TFL Defender experience

4Runner

Well-known member
May 24, 2007
660
110
Boise Idaho
I don’t watch too much YouTube but a coworker said I should check this out. They purchased a D2 and an LR3 and had great luck with them. So they purchased an new Defender. Wow, what a 1980’s English car experience they are having. The new Defender isn’t my favorite, but I hope for JLR’s sake that most of them go better than this.
 

Jimmy

Well-known member
Apr 10, 2006
740
64
Aurora, CO
The topic that interests me is if they did not have the YT business, would they be receiving the same treatment?
 

bri

Well-known member
Apr 20, 2004
6,178
152
US

I think you would be a fool to buy a first model year and bigger fool to by this P.O.S.

AND...wait 6-12 mo for one. No thanks. Land Rover is a lost cause.
 
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DiscoHasBeen

Well-known member
Aug 7, 2016
1,171
262
Indy
I came here to post the article in the Defender thread. Seven complaints to the NHTSA doesn't seem like a lot, but a new engine, damn.
 

SCSL

Well-known member
Apr 27, 2005
4,144
152
Land Rover is a lost cause.
Nah, as a luxury SUV brand they are kicking ass. But yeah, the off road heritage has been a lost cause for awhile now.
 
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Eliot

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Feb 4, 2008
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Bozeman, MT
I don’t watch too much YouTube but a coworker said I should check this out. They purchased a D2 and an LR3 and had great luck with them. So they purchased an new Defender. Wow, what a 1980’s English car experience they are having. The new Defender isn’t my favorite, but I hope for JLR’s sake that most of them go better than this.

As bad as this story sounds, it's one case in how many? How does it compare to previous model releases? How many engines did they replace on the first model year of the LR3, for example?

And those are true questions. I would expect freak failures, especially in a new model release, but if they're common, then that's a serious issue.
 

discostew

Well-known member
Sep 14, 2010
7,706
1,015
Northern Illinois
Somethings going on with the 3.0 inline 6. I'm sure it will get worked out and the #s are small. I haven't seen one fail but have heard of some shittery. As far as the inline 6 with the PHEV ( plug in Hybrid) I still wouldn't want it. Lots of safety related systems needed in the thing are very irritating. It's not broken and not failing, just a busy system. The biggest irritation to me is if you jump in it just to move it and don't buckle your seatbelt it will apply the park brake as you launch. It has to be that way, with the thing in electric mode it's just sitting there ready to go, no sound at all. People are going to get out of the vehicle when it's in that mode, and that would be worse than the irritation of the park brake apply.
 

Blueboy

Well-known member
Apr 20, 2004
3,205
459
Back in the USA; Rockwood, PA
Somethings going on with the 3.0 inline 6. I'm sure it will get worked out and the #s are small. I haven't seen one fail but have heard of some shittery.
For gawds sake. It is 2020. They spent how many years “developing” the new Rover. And then advertise how much testing has been done on it for reliability. Sorry, don’t buy it will be worked out. There are just too many electronics to accomplish what?? And yea first year may have teething issues yet come on. And no parts to address the issues?
Love my Landies yet would be pissed with these issues with a new vehicle. On my 1994 Rangie and 1996 Disco ok, I’ll suck it up and just live with it / fix it. This is supposed to be a torch bearer for Landie. This one reminds me of “jack of all trades, master of none” mentality.
However, just an opinion and like assholes every one has one.
 
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discostew

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Sep 14, 2010
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Northern Illinois
If your talking about the engine needing replacement it will get worked out. It's a brand new engine being built in a brand new factory.
I really don't know what everybody thinks is a reliability issue. I had one with all the warning lights on, it was a bad cell in the battery. Maybe the tech trying to fix some of these cars your reading about is retarded. You know if you take it to a Land Rover dealer it doesn't guarantee the guy working on it knows what the hell hes doing. Nobody wants to work on this crap. Body heat is the only thing someone needs.
I just hired and lost a VW tech. Those must have been easy to fix, cause he couldn't fix shit.
 

Blueboy

Well-known member
Apr 20, 2004
3,205
459
Back in the USA; Rockwood, PA
If your talking about the engine needing replacement it will get worked out. It's a brand new engine being built in a brand new factory.
In all the 52 years of legally driving and owning more vehicles I can remember I’ve never owned a brand new vehicle that needed a new engine on initial ownership.
So what if it is a brand new engine being built in a brand new factory? Its called manufacturing Quality Control and proper up front design. Again, they kept pushing all the test miles to show reliability. I want the company to succeed yet it seems the Defender is missing the mark on many fronts.
 

discostew

Well-known member
Sep 14, 2010
7,706
1,015
Northern Illinois
In all the 52 years of legally driving and owning more vehicles I can remember I’ve never owned a brand new vehicle that needed a new engine on initial ownership.
So what if it is a brand new engine being built in a brand new factory? Its called manufacturing Quality Control and proper up front design. Again, they kept pushing all the test miles to show reliability. I want the company to succeed yet it seems the Defender is missing the mark on many fronts.
Don't care.
 

bri

Well-known member
Apr 20, 2004
6,178
152
US
If your talking about the engine needing replacement it will get worked out. It's a brand new engine being built in a brand new factory.
I really don't know what everybody thinks is a reliability issue. I had one with all the warning lights on, it was a bad cell in the battery. Maybe the tech trying to fix some of these cars your reading about is retarded. You know if you take it to a Land Rover dealer it doesn't guarantee the guy working on it knows what the hell hes doing. Nobody wants to work on this crap. Body heat is the only thing someone needs.
I just hired and lost a VW tech. Those must have been easy to fix, cause he couldn't fix shit.

So needing a new engine in first few weeks is not a reliability issue? LMAO!
 
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bri

Well-known member
Apr 20, 2004
6,178
152
US
Nah, as a luxury SUV brand they are kicking ass. But yeah, the off road heritage has been a lost cause for awhile now.

I think I kind of lost the love for RR at 2017.

I do like the way the coupe looks. Never seen one.
 

discostew

Well-known member
Sep 14, 2010
7,706
1,015
Northern Illinois
Can you say "deal killer"?
That's the plug in hybrid drivetrain. Across the whole product line. Why would anybody want that thing anyway?
I haven't seen that system on Defenders. Not sure if it's even a thing for Defender. Mostly Range Rover and Range Rover Sport.
 
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discostew

Well-known member
Sep 14, 2010
7,706
1,015
Northern Illinois
So earlier I mentioned that the inline six has a shit ton of technology I personally wouldn't want. It has an electric supercharger that spools up to fill the turbolag it has the whole variable oil pump and coolant pump has an actuator on it that has variable flow. Just a lot of shit to go wrong for someone who keeps cars past any warranty coverage.
I'm assuming it's a six cyl. That needs replacement. I don't read those articles cause most times it's just over the top bullshit. If I want to know what's going on with a car I would be better informed by my bank teller, or the chick who sells me my lunch at a drive thru
 

MM3846

Well-known member
Feb 18, 2014
1,221
161
LI, NY
I'd say the first one was a lemon (shit happens) but the second one the dealer royally fucked up that install. If there were rampant problems, we'd be hearing about them a lot more. They're definitely getting good treatment bc of youtube, but I dont think anyone would have an issue lemon law-ing with the problems they had. It would suck a lot more, though.

So earlier I mentioned that the inline six has a shit ton of technology I personally wouldn't want. It has an electric supercharger that spools up to fill the turbolag it has the whole variable oil pump and coolant pump has an actuator on it that has variable flow. Just a lot of shit to go wrong for someone who keeps cars past any warranty coverage.
I'm assuming it's a six cyl. That needs replacement. I don't read those articles cause most times it's just over the top bullshit. If I want to know what's going on with a car I would be better informed by my bank teller, or the chick who sells me my lunch at a drive thru

The first one that they ended up needing the motor on was the 2.0 4 banger.