Warranties (Land Rover or otherwise)

[MRWOO]

I want to take my Puma Defender to a local specialist for all of it's servicing, I know the rules changed a few years ago so that you are allowed to do this without invalidating your manufacturers warranty. The warranty handbook that I have states that the servicing must be done at Land Rover or a specialist and doesn't say anymore than that. I'm sure if I have a warranty claim LR will try and get out of it if they can, what I want to know is there is anything I should watch out for that may invlidate it?

I have it booked in at a specialist and I am going to take a genuine LR service checklist with me that they can tick off, I trust the specialist will do a thourough job at half the price...

Rich

PS I’ve recently had first hand experience of warranty problems with the wife’s Passat, we paid for what was supposed to be a dogs danglies warranty with RAC when we bought the car. Last month the driver’s electric window packed in (£100 job) and I thought may as well exercise the warranty (after all I paid £300 for it) for it. Rang RAC they said 'yes we'll do the work know problem take it to garage x on this day and they'll do the work and send us the bill'. So, took it the garage they stripped it all down and gave us a ring, they told us that they had stripped it down and rang RAC to tell them how much the job was going to cost them, RAC asked the garage if the car had a service history (I knew that it had) and the garage explained to them that it had although the last service was done on the mileage at 70k but was 3 weeks overdue. ****BANG**** theres the RAC get out clause . I could have had the bloody thing serviced every month of its life and the electric window wouldn’t have been touched.

As many people say and I have well and truly taken note, NOT WORTH THE PAPER THERE WRITTEN ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! RAC ARE Fu***** (unfair)

[BogMonster]

I would sue them for that. The electric windows are not a service item so whether it has been serviced or not is completely irrelevent!

[SteveG]

I have had both the 90 (April 05) and the 110 (Sep 05) only serviced by local independent. They print out the LR checklist and state on invoice that only LR parts are used. They are more thorough on the service than an LR dealer and on the 110 spotted that both swivel seals needed changing.

Never had a problem with warranty issues on both.

So far..

110 - number of door seals and alignment issues, and both front swivel seals changed - all done under warranty

90 - Front diff pinion seal leaking - changed out ok. Rear diff input shaft play, and front UJ's play. Booked in for replacement under warranty this month.

Cheers

Steve

[Happyoldgit]

^^Which independent do you use Steve?

[MRWOO]

Thanks guys I needed some reassurance like that.....

[JimAttrill]

We have had LR trying to renege on warranty claims because the engine oil filter was not genuine. And the claim was for a diff. I think they lost in the end.

[SteveG]

^^Which independent do you use Steve?

Mansfield 4x4. They've worked on Hybrid, 90, 110 and out of warranty servicing on P38 RR and never had a problem with them. They were also very useful in letting me use Autologic when I played around with air suspension on P38.

Darren and Ralph used to do most of work. Darren has moved on now and set up on his own I think. Labour rates are a lot less than Lookers and a service works about half the price. If you don't mind a Clio courtesy car instead of an LR I would use them for Defender servicing.

I must meet up with you for a beer or coffee and get your opinion on latest 110.

Cheers

Steve

[Happyoldgit]

^^

Yes I've used them as well. Ralph is a top bloke.

[LandyManLuke]

Me too, though Maningtree, rather than Bury. They're good though. I still order my bits from them when i'm in Sheffield, saves Paddocks mucking the order up, and i think it's good to support the 'little guy', not that they're little as such.

[disco_al]

as long as the filters are OE spec (and most are as they are made by fram/coopers anyway) and the service schedule is adhered to ie every 10k or whatever, then they cannot under european ruling refuse a warranty claim. this not only applies to filters, but any consumable item even brakes.

do a search for block exemption, should bring up the right results.

[JimAttrill]

Our local filters (GUD, Fram) are at least as good as LR ones, but how does one prove that? I know there have been class actions in the States about warranty claims and the new european ruling helps, but LR here think they are a law unto themselves.

They got a shock when a doctor in Cape Town put a full-page ad in the newspaper about their carp service. Cost him a lot of money but got some action.

[MRWOO]

as long as the filters are OE spec (and most are as they are made by fram/coopers anyway) and the service schedule is adhered to ie every 10k or whatever, then they cannot under european ruling refuse a warranty claim. this not only applies to filters, but any consumable item even brakes.

do a search for block exemption, should bring up the right results.

Thanks for this I found out it's the Block Exemption Regulations enforced in 2002, there's loads about it on the DTI website and I also found that the garage that carries the work out does not have to use genuine parts, just parts of 'suitable quality' I'll ensure they use genuine parts though as I don't want to get into the 'suitable quality' argument. I prefer genuine anyway on a new Land Rover, it's the £90 ph labor rate I'm not so keen on with the dealer.

[BogMonster]

£90 ph labor rate I'm not so keen on with the dealer.

F!

I must print that out and show it to the next person who complains about paying £24.95/hour...

[SteveG]

F!

I must print that out and show it to the next person who complains about paying £24.95/hour...

Excatly Stephen, If dealers had your labour rates we'd all use them. With an RR, Disco 3 or Freelander 2 I'd still use a dealer, but for the Defender it makes no sense, especially when a good independent knows them better and is 1/3 of the labour rates.

Cheers

Steve

[JimAttrill]

I must print that out and show it to the next person who complains about paying £24.95/hour...

I must print that out and show it to the next person who complains about paying £16.66/hour... (250 Rand)

[TJ101]

Rich

I spend a lot of time and expense on this subject over the years,, I can only speak re Volvo, but, even before block exemption,, , it was the customers choice as to where his vehicle was serviced , so long as it was done to manufacturers service specification, with as you say "'suitable quality'" the vehicle would still be covered under the makers standard warranty,

I would always play safe and use "Genuine Branded Parts" The Sport has been serviced "outside" the dealer network, and has been back for warranty items recently, with no problem,

With the RAC Insurance warranty you have,, most used car warranties are the same, they will only pay out, if the item that has "mechanically broken down" is listed in the policy, also they will stipulate the service interval margins, normally 10 days either side of due time,, the fact that window regulators are not a service item, has nothing to do with it,, the policy conditions were broken by late servicing

Like most insurance policies, if they can get out of paying, they will try,, have a case at the moment with a V70 AWD,, the front angle drive stripped the teeth of the pinion,, the warranty firm are claiming the vehicle was drive after the event,,!! like yes,, about 200 yards out of the outside lane, onto the hard shoulder !!

[MRWOO]

Rich

I spend a lot of time and expense on this subject over the years,, I can only speak re Volvo, but, even before block exemption,, , it was the customers choice as to where his vehicle was serviced , so long as it was done to manufacturers service specification, with as you say "'suitable quality'" the vehicle would still be covered under the makers standard warranty,

I would always play safe and use "Genuine Branded Parts" The Sport has been serviced "outside" the dealer network, and has been back for warranty items recently, with no problem,

With the RAC Insurance warranty you have,, most used car warranties are the same, they will only pay out, if the item that has "mechanically broken down" is listed in the policy, also they will stipulate the service interval margins, normally 10 days either side of due time,, the fact that window regulators are not a service item, has nothing to do with it,, the policy conditions were broken by late servicing

Like most insurance policies, if they can get out of paying, they will try,, have a case at the moment with a V70 AWD,, the front angle drive stripped the teeth of the pinion,, the warranty firm are claiming the vehicle was drive after the event,,!! like yes,, about 200 yards out of the outside lane, onto the hard shoulder !!

Thanks Tim, although that is not the answer I really wanted to hear I knew it would probably come down to this in the end anyway. After all that's what small print is for!

[OilIT]

You dont state how many miles over you were on the last service, with my merc (I know), the garage and merc accept that you cant always get cars in for a service the next day after its due, so typically allow you 2000 miles (at least i have been 2k miles over and had warranty work done). Check your vehicle docs, and call the main delaer and ask them at what point (miles and time) over service interval would invalidate the warranty, then go back to the RAC and ask them why they as an intermeidary would not honour the same flexibility as the guys who designed the car. Then if you dont get anywhere i would advise them if you dont get a satisfactory answer you will write to the papers - and do it - you may get lucky, the guys in the sunday times seem to get incredible results challenging these big companies. even if you dont get the bill paid, at least everybody will get to hear how poor their behaviour and c/s is.

[MRWOO]

You dont state how many miles over you were on the last service, with my merc (I know), the garage and merc accept that you cant always get cars in for a service the next day after its due, so typically allow you 2000 miles (at least i have been 2k miles over and had warranty work done). Check your vehicle docs, and call the main delaer and ask them at what point (miles and time) over service interval would invalidate the warranty, then go back to the RAC and ask them why they as an intermeidary would not honour the same flexibility as the guys who designed the car. Then if you dont get anywhere i would advise them if you dont get a satisfactory answer you will write to the papers - and do it - you may get lucky, the guys in the sunday times seem to get incredible results challenging these big companies. even if you dont get the bill paid, at least everybody will get to hear how poor their behaviour and c/s is.

The Passat was done right on the designated milage at around 10050 miles when it was due its 10k service, from reading the reports on here I'm going to ring RAC tomorrow and persue this further, thanks again for the advice/ideas....