Land Rover Common Issues

Land Rovers and Range Rovers are synonymous with luxury and off-road capability. However, like any high-performance vehicle, they can experience unique issues that require specialized attention. In this post, we’ll discuss some common problems Land Rover and Range Rover owners may face and how Euro Motors can help.

Cooling System Failures

Overheating can be a common issue due to failures in the cooling system. Regular inspections during our oil services will catch small leaks before they become potentially engine damaging problems.
Common failure items are the plastic coolant crossovers, expansion tank hose, thermostat assembly, water pump, and ocassionally the radiator and electric cooling fan.

Certain newer range rovers have an auxiliary radiator that gets damaged due to a poor design and will leak from the front bumper area. These are replaced with an updated design.

We replace the failed components with OE or OEM parts, pressure test the cooling system, vacuum fill it to avoid any trapped air, run vehicle up to temperature and verify operation/re check for any leaks prior to test driving. Because there is always a possibility of fixing a leak causing another weak area to start leaking, it is vital that testing is done after performing the initial repairs to avoid the hassle of picking up your car and discovering it still has a leak.

Timing Chain Problems

Issues with the timing chain can lead to severe engine damage. We check for timing chain issues every time the vehicle comes in for service. Loose chains usually start with a failed hydraulic chain tensioner that leads to one of the chains being too loose. This causes damage to the plastic guide rails and eventually the chain will jump causing the engine to be out of time and damage valves and potentially pistons.

We replace all the timing components with new, genuine JLR parts and not just the items that have failed (what usually happens at the dealerships). This is a major job that also requires replacement of other parts and gaskets/seals. We look for any other potential issues while the engine is apart to save you from repeated labor charges in the future.

Euro Motors strongly recommends oil service intervals of 6-7k miles as the factory intervals of 15-20k is the main reason for the timing failures. With JLR recommended maintenance, we usually see timing failures begin as soon as 70-80k. With our recommended intervals, we have customer vehicles with 160k that have never needed the timing job.

Suspension Issues

Land Rovers and Range Rovers are known for their advanced suspension systems, which can sometimes develop faults. Common failure areas are usually ride height sensors and front air struts. If the air struts leak, the vehicle will constantly try to maintain air pressure, even when the vehicle is turned off. This eventually will damage the air compressor and potentially the valve block that controls air distribution. Catching a problem with the air suspension early can save a significant amount of money.

Another common issue is more of a wear and tear normal maintenance item and that is lower control arms. The bushings fail and cause excess play in the front suspension leading to poor handling and tire wear. This usually happens every 60-100k miles depending on the use and age of the vehicle.

As with any vehicle, common wear and tear, rough roads, offroading, etc can cause excess play or failure in other steering and suspension components such as tie rods, rear control arms, ball joints, or wheel bearings. We can diagnose and repair any of these issues and get you back on the road.