NHTSA Complaint #11663083 — 2016 LAND ROVER LR4

am writing to formally request reimbursement in the amount of $18,397.76 for engine damage sustained by my 2016 Land Rover LR4 HSE LUX (VIN: [XXX] ), caused by a known defect in the factory-installed plastic outlet pipe. This defect directly led to catastrophic engine failure, leaving me stranded on the highway and incurring substantial repair costs. I purchased this LR4 as a Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) vehicle with an extended warranty in July 2019 from Land Rover Richmond, VA. From that time until the failure in October 2023, I drove the vehicle only 18,670 miles, the majority of which were accumulated during highway commutes from Virginia to Maryland for culinary classes between August and October 2023.The issue stems from a design flaw in the plastic outlet pipe used in many Land Rover and Jaguar models from 2013 through at least 2017. This pipe is prone to leaking and breaking at the seam due to its inability to withstand engine heat and pressure. As a result, it leads to coolant loss, engine overheating, and ultimately, engine failure. In my case, initial repairs to replace the pipe cost $4,228.54, but subsequent diagnosis revealed damaged cylinders and a failed engine, requiring full engine replacement at a cost of $14,169.22. I retained the damaged parts removed during the repair, including the failed plastic outlet pipe, and I have taken detailed photographs clearly showing the break at the seam where the leak occurred. These parts and images serve as physical evidence of the defect and support my claim that this failure was due to poor material design and not owner negligence. What is particularly troubling is that Land Rover North America was aware of this defect. A Technical Bulletin (JTB00566NAS4) was issued on May 23, 2018, detailing this exact problem—but only for Jaguar vehicles, despite the issue being identical in affected Land Rover models. Remaining letter attached as I ran out of characters. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)