2016 LAND ROVER LR4 — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

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)

The contact owns a 2016 Land Rover LR4. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the low brake fluid warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the brakes had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 117,000.

The contact owns a 2016 Land Rover LR4. The contact stated that while driving at 75 MPH the low coolant warning light was illuminated, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver, the brake pedal was depressed and traveled to the floorboard without stopping the vehicle. The vehicle was shifted to neutral, and the start/stop button was depressed in order to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with cracks in the coolant and fuel systems that caused a leak and needed replacement. The coolant reservoir tank and fuel flange was replaced however the low coolant warning light and other lights were still on. The vehicle was then taken to a certified Land Rover repair facilities were the mechanic informed her that the coolant tank was not replaced but sealant was placed on the cracks. The independent mechanic replaced the coolant reservoir along with the brakes that the dealer that the dealer had install backwards. The contact stated that the low coolant warning light was still illuminated and that neither facilities could remedy the issue. The contact state that she received a notice for NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V635000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The dealer was contacted and informed her that there was no recall for her vehicle. The contact stated that the manufacturer was notified and informed her to contact the dealer to schedule a recall repair appointment. The contact stated that while waiting for the dealer to verify the recall, she was driving at 75 MPH, when the power steering and braking capability was lost with smoke and fire coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated she pulled over and her and her child exited the vehicle without injury. The fire and police department were contacted. The fire department extinguished the flames. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it sat for several months without repairs. The failure cause was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was still at the dealer . The insurance company was

The contact owns a 2016 Land Rover LR4. The contact had recently taken the vehicle to a dealer to be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V635000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The contact stated that while attempting to refuel the vehicle, he observed that fuel was puddling underneath the vehicle. The contact stated that he had not refueled the vehicle prior to the recall repair. The contact had the vehicle towed back to the residence. The contact called the dealer and was advised to bring the vehicle back to the dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to the repair performed on NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V635000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

I took my 2016 LR4 (55k miles) in to the dealer in San Antonio a few days ago. As part of the review of my vehicle, they suggested that I should replace the cylinder block coolant outlet pipe, even though there is no current issue with or damage to it, for a cost of $2,042.13. They said that this part is "known for catastrophic failure around this mileage." That statement (about being known for catastrophic failure) is made not only in the repair estimate option selector portal but also somewhat emphatically by the technician in the walk-around video of my vehicle, and it was reiterated by the service representative ("We try to give people the option to replace the parts with the updated design since we see them fail so often."). If there is a part in the LR4 that, at 55k miles - on a well maintained vehicle with no apparent issue associated the part - is expected by the dealer to break and cause "catastrophic damage," that seems pretty clearly a safety defect that Land Rover should address, not me. I did not have the work done because, as stated, there is nothing presently wrong with the part other than that the dealer believes based on what they have seen that it is likely to break and cause catastrophic damage. But I am nonetheless very concerned that this part is going to break in the near future, presumably rupturing and releasing all of the engine's coolant, and cause some sort of serious incident and/or accident. I am attaching the estimate - let me know if you would also like the walk around video by the technician (it is very helpful but I am having a hard time getting it off my iphone, because of the size, even after editing the clip).