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2011 Landrover Discovery - Engine Failure - Insurance Continues


DSM10000

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Hello, I'm a female motorist who knows nothing about cars, engines, etc., so I'd appreciate some assistance or advice.

I own a 2011 Landrover discovery Landmark with a 3ltr engine and a lengthy service record (mostly performed by Landrover).

Earlier in the year, I was driving home on a country road with screaming children and loud music to drown them out when I encountered a large car travelling at approximately 60 miles per hour. I braked hard and drove my car up onto the country verge, which you can imagine had bushes and other obstacles on it. When it became apparent that the sound was emanating from my car, I turned down the radio to confirm, and I thought I must have struck the dirt flap onto the tyre, but then the car shut down. The AA eventually came to my aid (another tale) and towed the vehicle to my local, highly reputable garage. The AA lad did inform me that the engine was frozen and that there was oil underneath it, which is never a positive sign. The garage also informed me that the car's engine and undercarriage were seized.

After detailing what had occurred, I was instructed to contact the insurance company, which was not in my name. This was a lengthy process, but the car was eventually returned to them. The vehicle was then subjected to a diagnostic examination, which revealed the following: "Non-Start Metal in oil filter SUSPECT engine failure vehicle not in shop to perform full VHC"

After months of silence from the insurance company and hundreds of hours of phone calls, they have returned to say that they will not cover the cost of the engine because it was mechanical and not accident-related.

kudos if you're still paying attention... my concern is, are they tuning out?
How can I prove the relationship between the engine and the accident if they deny it?

what are my subsequent steps?

 

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This one is hard, but here's what I think.

Did you run over something hard and sharp enough to puncture the sump? This would cause the engine to stop working and oil to leak out. The insurance might pay for this.

You need to show that your going off the road and the engine breaking down are connected.
This is where things get tricky, because these engines are known for breaking down suddenly and badly. This engine failure is likely to have happened even if you hadn't had to move out of the way of another car.
Even longer warranties don't cover these engine problems, and LR denies there's a problem, even though people who know what they're talking about know otherwise.

I think the insurance company will try to get out of all responsibility, which is what will happen unless you can show otherwise.

In this case, I think the insurance company will say that the fact that a known technical flaw happened right after your off-road trip was just a coincidence.

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You could return to the location where you were compelled to the edge of the road. If there is oil on the ground, photographs should be taken. Follow any oil as far as possible while taking photographs. This may not be sufficient to convince your insurer, but any evidence is preferable to none. If you had punched a hole in the bilge, I would have thought it would have been evident to everyone at the garage.

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10 minutes ago, DSM10000 said:

Hello, I'm a female motorist who knows nothing about cars, engines, etc., so I'd appreciate some assistance or advice.

I own a 2011 Landrover discovery Landmark with a 3ltr engine and a lengthy service record (mostly performed by Landrover).

Earlier in the year, I was driving home on a country road with screaming children and loud music to drown them out when I encountered a large car travelling at approximately 60 miles per hour. I braked hard and drove my car up onto the country verge, which you can imagine had bushes and other obstacles on it. When it became apparent that the sound was emanating from my car, I turned down the radio to confirm, and I thought I must have struck the dirt flap onto the tyre, but then the car shut down. The AA eventually came to my aid (another tale) and towed the vehicle to my local, highly reputable garage. The AA lad did inform me that the engine was frozen and that there was oil underneath it, which is never a positive sign. The garage also informed me that the car's engine and undercarriage were seized.

After detailing what had occurred, I was instructed to contact the insurance company, which was not in my name. This was a lengthy process, but the car was eventually returned to them. The vehicle was then subjected to a diagnostic examination, which revealed the following: "Non-Start Metal in oil filter SUSPECT engine failure vehicle not in shop to perform full VHC"

After months of silence from the insurance company and hundreds of hours of phone calls, they have returned to say that they will not cover the cost of the engine because it was mechanical and not accident-related.

kudos if you're still paying attention... my concern is, are they tuning out?
How can I prove the relationship between the engine and the accident if they deny it?

what are my subsequent steps?

 

I'll be brutally honest, given the information at hand.
car with a mileage of approximately 12 years.
Your engine has likely been seriously damaged beyond economical repair due to a catastrophic mechanical breakdown.

You probably won't get any money from the insurance or anybody else, in my opinion.
Therefore, the decision is essentially between shopping around for a used engine and paying the mechanic to install it.
Or you may sell the automobile for parts and get a new one.

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Just now, Screwdriver_1 said:

I believe here is where you must exercise caution, since I'm sure some plans will cover the accident body damage but not the accompanying repairs, such as a faulty engine; but, if the engine failed and caused the collision, the situation may be different.

There is too much cheap insurance out there that isn't good enough.

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Just now, clk320x4 said:

Rereading the article, it seems months have passed and the path has become rather chilly. Never mind, now that the kids are walking, they should be quieter!
 

From what I've seen, kids are 10 times more of a nuisance after they learn to walk. The situation calms down a little after kids start school, but conflict flares up again when they reach their teens. When they become twenty, you start convincing them to leave the country.

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