LR bottom of satisfaction surveys- Why?

One of the main concerns I had regarding the purchase of my Evoque was that LR often come bottom of the customer satisfaction surveys. When I told people I was buying an Evoque their general reaction was to say that although they agreed that it looks amazing, it would undoubtedly break down or require regular trips back to the dealers.

Is this because we all expect LR cars to be absolute perfection without so much as a blip or hiccup no matter how/where we drive them as they are such a prestige/expensive brand? or is it because we are a bunch of whingey that are never really satisfied (myself included)?

There are many posts on this site in which members are quite negative about the ownership of their Evoque, (including members who have yet to receive theirs), so it would be good to find out if this negativity is based on reality or hearsay?

Therefore, it could be interesting for us all to hear from the forum members that have owned several LR cars in the past to see what the reliability has actually been like rather than hearing from people who have never owned one, but have "read" or "been told" that they are unreliable.

All comments welcome (good or bad)

I've never had a LR vehicle before and whilst the buying experience was average have had no issues in the first two months of ownership So far so good.

I'm on my fourth LR and wouldn't go past them. Had the odd niggle but nothing that would damping my satisfaction. IMO it tends to be customers that have had problems with LR that take part in these surveys. Also I think the original freelander with the 1.8 k series Rover engine did a lot to damage LRs credibility and that's what people remember. Reading some of the reports on here it also seems that the dealers have a part to play in the poor satisfaction results.

I had the freelander1 and boy did that had to go to the dealers or what! It was at the dealers more than I drove it in the two years of ownership. Got rid of it soon as warranty expired and vowed never again, here I am almost 3 month in my evoque and not one fault except for minor trim alignment. I'm getting good mpg, so I ain't complaining.

I had a 2008RRS from new for 3 years prior to ordering an evqoue...i had heard some horror stories but this car was very reliable.

I did about 45K before I sold it and beyond the regular services I bought 1 set of tyes and 1 set of brake pads. The only thing I had done on warranty was the rolling rear shelf thing, replaced after about two months as one of the hooks came off (must have been a faulty one because never had an issue with the replacement).

Of course the car had a few problems that I brought up each year at service which never got resolved; awful handsfree with iphone, suspiscion that the drivers seat moved a few mm occasionally and a slight vibration in the steering wheel between 72-74mph - but nothing that ever really really bothered me enough not to order another RR...

Edit: Oh, and I had a really bad experience with a dealer I wont mention in Birmingham; learnt to shop around for your dealer as much as your car that weekend!

I had a horrid experience with a D3 HSE bought second hand from a main dealer. Three months of joy followed by two months of two different dealers failing to fix a wiring problem. At the same time the egr's needed replacing and the sunroof leaked. The dealer tried to mislead me (that's the gentlest I can put it) and suggested doing something that I consider dishonest to get me out of a hole and were rubbish at communicating with me. And was dreadfully condescending. Two years on I would really like another LR but am not sure if I will ever trust them again

Over the three years I have been on disco3.co.uk have seen plenty other people have very similar problems, with others having no difficulties and others in between. If I could trust the car to be reliable I would have another (not sure whether D4 or evoque) like a shot but am never going near the local dealer again and the nExt nearest is over 30 miles away

Just have a read around this forum. Can't believe you're surprised they're bottom.

There are unfortunately still a lot of mediocre and poor dealers and service outlets within the LR system. It appears that many of them belong to a very large group, as reported by many buyers on here who have been misled or lied to salespersons from that group over delivery dates/ lead in times etc. That group also has an unenviable reputation for poor servicing too.

The key to happy LR ownership is to find a good dealer and service outlet, which isn't easy. There are also several franchised service only outlets now in the LR network and some of them operate like independents like Guava in the SW of London. When I first came to LR the dealership I used was a combined LR/Bentley/Rolls Royce/Volvo - their level of customer attention was the best I have ever encountered but unfortunately the company owner died and the business was taken over by Scotland's largest owner of dealership franchises and customer service fell through the floor. They then lost the LR franchise. That was when I moved to a family run operation and have remained with them for servicing since 1996, they are also now my local dealership.

(19-02-2012 06:40pm)dandavis1 Wrote:  Just have a read around this forum. Can't believe you're surprised they're bottom.

I have never owned a Land Rover before, and, because different types of owner with different types of vehicles have different requirements and expectations, I have never taken a great deal of notice of customer satisfaction surveys. As a result, I've ordered an Evoque (due early March) for my wife to replace her RAV4, perhaps more in hope than based on other owners' experiences. However, having read about the real problems owners are having on here (which I do have faith in) I am now very concerned! Even those who have commented in this thread about only having minor niggles still worry me, as I have never had a car with any niggles of any description. My wife has owned 3 RAV 4's over 16 years and we've never even had a bulb go. I run a Mercedes 500 SL (another model with a bad customer survey reputation), and again have never had a bit of bother, nor did I with a series of Mercs and BMWs before it.

It sounds to me as if those who are satisfied with their Land Rovers still accept less than perfection, and that those (on here) who complain have every right to do so, and that maybe the customer satisfaction ratings are valid after all.

I think it's a question of expectation. If you spend your hard earned on a premium brand car, you have a certain level to which you expect the car and ownership experience to achieve. I am currently on my 3rd Ford Kuga as our main car, the first time in over 40 years I've bought the same type of car more than once. My expectations were middling, it's a Ford! But each time it's exceeded those expectations.
In recent years I've also had a Scirocco and a BMW 123D MSport Coupe as the "fun" car. Expectations were higher because of the VW and BMW brands and their reputations, again they both met or exceeded them.
Now we're down to one car and the Evoque came on the market. A visit to the dealer, a test drive, heart ruled head and an Evoque was ordered. But the long wait has given me time to assess my decision.
LRs reputation with regard to reliability/build quality and the fact the Evoque was going to cost somewhere between £350 - £450 a year to have the oil changed and the tyres kicked was a bit of a reality check (Kuga £150 - £200). And when you look under the undoubtedly gorgeous looks, there's an average diesel engine mated to a distinctly average Auto box. I also had to order an expensive pack that included an old school Nav system just to get a Heated Windscreen.
I have recently cancelled my order and will give the Evoque a year or so to prove itself and convince me that it and LR are worth the extra. I still hanker after an Evoque and will gladly spend my dosh on one sometime in the future if I am more reassured it and LR will meet my expectations.