[FishNRover]

I'm 9 months in to owning a 2018 RRS SC v8. Just returned from a 3K trip from OK to Cali with a number of side trips. The RRS was nothing short of spectacular. It is so comfortable, powerful and a joy to drive on the highways, backroads, and trails. I owned a 99 Discovery, so I knew the inherent challenges of owning a Land Rover, but to me the rewards far outweigh the risks of the vehicle. One of the key things to any vehicle ownership is the ability of the local dealer to take care of the issues. I had an absolute disaster experience with my previous Jeep Grand Cherokee and it leaves a really bad taste in regarding the brand. Back in the late 90's and early 2000's, Land Rover treated customers like Kings. Not quite the same anymore, but still a very good experience. So far, I like my local dealer and I know that will go a long way towards keeping me a happy customer.

 

[rickjones]

If a vehicle is actually leaving people stranded somewhere, broken down, I totally get the frustration and wanting to just get out of the Land Rover into something else. It's unfortunate some people are unlucky enough to have one vehicle with so many problems. My experience has been different -- had a 2010 HSE (5.0L V8) for 7 years and 80k miles and it was super reliable. Only had to replace parts that wear out, and tires and brakes. Then a Velar for less than year and then a 2018 Sport SVR for a year so far. Have only had infotainment issues with the SVR and Velar, otherwise totally perfect. And the dealer has been great about installing software updates.

My comparison is with the 4 Audi's I had before a Land Rover. Reliability is about the same for me, but the Audi service experience is much better and less expensive. But for how much I enjoy owning and driving a RR Sport I'm willing to pay the extra in maintenance and deal with the dealer experience which is only once or twice a year. Sure there are many brands that make cars that are cheaper and give owners more "peace of mind" if you know what I mean. But I find most other brands really boring and not something I'd want to own. Design is really important to me and there isn't much out there I like. I'll keep driving one until I get burned by reliability in a big way, if it ever happens but it's luck of the draw.

 

[markjeansonn]

Was the OP in a 2018, 2019 ... maybe I missed the year model.
I have had appr. 6 rovers, going all the way back to 1994 Classic.
Currently, 2008 RRS (even thought the year model is irrelevant here) 109,000 miles, and I just can not kill it, it
refuses to stop running, handling like a brand new ford, chev, toyota. I want to get rid of it, but can't b/c the
vehicle always has been and remains completely trustworthy -- towing another vehicle 3000 miles, etc.
My 2014 RRS with 71,000 miles is also perfect -- NEVER an issue, rides, handles like brand new.
I'm sure the OP had a lemon. I'm sure Toyota has had lemons before also.

 

[TexasRover3]

So certainly there are those who are having good luck with their Rovers. But I think we can all agree that Land Rover's overall quality leaves a lot to be desired. If that wasn't the case, then third party warranty companies wouldn't be categorically excluding Land Rover from coverage. My experience with my own RRS is that Rover uses cheap parts that wear out quickly. That is a choice by JLR. Why does JLR make that choice? And are the problems a combination of their choice to use cheap parts and ineptitude in mass manufacturing as compared to say Toyota? With today's technology, one would think JLR could employ the technology to get fairly near competitor quality tolerances.

If you are going to sell a car for $80+ K, that's some serious freight, and I think a manufacturer of any such car should pay serious attention to its quality.

Of course, if JLR continues to sell vehicles in the current manner, there is no motivation to force a change. If folks are perfectly happy to pay $80K for a vehicle that is prone to break-downs, then I guess just stay the course. I don't know that I can think of another consumer product that has panache despite the fact that it is an inferior product.

 

[rickchitown]

I have to repeat, you were somehow able to manage to put almost 70k miles on the clock, in a 3 year lease. My logic says you weren't stranded THAT much. We get it, you had a really bad experience with YOUR particular car. And I think most on here are on here will maybe agree to perhaps the brands "something less than a Toyota" reliability. However, I would think almost ALL on here really don't want to drive a Toyota. No matter Camry, Land Cruiser or even a really fancy Toyota, aka Lexus. As I stated, this too is my first Range Rover, but I assure, will not be my last... in fact, I'm shopping used L405's as we speak. I know, the madness. I just feel really bad you got stranded in the donut line... time to find yourself a Toyota message board, and leave us to our less than reliable Land Rovers. I'll take my chances in driving a car with this much passion.

 

[Motivology]

@TexasRover3 - What year and model did you lease?

 

[vaserRRS]

My first sport a 2014 V8 SC first year model back in 2014 was the car from hell. LR had to buy it back. I wound up in my 2015.5 ATB as compromise and its been blissfully reliable. I have been asked about trading it back in by the dealer every time I go for service. No thanks. I am keeping the **** thing till the wheels fall off and I am not likely getting another one. But there is just nothing like it out there. Nothing.

 

[rickjones]

So certainly there are those who are having good luck with their Rovers. But I think we can all agree that Land Rover's overall quality leaves a lot to be desired. If that wasn't the case, then third party warranty companies wouldn't be categorically excluding Land Rover from coverage. My experience with my own RRS is that Rover uses cheap parts that wear out quickly. That is a choice by JLR. Why does JLR make that choice? And are the problems a combination of their choice to use cheap parts and ineptitude in mass manufacturing as compared to say Toyota? With today's technology, one would think JLR could employ the technology to get fairly near competitor quality tolerances.

If you are going to sell a car for $80+ K, that's some serious freight, and I think a manufacturer of any such car should pay serious attention to its quality.

Of course, if JLR continues to sell vehicles in the current manner, there is no motivation to force a change. If folks are perfectly happy to pay $80K for a vehicle that is prone to break-downs, then I guess just stay the course. I don't know that I can think of another consumer product that has panache despite the fact that it is an inferior product.

There is definitely evidence to support the fact that statistically Land Rover's are not as reliable overall as some other brands. JD Power has reports etc. And lots of horror stories posted all over the internet. But it's peculiar that some people have TONS of problems and others have virtually ZERO issues. Seems unevenly distributed. Also some consumers completely freak out about anything going wrong with a car and will immediately get online to proclaim they have a complete LEMON.

I don't think Land Rover uses cheap parts. That's not a fair statement. I'm not an engineer but I know that there are a lot of parts that have to all work together and there are so many variables and opportunities for things to fail. Land Rover has a very high repeat buyer percentage and that would not be the case if they were clearly inferior to other manufacturers.

 

[svrchr]

Before I even purchased my SVR, I was in a 19' RR Sport rental that broke down on me for the same gear shift problem you had. That vehicle had less than 1,000mi on the ODO. Literally had to leave it in a parking lot and take an uber out of there - thankfully wasn't in a drive thru like you.

My brand new 19' SVR's rear control arm snapped and the wheel broke off my vehicle coasting down a main rd doing about 40mph in traffic. This was after about 1,500mi.

It definitely isn't an understatement that this brand has massive issues and they have a rep for it.

Although I do find myself gravitating for the SVR keys every time I am about to take a ride. I absolutely love everything about the vehicle with the exception of all the problems that come with it.

good luck and I feel your pain!

 

[pontoon]

WOW... just reading through the posts makes me wonder ... the quality of production on these news vehicles is appalling... if they are leaving people stranded with less than 1000 miles on their odometers.

None the less i would advise that if you are not technically say or good with tools avoid owning these cars especially if they are not under warranty.

I have had my car for 8 years , it had 80k mile when i got it and had been owned by five different people
i am the 6th and it now has 252k miles on it , i am an engineer specializing in electrics so i count less than ten occasions in 8 years that i have had to visit a dealership , not bragging but if i had no technical experience i can only imagine the cost i would have had to bear when i look back and consider the amout of servce repairs i had to perform to keep my rig running smoothly.

 

[sabercap]

Also a newbie to RR. We've had our 2011 HSE over a year now. Knock on wood, the only thing that has gone wrong is a rear caliper hanging up. Obviously we bought it used and with some miles but we have no complaints. Like everyone says, just to get behind the wheel and really enjoy the ride. My wife loves that car. Just over 100K now but still an absolute dream to be on the road with.

 

[wrpercival]

Was the OP in a 2018, 2019 ... maybe I missed the year model.
I have had appr. 6 rovers, going all the way back to 1994 Classic.
Currently, 2008 RRS (even thought the year model is irrelevant here) 109,000 miles, and I just can not kill it, it
refuses to stop running, handling like a brand new ford, chev, toyota. I want to get rid of it, but can't b/c the
vehicle always has been and remains completely trustworthy -- towing another vehicle 3000 miles, etc.
My 2014 RRS with 71,000 miles is also perfect -- NEVER an issue, rides, handles like brand new.
I'm sure the OP had a lemon. I'm sure Toyota has had lemons before also.

I own a 2008 RRS with 190K miles and have had similar results. My wife drove it for the first 120K miles (she is not kind to machinery of any type) and I have since adopted it. I'll also admit that I tried to persuade her from purchasing the vehicle initially because I feared the potential maintenance problems that you often hear associated with Land Rovers in general. Since I take care of all maintenance issues in our household, car problems are my problem, not to mention the fact that when she first took the vehicle to the dealer for a "complimentary" 3-month inspection, the service manager tried to sell her (unsuccessfully) OE wiper blades for $350.

In reality, this RRS has been one of the most, if not the most reliable of vehicles I have ever owned. Of course, I have had to deal with the normal milage-related maintenance items anyone would reasonably expect, and I'd say that I do think the original braking system was sufficiently engineered for a vehicle of this weight, but I plan to continue using it as my primary transportation until I start to question its reliability.

I'd also mention that over our 10 years of ownership, we never did any exterior or interior maintenance other than taking it to a car wash occasionally. Last month I purchased an orbital buffer and completely compounded, polished and waxed the exterior and thoroughly cleaned the interior of the car. Other than some cracking in the leather covering the driver's seat and armrest, the car looks exceptional. I won't say brand new, but I will say the original paint job looks as good as it did two years into ownership.

I probably should not be saying things like this for fear of tempting fate. The next time you hear from me I will probably end up telling you that my transmission locked up at 80mph causing me to total the car in the ensuing chaos.

 

[gsolo9559]

Yes, I agree Bamablue, I have a 2014 RRS Dynamic SCV8, it just turned 63k... No issues what so ever and its been a pleasure to drive. I am a stickler for making sure I keep up with the required maintenance.

 

[f10m5]

I’ve had a bunch of Toyotas. Thing with Toyota is the cars will live on with neglected service. I had a 04 Camry with 140k miles that had blown shocks all around, all bushings shot, alignment shot, CEL on always. Still ran good. We were the original owners. Was a turd though. No joy at all. Was a tool.

I’ve had a bunch of range rovers too. These cars need servicing and regular check ups. Which I love to do myself and have no problem doing. Definitely quirky sometimes. At the end of the day you can’t compare them to a Toyota. No comparison in anyway.

Resale value is something I’ve realized you will take a loss on no matter what with high end cars. My last Toyota 2015 Highlander LE base bought for 33k OTD (tax and all) our 10k miles a year later traded it in a year later for 31k.

 

[mindyann68]

I had a problem with my low coolant light coming on and took it in many times to have it checked for a leak...they would check and not find anything and top off the coolant, which would keep the light off for usually about 3 months. Well, guess what? Last November, I'm driving and the light comes on and, immediately, my engine overheats!! I had to stop and have it towed... Huge bill...and have had nothing but problems ever since...Have also had to have the timing chain replaced, and several other things...I really could go on and on...I'm with you- I'll go back to boring any day rather than put up with another Range Rover...sad, because I loved driving it, when it wasn't being repaired. I did speak to Land Rover North America and they did pay for half of the repairs as I was past warranty.

 

[Gumax]

I purchased a 3 year old Range Rover Sport with v8 and Dymanic package. The Land Rover dealership is 150 miles away but I always wanted a Range Rover Sport so I took the plunge. I am very happy to say that after 2 1/2 years and 37000 miles I have had no need to go the the dealer. The only problem that has surfaced is some problems with trailer running lights. Still working on that one but overall the RRS has beed better than I had hoped it would be mechanically speaking. Thats one persons experience. Hope it lasts because I love this vehicle.

 

[linuxfreakus]

I think there is direct correlation between how handy people are with doing their own repairs and how satisfied they are with most vehicles as they get up in miles / age. If you fix stuff yourself pretty cheaply, you don't tend to feel as bad about it. IMO, the LR stealerships are some of the most expensive places you'll find to repair your car... and a lot of their proprietary systems are such a pain that nobody else wants to work on them. That is the single biggest problem with LR.

I had two different L322 RR, and they had quite a list of repairs that I performed, but it was all told pretty affordable and they were awesome vehicles. Now we have a Lexus and a RAM... the Lexus has definitely not been problem free either...but so far the RAM as been flawless, and I've been towing heavy loads all over the country. There are plenty of horror stories with RAM owners and suspension lashing, and various fuel injector issues, etc... so far I've dodged those (no pun intended).

I've also since picked up a RR classic project vehicle, and lemme tell ya. I know where the RR got its bad reputation from now. This thing is nothing like the newer generation.