Repair Shop M62 Fail

[tiptronicsoldie]

Hello All! I'm reposting this from another forum in an effort to get some sound advice from the M62 crowd.

I wanted to get some advice about an issue I'm having with a local European repair shop that I won't name until everything is said and done. I want to give them the benefit of doubt but confidence is low.

I'm writing this on my phone at a Jason's deli so apologies for any typos.

Background story:
My best friend's pregnant gf was driving at night from Houston on I45 in his single owner 2005 Westminster Range Rover with under 70k miles when the temp stat housing broke. She called and said it was overheating and I was with my friend and said do you best to get to a gas station off the highway. A pregnant mother's safety is more important than an old car. We get car towed to the shop my friend had been to and to no surprise an overheated aluminum BMW M62 engine is toast.

The shop said the engine was blown and needed to get the BMW V8 replaced. They offered my friend $1000 so sell them the Range Rover as is then quoted my friend $7200 for the repair. My best friend has a new car so he said to me "it's your's if you pay to fix it." I said sure enough I've been with him in the car a million times and it's less than 70k miles in good shape with new tires I found for him on tire rack. For $7200 it's a steal with a new engine.

Here's where things get weird:

I pick the truck up on Thursday 6/29/17 from the shop and the final price for repair is $9400. I thought wow it was $2200 more than quoted but they stated it has a 12 month/12000 mile warranty so I said shoot that's a year a comfort for me or I can sell with new motor and break even at minimum. The motor cost said $4500 on the receipt. The rebuild parts and labor filled in the rest of the costs.

I pay and go on my way. I drove around dallas and in my neighborhood treating the car carefully to "break in" the replacement motor. 2 days later Saturday 7/1/17 comes around and we are going to Lake possum kingdom for 4th of July weekend in a caravan of 3 SUVs including this Range Rover. I drove 70mph the whole way stating I didn't want to push the motor. Right about when I'm about to exit into weatherford my friend behind me calls and said their's smoke coming behind my car. Must have been right when it started bc I was making sure he was following me via rear view and I look again saying "oh crap that's not coolant, must be oil thinking a valve cover gasket or something busted and was blowing all over the manifolds". Watching the gauges - I popped it in neutral and coasted off next ramp through grass with the engine off to service road. That's when my oil pressure light finally popped on. Everyone here pretty much knows when you see that light - it's already too late. I took video of the engine when I popped the hood and oil was primarily on the driver side of motor by valve cover. Had my fingers crossed for best outcome. Get truck towed to the shop I picked it up from days before.

I gave them a few days to look at it before I contacted them. They said one of the oil separator hoses exploded(listed on parts they replaced) and that they may not be responsible for it because it's an old motor. I said the whole engine should be covered because y'all sourced it. There's a 12 month warranty and I was hoping to get more than 2 days out of it lol

SIDENOTE - PCV Valve was not listed on parts replaced. Online if you look at forums they say on Range Rover and X5 the oil separator hoses tend to pop off if the PCV Valve clogs and should be changed around 50k miles.

They replied back "well we put 400 miles on the car with no problems and we find it odd that it broke in your hands" but I don't think they drove it 60 continuous miles in one trip to weatherford, obviously. Also what shop puts 400 miles on a vehicle??

Well I've been calling periodically to get updates most recently last week and they just answer or say when I go by "we are working on it." And I always reply back "what does we are working on it mean?" And they will reply "it means we are working on it" so I have to probe them just to give me any information. Last they said is that they got another engine from California. They also told me the next engine will not come with a warranty like the first.

The reason I post is because after Labor Day will be the 2 month mark for waiting on getting the car back. I've already paid the $9400. Visa is being difficult but I do have the situation reported with them. I am planning to stop by tomorrow and get an update and demand that the car be done before October. Again I'm giving them time to make it right.

The reason I post this is because I want to have a plan of action to give the shop owner of what will happen if the vehicle is not fixed correctly within the 3 month period.

It's absolutely absurd it has taken this long already. At the same time I want to give people the benefit of doubt and be fair to give them opportunities to make things right.

I don't want to have to go the tough route so everyone can go on their way but I can't not ever see this Range Rover I spent $9400($3400 too much) again.

Thanks!!!

[SlackTube]

Your getting shafted. HARD.
so let me get this straight...you spent 5000 dollars on labor and "rebuild" parts?? Wtf rebuild parts? I thought it was a new engine with a warranty? If your spending 5K on labor and parts and they can't replace obvious weak point parts like crankcase vent hoses then they are idiots...
also why would they need another engine unless the first one was junk?? The new engine should come with a warranty too or wtf are you paying 9500$ for?
ever heard the expression "there's a sucker born every minute"?
I would tell them to make your truck right or you will take them to court or dispute the charges. They are obviously hacks using shitty parts/engines and don't care about your needs as having a vehicle for 2 months is craziness.
for 9500 you could have worked out a deal with a reputable BMW shop.
Quit being a pushover and make the situation right. Good luck