I purchased my 2022 Land Rover Defender new in California. After moving back to the East Coast, I established my service relationship with Land Rover White Plains and have relied on them for all of my warranty service.
Recently, my daytime running lamp failed at just 37,000 miles - an issue that many Defender owners are familiar with. The vehicle is only slightly outside of the factory warranty, so I contacted Land Rover North America to ask about a goodwill repair. They advised me that the dealership would need to submit the goodwill request on my behalf.
Unfortunately, Land Rover White Plains refused. I was essentially told that because I didn't purchase the vehicle from them, and had only come to them for warranty work, they weren't interested in helping.
I wasn't asking the dealership to pay for the repair. I was simply asking them to advocate for a loyal Land Rover owner by submitting a goodwill request, as Land Rover directed me to do. Instead, I was made to feel like my business didn't matter because the original sale happened at another dealership.
That's incredibly shortsighted. Dealerships don't just earn future customers at the point of sale - they earn them through service. I'm someone who could very well be in the market for another Land Rover in the future, and this experience has made me seriously reconsider where I'll spend my money.
The issue isn't the repair bill - it's the lack of customer advocacy and the unwillingness to help a customer who has chosen to service their vehicle with them. I expected much better from a luxury brand dealership.
Luxury ownership is about more than selling cars - it's about standing behind customers. Unfortunately, that wasn't my experience with Land Rover White Plains. read more