This lunchtime her Ladyship reported that she discovered the tailgate handle had developed two identical cracks in almost identical locations at either end of handle.

A close inspection established that there is no impact damage on any part of the handle's surface areas. See pixs below; the first jpg is the left side followed by the right:





Feedback on three questions would be appreciated.
1: Has anyone else experienced a similar problem?
2: And importantly, has anyone had this unit replaced under warranty in similar circumstances?
3: Have LR issued an SMS on this? - (I cannot discover or have I overlooked this in the listings of SMS on FreeL2.)

I have recently returned from the local official LR service garage and as usual he starts to tell me that this is not covered by the warranty (he has been wrong on all previous occasions ) so wants paying for part and labour. I have insisted that he checks with LR Switzerland first for their comments.

Therefore before they come back to me with a yeh or a ney I'd welcome feedback on here.
Thanks

Not had this problem. My first reaction to the pics is that it looks like someone has tried to wrench the handle up......some kind of botched theft attempt? Just a thought.... John
07 HSE Narvick Black
Land Rover Series One
Triumph Rocket 111 (sadly gone!)

if your not happy with the outcome, i might have a spare boot handle i could send over to you.

Bought it to get colour coded, but never bothered, its looks like it might have been fitted previously but looks perfect iirc

Time for a chrome reinforced version I think

npinks wrote:

if your not happy with the outcome, i might have a spare boot handle i could send over to you.

Bought it to get colour coded, but never bothered, its looks like it might have been fitted previously but looks perfect iirc

taztastic wrote:

Time for a chrome reinforced version I think

PLASTIC or REAL CHROME - NEVER

Richard, I wonder if it has anything to do with the temperature over there making the plastic brittle?

has water got inside frozen and expanded? At work
At home

"I can't always believe facts I read on the web" - Charles Dickens

winner by default of the tractor vs caravan race

Or pulled open a frozen shut boot

I have a spare one if you want it???

Gentlemen many thanks for your thoughts - all are appreciated.

I have pondered the feedback all afternoon and here are my thoughts:

1: JST your comment is very plausible however car crime/theft/vandalism is very rare in Switzerland and in our Kantone even more rarified. And, if it had come under attack would not the perpetrator require such force that the handle would have not just suffered a couple of small cracks, but rather have given way completely and a whole section of plastic come completely adrift?

2: npinks The tailgate along with all other doors and bonnet opening rubber seals are treated at the start of the winter season with an excellent graphite/silicone anti freeze coating. This Swiss product is superb (but expensive) and has never failed on various vehicles over many years, so I discount that possibility.

3: CG & Junior you may have identified a rational cause of the problem, in that following almost two weeks of constant "Regenschnee" (snowfall that due to the abnormally high seasonal daytime temperatures turns to rain a few meters before it hits the ground) has indeed settled somehow inside the handle's plastic moulding. As the night time temperatures drop rapidly this "trapped" Regenschnee had expanded and compromised any small defects in the mouldings integrity on its corner radii. Certainly a possibility and if so surely a manufacturing and/or material defect rendering the product unfit for purpose as FL2's are built for "cold climes".

4: landy19840 your offer of the spare is noted and I'll report back once I've had a reply from LR-CH re my warranty claim.

Re comment 3 above I would be interested to hear from any Nordic members if they have experienced a "cracking" tailgate handle

athelstan wrote:

I have recently returned from the local official LR service garage and as usual he starts to tell me that this is not covered by the warranty (he has been wrong on all previous occasions ) so wants paying for part and labour. I have insisted that he checks with LR Switzerland first for their comments.

Therefore before they come back to me with a yeh or a ney I'd welcome feedback on here.
Thanks

This should be covered under warranty; there appears to be no visible evidence of oustside force.

You could of course arrange another visit to Halewood and shove a new chrome 'arse end' down your trousers. If caught, you could say it's a moment of excitement caused by the lovely Danielle
Beats the 'is that a gun in your pocket or are you just pleased to see me'. Another member of the failed FL2 clutch/DMF club, twice.

Is that an Arsepiece in your pocket that is just wrong on so many levels

Luis Suarez?

Just wondering if the tailgate handle has possibly been hit? Another member of the failed FL2 clutch/DMF club, twice.

[quote="Pegleg"]

athelstan wrote:

This should be covered under warranty; there appears to be no visible evidence of oustside force.

You could of course arrange another visit to Halewood and shove a new chrome 'arse end' down your trousers. If caught, you could say it's a moment of excitement caused by the lovely Danielle
Beats the 'is that a gun in your pocket or are you just pleased to see me'.

indeed, historically speaking shoving objects down ya trouser leg has been a very effective means of conveyance as professional shop lifters can concur.

Another example is in the Napoleonic Wars feeding the French forces on their long marches across eastern Europe proved logistically to be very difficult and seriously impacted on their fighting ability. The Emperor himself demanded a solution and it is rumoured (although I doubt it) that he himself created the baguette which, so Napoleon is reputed to have said "has been created so that it can be transported by the soldiers themselves down their trouser leg", and eaten, "on the march." However the name actually derives from the Italian word "bacchetta" - little stick - whose origin is from the Latin "baculum" - meaning walking stick.

I doubt if a knackered FL2 tailgate handle would make much of a walking aid.