Heard back from the dealer this morning (Premier Motors in Abu Dhabi) - LAND ROVER HAS AGREED TO GIVE ME A NEW ENGINE!! The service manager (Manar) said they forwarded my concerns to LR and that they also argued that a weakened block would most likely lead to future repairs and further costs for LR, so replacing the whole engine now would be the best way to go. I have received nothing but the best customer service from Premier Motors - definitely highly impressed. My service manager Sageesh has called me every day to keep me updated, and been very supportive throughout the process.

Thank you all so much for your advice! Your help was truly invaluable in communicating my concerns to Land Rover - as always, this site has come through for me!!! I hope you don't mind that I stole your ideas for my letter to Land Rover. As promised, here is the email I sent them:

Quote:

To Whom It May Concern:

On Friday, May 23, without warning, my 2008 Land Rover LR3 overheated severely and had to be recovered to the Land Rover service centre in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The problem was traced to a faulty thermostat.

This car has less than 6,000Km on the odometer, and my wife and I have owned it for approximately 3 months. We purchased it new, and we intend for it to last forever – as a Land Rover should.

Land Rover Abu Dhabi replaced the faulty thermostat, along with other parts of the cooling system that had been damaged due to the high temperature and pressure. Once they were able to turn the car on, they observed white smoke coming from the exhaust. In accordance with Land Rover's instructions, they performed a compression test and found pressure variations among the different cylinders. Land Rover further instructed them to open the engine and inspect it.

I was told by Land Rover Abu Dhabi that since my LR3 is so new, if the engine was found to be damaged, it would be replaced. I was extremely disappointed, therefore, when I was informed that Land Rover has decided that instead of replacing the engine in my LR3, the dealer should simply replace the cylinder heads and head components.

I have expressed to my dealer that I find this solution to be unacceptable, and at their behest, let me briefly state the reasons why:

1) This is a new car: 3 months old, with less than 6,000Km. If I wanted a used car with a previously-overheated engine, I would have purchased one. Any fix other than a new engine is wholly unacceptable on such a new vehicle.

2) The failure of the thermostat was not my fault. It was a faulty component installed by Land Rover. I believe that as a Land Rover customer, I should not have to settle for a "patched up" engine that was damaged as a result of a manufacturing defect.

3) The engine got hot enough to melt the head gasket. I personally witnessed steam and smoke pouring out of the engine itself when the LR3 broke down. Simply replacing the head does not negate the fact that the ENTIRE engine was subject to extremely high temperatures. I have been informed that my dealer took photographs and measurements of the engine which they sent to Land Rover. Based upon this, Land Rover decided that no damage has been done to the lower half of the engine. However, the fact that the engine block was not observed to show cracks does not mean that the metal was not subjected to accelerated fatigue due to the high temperatures, and might therefore be more prone to failure.

4) I was left stranded in the middle of a desert highway in 40°C weather for three hours waiting for LR recovery. My wife drives this car every day. An engine subjected to overheating will wear prematurely and fail. I do not want to be riding a time bomb that will leave me or my wife stranded again. Land Rovers are famed for their ability to take their owners to the middle of nowhere – the middle of nowhere is not a good place to have second thoughts about your vehicle's ability to bring you home safely. The bottom half of an overheated engine will eventually fail. It is not a question of "if", it is a question of "when". And "when" is not a question that I want hanging over my NEW Land Rover.

5) A new engine is built and tested under the strictest quality control and inspection procedures. There is no way on earth that a mechanic in a Land Rover dealers' workshop can reproduce the quality procedures and environment control that the factory assembled engine would have when it was new. As I understand it, during production even the thickness of the gasket varies from engine to engine dependent on the build tolerances. I can't see how Land Rover Abu Dhabi would be that precise away from the factory. I bought a new car, with a factory-sealed, factory-tested engine. Since the damage that was done to the engine was not my fault, I think it is entirely reasonable for me to expect that when my LR3 is returned to me, it will continue to have a factory-sealed, factory-tested engine.

6) I bought this Land Rover new. By doing so, I have not only acquired a vehicle to enjoy, I have also acquired an asset that will be subject to depreciation. Due to a defective component, this asset has sustained serious damage. Replacing only the top half of an overheated engine is a patch, it is a quick fix and will be recognized as such by potential future owners. The resulting drop in resale value will mean that I, the customer, will be left bearing the cost of a manufacturing defect.

Land Rover Abu Dhabi has assured me that they will support my dispute of Land Rover's proposed repair. They have told me that they believe that due to the fact that this car is so new, the entire engine should be replaced. This is something that they have told me more than once.

This engine has overheated. On a new Land Rover with less than 6,000Km on it, this should mean a new engine, no questions asked. I would kindly request that you stand by me as your customer in this matter.

I am available to discuss this at any time via telephone at _.

Kind Regards,

Great news. It's good to see that LR has done the right thing. As you say in your letter, anything less would be a bodge/patch-up and would not put the vehicle 100% right.

I particularly liked the following:

hernan1304 wrote:

1) This is a new car: 3 months old, with less than 6,000Km. If I wanted a used car with a previously-overheated engine, I would have purchased one.

A bit sarcastic, but bloody funny