NHTSA Complaint #10162393 — 1993 LAND ROVER DEFENDER

THIS IS MORE OF A GENERAL COMPLAINT REGARDING A MODEL TYPE, AS IT HAS COME TO MY ATTENTION THAT THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF INCIDENTS OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS THAT ARE NOT BEING ACKNOWLEDGED BY THE MANUFACTURER. THE INVOLVED VEHICLES ARE THE 1993 LAND ROVER DEFENDER-110, AND THE 1994-95 LAND ROVER DEFENDER-90. IT HAS BEEN FILTERING AROUND MOST ENTHUSIAST GROUPS THAT THESE TRUCKS ARE SUFFERING SOME TYPE OF EQUIPMENT FAILURE THAT IS CAUSING ENGINE BAY FIRES WHILE THE ENGINE IS RUNNING. THESE ALL SEEM TO OCCUR ON THE FRONT RIGHT SIDE OF THE ENGINE BAY, SPREAD RAPIDLY, AND ENTER THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT WITHIN A SHORT TIME FRAME. NO COLLISIONS ARE INVOLVED IN THESE FIRES, THE GENERAL CONSENSUS IS THAT THE FIRES ARE MOST LIKELY CAUSED BY FAILING PRESSURIZED HOSES THAT ARE PART OF THE OIL COOLING SYSTEM. THE HOSES HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO SPLIT WITHOUT WARNING AND BECAUSE OF THEIR LOCATION WILL SPRAY FINELY MISTED ENGINE OIL ONTO THE RIGHT SIDE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. ANOTHER SUSPECTED CAUSE IS FROM THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM, WHICH IS ALSO LOCATED IN THE SAME AREA. THERE APPEARS TO BE ISSUES WITH THE MATERIALS USED IN THE OIL COOLER HOSES, AS A NUMBER OF LOW MILEAGE REPLACEMENTS HAVE ALSO FAILED WITH NO PRIOR SIGNS OF WEAKNESS OR DEGRADATION. I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FIND NO RECORD OF ANY RECALL ON THESE PARTS, AND THE MANUFACTURER HAS APPARENTLY NOT ACKNOWLEDGED THIS ISSUE IN ANY WAY. *JB