2000 Land Rover Discovery

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE STALLED. CONSUMER TRIED TO RESTART VEHICLE, BUT WAS UNABLE TO DO SO. TEMPERATURE LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD AND REMAINED ON. CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO OVERHEATING. A SECOND INCIDENT OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING WHEN ANOTHER VEHICLE IN FRONT HAD A LARGE BOX DISCHARGED FROM THE TRUCK ONTO THE GROUND. CONSUMER APPLIED THE BRAKES AND PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. CONSUMER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO FLIP OVER SEVERAL TIMES. UPON IMPACT, BOTH AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DRIVER SUSTAINED NECK AND BACK INJURIES, AND WAS TRANSPORTED BY HELICOPTER TO THE HOSPITAL. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. *AK A RECALL WAS ISSUED FOR ABS MODULATOR PRESSURE REDUCTION VALVE COVERS (AFFECTED VEHICLES: 1999-2005 DISCOVERY SERIES II). *NM

MY VEHICLE WAS PARKED WITH THE ENGINE OFF AND THE IGNITION SET IN THE FULL "OFF" POSITION. MY WIFE AND I WERE IN THE VEHICLE PREPARING TO DEPART. THE CONTROL CONSOLE BETWEEN THE FRONT SEATS BEGAN TO EMIT SMOKE AND A BURNING SMELL IN THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. WITHIN 30 SECONDS, THE CONSOLE CAUGHT FIRE AND EMITTED A NOXIOUS CLOUD OF SMOKE IN THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. MY WIFE AND I EVACUATED THE VEHICLE, AND I OBTAINED A FIRE EXTINGUISHER FROM A NEARBY BUSINESS AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. I SUSPECTED THAT AN ELECTRICAL SHORT CAUSED THE FIRE, AND I DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY. THE ENTIRE INCIDENT OCCURED WHILE THE ENGINE WAS OFF AND THE IGNITION SET IN THE FULL "OFF" POSITION. I BELIEVE THAT THE ELECTRICAL FIRE IN MY VEHICLE WAS CAUSED BY A MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND/OR DESIGN DEFECT. GIVEN THE SPEED AND THE LOCATION OF THE FIRE THAT IT CAUSED, THE MANUFACTURING AND/OR DESIGN DEFECT IN THIS VEHICLE PRESENTS A SUBSTANTIAL RISK OF DEATH OR SERIOUS HARM TO DRIVERS AND PASSENGERS. IN THE INTERESTS OF PUBLIC SAFETY, THIS PROBLEM SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED AND REDRESSED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.*AK

OEM GODYEAR WRANGLER TIRES STARTED DEMONSTRATING UNEVEN CUPPING THAT CAUSED NOISE AND HANDELING ISSUES. AFTER BRINGING THE ISSUE TO MY DEALER'S ATTENTION AT MY FIRST OIL CHANGE (7,500 MILES) THEY INFORMED ME THAT MANY ROVERS WITH THE SAME TIRES HAD DEMONSTRATED THE SAME ISSUES DURING THE PAST FEW MONTHS. THEY EXPLAINED TO ME THAT GOODYEAR AND ROVER WERE RESERACHING THE PROBLEM AND TO HANG TIGHT UNTIL A SOLUTION AND RECALL WERE ANNOUNCED. THE TIRES CONTINUED TO DEGRADE WITH THE HANDELING AND NOISE FACTORS BECOMING WORSE AND WORSE OVER THE NEXT YEAR. AT THE 15K OIL CHANGE I ASKED THE DEALER TO ROTATE THE TIRES HOPING THAT THE ISSUE WAS ONLY RELATED TO THE FRONT END. WIHTIN A COUPLE OF WEEKS THE NEW FRONT TIRES (WHICH WERE ORIGINALLY BACK TIRES) STARTED SHOWING THE SAME INSIDE AND OUTSIDE EDGE CUPPING. THE PREVIOUS FRONT TIRES ON THE BACK END CONTINUED TO GET WORSE. I BEGAN WORKING CLOSELY WITH MY DEALER TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE AND EVEN MET WITH THE REGIONAL ROVER SERICE MANAGER WHO ACKNOWLEDGED THE ISSUE WAS PREVIOUSLY KNOWN AND LIMITED TO WRANGLER TIRES ON ROVERS. SINCE MY ROVER HAD BEEN ALIGNED ON TWO SEPERATE JIGS THE DEALER SERVICE MANAGER ASSURED ME THAT MY VEHICLE WAS UP TO SPEC. THE REGIONAL REP AND LATER THE LAND ROVER NORTH AMERICA OFFICE REFUSED TO HELP ME NEGOTIATE WITH GOODYEAR TO OBTAIN MY MONEY BACK. THE PARTY LINE AT LAND ROVER WAS 'IT'S NOT A PROBLEM WITH OUR VEHICLE BUT INSTEAD AN ISSUE WITH THEIR TIRES. WE CAN'T GET INVOLVED WITH THIS DISPUTE SINCE WE DO NOT WARRANTY THE OEM TIRES'. AFTER MUCH FRUSTRATION I CONTACTED GOODYEAR AND MANAGED TO GET IN TOUCH WITH A VP OF CUSTOMER SATISFACTION. THE GOODYEAR VP FINALLY ADMITTED THAT A REPLACEMENT WRANGLER SPECIFIC TIRE WAS BEING RELEASED IN THE FUTURE AND HE PAID ME FULL RETAIL VALUE FOR MY GOODYEARS SINCE I DOCUMENTED THAT THE ISSUE BEGAN BEFORE 20% TREADLIFE HAD EXPIRED. I PURCHASED NEW MICHELIN CROSS COUNTRY'S (XPC REPLACEMENT TIRES) AND AT 4,000 MILES I DON'T SEE OR FEEL ANY TREAD LIFE ISSUES.*AK