a warrantied model from a dealer, he bought privately and risked it, but in this instance it didn't pay off. Glad to see he took it on the chin.

[jazzdude]

jdw1234 said:

Good job you sold it to a grown up!!!

[Codswallop]

andy-xr said:

I stuck a tuning box on a Mondeo I had, I didn't know it at the time but I'd been sent the wrong one, it was for a Fiesta rather than a Mondeo. It idled at 500 rpm, which was supposedly within range while the ECU sorted itself out. Except it stayed there and rattled the flywheel to pieces. I needed new injectors not long after either, whether it was related or not I don't know, can't have helped though

Please tell me the people who sent you the wrong tuning box did the right thing and sorted out the mess their mistake caused.

[crofty1984]

Bought a polo for winter. Burned through more oil than petrol before the engine finally died. Actually bumped into the bloke I bought it from on the day I sold it to it's new owner (as spares or repair, obviously!)

Thing is, I bought a dirt cheap car, can't be surprised if it dies.

[Changedmyname]

My brother in-law also brought a range rover with similar miles to the OPs form the Isle of White (I think)Lovely looking thing it was , then two months into ownership it blew the engine. And there was I thinking that he had got himself a bargain.
Not so bulletproof eh?

[Amateurish]

You are lucky the buyer was so good about it. He would have had a good claim to reject the car under SOGA.

[80sboy]

Amateurish said:

You are lucky the buyer was so good about it. He would have had a good claim to reject the car under SOGA.

Doesn't apply with private sales though... "sold as seen".

[rallycross]

Amateurish said:

You are lucky the buyer was so good about it. He would have had a good claim to reject the car under SOGA.

Rubbish.

[Mattt]

Amateurish said:

You are lucky the buyer was so good about it. He would have had a good claim to reject the car under SOGA.

Why?

A - private sale
B - Cyprus

[sparks_E39]

Amateurish said:

You are lucky the buyer was so good about it. He would have had a good claim to reject the car under SOGA.

He would have zero comeback as it was presumably "sold as seen"

[SWoll]

sparks_E39 said:

Amateurish said:

You are lucky the buyer was so good about it. He would have had a good claim to reject the car under SOGA.

He would have zero comeback as it was presumably "sold as seen"

A particularly apt screen name it would appear....

[SMcP114]

Amateurish said:

You are lucky the buyer was so good about it. He would have had a good claim to reject the car under SOGA.

You evidently know your stuff.

[ditchvisitor]

It happened to a mates one a few weeks back, cost 5k to fix and they have to take the body off to change the turbos!!

[johnpeat]

When people in here don't know the difference between a private (no comeback whatsoever) and trade (consumer protection applies) sale, we're in deep st...

I'm going to take a guess and say the new owner took it out for a particularly "spirited" (flat out) run and things went fthumpshhhthhhh - nothing else he could have done (short of a major engine upgrade) would have pushed the turbos to death in such a short time.

Lucky escape for the OP tho...

[jazzdude]

johnpeat said:

I'm going to take a guess and say the new owner took it out for a particularly "spirited" (flat out) run and things went fthumpshhhthhhh - nothing else he could have done (short of a major engine upgrade) would have pushed the turbos to death in such a short time.

That's what I thought too, no other explanation

[Chapppers]

Fan melted on the way home from picking the Noble up, blowing a fuse and taking out the second fan and nearly having the car overheat in traffic. Seller bought me a new fan

Lovely chap.

[andymc]

from memory the turbos are £1700 each and if it was a private sale then its caveat emptor i believe