— Land Rover brake problems on Range Rover vehicles have owners complaining about brake pads and rotors that must be replaced because they wear out prematurely.
The class action lawsuit alleges 2023 Land Rover Range Rover and Range Rover Sport SUVs are equipped with defective braking systems.
However, the lawsuit currently includes only the states of California, Illinois and New York.
New York plaintiff Boris Zats purchased a 2023 Land Rover Range Rover SE in October 2022. Plaintiff Zats paid $2,476.77 plus tax to replace the brakes on his Range Rover after just 14,825 miles.
California plaintiff Amir Gupta purchased a 2023 Land Rover Range Rover Autobiography in December 2022. Plaintiff Gupta paid $2,509.43 plus tax for his brake replacement after a little over a year of ownership and 16,601 miles.
Illinois plaintiff Frank Ruffolo purchased two 2023 Land Rover Range Rovers, one in September 2022 and the other in December 2022. Plaintiff Ruffolo paid twice to have his brake pads and rotors replaced on his two Range Rovers, first at 11,938 miles at a cost of $1,991.54, and then at 13,866 miles at a cost of $2,107.46.
The crux of the Range Rover braking lawsuit is how the defective brake pads and rotors force customers to pay for repairs, repairs required only because Land Rover sold defective Range Rovers and Range Rover Sports.
According to the Land Rover class action lawsuit, replacement of the rear brake pads and rotors should have been covered by the automaker. But the plaintiffs complain they were forced to pay thousands of dollars for brake replacements.
According to the Range Rover lawsuit, the braking system creates too much heat and prematurely wears out the brake pads, rotors and other components. This causes the Range Rover brakes to squeal and vibrate to the point the brake pads and rotors fail. The entire braking system will fail if repairs are not performed.
Customers further complain about Land Rover dealers refusing warranty coverage even when the brake pads and rotors should be covered.
The plaintiffs argue Land Rover is fully aware of the brake problems because multiple bulletins and special service messages have been issued about brake pads and discs (rotors) wearing out early.
Some of the documents about Range Rover brake problems include:
- MC-10226087-0001
- MC-10227439-0001
- MC-10237552-0001
- MC-11016646-0001
- MC-11016647-0001
- MC-11016648-0001
The documents advise dealers about customers complaining about grinding, groaning and squealing brakes as well as vibrations when the Land Rover Range Rover brakes are applied.
Range Rover owners also complain about knocking noise coming from the brakes, but the automaker blamed the problem on vehicles that had been parked an extended amount of time. Land Rover said the cause was the parking brake being applied for extended times that left residue from the brake pads.
Motion to Arbitrate Brake Failure Claims
Land Rover told the judge this brakes class action lawsuit should not be in court because all three plaintiffs agreed to arbitrate any claims against the automaker. Land Rover argues the three owners agreed to binding arbitration agreements found in the new vehicle limited warranty booklets.
Land Rover told the judge the arbitration clause is clear, valid and completely enforceable, but the plaintiffs told the judge they didn't know the arbitration agreements existed.
For now, the judge denied Land Rover's motion to compel arbitration because more information is needed. The judge ruled the automaker can gather more details and refile its motion to compel.
The Range Rover brakes lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey: Zats, et al., v. Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC.
The plaintiffs are represented by Saltz Mongeluzzi Bendesky, P.C.
