2005 Land Rover LR3 Powertrain & Transmission Problems

After a heavy rainstorm in [XXX] , my 2005 Land Rover LR3 experienced catastrophic water intrusion through the A-pillar design flaw documented in Land Rover’s own TSB LA501-007. When I opened the passenger door, ~1.5 inches of water poured out. Immediately afterward, the vehicle developed multiple failures: flickering lights, radio inoperative, driver’s window stuck, ABS warning lights illuminated, “Transmission Fault” error displayed, and the air suspension automatically lowered into its fail-safe mode. This is not wear and tear. Land Rover has acknowledged the defect internally (A-pillar locator holes allowing water ingress into the footwell), but never issued a recall or owner notification. Flooding the footwell shorts the electrical/fuse boxes, causing cascading failures in braking, suspension, powertrain, and electrical systems. This presents a serious safety hazard as the vehicle may lose proper braking, suspension height, or drivetrain function simply from exposure to rain. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

AFTER COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP, THE ENGINE REVVED UP, ALMOST GETTING INTO AN ACCIDENT, HAD TO STAND ON THE BRAKE IN ORDER TO KEEP IT FROM TAKING OFF, IMMEDIATELY SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL, ENGINE CONTINUED RACING WHILE IN NUETRAL.

VEHICLE AFTER COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP STATIONARY WITH ENGINE RUNNING IN DRIVE, IE, STOP LIGHT, STOP SIGN, AND PRESSURE IS APPLIED TO GAS PEDAL THE VEHCLE FAILS TO MOVE FORWARD FOR SEVERAL SECONDS, MORE PRESSURE IS APPLIED TO GAS PEDAL TO ELICIT RESPONSE FROM VEHICLE AND SUDDENLY EVERYTHING SEEMS TO 'KICK' IN RESULTING IN A VIOLENT JOLT AS VEHICLE SUDDENLY REVS UP AND BEGINS TO MOVE. DELAY BETWEEN FORWARD MOVEMET AND APPLIED GAS PEDAL IS SEVERAL SECONDS AND HAPPENS OFTEN. VEHICHLE HAS BEEN INSPECTED SEVERAL TIMES WITH NO VISIBLE ISSUES AND NO ERROR CODES BELIEVE TO BE PRESENT. WHEN READING ON THE ONLINE LAND ROVER FORUMS THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM AND HAS RESULTED IN WHAT IS LIKELY TO BE SEVERAL THOUSAND TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENTS BEFORE 85,000 MILES AND IS NOT SAFE. CONTINUES TO TAKE PLACE SINCE VEHICLE PURCAHSE. I HAVE REPLACED TRANSMISSION AT MY OWN COST AND DEFECT CONTINUES TO TAKE PLACE!

FRONT AND REAR DIFFERENTIAL WHINING RESULTING IN NEEDING TO REPLACE

REAR LOCKING DIFFERENTIAL STARTED HUMMING. CURRENTLY (WITHIN 1000 MILES) IT GOT VERY LOUD. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER IT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AT $3,200 OUT OF POCKET COSTS. AFTER CHECKING ONLINE FORUMS SEEMS LIKE THIS IS VERY COMMON ISSUE AND KNOWN TO MANUFACTURER. THEY SHOULD MAKE NATIONAL RECALL FOR ALL VEHICLES EXHIBITING THIS PROBLEM. *TR

FRONT DIFFERENTIAL ROARING AND FEELS LIKE MAJOR DRAG ANYTIME YOU ARE NOT APPLYING GAS PETAL. HAD FRONT DIFFERENTIAL SERVICE DONE AND FLUID WAS FULL OF DEBRIS.THIS TRUCKS SUFFERED FROM A FAULTY COATING ON THE INSIDE OF THE DIFFERENTIAL HOUSING FROM THE FACTORY BUT LANDROVER NEVER ISSUED A RECALL AND EXPECTS SOMEONE TO SPEND 4000 TO REPLACE THE PART. THEY DO NOT SELL ANY TYPE OF REBUILD KIT OR PARTS. I HAVE CONTINUED TO DRIVE MY LR3 AND IT DECREASED THE FUEL ECONOMY NOT TO MENTION THE ROARING NOISE. THE NOISE IS CONTINUOUS WHEN DRIVING. LANDROVER FORUMS SHOW PAGE AFTER PAGE OF DIFFERENTIAL PROBLEMS BUT LANDROVER WILL DO NOTHING.

2005 LAND ROVER LR3 WITH 84,000 MILES. BOTH THE FRONT AND REAR DIFFERENTIALS HAVE FAILED AND NEED TO BE REPLACED. *TR

EXPERIENCED NOISE AND VIBRATION IN THE DRIVER'S FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. DEALER REPORTS THAT BOTH THE FRONT AND REAR DIFFERENTIALS ON A 2005 LAND ROVER LR3 NEED REPLACING AT 83,000 MILES. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 LAND ROVER LR3. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH IN THE SNOW, THE FRONT DIFFERENTIAL FAILED AND THE CONTACT HEARD A GRINDING NOISE. THE WHEELS LOCKED UP BRIEFLY. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAVE NOT YET BEEN NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 65,000. UPDATED 02-14-08. *KB THE VEHICLE BRIEFLY WENT INTO A SKID, HOWEVER THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO SHIFT THE VEHICLE INTO NEUTRAL AND COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. UPDATED

TODAY, I WAS DRIVING MY 2005 LAND ROVER LR3 (WHICH I HAVE OWNED FOR A WEEK) DOWN A MAJOR HIGHWAY WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN IT COMPLETELY LOCKED UP AND SLAMMED TO A STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY. THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING, BUT THE CAR JUST MADE A GRINDING NOISE IN EVERY GEAR AND WAS COMPLETELY IMMOBILE. THE POLICE COULD NOT BUDGE IT, EVEN IN NEUTRAL. THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER HAD TO PULL IT UP ONTO THE TRUCK AS IT WOULD NOT EVEN ROLL. WHEN THE LAND ROVER DEALER TOOK A LOOK AT IT, THEY SAID THAT THE FRONT DIFFERENTIAL WAS COMPLETELY GONE/RUINED AND THAT WAS "UNUSUAL". A NEW FRONT DIFFERENTIAL IS NOW ON ORDER, AND THEY EXPECT THAT WILL TAKE 3 WEEKS. WE FEEL LUCKY TO BE ALIVE AND NOT TO HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. *JB

TRANSMISSION DEFECTS. WE CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCE LOUD ?CLUNKING? NOISES FROM THE TRANSMISSION AFTER ACCELERATING FROM A NEAR STOP. THIS RESULTS IN A VERY HARD SHIFT WHEN THE TRANSMISSION SLAMS INTO 1ST GEAR, RATHER THAN STAY IN 2ND AND CONTINUE TO SHIFT FROM THERE. *TR

DT: IN FEBRUARY WHILE DRIVING AND MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN THERE WAS NO POWER STEERING, AND NO ELECTRICAL POWER IN THE VEHICLE. HE CAR RESTARTED. CONSUMER TOOK THE CAR HOME, AND THE CAR WAS DRIVEN TO DEALERSHIP. CONSUMER WAS PROVIDED WITH A LOANER CAR OF THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL, AND IT DID EXACTLY THE SAME THING. THE LOANER CAR STALLED AT A STOP SIGN, AND THEN RESTARTED RIGHT AWAY, BUT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE THROTTLE, AND THE PROBLEM WAS REPAIRED. THEN THE CAR WAS BEING TAKEN ACROSS COUNTRY IN MAY. THE VEHICLE HAD NO ELECTRICAL POWER. NO DASH BOARD LIGHTS, THEN IN JUNE 2005 THE CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD . THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE WHEN CONSUMER TRIED TO ACCELERATE THE VEHICLE IT WOULDN'T GO ANY FASTER THAN 5 MPH. THE DEALERSHIP REPRESENTATIVE TOWED VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP. CONSUMER WAS ADVISED THAT IT WAS A PROBLEM WITH SOME CHIP IN THE CAR, AND IT WAS PICKED UP THE NEXT DAY. THE CAR DID NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM AGAIN UNTIL LAST NIGHT WHEN BATTERY LIGHT AND AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON. THEN CONSUMER PULLED OVER, AND PUT THE CAR WAS IN PARK. THEN CONSUMER TRIED TO PUT IT IN DRIVE, AND THE TRANSMISSION WAS LOCKED. THERE WAS VERY LOW POWER, THE WINDOWS WOULD ROLL DOWN SLOWLY. CONSUMER FOUND A WAY TO UNLOCK THE TRANSMISSION BY LOOKING IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL. THEN WAS ABLE TO GET IT INTO DRIVE BUT THE EMERGENCY PARKING BRAKE ENGAGED. *AK

DT THE VEHICLE HESITATED WHEN TRYING TO START IT. WHEN SLOWING DOWN TO STOP IT LURCHED. ALSO DID THIS IN REVERSE. TOOK TO THE DEALER, AND THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. IT HAS STALLED OUT A COUPLE OF TIMES COMING OUT AROUND A CORNER. THEN IT LURCHED AT SLOWER SPEEDS UNDER 20 MPH. *AK UPON ACCELERATION, THE VEHICLE HESITATED. *JB