2006 Land Rover LR3

2006 LR3 WITH ONLY 93K MILES HAD THE TIMING CHAIN BREAK WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY AND THE ENGINE IMMEDIATELY SHUT DOWN. THE VEHICLE HAS A FULL SERVICE HISTORY AT AN AUTHORIZED LAND ROVER DEALER SHOWING RECOMMENDED MAINTENANCE HAS BEEN PERFORMED DURING THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE. THE DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE (VALVES ETC.) IS ESTIMATED AT $5500 TO REPAIR. THE TIMING CHAIN IS MADE OF METAL AND BASED ON INDUSTRY EXPERTISE IS NOT SUPPOSED TO BREAK FOR THE LIFE OF THE ENGINE OR PAST 200,000+ MILES. RESEARCH ONLINE SHOWS THIS HAS HAPPENED TO OTHER LR3 OWNERS WITH VEHICLES WITH LESS THAN 100K MILES. BASED UPON THE EXPECTATIONS FOR THE LIFESPAN OF A TIMING CHAIN AND OTHER SIMILAR INCIDENTS, I BELIEVE THERE MAY BE A DEFECTIVE PART ON THIS VEHICLE ASSOCIATED WITH THE TIMING CHAIN AND IT'S RELATED COMPONENTS. THERE ARE NO MANUFACTURER RECOMMENDED GUIDELINES TO REPLACE THE TIMING CHAIN PRIOR TO 100K MILES AND IT IS EXPECTED TO LAST FAR LONGER THAN 100K MILES BASED UPON NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR FOR THIS VEHICLE. WE HAVE ONLY USED THE VEHICLE US ROADS AS YOU WOULD A TYPICAL AUTOMOBILE (NO OFF-ROADING HOBBIES ETC.) WE ARE PURSUING THIS MATTER WITH LAND ROVER DIRECTLY AND REPORTING THIS AS A SAFETY ISSUE TO ALERT OTHER LR3 OWNERS. *TR

I BEGAN TO NOTICE A RATTLING NOISE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE DRIVER'S SIDE, WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED. AFTER A WEEK, THE "SUSPENSION FAULT" LIGHT CAME ON. I WAS TOLD THE SUSPENSION COMPRESSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, SO I WENT AHEAD WITH THE REPAIRS AT A COST OF $1600. WHEN I PICKED UP THE VEHICLE AND TESTED THE SUSPENSION, IT WOULD NOT RAISE INTO OFF ROAD HEIGHT. IT LOWERED FINE, BUT WHEN I PUT IT IN NORMAL HEIGHT, ONLY THE REAR WOULD RAISE. IT ALSO TOOK A LOT LONGER THAN USUAL. I DIDN'T EVEN GET IT OUT OF THE SHOP PARKING LOT BEFORE THE SUSPENSION FAULT LIGHT LIT UP AGAIN. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS PROBLEM ONLINE AND FINDING OUT THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM THAT SOMETIMES TAKES 2 OR 3 ATTEMPTS TO CORRECT, IT'S OBVIOUS THERE'S A DEFECT WITH THE SUSPENSION SYSTEM OR THE ACTUAL COMPRESSOR. EITHER WAY, THIS SHOULD BE COVERED BY LANDROVER. I HOPE THEY DO THE RIGHT THING AND ISSUE A RECALL. *TR

LANDROVER LR 3 HAVE A KNOWN PROBLEM OF HAVING WATER COLLECT IN THE SUNROOF AREA DUE TO BLOCKAGE IN SOME DRAINAGE TUBE FROM DEBRIS. CLEANING OF THESE TUBES IS NOT A REGULAR PART OF MAINTENANCE IF YOU TAKE YOUR VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE OR SERVICE. THE WATER COLLECT AND LEAKS INTO THE CABIN DIRECTLY OVER THE RADIO AND MIDDLE CONSOLE. IT ALSO LEAKS OVER THE DASHBOARD NEAR THE PASSENGER HEAT REGISTER AND IN THE DRIVER'S SIDE DASHBOARD AREA OVER THE HEAT REGISTER. WATER SEEPS INTO THE ELECTRIC SYSTEM (THE MAIN BCM) THAT CONTROLS MANY IMPORTANT FUNCTIONS OF THE VEHICLE OPERATION. SO FAR I HAVE A SHORT IN THE RADIO. MANY OF THE LANDROVER FORUMS ONLINE HAVE SEVERAL CUSTOMERS AND OWNERS OF LANDROVER LR3 THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM. THIS DEFECT IN THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM FOR THE SUNROOF COULD CAUSE SERIOUS DAMAGE / SHORTING OUT OF THE BCM THAT CONTROLS THE ENTIRE VEHICLE. PLEASE SEE SIMILAR ADDITIONAL COMPLAINTS AT: HTTP://WWW.ARFC.ORG/COMPLAINTS/2005/LAND_ROVER/LR3/ELECTRICAL_SYSTEM/PROBLEM.ASPX HTTP://WWW.BUSINESSWEEK.COM/THE_THREAD/THE_THREAD/BLOGSPOTTING/ARCHIVES/2005/07/BLOGGER_TAKES_O.HTML HTTP://WWW.CONSUMERAFFAIRS.COM/AUTOMOTIVE/LAND_ROVER.HTML?PAGE=3 HTTP://WWW.EDMUNDS.COM/LAND-ROVER/LR3/2006/CONSUMER-DISCUSSIONS.HTML HTTP://WWW.LANDROVERSONLY.COM/FORUMS/F40/SUNROOF-LEAK-NOT-TUBES-24066/ HTTP://WWW.GOOGLE.COM/URL?SA=T&RCT=J&Q=&ESRC=S&SOURCE=WEB&CD=1&VED=0CCYQFJAA&URL=HTTP%3A%2F%2FWWW.LANDROVERWORLD.ORG%2FFORUMS%2FSHOWTHREAD.PHP%3FT%3D17938&EI=V0H0UVM4W-BJAECMGMAF&USG=AFQJCNHJV4ENQ7OZ8B8S2ILGC_YE8HVLXG&BVM=BV.60983673,D.AWC HTTP://FORUMS.LANDROVERGROUP.COM/TOPIC/1124-PROBLEMS-WITH-THE-LR3/PAGE__ST__30. *TR

CHECK FOR TRANSMISSION SOFTWARE UPDATE, AS IT INITIALLY SEEMED TO HAVE THE MUST DISCUSSED PROBLEM OF HARSH AND IRREGULAR SHIFTING WHEN ROLLING TO A STOP AND THEN RE-ACCELERATING. THIS PROBLEM HAS CONTINUED INTERMITTANTLY AND NOW THE VEHICLE SOMETIMES DROPS COMPLETELY OUT OF GEAR WHEN SLOWING DOWN OR TURNING. THE VEHICLE THEN DROPPED OUT OF GEAR AND I HAD NO ACCELERATION, AS IT WAS SUDDENLY LIKE I WAS IN NEUTRAL. HIGH RPM.... BUT NO MOVEMENT. AFTER A FEW SECONDS, THE TRANSMISSION SEEMS TO FIND "DRIVE" AND I CAN THEN MOVE FORWARD WITH NORMAL ACCELERATION. *TR

AS WE WERE DRIVING, THE SUSPENSION FAULT LIGHT CAME ON AND IMMEDIATELY WENT OFF. WE THOUGHT IT MAY BE DUE TO THE ROAD CONDITIONS. ABOUT 30 MINUTES LATER, WE STOPPED TO GAS UP AND WHEN WE WERE BACK ON THE ROAD, THE RADIO WOULD NOT WORK. NO SOUND BUT A CRACKING SOUND WAS COMING FROM THE RADIO. AFTER A HOUR, THE RADIO CAME BACK ON. LAST WEEK, I WAS DRIVING AND THE SUSPENSION LIGHT WAS CAME ON AND OFF EVERY 5 OR 10 MINUTES, IT SEEMED. THEN A LOUD CHIME WITH A SUSPENSION FAULT IN RED LETTERS. AT A STOP LIGHT, THE VEHICLE WAS GOING UP AND DOWN LIKE IT HAS A MIND OF ITS OWN. KINDLY OF SPOOKY. OF COURSE, OUR 2006 LR3 IS OUT OF WARRANTY. I CALLED THE DEALER AND IT WILL COST $125 FOR A DIAGNOSIS BUT IT WILL GO TOWARD THE COST OF THE SERVICE WHATEVER IS NEEDED. ALL I SEE IS MAJOR DOLLARS SIGNS DUE TO OUR LAST EXPERIENCE. THE DEALER QUOTED US A COST OF $250 FOR A PROBLEM MY HUSBAND FIXED WITH A $12 FUSE. SO MY HUSBAND WILL NOT TAKE IT BACK TO THE DEALER NOT UNLESS IT IS A MUST.