— A Land Rover timing chain lawsuit settlement has been reached between the automaker and the plaintiff who filed the class action lawsuit.
The original timing chain lawsuit was filed in 2018 and included several Jaguar and Land Rover models. But the proposed settlement includes only 2012-2014 Land Rover LR4 and Land Rover Range Rover Sport vehicles.
According to the class action lawsuit, the Land Rover timing chains, timing chain tensioners, tensioner levers and 5-liter direct injection engines can fail due to defects.
According to the plaintiff, the pistons and valves hit each other and the crankshafts and camshafts lose power, causing engine damage and engine failure.
"After experiencing a failure of the chain assemblies, some class engines are not repairable and require complete engine replacement. Class engine failures cost class vehicle owners between $4,500.00 (to replace chain assemblies where there is no engine damage) and more than $20,000.00 (for a new replacement engine). Individuals who own or have owned class vehicles also sustained diminution of the resale value of their class vehicles as a result of the timing chain problems with class engines becoming public information." — Land Rover timing chain lawsuit
The lawsuit also says the timing chains shouldn't have to be replaced for at least 150,000, if that. The class action says the owner's manuals don't even mention any maintenance schedules for the timing chains because they should last the useful life of the vehicle.
Instead, the Land Rover timing chains allegedly fail at half that lifespan.
Jaguar Land Rover denies all liability and denies the vehicles are defective, but the automaker says it decided to settle to avoid further expense and trouble of continued litigation.
Land Rover Timing Chain Lawsuit Settlement
Certain owners and lessees are excluded from the timing chain settlement, including any consumer who first purchased or leased the vehicle nine or more years after the Land Rover vehicle was registered for the first time.
Also excluded is a vehicle on which a timing chain and/or timing chain tensioner was first replaced when the Land Rover vehicle had been in service for more than eight years or driven for more than 100,000 miles.
According to the class action lawsuit: “Every new Land Rover vehicle is covered by a New Vehicle Limited Warranty for 4 years or 50,000 miles, whichever comes first.“
Land Rover Timing Chain Extended Warranty
The automaker has agreed to extend the warranty on the 2012-2014 vehicles for up to eight years and 100,000 miles for the timing chains and timing chain tensioners, but keep in mind these are older vehicles, and there are conditions which could stick owners with paying for repairs.
- Year 6
- Mileage Range: 50,001 to 70,000
- Warranty Coverage Percentage: 60%
To qualify for the 60% level of extended warranty coverage, the vehicle must both have been in service for six years or less and have been driven for 70,000 miles or less at the time the timing chain and/or timing chain tensioner failure is diagnosed or the timing chain and/or timing chain tensioner is repaired or replaced (whichever occurs first).
- Year 7
- Mileage Range: 70,001 to 85,000
- Warranty Coverage Percentage: 50%
To qualify for the 50% level of extended warranty coverage, the vehicle must both have been in service for seven years or less and have been driven for 85,000 miles or less at the time of the timing chain and/or timing chain tensioner failure or the timing chain and/or timing chain tensioner is repaired or replaced (whichever occurs first).
- Year 8
- Mileage Range: 85,001 to 100,000
- Warranty Coverage Percentage: 40%
To qualify for the 40% level of extended warranty coverage, the vehicle must both have been in service for eight years or less and have been driven for 100,000 miles or less at the time of the timing chain and/or timing chain tensioner failure or timing chain and/or timing chain tensioner is repaired or replaced (whichever occurs first).
Land Rover Engine Damage Warranty Extension
Land Rover will partially extend the new vehicle limited warranty to cover repairs or replacements of engines that are damaged due to timing chain or timing chain tensioner failures. The warranty will extend to eight years or 100,000 miles on the 2012-2014 models, subject to the following time and mileage conditions.
- Year 6
- Mileage Range: 50,001 to 70,000
- Warranty Coverage Percentage: 30%
To qualify for the 30% level of extended warranty coverage, the vehicle must both have been in service for six years or less and driven for 70,000 miles or less at the time of the engine damage due to a timing chain and/or timing chain tensioner failure diagnosed by a Land Rover dealer.
- Year 7
- Mileage Range: 70,001 to 85,000
- Warranty Coverage Percentage: 25%
To qualify for the 25% level of extended warranty coverage, the vehicle must both have been in service for seven years or less and driven for 85,000 miles or less at the time of the engine damage due to a timing chain and/or timing chain tensioner failure diagnosed by an authorized Land Rover dealership.
- Year 8
- Mileage Range: 85,001 to 100,000
- Warranty Coverage Percentage: 20%
To qualify for the 20% level of extended warranty coverage, the vehicle must both have been in service for eight years or less and driven for 100,000 miles or less at the time of the engine damage due to a timing chain and/or timing chain tensioner failure diagnosed by a Land Rover dealer.
Jaguar Land Rover may also take possession of the vehicle and reimburse the customer "for the value of the Class Vehicle if the value of the Class Vehicle is less than the amount that JLRNA would otherwise pay as reimbursement...to repair or replace the engine under warranty."
Reimbursements for Timing Chain and Timing Chain Tensioners
- Year 6
- Mileage Range: 50,001 to 70,000
- Maximum Reimbursement Percentage: 60%
To qualify for the 60% level of maximum reimbursement, the vehicle must both have been in service for six years or less and have been driven for 70,000 miles or less at the time the timing chain and/or timing chain tensioner failure is diagnosed by a Land Rover dealer.
- Year 7
- Mileage Range: 70,001 to 85,000
- Maximum Reimbursement Percentage: 50%
To qualify for the 50% level of maximum reimbursement, the vehicle must both have been in service for seven years or less and have been driven for 85,000 miles or less at the time the timing chain and/or timing chain tensioner failure is diagnosed by an authorized Land Rover dealer.
- Year 8
- Mileage Range 85,001 to 100,000
- Maximum Reimbursement Percentage 40%
To qualify for the 40% level of maximum reimbursement, the vehicle must both have been in service for eight years or less and driven for 100,000 miles or less at the time the timing chain and/or timing chain tensioner failure is diagnosed by a Land Rover dealer.
If the Land Rover timing chain or timing chain tensioner repairs were performed by independent repair shops, the reimbursement amounts will be capped and will also be based on the above percentage conditions.
Reimbursements for Land Rover Engines
Land Rover has agreed to pay to reimburse for engine repairs or replacement damaged by the timing chains or timing chain tensioners. However, these conditions will apply.
- Year 6
- Mileage Range 50,001 to 70,000
- Maximum Reimbursement Percentage 30%
To qualify for the 30% level of maximum reimbursement, the vehicle must both have been in service for six years or less and driven for 70,000 miles or less at the time the engine is repaired or replaced due to a timing chain and/or timing chain tensioner failure.
- Year 7
- Mileage Range 70,001 to 85,000
- Maximum Reimbursement Percentage 25%
To qualify for the 25% level of maximum reimbursement, the vehicle must both have been in service for seven years or less and have been driven for 85,000 miles or less at the time the engine is repaired or replaced due to a timing chain and/or timing chain tensioner failure.
- Year 8
- Mileage Range 85,001 to 100,000
- Maximum Reimbursement Percentage 20%
To qualify for the 20% level of maximum reimbursement, the vehicle must both have been in service for eight years or less and have been driven for 100,000 miles or less at the time the engine is repaired or replaced due to a timing chain and/or timing chain tensioner failure.
It's also possible Land Rover customers may receive reimbursement for past repairs or replacements, but there are caps to how much will be reimbursed, and those monetary caps can change based on if the work was performed by a dealer or an independent repair shop.
Customers will be asked to provide proof of the work with copies of repair orders, invoices or other service records.
Attorneys for the plaintiff are seeking $700,000 for fees and expenses.
The Land Rover timing chain lawsuit settlement still needs to receive preliminary approval and then final approval from the judge.
The Land Rover timing chain lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey: Schmidt et al., v. Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC.
The plaintiff is represented by Kantrowitz, Goldhamer & Graifman, P.C., and Thomas P Sobran PC.