HELP! - Getting shafted by Lex Autolease/Landrover

[stressball]

HI - looking for advice on how best to recover money from either Lex Autolease, or Landrover, for repairs that had to be made to a lease Range Rover Evoque in order to hand it back - repairs that were due to manufacturing defects/faulty parts. I think Lex are in breach of contract by leasing a vehicle not fit for purpose, and also now for not having responded to our complaint within the required timescales. However, we were put in a position where we would be in breach of contract had we not handed the vehicle back in a drivable condition.

For clarity, the repairs were for a faulty flywheel failing and shredding the clutch, and for a windscreen that leaked - both faults are all over the internet, in Evoque forum groups, as being very common for this vehicle.

Can anyone advise?

[R0b]

Did you enter into the contract as a consumer or a business?

The fact that there might be a problem with certain parts does not automatically mean your vehicle was also faulty. You would still need to evidence that and a court would not accept your wording as is.

[stressball]

ROB - it was a consumer lease...

Autoglass have given me photos to show the windscreen wasn't bonded correctly. They've replaced thousands from this model. I have a Range Rover memo (albeit American) that shows a failure rate of 12% for their windscreens. My repair garage have stated that the flywheel failed, and caused the clutch failure - at only 32K miles. A clutch should not fail at this mileage. Absolutely not caused by driving style. The car has hill start assist and an automatic handbrake - there is no reason to ride the clutch in a vehicle like this.

I was advised that I should deal with the lease company regarding these issues - they never came back to us. Never returned emails. Never returned calls - this went on for months. They've broken their code of conduct with the BVRLA (governing body for lease/rental of vehicles). And also the code of conduct for the Financial Ombudsman. They are in breach of contract.

I'd have been inclined to give them the car back at end of lease as is, but the lease (in my wife's name) states it must be returned in a drivable condition. As such, we have been unduly penalised by the contract terms in making a vehicle, that wasn't fit for purpose, drivable for collection at the end of the lease.

I'm seeking recovery of the costs of the repairs, and a refund of 3 months of lease payments - a period, during which we had no use of the vehicle.

Thoughts?