NHTSA Complaint #10070179 — 1998 LAND ROVER RANGE ROVER

MY HUSBAND AND I PURCHASED A 1998, LAND ROVER RANGE ROVER 4.6 HSE (VIN# [XXX]) FROM FRANKEL LAND ROVER HUNT VALLEY ON SEPTEMBER, 06, 2002. WE PURCHASED THE RANGE ROVER LAND ROVER CERTIFIED, WHICH CAME WITH A 12-MONTH/ 12,000 MILE WARRANTY AFTER ADDITIONAL INSPECTION WORK WAS DONE ABOVE AND BEYOND A MARYLAND STATE INSPECTION. AFTER HAVING THE RANGE ROVER FOR NEARLY FIVE MONTHS, IT INCURRED MAJOR PROBLEMS. THE RANGE ROVER BROKE DOWN TWICE WITHIN A WEEK. BELOW IS A SUMMARY OF EACH INCIDENT. INCIDENT #1 FEBRUARY 5, 2003 AT ABOUT 8PM I WAS DRIVING THE RANGE ROVER, HEADING HOME WHEN THE FIRST PROBLEMS AROUSE. THE RANGE ROVER WAS OVER HEATING. I NOTICED THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE READ HOT. THEN THE STEERING BECAME VERY HARD. WHEN I PULLED OVER, I NOTICED THE RANGE ROVER STARTED SMOKING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. I THEN GOT OUT OF THE RANGE ROVER AND NOTICED SOMETHING WAS DRIPPING UNDER THE BOTTOM OF THE TRUCK. THE RANGE ROVER WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. IT WAS ASSESSED THAT THE THERMOSTAT WAS THE PROBLEM. THIS SERVICE WAS COMPLETED 2/10/03. INCIDENT #2 FEBRUARY 15, 2003 AT ABOUT 2PM MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING THE RANGE ROVER TO WORK. WHILE DRIVING HE NOTICED THE RANGE ROVER STARTED TO ACT FUNNY. AT WHICH TIME HE NOTIFIED ME TO SEE IF IT WAS THE SAME THING THAT OCCURRED WHEN THE TRUCK BROKE DOWN THE FIRST TIME AS HE WAS PULLING OVER, THE RANGE ROVER SHUT DOWN COMPLETELY. ON WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19 THE RANGE ROVER WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE NEXT DAY, THE DEALERSHIP CALLED FOR OUR PERMISSION TO TAKE THE ENGINE APART SO THAT THE WARRANTY ADJUSTER FOR APCO, [XXX], COULD ASSESS THE DAMAGE. [XXX] MADE HIS ASSESSMENT AND THEN CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THE DAMAGE WAS OUR FAULT. IT WAS SAID THAT MY HUSBAND DIDN'T PULL OVER FAST ENOUGH. THEY SAID THEY WOULD NOT PAY THE COST FOR THE ENTIRE ENGINE, BUT WILL OFFER A CONTRIBUTION, WHICH THE DEALERSHIP DOES NOT DO. SINCERELY,[XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR