NHTSA Complaint #10203286 — 2003 LAND ROVER DISCOVERY II

I HAD AN OIL PUMP FAILURE ON MY 03 LAND ROVER DISCOVERY. IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY, SO IT WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. HOWEVER, EVEN BEFORE THEY GOT BACK TO ME WITH A DIAGNOSIS, I HAD RESEARCHED AND FOUND OUT WHAT THE ISSUE WAS, AS IT IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH THIS YEAR, AND WITHIN A CERTAIN VIN RANGE. LAND ROVER EVEN ISSUED A TSB ABOUT THE ISSUE, AND BY THE TIME THEY CALLED ME BACK, I HAD THAT TSB IN HAND. THE DEALERSHIP STATED THAT MY CAR WOULD BE READY TO PICK UP THE NEXT DAY, THAT THE OIL PUMP HAD, "BASICALLY EXPLODED" THAT THEY HAD CLEANED ALL THE METAL OUT OF THE ENGINE, AND THAT IT WOULD BE FINE. I PROTESTED THIS BASED ON THE TSB, PUBLISHED BY LAND ROVER, THAT STATED THAT THE ONLY WAY TO FIX THIS PROBLEM WOULD BE TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE ENGINE! THE DEALERSHIP SAID THAT THIS TSB DID NOT APPLY ANYMORE. I ASKED FOR THE DOCUMENTATION TO SHOW THAT THE TSB HAD BEEN OVERRIDDEN. THEY SAID THAT THERE WAS NONE, BUT THAT THEY HAD FIXED IT IN THE, "NEW WAY". I CONTACTED THE LAND ROVER NORTH AMERICA CORPORATE HQ AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THAT THEY COULD DO, THAT THE DEALERSHIP COULD DECIDE WHAT IT WANTED TO DO WITH THE ISSUE. SINCE THEN, I HAVE GOT SEVERAL FIRST HAND ACCOUNTS OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD THIS SAME ISSUE AND WHO HAD A NEW ENGINE PUT INTO THEIR CAR WITHIN A MONTH. I ALSO HAVE FIRST HAND ACCOUNTS OF PEOPLE WHO HAD THE ISSUE, DID NOT KNOW ABOUT THE TSB, AND NEVER GOT A NEW ENGINE. LAND ROVER'S OWN DOCUMENTATIONS SAY THAT I NEED A NEW ENGINE IN MY CAR, INDEPENDENT MECHANICS SAY I NEED A NEW ENGINE, AND EVEN MECHANICS AT OTHER LAND ROVER DEALERS HAVE TOLD ME THAT I NEED A NEW ENGINE. I HAVE ALL THESE ON RECORD, WILLING TO VOUCH FOR MY SIDE OF THIS ARGUMENT. *JB