Prior to going on holiday last July we had experienced major problems with our LandRover Discovery Sport Hse 2 litre Tdi, the vehicle moving in “Limp” mode, resulting in major and expensive work being carried out by our service shop. Having run the car for 6 days prior to going away and then driving to Yorkshire with our caravan we experienced no problems whatsoever. However, while driving from Doncaster, Yorkshire to Buxton, Derbyshire we experienced major problems with the vehicle dropping into “Limp” mode, not clever on a main roads / motorways with a caravan on the rear. In view of the problems which basically rendered the outfit unsafe to drive on a busy main road I rang the Green Flag landline explaining our problem at 10:30 am on Saturday the 11th of July, requesting collection & transport on the following Monday, hoping to minimise hassle for all parties concerned. I was advised that my request had been noted & that I should ring them again A.S.A.P. on Monday morning to check progress. I rang early Monday morning to be told that a local vehicle technician would have to examine the vehicle with a view to fixing it & maybe alleviate the necessity for a vehicle lift & tow. While not questioning the ability of a local mechanic I expressed my doubts in view of my Service agent being a LandRover specialist. We were advised that the tech. would arrive ASAP after 9 a.m , which actually turned out to be 11:45 am. After less than 5 minutes he advised that a) he did not have the expertease to find & fix the fault, no surprise there then… b) his company had only a short time before been advised of the necessity of a lift & tow, by now their suitable vehicles were all fully committed & so not available. c) he would advise Green Flag to find another rescue contractor. Some 20 minutes later I rang Green Flag who told me that they were looking for another contractor & would keep me advised. Having heard nothing by 2 p.m. I rang Green Flag again who advised that a vehicle would be with us by 4 p.m. The vehicle actually arrived at 6:14 p.m. The driver then advising that as they would otherwise be out of driver’s hours we were being taken to Stoke to be handed over to another contractor for the rest of our journey home! Bearing in mind that we were just outside Buxton, Derbyshire and were going home to Hoylake on Merseyside. The driver delivered us to Jon Beech Recovery at Stoke on Trent, who to be fair were helpful, polite & professional in every respect, however due to the various delays incurred earlier we arrived home at 11:15 p.m.!! To us this whole episode raises the question of whether the Green Flag organisation are a competent contractor or even fit for purpose.. Our “heads up” ‘phone call to them on the Saturday morning seems to have been totally ignored. Two days later, to rub salt into the wound, we received a communication from Green Flag advising that if recovery was necessary due to the same fault not being cured additional charges would be levied To even suggest that I would drive a vehicle in that condition is at best pathetic, bordering on offensive. Our vehicles are maintained as a minimum as per manufacturer’s schedules, without exception. The problem was eventually found to be intermitant failure of two different engine sensors -apparently a regular problem with modern vehicle engines. We have been with the Caravan Club (from memory 40 years +) and Green Flag for more than 25 years, our last recovery request I think some 25 (+)years ago due to a manufacturing / design fault by the vehicle manufacturer, specifically the wrong size oil strainer in the sump. In view of this unacceptable debacle we have not renewed our Green Flag membership.
