NHTSA Complaint #10701464 — 2015 LAND ROVER LR4

APPROXIMATELY ONE MONTH AND 900 MILES INTO DRIVING MY NEW LR4, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, AND I COULD HEAR A LOUD FAN RUNNING. I CALLED THE DEALER AND WAS INFORMED IT WAS LIKELY A MINOR FAULT IN THE GAS TANK CAP AND TO STOP BY FOR THE ERROR CODE TO BE CHECKED AT MY CONVENIENCE. WHEN I VISITED THE DEALER, THE CODE INDICATED A COOLANT TEMPERATURE ISSUE. THE SERVICE ADVISOR CLEARED THE CODE AND SAID THAT THE FAULT WAS LIKELY JUST THE VEHICLE "BREAKING IN" AND TO RETURN IF THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME BACK ON AGAIN. ABOUT ONE MONTH AND ANOTHER 900 MILES LATER, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. THIS TIME, AFTER KEEPING THE CAR FOR A WEEK TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM, THE DEALER INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS A DEFECT AFFECTING ALL NEW LR4'S. APPARENTLY, THE THERMOSTAT WAS DESIGNED IN SUCH A WAY THAT REQUIRES THREE WIRES, AND ONLY TWO WIRES ARE ACTUALLY FED TO THAT COMPONENT. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE DETECTS THE ENGINE OVERHEATING WHEN IT IS ACTUALLY RUNNING NORMALLY. THE DEALER SAID THAT NO FIX CURRENTLY EXISTS, BUT THEY WERE EXPECTING ONE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS. THE DEALER OFFERED TO BUY THE VEHICLE BACK FROM ME. THE DEALER SAID HE HAD NO OTHER LR4'S TO OFFER ME SINCE THE ENTIRE INVENTORY OF NEW LR4'S HAVE THE SAME DESIGN DEFECT AND A RECALL WOULD BE ISSUED. FOR THE TIME BEING, I CHOSE TO KEEP THE VEHICLE, BUT TWO WEEKS HAVE PASSED, AND THERE IS STILL NO WORD ON THE STATUS OF THE REPAIR. *TR