This is curious to me. I purchased a demo LR3 with about 8k miles. When I was washing it on day I realized the passanger side rear tire was totally bald on the outside corner all the way around. I took it to the dealer they swapped it out and reversed it on another LR3 - which didnt sit to well with me either. I just assumed it was maybe a curb swipe but the front tire was fine.
Alignment Defect / Uneven Premature Tire Wear
- Thread starter LR3Defect
- Start date
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mustbeaudi
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mustbeaudi, do you go to Lavery? I gotta switch dealerships, how've they been?
I do, I live closest there and started there with Audis. Second shift service (4- midnite) really makes life easier. Had about 12 service advisors since 2002, literally. The back end sucks, it's really a nasty, ugly old place for Porsche, Audi, LR owners to approach like it's stuck in 1963 and won't upgrade. Competence and such are issues that I prefer to take offline, really.
I do, I live closest there and started there with Audis. Second shift service (4- midnite) really makes life easier. Had about 12 service advisors since 2002, literally. The back end sucks, it's really a nasty, ugly old place for Porsche, Audi, LR owners to approach like it's stuck in 1963 and won't upgrade. Competence and such are issues that I prefer to take offline, really.
mustbeaudi
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I have the TSB text - one can locate it on the internet. I'll try to paste, but it's long:
Uneven tire wear.
The steering alignment geometry of certain vehicles may experience some bushing settlement during early vehicle life. Following initial production geometry setting, this settling may alter the geometry settings outside of normal tolerance,
which may in turn increase tire wear.
Revised geometry settings introduced after 6A403382 compensate for this situation.
NOTE: This situation is not experienced on all vehicles. Toe sensitivity may be attributed to other factors.
CAUTION: Retailers who sublet alignment to outside shops must provide the information in this bulletin to the alignment facility to ensure proper settings when uneven tire wear symptoms are being addressed. Additionally all vehicles equipped with EAS sent for sublet alignment MUST have been placed in the "tight tolerance" geometry setting mode prior to delivery using IDS.
Action: Should a customer express a specific concern of uneven tire wear, refer to the Repair Procedure detailed in this bulletin to adjust the vehicle geometry to the "target" settings noted below. NOTE: In other situations requiring geometry adjustment, where a specific concern of uneven tire wear is not expressed or diagnosed, the geometry dimensions in the workshop manual should be used. A specific set of "target" geometry data is provided in this bulletin for use in vehicles where the geometry needs to be adjusted to correct an uneven tire wear concern.
PARTS:
No parts required
WARRANTY:
NOTE: Repair procedures are under constant review, and therefore times are subject to change; those quoted here must be taken as guidance only. Always refer to DDW to obtain the latest repair time.
NOTE: The revision to the time in this bulletin is the result of the introduction of the new IDS "tight tolerance" geometry setting mode for suspension adjustments. This simple IDS process replaces and eliminates the requirement to perform a suspension calibration (1.1 hrs) in association with the alignment process. Refer to Technical Bulletin LA204-007 for additional information about the geometry setting mode. DDW requires the use of causal part numbers.
Labor only claims must show the causal part number with a quantity of zero.
Description SRO Time
(Hours)
Condition
Code Causal Part
Place vehicle in "tight tolerance"
mode using IDS and align suspension
geometry
57.65.04 1.80 W6 ALGN4W
Normal warranty policy and procedures apply.
REPAIR PROCEDURE
ALIGN SUSPENSION GEOMETRY
1. If the vehicle has Electronic Air Suspension (EAS), refer to Technical Bulletin LA204-007, connect IDS to the vehicle and place the Electronic Air Suspension (EAS), into "tight tolerance" geometry setting mode.
NOTE: A small number of coil sprung vehicles were imported into North America at the very start of LR3 importation. Step 2 is included in the event that such a vehicle requires suspension alignment.
2. If the vehicle has coil spring suspension, perform the following steps to ensure that the equivalent of a full tank of gasoline weight is present in the vehicle when the alignment process is performed:
NOTE: LR3 fuel tank capacity is 22.7 US gallons (86.3 litres). A full LR3 fuel tank weighs approximately 152 lbs (69 kg).
• Accurately determine the volume of fuel in the tank.
• If the tank is not full, calculate the weight of the fuel in the tank using one of the following formulas:
o Multiply the number of US gallons of fuel by 6.7 to equal total pounds of fuel.
o Multiply the number of liters of fuel by 0.8 to equal total kg of fuel.
NOTE: Any weight equivalent placed into the load space area must be evenly distributed at the front and the right hand side of the load space.
• Calculate the weight equivalent that must be added to the load space area by subtracting the total amount of fuel currently in the tank from the LR3 fuel tank capacity of 152 lbs. (69 kg).
NOTE: Vehicles that have any of the front or rear, upper or lower control arm bushings changed must complete a ten mile road test before having the geometry checked and adjusted if necessary.
The road test will allow the suspension to settle.
NOTE: GTR lookup sequence is as follows:
GTR Home > NAS > Service Information/ LA – LR3 > Workshop Manuals > Bookmark "Chassis/Suspension/204-00: Suspension System – General Information" Link "Four-Wheel Alignment (57.65.04)"
CAUTION: GTR identifies an alignment specification range.
The exact "TARGET SPECIFICATIONS" in the table below should be used on vehicles that have experienced uneven tire wear.
When setting suspension geometry after front or rear/upper or lower control arm bushing replacement, the rear toe should be set to the TARGET SPECIFICATION in the table.
3. Refer to GTR section 204-00 Four-Wheel Alignment operation 57.65.04 and adjust the front and rear wheel alignment to the "TARGET" specification figures noted in the table below:
TOE ADJUSTMENT
TARGET
SPECIFICATIONS
(decimal degrees)
Front total toe + 0.03
Left-hand rear toe + 0.18
Right-hand rear toe + 0.18
Rear total toe + 0.36
Uneven tire wear.
The steering alignment geometry of certain vehicles may experience some bushing settlement during early vehicle life. Following initial production geometry setting, this settling may alter the geometry settings outside of normal tolerance,
which may in turn increase tire wear.
Revised geometry settings introduced after 6A403382 compensate for this situation.
NOTE: This situation is not experienced on all vehicles. Toe sensitivity may be attributed to other factors.
CAUTION: Retailers who sublet alignment to outside shops must provide the information in this bulletin to the alignment facility to ensure proper settings when uneven tire wear symptoms are being addressed. Additionally all vehicles equipped with EAS sent for sublet alignment MUST have been placed in the "tight tolerance" geometry setting mode prior to delivery using IDS.
Action: Should a customer express a specific concern of uneven tire wear, refer to the Repair Procedure detailed in this bulletin to adjust the vehicle geometry to the "target" settings noted below. NOTE: In other situations requiring geometry adjustment, where a specific concern of uneven tire wear is not expressed or diagnosed, the geometry dimensions in the workshop manual should be used. A specific set of "target" geometry data is provided in this bulletin for use in vehicles where the geometry needs to be adjusted to correct an uneven tire wear concern.
PARTS:
No parts required
WARRANTY:
NOTE: Repair procedures are under constant review, and therefore times are subject to change; those quoted here must be taken as guidance only. Always refer to DDW to obtain the latest repair time.
NOTE: The revision to the time in this bulletin is the result of the introduction of the new IDS "tight tolerance" geometry setting mode for suspension adjustments. This simple IDS process replaces and eliminates the requirement to perform a suspension calibration (1.1 hrs) in association with the alignment process. Refer to Technical Bulletin LA204-007 for additional information about the geometry setting mode. DDW requires the use of causal part numbers.
Labor only claims must show the causal part number with a quantity of zero.
Description SRO Time
(Hours)
Condition
Code Causal Part
Place vehicle in "tight tolerance"
mode using IDS and align suspension
geometry
57.65.04 1.80 W6 ALGN4W
Normal warranty policy and procedures apply.
REPAIR PROCEDURE
ALIGN SUSPENSION GEOMETRY
1. If the vehicle has Electronic Air Suspension (EAS), refer to Technical Bulletin LA204-007, connect IDS to the vehicle and place the Electronic Air Suspension (EAS), into "tight tolerance" geometry setting mode.
NOTE: A small number of coil sprung vehicles were imported into North America at the very start of LR3 importation. Step 2 is included in the event that such a vehicle requires suspension alignment.
2. If the vehicle has coil spring suspension, perform the following steps to ensure that the equivalent of a full tank of gasoline weight is present in the vehicle when the alignment process is performed:
NOTE: LR3 fuel tank capacity is 22.7 US gallons (86.3 litres). A full LR3 fuel tank weighs approximately 152 lbs (69 kg).
• Accurately determine the volume of fuel in the tank.
• If the tank is not full, calculate the weight of the fuel in the tank using one of the following formulas:
o Multiply the number of US gallons of fuel by 6.7 to equal total pounds of fuel.
o Multiply the number of liters of fuel by 0.8 to equal total kg of fuel.
NOTE: Any weight equivalent placed into the load space area must be evenly distributed at the front and the right hand side of the load space.
• Calculate the weight equivalent that must be added to the load space area by subtracting the total amount of fuel currently in the tank from the LR3 fuel tank capacity of 152 lbs. (69 kg).
NOTE: Vehicles that have any of the front or rear, upper or lower control arm bushings changed must complete a ten mile road test before having the geometry checked and adjusted if necessary.
The road test will allow the suspension to settle.
NOTE: GTR lookup sequence is as follows:
GTR Home > NAS > Service Information/ LA – LR3 > Workshop Manuals > Bookmark "Chassis/Suspension/204-00: Suspension System – General Information" Link "Four-Wheel Alignment (57.65.04)"
CAUTION: GTR identifies an alignment specification range.
The exact "TARGET SPECIFICATIONS" in the table below should be used on vehicles that have experienced uneven tire wear.
When setting suspension geometry after front or rear/upper or lower control arm bushing replacement, the rear toe should be set to the TARGET SPECIFICATION in the table.
3. Refer to GTR section 204-00 Four-Wheel Alignment operation 57.65.04 and adjust the front and rear wheel alignment to the "TARGET" specification figures noted in the table below:
TOE ADJUSTMENT
TARGET
SPECIFICATIONS
(decimal degrees)
Front total toe + 0.03
Left-hand rear toe + 0.18
Right-hand rear toe + 0.18
Rear total toe + 0.36
Class Action?
Hey All,
I found another link pertaining to class action against LR for this problem. I wont post here unless it's requested becuase it I dont want to give the impression that im soliciting plaintiffs.
I'm very dissapointed. I've now confirmed to myslef what I had suspected...that LR was "covering up" this issue andnot doing the right thing by thier custormers. I'm dissapointed and very irate.
I dont think I will join the class action - I dont want to wait 5 years for what will likley be a fraction of what my costs were.
What I may do is attempt to access some of these class action filings and excerpt them for a small claims action.
By the way, the fact that LR is getting sued for this alignment/tire wear issue all over the place explains by they put up such a wall when trying to work with them on the issue. It's also very bad for me (and many others) becuase now that they have several class actions against them - LR has absolutley no incentive to work with me as an individual customer towrds resolution...in fact they probably cant becuase thier legal team fears it could set some type of president for the class action settlement.
This is a bad situation for all of us.
Hey All,
I found another link pertaining to class action against LR for this problem. I wont post here unless it's requested becuase it I dont want to give the impression that im soliciting plaintiffs.
I'm very dissapointed. I've now confirmed to myslef what I had suspected...that LR was "covering up" this issue andnot doing the right thing by thier custormers. I'm dissapointed and very irate.
I dont think I will join the class action - I dont want to wait 5 years for what will likley be a fraction of what my costs were.
What I may do is attempt to access some of these class action filings and excerpt them for a small claims action.
By the way, the fact that LR is getting sued for this alignment/tire wear issue all over the place explains by they put up such a wall when trying to work with them on the issue. It's also very bad for me (and many others) becuase now that they have several class actions against them - LR has absolutley no incentive to work with me as an individual customer towrds resolution...in fact they probably cant becuase thier legal team fears it could set some type of president for the class action settlement.
This is a bad situation for all of us.
Yep, like I said they are completely useless. I almost think the whole LRNA organization is just some hotline that rings inside someone's house. They are polite, but in the end don't lift a finger. It's like there is absolutely no corporate policy on anything, it's just "up to the dealer"I wonder what would happen if we called Solihul?
I replaced my tires at Discount Tire, my cost at 26,000 miles due to significant inside wear. I was told I was over the limit for LR to bear the cost but they took care of the alignment when it was in for a service issue. The dealership in Bellevue, Wa has been good even though I purchased my LR3 used in 2005 with 3K miles from a dealership in New York. It had the usual gamet of problems during the first 18mths, but it has been rock solid for pretty much the last year. I'm just trying to find an affordable extended warranty as I plan to keep the vehicle for a while.
mustbeaudi
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search Ford ESP from last month's postings here for an option that adds 2 years coverage to the factory's 4 years, SUNLION.
LR Continues To Obfuscate and Deny
As I continue to try and get to the bottom of this alignment defect on my own...LR continues to treat me in a dismissive (and at times non-responsive manner). Here's thier response to my last note explaining that hadn't answered any of my questions about the defect or when it was discovered and the last service rep didnt even respond to me. I'm not trying to make this a bigger situation than it needs to be, but if you saw the wear on the inside part of my tires - down to the belts and nearly impossible to see unless you were down on the ground in front or rear of vehicle - you'd undertsand how serious a safety issue this is. So for LR not to disclose the issue to me (so I could at least be looking out for it) and then tell me, I have cover full cost of repair makes this even more outragous. Anyway, here's there latest response.
Subject : Re: Land Rover Warranty <<#334683-1235086#>>
Dear LR3Defect,
Thank you for your reply.
I sincerely apologize for not addressing your concerns. The tire bulletin was provided to Land Rover retailers and was not mailed out to customers as it did not affect every vehicle. In addition, the guidelines of the bulletin were directed to the service technicians. Because of this, Land Rover is unable to provide you with a copy of the bulletin. Land Rover cannot provide you with the date for when our retailers received the bulletin as this is proprietary information.
I have spoken to Matt, your Customer Relations Representative, regarding the letter you had requested stating Land Rover's position for your case. I apologize, on behalf of Matt, as he has not mailed the letter to you. I assure you Matt will mail you Land Rover's position letter by the end of this week.
I certainly understand your frustration in this matter and I do apologize for any inconvenience.
Have a great day.
Sincerely,
Maria Ciappina
Land Rover North America
As I continue to try and get to the bottom of this alignment defect on my own...LR continues to treat me in a dismissive (and at times non-responsive manner). Here's thier response to my last note explaining that hadn't answered any of my questions about the defect or when it was discovered and the last service rep didnt even respond to me. I'm not trying to make this a bigger situation than it needs to be, but if you saw the wear on the inside part of my tires - down to the belts and nearly impossible to see unless you were down on the ground in front or rear of vehicle - you'd undertsand how serious a safety issue this is. So for LR not to disclose the issue to me (so I could at least be looking out for it) and then tell me, I have cover full cost of repair makes this even more outragous. Anyway, here's there latest response.
Subject : Re: Land Rover Warranty <<#334683-1235086#>>
Dear LR3Defect,
Thank you for your reply.
I sincerely apologize for not addressing your concerns. The tire bulletin was provided to Land Rover retailers and was not mailed out to customers as it did not affect every vehicle. In addition, the guidelines of the bulletin were directed to the service technicians. Because of this, Land Rover is unable to provide you with a copy of the bulletin. Land Rover cannot provide you with the date for when our retailers received the bulletin as this is proprietary information.
I have spoken to Matt, your Customer Relations Representative, regarding the letter you had requested stating Land Rover's position for your case. I apologize, on behalf of Matt, as he has not mailed the letter to you. I assure you Matt will mail you Land Rover's position letter by the end of this week.
I certainly understand your frustration in this matter and I do apologize for any inconvenience.
Have a great day.
Sincerely,
Maria Ciappina
Land Rover North America
CoMclovin
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Was your vehicle brand new or a CPO? I do think the alignment issue sucks hard, but I think if you have an 08 or 09 model year with the issue, you'd definitely get a different result. It's easier for them to use the "wear" argument when the vehicle is older. I hope this pans out better for you than it is currently going. I haven't seen much with these lawsuits going forward, just the fact that people are "filing" them. Again, I think at this point, it's a tough battle as the vehicle is past the three year mark (although still under warranty.) Luckily as I said, my 06 hasn't had this issue, for which I'm very thankful. 
