Jaguar Land Rover hit with £3bn UK lawsuit over defective exhaust filters
24th March 2023
Owners of certain Jaguar Land Rover models could now claim between £3,000 – £16,000 in compensation, pending the outcome of a group action lawsuit aimed at the luxury vehicle brand for over £3bn in relation to cars with defective components, including diesel particulate filter (DPF) systems.
Despite rolling out defective vehicles, Jaguar Land Rover has refrained from informing customers that these defects may impact their driving and compromise safety.
Milberg London, the consumer rights’ lawyers leading the claim, allege that a number of Jaguar Land Rover models suffer from defects that affect the car’s performance, subjecting car owners to costly repairs and potentially serious safety consequences.
Jaguar Land Rover in “limp mode”
A similar group action case against Jaguar Land Rover is ongoing in Australia, highlighting how far-reaching the effects of this faulty design have been.
The Jaguar Land Rover models affected include:
- Land Rover Discovery Sport (L550)
- Range Rover Evoque (L538 and L551)
- Jaguar E-Pace (X450)
- Range Rover (L405)
- Range Rover Sport (L494)
- Land Rover Discovery (L462)
The claim argues that cars with a defective DPF system need to be serviced more frequently than promised at the time of purchase, partly due to the system causing accelerated oil dilution leading to wear on engine components. It also results in the vehicle needing more frequent oil changes.
DPF systems are used by Jaguar Land Rovers to reduce emissions and form an essential part of the diesel after-treatment system. A DPF system collects combustion particulates in the filter, which are then burned off when the engine reaches a high temperature in a process called regeneration. When functioning properly, the system should self-clean and remove the soot build-up.
Whereas, a full or clogged DPF can cause the car to enter “limp mode”, making it slower and less responsive, increasing the risk of an accident and putting both the owner and other road users in danger.
James Oldnall, managing partner at Milberg and lead litigator on the claim, commented: “We’ve learned that certain models are overly prone to issues with DPF. UK Drivers will be used to seeing DPF warning lights on their dashboard. This is because the DPF systems installed by Jaguar Land Rover were not fit for purpose.
“We are aware of some customers who have even experienced their vehicles switching into ‘Limp Home Mode’, which, at best is inconvenient, at worst dangerous. Yet, Jaguar Land Rover has been happy to continue to sell these cars without disclosing the challenges drivers will meet if they buy one of the affected vehicles.”
“We want to seek redress for those who have not only been misled by Jaguar Land Rover, but have been put at risk by the company not admitting affected car models have defective components including faulty exhaust filters,” the litigator added.
Bottom of the table
Although Jaguar Land Rover is one of Britain’s most famous car manufacturers, its cars are widely known for their poor reliability. What Car?’s 2022 reliability survey placed Land Rover at the bottom of the table – number 31 out of 32.
Some owners of the affected models have taken to online consumer advice forums to share their concerns and seek advice for their defective cars. When addressing the DPF fault with the company, one user says: “the dealer called me today, telling me they have replaced the DPF… although the car is under warranty, I have to pay for replacing the DPF, which is nearly 1400 pounds!”
Another user claimed they had to spend thousands with no real solution stating: “the worst car buying and service that I have ever experienced for the dearest car I ever bought and lost the most money on in just over a year. A record at 21k”.
Over 500,000 new Jaguar Land Rover car owners may be eligible to make a claim, and hundreds of thousands of additional pre-owned car owners may also have claims. If the case is successful, claimants could receive between £3,000 – £16,000 each in compensation.
Affected Jaguar Land Rover owners of any of the models listed are being urged to sign up to join the claim by visiting: www.jlryouoweus.co.uk
