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baconbutty
Member Since: 28 Mar 2010
Location: N Yorks
Posts: 34
  
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Hi - any advice..... 2 month old D4 HSE broken down in France. Back in UK with LR Assist provided rental car, a Vauxhall Insignia. But I need a 4x4 with a tow bar as I tow a race car on a regular basis and also need off-road capability (latter is def a no no with the rental company). Best plan of attack? LR Customer Care? Any one with prior experience?
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 26th Apr 2010 7:37 am |
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Smarticus
Member Since: 01 Jan 2005
Location: Northumberland
Posts: 655
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We found that a number of calls to Enterprise (the people who supply the hire cars) and the Dealer got us a 4x4 when originally there were "none available". The appealing, we need it, its a safety matter approach worked best - Mr Angry style doesn't get them working for you and going the extra mile to find you the vehicle you need.
By the way - what's wrong with your car ? Disco 4 TDV6HSE
Defender 200TDi CSW
RR Evoque
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| 26th Apr 2010 8:14 am |
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baconbutty
Member Since: 28 Mar 2010
Location: N Yorks
Posts: 34
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Driving back from Italy on Saturday a warning 'Engine System Fault' appeared. After pleading I now have a Freelander so at least have 4x4. Nothing with a tow bar yet!
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| 26th Apr 2010 2:13 pm |
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DigitalJunior
Member Since: 22 Nov 2008
Location: Cumbria
Posts: 4398
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Its about par for the course from LRA a vauxhall saloon car. SOLD - 23my Range Rover Sport D300 Dynamic SE
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| 26th Apr 2010 3:53 pm |
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soundsolutions
Member Since: 11 Jun 2009
Location: The shires, Yorkshire & Cheshire
Posts: 404
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Its going back awhile, but when I had the freelander, Enterprise said they had to offer from the same brand, So at the time, that was a Ford Mundane, A D3, or a Jag.
Damn that D3, one of the reasons I bought one.
But now that TATA own it, You could get a Nano! 
Or maybe, if the customer service team pull out all the stops, you could stay in a Taj, drinking tea. The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side.
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| 26th Apr 2010 5:02 pm |
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baconbutty
Member Since: 28 Mar 2010
Location: N Yorks
Posts: 34
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If I can sort the insurance out for the trailer then I've been offered a RRS with tow bar. Chap at LRA been really helpful today
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| 26th Apr 2010 7:03 pm |
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MartinR
Member Since: 27 Jan 2008
Location: Oxon
Posts: 708
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MrsR's 5 series touring was shunted before xmas. All handed over to Direct Line, who notified Enterprise to arrange a loaner. Since it was non-fault, rather than Vauxhall Nova they went the "equivalent vehicle" route (and no doubt claimed a fortune off the other driver's insurance...) but they seemed to treat it as a challenge to find us a decent replacement. Aside from the fact that I really didn't get on with the top spec V70 D5 they found us, I was very impressed with the service, so there is hope!
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| 26th Apr 2010 7:41 pm |
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baconbutty
Member Since: 28 Mar 2010
Location: N Yorks
Posts: 34
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Ummm - dealer in Reims has looked at the car and can't find anything wrong. Have reprogrammed it, road tested it (is that French for given it a jolly good thrashing?), put gaffer tape over the warning light and it is all ok now. LRA helpfully called and said "your car's ok, when would you like to pick it up!". After a let me explain conversation that took several phone calls and help from the good guy in customer services they have agreed to deliver the car back to me in the UK. They can't get it back to me until May 11 though. Car also has a low speed brake problem in that it snatches through the steering wheel when braking from about 40 mph. Asked if they could sort this whilst they still have the car. Answer is that they don't think so, would I like the car delivering straight to my local dealer instead? Fantastic - pay £50k for a car and it is out of my hands for 3 weeks - depreciation during this period prob c£1k and they give me a Freelander as a replacement vehicle! Not a happy bunny. Need a 4x4 as do a lot along tracks/moorland and I also tow a car. Also need space to transport people and gear over long distances. Insurance re Enterprise Rental and towing is a nightmare. Prob going to have to rent a bigger car at my own cost. When my BMWs or Mercedes had issues I got a car at least equiv to mine if not better. Don't know what Toyota would have done if that had broken down as it never did!! Off to the bottom of the garden to eat worms. Mr Grumpy. 
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| 28th Apr 2010 7:04 pm |
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buda
Member Since: 24 Jan 2010
Location: strathclyde
Posts: 334
 
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LRA recovered my D3 to dealer last week with a brake problem, after I went out to a site 60 miles from home. They got the local Enterprise company to call me and said they normally supply like for like cars so I should get a disco 3 but they had none and they could give me a 2litre car instead delivered to the site.
I suggested that the branch in my home town could deliver a car to my home address if they had a landrover available.........they called back and said yes.......I got a 5litre V8 range rover sport supercharged delivered to my home whilst I got a lift home from collueque.
So, they do have them and its just you luck if there one available............
by the way, I now know what the PERMAGRIN is now........costs a lot in petrol though.
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| 29th Apr 2010 12:32 am |
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Russell
Member Since: 24 Aug 2007
Location: Kent
Posts: 10564
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Christmas 2008 my d3 clutch went, car taken to dealers by LRA and a small vauxhall delivered for over night. The following day enterprise arranged a RR with tow bar to tow my caravan as we were due to go away, they even sorted the insurance, the only issue was the number plate, so they can do it at their cost. MY17 D5 1st Edition Namib Orange
MY15 D4 HSE Kaikoura Stone
MY12 D4 HSE Nara Bronze Sold and gone
MY11 D4 HSE Stornaway Grey Sold and gone
D3 S spec Silver Sold and gone
Tow bar, full length roof bars, side steps, tow bar storage unit, surround camers.
D4 camera club
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| 29th Apr 2010 1:54 am |
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Bushwanderer
Member Since: 27 Nov 2007
Location: Northern Rivers, NSW, Australia
Posts: 2050
 
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Hi baconbutty,
Sorry about your hassles.
I don't know if you are aware, but sometimes the "engine fault" light comes on due to a momentary glitch. This can often be fixed by turning off the ignition and then restarting. Did you try this?
Best Wishes,
Peter The Bearded Dragon
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| 29th Apr 2010 3:02 am |
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baconbutty
Member Since: 28 Mar 2010
Location: N Yorks
Posts: 34
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Yep - tried that several times. It had also gone into low power mode. Despite having asked I suspect that the car hadn't had the Assurance program carried out on it as I had also had a previous problem with rear window bounce which I think was one of the Assurance software fixes.
Latest is that the car should be back with my dealer in a week's time. A mate delivers a few vehicles for LR (amongst others) around the country. He has lots of tales of woe with the D4 electronics. He joked that I may have to wait a while, but not that long, as Land Rover Jaguar would prob want to recover a transporter load at a time.
In the meantime I'm having to use a motorhome to tow things around and use the goodwill of mates with tractors to move things around off-road. swmbo not happy about tools, engine and suspension parts knocking bits off the motorhome interior as we drive along. Feeling a little bit like royalty though as the wife and I don't often travel in the same vehicle any more as we can't fit sufficient gear in the loaner Freelander. Still only a week to go. The joys of owning a timeshare (I have it for a month, they have it for a month).
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| 7th May 2010 11:17 am |
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Russell
Member Since: 24 Aug 2007
Location: Kent
Posts: 10564
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Baconbutty, get back onto LR customer service and explain your position, ask for an equivalent vehicle after explaining your problem, if they are not prepared to move, tell them you will present the bill for repairs to motor home when D4 finally gets returned.  MY17 D5 1st Edition Namib Orange
MY15 D4 HSE Kaikoura Stone
MY12 D4 HSE Nara Bronze Sold and gone
MY11 D4 HSE Stornaway Grey Sold and gone
D3 S spec Silver Sold and gone
Tow bar, full length roof bars, side steps, tow bar storage unit, surround camers.
D4 camera club
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| 7th May 2010 12:37 pm |
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baconbutty
Member Since: 28 Mar 2010
Location: N Yorks
Posts: 34
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Thanks Russell. Sorry but am about to rant - well it is Friday, I had been trying to get a suitable replacement for the weekend but to no avail so I feel I deserve it.
They are actually trying to be helpful but I am not sure that they have the resource to do so. I simply can't get a replacement with a towbar due to insurance problems - bizarre but true but had I crashed the Discovery it wouldn't have been an issue as I could just tag the loaner onto my policy. As this isn't the case I need to take out a seperate new policy on the loaner car with the tow bar. This then leads to issues as it is an undefined timescale short term policy and I don't own the vehicle. The administration of sorting this out coupled with the time, certainty and cost of reclaiming from LRA just fills me with dread. I still don't actually completely know who I'm meant to be dealing with - I get passed from LRA to LRA Europe to LR Cutomer Service to Enterprise on a regular basis and can get conflicting voice mails from them within hours. I can't seem to do certain things because the file is with LRA Europe. LR Europe are administered by the AA who don't seem to know what we are covered for and what we aren't. In all LRA where-ever at times seem as confused as I am.
In frustration I have written to the CEO's office and am in discussions with them about what would happen if I was towing the race car in Europe and the D4 broke down. Would they get me to the race meet on-time and then repatriate the race car and trailer such that I could race the following weekend? So far they have confirmed that they would get me (not necessarily the trailer, etc to my destination.
The D4 was meant to consolidate two cars into one for me and actually in theory is fantastic in this regard. Don't get me wrong I have had other brands that have broken down (including when towing) on me but their efforts to make sure I wasn't inconvenienced and that I was in a suitable replacement were excellent. Indeed at times they made you feel strangely good about the experience. This is where LR are falling short - especially if they want to charge £50k for a D4. Great product but in my experience with poor back-up to date.
I am learning the downside of not running a (reliable) BMW estate plus a big 4x4 as I just can't do without a big load carrying tow car.
I am trying to be rational at the moment but am disturbed by being let down by the car whilst in another country, the lack of a suitable replacement and am very nervous about the possibility of in the future towing a valuable race car with no door locks/security, etc with the D4 without proper OEM back-up. If it fails me again, I'm afraid it goes and I'll be back to the best combination I ever had which was 535d tourer (DMS remap) plus a Defender. I'll just fight my corner with LR as to how we split the cost of a car which to date they have had in their dealerships for over 25% of my time of ownership - I am reliably informed that I wouldn't be the first.
Knock on is incredible though. I was with one of my MD's yesterday who was torn between a FFRR or replacing his Cayenne with the new version. He stated that he just couldn't afford the sort of probs I have had so innocently I put him in touch with people I know who run newish FFRR's as he shouldn't be coloured by my experience. He called me back to say decision made. All of the FFRR owners love the product but state that reliability is shocking. One of the guys who has more money than FFRR's has bought a second new one to run alongside his first so that he has one on the road whilst the other is being sorted out by his dealership (for heavens sake!).
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| 7th May 2010 3:39 pm |
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DiscoDunc
Member Since: 08 May 2006
Location: Bristol
Posts: 16390
 
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It took Enterprise 3 days to get me a D3 with a towbar when my wheel bearing failed last year - that wasnt too bad though except for the fact I was stuck at a caravan / camp site just out side Blackpool !!
just tell them you need to load 500kg (1/2 ton sound better) into the boot as well and ask them to assure you that if you load that into an inferior vehicle and the suspension collapses and the wheels drop off like a circus car, they wont charge you for damages , as it was them that provided you with a car not safe for the purpose you will be using it.
worked for me - apart from the Blackpool bit  Duncan
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If I'd known I was going to be so thirsty this morning I'd have drunk more beer last night.
FFRR Autobiography 4.4 SDV8 MY17
D4 HSE MY13 SOLD
FFRR 3.6 Vogue TDV8 SOLD
D4 HSE MY10 SOLD
D4 SE TECH MY15 SOLD
D4 XS MY12 SOLD
D4 HSE MY10 SOLD
D3 HSE MY06 - Re-Cycled Worldwide
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| 7th May 2010 5:03 pm |
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