NHTSA Complaint #11665567 — 2015 LAND ROVER RANGE ROVER EVOQUE

I am reporting a critical and systemic defect affecting Land Rover vehicles equipped with the 2.0L GTDi turbo petrol engine (240 hp), including my 2015 Evoque, My engine suffered catastrophic failure at ~118,000 miles while driving caused by a premature timing chain or tensioner failure. Pistons & valves collides, cams clashed and wouldn't rotate, loss of compression and dangerously instantaneous loss of power/speed/control without warning. The damage required full engine replacement. This significantly increases the risk of crashes & deaths especially at high speeds, traffic congestion, windy roads or hills, night time driving, poor weather conditions. Without warning the driver is helpless without power or ability to move to safety and rear end collision or loss of control is highly likely. Land Rover’s Passport to Service for the 2015 model year does not include timing chain inspection or replacement at any interval—not at 60k, 90k, or even 120k miles. The chain is treated as a “lifetime” component, giving drivers no opportunity to prevent failure. Vehicle had all proper maintenance, recent oil changes at low intervals, and official Land Rover dealership underwent full diagnostics and testing with the conclusion this fault was not user/driver related or to any part myself. Online forums, technician reports, and owner cases show this issue is widespread and recurring across many model years and builds using this engine. The repair is anywhere from 15-20k USD for the evoque (using a reman or new engine). Notably, Land Rover has previously settled class-action lawsuits (e.g., 2012-2014 Lr4 for the or 5.0L V8) where timing chain failures caused major damage—offering full or prorated reimbursement to owners. There are also industry precedents, such as VW/Audi 2.0T engines, in which tensioner defects led to class actions covering engine replacements.