What to do with a lemon

[BIRD]

I found out that my new 2007 LR2 is a lemon with alot of electrical problems. The truck has been seen by two enginers and still broken after 35 days in the shop I should be going to court soon to get a new truck or a refund. I was just wondering if I should get a new LR2 or take the cash and get a new truck. The problem is I like my Land Rovers. And if I take the cash what other truck to get. What to do

[Disco Mike]

Bird, I was wondering why you have been so quiet lately. Sorry to hear about your issues.
Yes, Rover would rather give you another vehicle then return your money to you.
Let us know how it goes.
Mike

[BIRD]

Hey Mike,

I am still here at camp Taji Iraq, With the dust storms and internet black outs. It is hard to keep up with things. As for my wife, she is having problems with Land Rover. They are tell her she will have to wait for a new truck. They are all out of 2008's because they have several lemons in Hawaii. Maybe I will sit it out for a 2009.

[Disco Mike]

That would be a plus if you got an 09.
I haven't heard of them having problems with the LR2's before.
How much longer you going to over playing in the desert?
Take care,
Mike

[stolenheron]

just get a new LR2 from em. i have heard of no issues with them locally. we're really disappointed we didn't get one instead of buying an Acura RDX...they've been fun to drive as loaners and i haven't seen any in the service bays yet at the stealership

[BIRD]

Hey Mike,

I will be in Iraq until March of 2009. It was a 2 year contract and we stay as long as the Army unit we are with stays. And the 2/25 will be here for 15 mounths. All that means is more money in the bank for me. And as the war goes on. We should be back here in early 2010. I do not know if the wife will like that idea. So far the work has been light. We only lost 5 trucks to IED's and lost 1 man to combat action and 10 others wounded.

As for the truck, we will stay with the Land Rover LR2, because the stealership is out of new 2008. I will see if we can hold out for a new 2009. As for Hawaii it seams they have 4 or 5 lemons on their hands. That is why they are out of 2008's. Or maybe I will see if I can get a good deal on the Range Rover sport!!

[TerryS]

Hi Bird,
I don't know what issues you're having with the LR2, but I'll relate our experience.
My wife had a 2003 Freelander, and after the major (Timing belts, etc) service, we had a repeated, and unrelenting series of problems. The problems, in my opinion, were more related to the service department than the car, but we were rapidly loosing faith in both the brand and the dealership's ability to take care of the brand. On 3 successive returns, the first when it came back after the major service, a plug between the head and cam cover blew out, and the car lost all it's oil. Each trip back on a flatbed got her an LR2, LR3, and 2005 Freelander as loaners (for over a week per event). All the while, we were trying to get the dealer to take the Freelander off our hands, they offered what any reasonable person would consider, a most pathetic trade value, and at one point, simply said they didn't want her car (even though they sold it to her initially).
My wife didn't like the LR3 simply based on size, and while I kind of enjoyed it the few times I drove it, I felt it lacked the Land Rover style of the last D2s. In fact, looking it from the back reminded me of a Dodge Sprinter. She was a little iffy about the LR2, until one morning it simply refused to propel itself forward, and it too, a 2008, left on a flatbed. We made them an offer to trade the 2003 on the 2005, but they felt theirs was worth 400 percent over ours, so, when her's seemed finally sorted out, she drove up the road to the Subaru dealer (owned by the same group as the LR dealer) and traded it in on a 2009 Forrester LL Bean edition. She absolutely loves the Forrester, and the best thing about the deal, is that the Subaru dealer told her the Freelander would go "up the road to our sister dealer who sells Land Rover".

[BIRD]

Well I got a letter from Land Rover. They said it is the engine management system and it needs to be updated, but the up date needs to be aproved by the EPA and that will be 30 days or more. It seams it is a fuel perolation problem when hot. (what does that mean?)
They said we can get an 08 but might have the same problem or trade up to to a LR3 or Range Rove sport (less trade in value). or we can wait for the new up date. Or get our money back but at trade in value. As I see it I will have to pay more money unless I sit it out.
Land Rover said that it was not a good idea to to get the 08 because many of the trucks are comming up with this problem and should just sit it out and wait. I think if I do that I should get some thing out of the deal like free gas cards or after market stuff for the truck. What do you all think?

[ArmyRover]

It depends I guess on what you want. If you want out from under your truck I'm sure the state of Hawaii's lemon laws will be in your favor with the length and frequency of your vehicles dealer visits.

If you want to keep the 07 than wait it out but I would have Land Rover making the payments on the truck. Since their the ones using it lol.

If you want to trade to the 08 I would discuss it with the LRNA Rep and get a better price than trade in for your 07. I would want the purchase price since they are forcing your hand on this.

If that can't be resolved between yourself and LRNA I would consult a lawyer, a well drafted letter is sometimes quite effective.