As If We Didn't Know............

[Len7]

Just before Xmas, my neighbour bought a brand new 62 plate Audi A5 Deisel.

Monday morning 7 Jan the bonnet was up and the roadside repair/homestart guy was there because it would not start.

Was there some time.

Audi have given them another Audi, and have taken their brand new Audi in to repair it.

So I guess Audi will be running an new advertising campaign saying ' buy a new Audi and have trouble free motoring for 2 weeks'

Its still not back today - thats 2 days later!

Be interesting to see how long it takes to repair a brand new Audi!

[anchorman]

Interesting but would need the full info on that one. Maybe he has had a tracker or something and when outsiders fiddle, that is fatal.

[firemac]

Interesting but would need the full info on that one. Maybe he has had a tracker or something and when outsiders fiddle, that is fatal.

That's true, of course. It may even be that one of his kids switched the interior light on without him noticing; he locks it, goes in and next morning turns the ign key and - nothing.......

Nevertheless, Audis are just VW's in party frocks (R8 excluded - it gets more expensive Italian gremlins courtesy of Lambo) full of the same VAG glitches as the rest of their line-up. Interesting articles in recent issues of Car Mechanics highlighting the many VAG flaws, e.g. ESC, ABS, gearbox weakness (A6 in particular). VAG are another group trading on their reputation and supposed reliability.

Doesn't matter if you're buying new and getting rid at end of the warranty but a real risk for subsequent second-hand owners. I've often fancied a Golf GTI or a Scirocco but I'd only do so new and I'm too tight to accept the first year depreciation!

[Len7]

Its a shame for my neighbour because he is a nice guy/family and I know how I'd feel

When I get the chance I'll ask him about it

Generally I'm with firemac with current VAG - a few mechanics have independently said similar things to me.

[rambler]

Have always liked Audi's ,they look refined ,solid,sleek and built very very well.I'll probably never own one though...just way out of my price range.

Like their stance for a car,low wide looking, and almost sumptous...to me their range are cars of beauty.

[firemac]

Have always liked Audi's ,they look refined ,solid,sleek and built very very well.I'll probably never own one though...just way out of my price range.

Like their stance for a car,low wide looking, and almost sumptous...to me their range are cars of beauty.

When it comes down to it, we all have our prejudices but the best car in the world for any one of us is the one that suits us best or that we are just fond of.

Even though I detest JLR stuff, I think that the old XJR (the last all-ally one before the current XF Insignia look-alike) was a truly beautiful car which drove brilliantly. If the Disco wasn't so horribly unreliable, I would have one tomorrow, ditto a RR Sport. I had a string of Vauxhalls over the years and they were all completely trouble-free; my Saab 9.5 was the most comfortable car I ever drove but its Fiat-derived diesel engine blew up spectacularly at about 3K miles - fortunately it was sorted under warranty and was then largely trouble free for the next 3 years. I've lost count of how many Fords I've owned or had use of over the years, some brilliant, some awful & some both. My RS2000 was the most brilliant driving car but it was built of second-hand excrement, especially the electrics. Still loved it though.

So, even if I do slag some cars off on here, I'm guilty of perverse prejudice just like everyone else; if you rate it then it doesn't matter a damn what I might think - just enjoy it.

[anchorman]

We seem to have consumed Jag into this debate which I suppose is down to the group and even so if each has their own, we do so on that basis BUT the original post was about LR reliability. If we are honest with ourselves, both LR and Jag produce far better looking vehicles than Toyota (and I guess we should include Lexus) and as far as I know Jag reliability might be OK these days.

I even know LR people who swear on their reliability! However, I know quite a few that don't!

[firemac]

"I even know LR people who swear on their reliability!"

Suggest you have a look at Warranty Direct reliability survey, JD Power, Auto Express Driver Power 2012, etc. LR all last or near it.

Pity because, as I said, they've certainly got the concept & the luxo bits spot-on, it's just that those aren't much use when you're parked at the roadside awaiting the breakdown wagon..........

[DjRav]

My Disco has only broken down about 10 times in the last ten years!

Better than the average LR.

It is a great tool while its working, there's no doubt, but reliability IS shocking.

Still, I've learnt some mechanicking the last year or two, because I can't afford to take it to the garage anymore!!

Roof leaked (from new)

Fuel pump gone

Suspension compressor

Prop shaft

Oil leaks (large and small!)

Starter motor (repaired)

Coolant leaks

Door locks failed

Windows mech broken

Boot floor wet

Fuel leaks (x3)

Suspension complete failure (air bags, pipes and ECU)

Various dash issues (lights, trays, gaitors etc)

ABS, TC, Hill Decent fault

Dave

[Len7]

Whatever their well documented faults LR do seem very popular and owners seem quite fond of them - perhaps the hassle is part of the charm!

To update the Audi story, the car was returned by the local Audi dealer to my neighbour Friday evening (from Monday)

My neighbour says they said there was a fault in a fuel pressure sensor.

This had apparently caused 'do not drive' signs to come up on the dash.

Seems to be running OK now

[rambler]

Just to throw another equasion into the debate,i had a short drive of a Mitsi pajero exceed ( n reg ) today,2 . 8 diesel, 5 door and it had 282'000 kilometers on the clock.

The customer i was serving offered me this short drive around the ind estate where i work , i jumped in ,started it up ( started first flick of the key ), put it in drive and......wow,so smooth,quiet , handled reasonably....very very nice.

The bodywork looked very very good,the paint was only just starting to peel on tops of the wings,no rust though,....i was very taken by it.

And the fact that this was heading for 180'000 miles ? ?......amazed me,for a motor of that age.!

[Paulus17]

Talking of a Mitsi Jamie,a farmer friend of ours was showing us his N reg Mitsi,not sure which model it was but it was in very good nik for the age of it,inside and out,with everythng still working,says its got through everthing its been asked to do.His son now owns it and drives it about.

He also pointed out the height of it and how much ground clearance it had,comparing it to our Rav, which he says is a good safety feature,as if you get hit from the side by a normal car it will go under rather than over,summat i hadn't considred before.

It did look a solidly built car,but are the newer ones built the same today??

[rambler]

Talking of a Mitsi Jamie,a farmer friend of ours was showing us his N reg Mitsi,not sure which model it was but it was in very good nik for the age of it,inside and out,with everythng still working,says its got through everthing its been asked to do.His son now owns it and drives it about.

He also pointed out the height of it and how much ground clearance it had,comparing it to our Rav, which he says is a good safety feature,as if you get hit from the side by a normal car it will go under rather than over,summat i hadn't considred before.

It did look a solidly built car,but are the newer ones built the same today??

Yes Paulus,they seem to be a very good vehicle which that seems underated, ££££'s cheaper than a land cruiser and can be just as good.

I've just registed on the Mitsi paj / shogun owners club and the feedback is superb,not as lively as on here unfortunatley , but still helpful none the less.

They are also truthful,saying that if you wish to cross a desert / jungle / arctic with no issues buy a landcruiser......if you want a true reliable 4x4 for occasional green laning / off roading and day to day , buy a shogun...and save yourself ££££'s

I am looking forward to testing a Shogun soon,it will be around the 53 - 06 reg age range,with as lower mileage as possible, when i find one thats suitable....i hope to have found my affordable proper 4x4.

[three5]

Talking of a Mitsi Jamie,a farmer friend of ours was showing us his N reg Mitsi,not sure which model it was but it was in very good nik for the age of it,inside and out,with everythng still working,says its got through everthing its been asked to do.His son now owns it and drives it about.

He also pointed out the height of it and how much ground clearance it had,comparing it to our Rav, which he says is a good safety feature,as if you get hit from the side by a normal car it will go under rather than over,summat i hadn't considred before.

It did look a solidly built car,but are the newer ones built the same today??

Yes Paulus,they seem to be a very good vehicle which that seems underated, ££££'s cheaper than a land cruiser and can be just as good.

I've just registed on the Mitsi paj / shogun owners club and the feedback is superb,not as lively as on here unfortunatley , but still helpful none the less.

They are also truthful,saying that if you wish to cross a desert / jungle / arctic with no issues buy a landcruiser......if you want a true reliable 4x4 for occasional green laning / off roading and day to day , buy a shogun...and save yourself ££££'s

I am looking forward to testing a Shogun soon,it will be around the 53 - 06 reg age range,with as lower mileage as possible, when i find one thats suitable....i hope to have found my affordable proper 4x4.

Hi Jamie,

a few years ago I stripped a Shogun gearbox to investigate an odd sound that it was making. Having worked on LR gearboxes previously I was amazed at the elegance of the solution to the old problem of endfloat of the components on the main shaft. There was very simple but accurate way of adjusting the endfloat without recourse to varying thicknesses of thrust washers which left me wondering why everyone else didn't do it that way. The answer was probably initial cost but by hell it made repair easy and cheap as all the parts were available separately and at modest cost.

The problem turned out to be a gear that had "split" longitudinally and was making a fair amount of clicking under load. It is only fair to say that the vehicle had been used for VERY heavy towing, probably beyond it's design capacity. Had the box out one evening and rebuilt and refitted it the next. The fuel consumption on the Shogun was worse than my ( early ) LR90 but it was a lovely vehicle to work on.

[anchorman]

What was it Chris? Lock nuts?

I've done work on older Shoguns (Pajeros) and can remember how smooth they were. In those day working on engines with no oil leaks was a novelty but they were very well screwed together.

[three5]

What was it Chris? Lock nuts?

I've done work on older Shoguns (Pajeros) and can remember how smooth they were. In those day working on engines with no oil leaks was a novelty but they were very well screwed together.

Hi Don,

It had a substantial adjusting nut with a really well designed locking washer that allowed the nut to be set within a fraction of a degree. Ever done a job where you finished it and then worried that it shouldn't have been that easy, you must have missed SOMETHING? Definitely one of those

When I had my first LR in the early '70's, it leaked oil. I took it back to the supplier and saw the foreman mechanic who was a great guy. He looked me straight in the eye and said " you show me a LR without an oil leak and I'll show you one with no oil in it!" Never had any trouble with chassis corrosion though as the underside had a continuous lubrication system!

[Parts-King]

My Disco has only broken down about 10 times in the last ten years!

Better than the average LR.

It is a great tool while its working, there's no doubt, but reliability IS shocking.

Still, I've learnt some mechanicking the last year or two, because I can't afford to take it to the garage anymore!!

Roof leaked (from new)

Fuel pump gone

Suspension compressor

Prop shaft

Oil leaks (large and small!)

Starter motor (repaired)

Coolant leaks

Door locks failed

Windows mech broken

Boot floor wet

Fuel leaks (x3)

Suspension complete failure (air bags, pipes and ECU)

Various dash issues (lights, trays, gaitors etc)

ABS, TC, Hill Decent fault

Dave

The Boeing 787 has all those faults and that costs $120 M :lol: