Multitude of problems

[FloridaRancher]

I'm encountering so many problems with my 6 month old 2010 LR4 I couldn't choose just one thread, so I started a new one - in hopes prospective buyers are warned in advance and current LR4 owners with similar problems can offer some suggestions.

First the good news: my LR4 is the absolute best 4WD-capable vehicle I've ever owned. I own a large ranch and use my vehicles 80% in 4WD in rugged conditions (sand, mud, pulling loads, etc.). My LR4 outperforms even my 3/4-ton Dodge diesel, my Silverado, F-250 and sometimes even my Wranglers.

Now for the bad (where to start?): Back-up camera fails 90% of the time despite two trips to dealer for "fix". Dealer also can't find gremlin in the electronic system (causing radio, iPod and some controls to fail), "premium" leather seats are lame (thin, stiff, easily stained, difficult to maintain even after using EVERY product in the market), auto high-beam doesn't really work as advertised (I've ceased using it), the automatic door lock system also does not work as advertised (anyone know any way to deprogram this?), it is ridiculous that you have to disassemble the front and rear plastic bumpers to access the tow hooks and trailer stub (and that you have to pay $1,100+ to buy a trailer hitch) - and perhaps the most annoying thing (and I KNOW this is a personal response) is that the wire-imbedded front windshield is an enormous safety hazard when driving at night, especially in rainy/foggy conditions (headlights and streetlights reflecting off it create an almost impenetrable glare). If a non-wired windshield were at all available anywhere I'd throw a rock through my current one in a heartbeat.

One other warning: do NOT order the optional roof rack - unless you are already deaf. As you may know, the rack is advertised as if it were a factory produced item - IT IS NOT. Each one has to come from a local after market manufacturer. The first TWO didn't fit and the third, while fitting, is so incredibly noisy that I have to max out the radio to drown out the sound. And yes, I have had front shields fabricated - two of them - to try to cut/deflect the air flow but both only marginally lessened the sound. The intensity of the sound at any speed above 45 is ridiculous.

As I have lamented before on posts, it is too bad LR went too far is attracting the "suburban" market - too many gadgets that are untested, and worse for someone like me, they abandoned the rugged usability of the Defender and earlier models. At the very least they should offer you the choice of NOT getting all these extras and instead allow you to get a stripped down base model which would be - for true 4WD users - a very capable vehicle. Unfortunately for LR, many others share this opinion and LR's reputation for the "go-to" 4WD vehicle has been permanently tarnished.

 

[Count Laszlo]

You can get a basic LR4, the non-HSE and the HSE non-lux! I went with the HSE non- lux to avoid the plush seats and all the gizmos. I kept it simple. My seat leather is textured and rugged and easy to clean. Also, since I have a 2010 I have parking sensors instead of the back up camera. All new cars, not just LR have way too many gizmos. I'm an ex-BMW owner and had two very techie models and it was nothing but software and electrical issues. You can buy simple if you're willing to give up a few luxuries, especially if you're really going to use an LR for heavy duty stuff. Hope you get the glitches sorted out.

 

[Gregorio]

I haven't had the exact problems you are experienceing with your LR4 but I too am feeling that Land Rover has not learned enough from their mistakes on the LR3. Too many ownership changes in recent years haven't helped.

 

[ougrad1]

Sounds like you have the HSE LUX as do I, but I do not share the same sentiments as you do. I have experienced recently, an issue where upon starting my car, there is no sound from the radio. Beyond that, I have had no issues and with 14k miles, it's been pretty good vehicle. I'm saying this and I'm a previous Toyota 4runner owner where nothing goes wrong. The premium leather is awesome. It's not as cold as the basic leather and is waaay less stiff. I've also never had an issue with the windshield in night, rain, fog, el nino...etc. I only notice it if I'm looking for it. The plastic cover over the tow hooks, per LR, is for fuel efficiency during highway driving. I had to take it off when I went off roading but it's pretty simple and can be done with a quarter. If you're on a ranch and using 4wd in low gear all the time, why not just leave it off? I do agree the auto-high beams are not as "smart" as I would hope as it comes on between street lights on my road where the lights are not too far between.

Not trying to flame but there is a base version without the nav/backup camera...etc that you could have purchased - why did you not get it instead?

Anyway, good with your truck as it's definitely an off road masterpiece that is high-maintenance. Sorta like a hot girl ; )

 

[FloridaRancher]

Problemmatic LR4

Thanks for the feedback guys . . .

ougrad1 - great analogy, the vehicle being like a hot girl - high maintenance but worth it in the end!

I know I seem as if I am over-sensitive to otherwise minor issues - but I omitted my first problem (which might explain my attitude). Two weeks after I got my LR4 I went out to start the car, pressed the button . . . and nothing! They towed it back, supposedly "fixed" it; two weeks later, same problem (only this time I was 300 miles form home and it was 11 at night). Same scenario played out - including it failing in and off more. They admitted they couldn't find for sure what was wrong so they replaced battery, reprogrammed the computer and something else . . . it happened again, so they finally gave me a new LR4. I have to give my dealer credit, they really went the fuil distance to please me. So my first month with my "hot girl" was pretty rocky.

I have left the hook cover off, so that's not a big deal anymore - it was more symbolic of how far LR has drifted from the Defender days. I realize that us off-road users are a tiny slice of their market, but it sure seems to me that they're missing a huge branding opportunity (before I went into ranching I did branding for some major players). As my LR use clearly attests and myriad road tests prove, there is no vehicle that will do what a LR will do off-road - none; that's a pretty significant and unique position to be in. They can't say that about their other attributes (they are "out-luxuried" by Mercedes, "out-engineered" by BMW, etc.). If I were Tata, I would personally would approach the LR marketing from the other direction: instead of trying to brand a luxury SUV (that you can strip down in you really try), I'd brand it as the hands-down best off-road/safari vehicle made (you'd have absolutely no competition there) and then offer it with all the bells and whistles and fancy features that you could get on the competition. And that would leave them with the opportunity to sell the RR as the head-to-head competition for the opera crowd. By the way, have you seen the "Signature" version? Pretty nice (but for $105K?). I've also heard they have a new vehicle in design stages that will be ready for 2014 that kind of goes in the direction I'm suggesting.

Also, I wanted the stripped down LR4 version but none were available "for 6 months", or I could special order one for an extra $4K. Plus they were offering a reduced lease rate at the time for the loaded LR4 - seemed like every dealer in Florida wanted/needed to reduce inventory.

I know the windshield issue only effects me (and maybe a few others), but wow is it a problem for me - If anyone knows of an after-market supplier of non-wired windshields PLEASE let me know - I'm already holding the rock.

Tanks again for the feedback.

PS: yesterday I towed a Dodge 4WD out of a mudhole.

 

[crewcabrob]

Howdy FRancher!

I have had a few of the issues you are referring to. Most notibly, the backup camera(almost all of them at this point), the radio issue and the windshield issue, are all ones I have regular issue with. I have also had a suspension fault, and a TPMS fault.

My truck is going into the shop next week while the family and I enjoy a cruise of the western carabian. They are going to replace all of the wires to the camers and look at the faults that I have had. I will also ask them to update the NAV software if that is an option. My first windshield was better than the one I have now. I rarely saw the wires in the first one. After a rock busted the first, the second windshield has given me nothing but issues with the lines. I find thing better at night, but during the day I can't seem to keep focus on things outside the truck, I focus in on the lines every time.

As far as the truck, I love it. I wanted an LR3 back in 2005 but we had already bought a new Pathfinder in late 2004. I just couldn't justify the upgrade at that time. The LR4 is sucj a great vehicle, and most likely the best compromise out there for a 7 passanger lux-ute. I'm happy every time I drive it, even if the cameras act up when I have a passanger in the car and I'm trying to show them the 5 camera system.

Good luck and keep us posted on the service.

Rob

 

[waltzonice]

I have had a few of the issues you are referring to. Most notibly, the backup camera(almost all of them at this point), the radio issue and the windshield issue, are all ones I have regular issue with. I have also had a suspension fault, and a TPMS fault.

I've had the TPMS fault message twice. Both times, it turned off within 10 miles of driving and one or two starts. The first time it happened, I made an appointment to have it looked at. Of course, the said they couldn't reproduce the problem since the light had gone off. Last Friday, it happened again so I drove it straight to the dealer. They said they couldn't take me in because half of their technicians were in training and they were short-staffed. So they made an appointment for me for this Wednesday, but now the fault message is gone. I would be interested to hear what they have to say about your TPMS fault.

I have had the camera blue screen -- twice on the backup camera, and once on another camera. They said they couldn't reproduce that problem either...

 

[ougrad1]

FRancher,

Yikes! I believe I believe I remember you posting about you issues on Edmunds and how the dealer took care of you. Given that occurrence, I can see how the other stuff you mentioned sorta piles on. I'll poke around with my local dealer and LR mechanic and see if the have a good alternative to the heated windshield.

 

[vivaldi1]

So,

I've put my LR4 through alot, I have 10k miles, and I look for trouble. I took it too ******** on the beach a few months ago and have had some problems. I blew out the front light fixture. I've also been thru a few dealer events and some other random 'offroading'. I'm all stock.

Recently my windshield wipers stopped working. At least the driver side one. The passenger keeps going, but no matter how I try and reposition the driver side, it fails and won't work. Kind of minor though.

When I said I drove off-road alot, it's nothing like your scenario since you live on a ranch.

My take away though is that Land Rover is obviously a car that needs more attention than most cars in terms of repairs. Where I live (Metropolitan DC Area), I rarely see a Land Rover on the road. That tells me they don't stock parts.

It's still an awesome frakking car, and I will never go back to Lexus.

Curious why you choose it versus one of the Toyota or Ford workhorses?

 

[suvowner]

safelite autoglass quotes a replacement front windshield non heated but with rain sensor for 516.00 .........so just replace it aftermarket with a non heated version.....not sure though if you will get some of kind of sensor error without the heating element present.....


if you keep it pretty clean, in time the lines become much less noticeable.....my left eye is slightly more near sighted than my right, and so i def notice when looking for them the lines more with the left eye......if you wear glasses or contacts might wanna update your prescription and it might help.....if glasses i wonder of anti-reflective coatings on the glasses would help......might even consider prescription driving glasses stepped a bit to see better at distance.... i drive with a nice pair of polarized oakley that seem to have the anti-relfective coating and the lines seem less noticeable with them on.....maui jim polarized glasses have some nice coatings as well......also if your eyes are dry it seems far vision suffers and the lines are more noticeable, so might wanna try some eye drops, it seems systane works best for me....

i think these are just some variables to explain why some people are bothered more than others with the lines...