Just thought I'd share my recent experience at a Landrover main dealer buying a nearly new FL2 as a warning.

I decided to move up from a MY11 to a MY13 and had kept an eye out for a suitable 9/12 month old FL2 on the dealer network. It just so happened I came a cross a perfect car for me which was an HSE + extras (almost HSE Lux) only 12 months old and just under 4k miles on the clock. I agreed a deal including tow bar etc. and went to pick the car up about 3.30pm one afternoon last week.

When I had first seen the car it was parked between a couple of others but when I pulled into the dealer to collect it it was there fully valeted and looking fantastic on its own, making my dirty MY11 look quite shabby.

Upon getting out of my car and walking towards it I noticed that there was a small scape in the paintwork below the rubbing strip on the n/s door and there was something odd about the sill (or is it cill) line between the wheels (it wasn't quite straight). So I called the salesman out and said there seemed to be something not quite right about the car but he looked and assured me that they could put the scrape right and the odd line of the sill was just the plastic trim being slightly out of shape which again, they could easily correct.

Being a healthy sceptic I decided, albeit in the dusk light, to have a closer look under the car and to my horror I saw what appeared to be damage so I then checked the other side only to find similar damage. At this point I was getting quite concerned so I refused to take the car until they put it on a ramp for me to view the underside.

To cut to the chase when it was up on the ramp it became apparent that the car was clearly damaged to the point where on both sides of the car (centrally) the welded metal seam forming the bottom of both sills had had such a knock that the plastic trim was broken and distorted and the actual structural seams of the sills had been bent out of shape. Imagine the car having straddled a tree trunk, it was that kind of damage.

It was an ex Landrover fleet car which the dealer had assured me had not been used on experience days and I do believe the salesman was as surprised as I was but here's the thing, I was buying this car within the Landrover dealer network, they had carried out a service, fitted a new towbar and supposedly pdi'd it before I collected it and it was only me grovelling around in the gloom on the forecourt that prevented me from buying potentially a massive problem. Needless to say, I rejected the car and have sourced an alternative which I should get next week but I'd recommend a very careful inspection of any low mileage Landrover used fleet cars that you may be offered!

Last edited by Wireworld on 23rd Nov 2013 4:29 pm. Edited 1 time in total

Hi,

Was it white? (all LRE Freelanders are ) Kola is the big solid black German Shepherd, Dobbie is.......a breed you've never heard of......yet;)

No there not, they're Silver, only the very latest ones are white or will be.
There are, of course, hundreds of 'press' cars and other staff cars in all colours that come from the LR fleet.

Still would be helpful if we knew which car to look for

Sorry OP states it was a MY13 car......all LRE Freelanders have been white for at least a year, was told this by the instructor on our experience day a few months ago, the white one we had in August was seven moths old, 8k on the clock and soon up for replacement, hence my question!

Was also told that all LRE cars are sold at auction with their history fully declared! Don't stop a 'naughty' main dealer though, I guess! Kola is the big solid black German Shepherd, Dobbie is.......a breed you've never heard of......yet;)

Quote:

.all LRE Freelanders have been white for at least a year,

apart from the Silver one at Halewood then

it was indeed silver

Or this one at Rockingham:
https://s3-eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/i.hubnu...ff808e.jpg

Or this one taken last weekend at Ragley Hall:


Or this one taken 3 months ago at Luton Hoo:


:whistle:

Admin note: this post has had its images recovered from a money grabbing photo hosting site and reinstated  Foraging near Gaydon....
——————————————
MY13 HSE Lux SD4, Baltic Blue - current, 30,000> miles without fault
MY12 HSE 2.2 SD4, Sumatra Black - gone after 10 months/43,000 fault-free miles

Still inconclusive  p****d off with a Digital Keyboard Warrior

Now now boys play nice  21MY Defender 90 S 3.0 D200

Wise words from the OP always have a good luck round a purchase

If your not happy don't drive away to get it sorted later Former Mod/Member, with the most post & Chicken George Arch nemesis

Which dealer was selling it?

Not that its that important, I was just passing on information given to me, that I thought may be helpful to the OP.....however, I Clearly stated LRE Freelanders were now white, so what have silver Evoque's and
defenders got to do with it?????

Yes lets e nice to each other, not too difficult if you try Kola is the big solid black German Shepherd, Dobbie is.......a breed you've never heard of......yet;)

All in jest KK, no offence meant

... And we now know not to buy a silver HSE

Sometimes this forum seems like it has degenerated into pack bullying. It's really not nice to read.

Going back to the original post on this thread. A very unlucky situation. Interesting to read, but not enough to make buying a car from a dealer a 'Beware' situation.

I would say this is more of an exception rather than the rule. Freelander 2 HSE Lux 2013MY - Barolo Black with Ivory Leather. Alpine DVD - Privacy -Evoque 20" Dynamic Wheels and more to come.........