NHTSA Complaint #10597033 — 2008 LAND ROVER LR3

ON 3/11/14 THE SUSPENSION WARNING LIGHT CAME ON THE DASH. I TOOK IT TO A LOCAL AUTO REPAIR SHOP WHO HAD THE DIAGNOSTIC EQUIPMENT FOR LAND ROVER (THE CLOSEST DEALER IS 3 HRS AWAY). THE DIAGNOSTIC INDICATED THAT THE COMPRESSOR FOR LEVEL CONTROL WAS FAULTY. THE DIAGNOSTIC INDICATED "RECOMMEND COMPRESSOR REPLACEMENT WITH UPDATED COMPRESSOR". THE REPAIR SHIP INDICATED THAT THEY HAVE HAD TO REPLACE SEVERAL OF THESE. I THEN CONTACTED THE DEALER IN JACKSONVILLE TO DETERMINE IF THERE HAD BEEN A RECALL. THEY REPLIED NO THAT THEY ALSO HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THIS WITH THE "UPDATED COMPRESSOR" AS THE ORIGINAL FACTORY INSTALLED ONES HAD A DESIGN FLAW. THE REPLACEMENT PART WAS CHANGED SO THAT THE PROBLEM WOULD NOT OCCUR AGAIN. I THEN CONTACTED LAND ROVER NORTH AMERICAN TO DETERMINE IF THEY WOULD REIMBURSE ME FOR THE REPAIR. THEY REFUSED. I HAD THE COMPRESSOR REPLACED BY MY LOCAL AUTO REPAIR SHOP FOR $1, 200. I DO BELIEVE THIS PROBLEM IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND NOT A NORMAL DEFECT THAT WOULD BE COVERED BY WARRANTY. MY VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY, BUT THIS SHOULD NOT MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR A FACTORY INSTALLED DEFECTIVE DESIGNED PART. I WAS TOLD BY THE REPAIR SHOP THAT THE SYSTEM COULD FAIL COMPLETELY WHILE DRIVING , WHICH WOULD THEN BE A SAFETY ISSUE. I NOTICED ANOTHER COMPLAINT HAS BEEN FILED ON NHTSA ID#10564234 WHERE THIS OCCURRED. AS MY 17 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER IS THE MAIN DRIVER OF THIS VEHICLE, I WAS VERY CONCERNED FOR HER SAFETY SHOULD THIS OCCUR WHILE SHE WAS DRIVING. I WOULD HOPE THAT NTSB WILL INVESTIGATE THIS ISSUE AND DETERMINE FROM LAND ROVERS RECORDS, HOW MANY OF THESE HAVE HAD TO BE REPLACED, WHAT THEIR INTERNAL ENGINEERING/QUALITY CONTROL RECORDS SHOW ABOUT THIS DEFECTIVELY DESIGNED PART, AND WHY THEY DID NOT RECALL ALL THE VEHICLES WHICH USED THE ORIGINAL PART THAT WAS LATER CHANGED. *TR