The DPF has failed on my car for the second time. What can I do?

Just over a year ago, I wrote to you to flag a DPF issue with my 30k mileage 2015 Land Rover Discovery Sport. After a massive fight, Land Rover replaced the entire DPF system for free (even though out of warranty). Now, just 10k miles and 12 months later, the entire DPF system has failed again. LR refused any support and I have a £2300 bill. Given the 20-page "D8 Dilution Explained" document that's freely circulating - which highlights systemic design issues that almost guarantee such failures, what are your thoughts on LR's responsibilities/legal obligations? In 2015, diesel was just becoming a bogey issue from a tax/environmental perspective, but these issues suggest the real problem - that no one warned buyers about the DPFs.

Asked on 3 November 2020 by Richard Castle

Answered by Andrew Brady

Unfortunately, it's out of warranty and I suspect Land Rover will blame any issues on driving style. 30k miles over five years isn't many for any diesel car. We normally only recommend diesels to drivers covering more than 12k a year (mainly motorway miles) to prevent DPF issues. You'd be relying on a goodwill gesture from Land Rover and, as they've already replaced the DPF system once, that's unlikely. We'd recommend replacing your Discovery Sport with a petrol or hybrid vehicle.

Tags: diesels dpf issues

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