2011 Landrover Landmark Discovery - Engine Failure - insurance carry on

Hello,
I am a lady driver and i have no clue about Cars / Engines ect so i need some help / advice

I own a Landrover discovery Landmark its a 2011 model with the 3ltr engine, high miles but full service history (for most part by landrover)

Earlier in the year i was driving home on a country road with screaming children and my music on high to drown them out and i came upon another large car at about 60mph i breaked hard and drove my car up onto the country verge at speed which you can imagine had like bushes and what not on it, i came off the verge and my car was driving fine no dash lights came up but i did notice a sound like a helicopter but i continued to drive as there are a lot of helicopters drive over head here. When the sound became obvious it was coming from my car i turned down the radio to make sure and i thought i must have knocked the mud flap onto the Tyre but then the car cut out. The AA came to my rescue finally (that's another story) and took the car to my local very trustworthy garage. The boy from the AA did tell me the engine was seized and that there was oil under it which is never a good sign. The Garage also told me oil under the car and engine seized.

After explaining what had happened i was told to call the insurance which was not in my name so this was a carry on and finally the car went to them. The car was then given a diagnostic's check where they have said in the report ' Non Start Metal in oil filter SUSPECT engine fail vehicle not in work shop to carry out full VHC'

After months of no comunication from the insurance company with 100s of hours of phone calls they have came back and said they are not coving the cost of the engine as it was mechanical and not accident related and that's it really

well done if you are still tuned in...... my question is are they coping out?
How can i prove that the engine and the accident are related if they are saying that they aren't?

what would be my next steps?

Thank You for any help given.

Landrover disco 4 said:

How can i prove that the engine and the accident are related if they are saying that they aren't?

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Tricky one, but here's my thoughts.

Did you ran over something hard and sharp enough to puncture the sump? This would cause oil loss and engine failure, and potentially be covered by the insurance.

The issue you have here is proving that your excursion off the road and engine failure are linked.
This is where things get tricky, as these engines are well known for sudden catastrophic failure, so this engine failure is likely to have happened even if you hadn't had to avoid another vehicle.
Not even extended warranties cover these engine failures, and LR deny there's an issue, although people in the know know otherwise.

I'm guessing the insurance will want to dispense all liability, which unless you can prove otherwise is what will happen.

In this instance I suspect the insurance will claim it was coincidental that a known mechanical defect happened just after your off road jaunt.

You could return to the place where you was forced into the verge. Look for oil on the ground and if there is any, take photos. Folllow any oil as far as you can taking photos as you go. This may still not convince your insurer but a y evidence is better than none. I would have thought though, if you had punched a hole in the sump, it would have been obvious to all at the garage.

Col

I think it is one of them thing you need to word very precisely thinking out any comebacks from ins co, do not forget the adjusters are trained in asking just the right questions.

Look at the sump, pipework, does it show impact damage, or damage from an internal failure? It should be self evident, my thoughts are the crankshaft snapped when you stamped on the brakes whilst it was powered up, sorry.

Landrover disco 4 said:

Hello,
I am a lady driver and i have no clue about Cars / Engines ect so i need some help / advice

I own a Landrover discovery Landmark its a 2011 model with the 3ltr engine, high miles but full service history (for most part by landrover)

Earlier in the year i was driving home on a country road with screaming children and my music on high to drown them out and i came upon another large car at about 60mph i breaked hard and drove my car up onto the country verge at speed which you can imagine had like bushes and what not on it, i came off the verge and my car was driving fine no dash lights came up but i did notice a sound like a helicopter but i continued to drive as there are a lot of helicopters drive over head here. When the sound became obvious it was coming from my car i turned down the radio to make sure and i thought i must have knocked the mud flap onto the Tyre but then the car cut out. The AA came to my rescue finally (that's another story) and took the car to my local very trustworthy garage. The boy from the AA did tell me the engine was seized and that there was oil under it which is never a good sign. The Garage also told me oil under the car and engine seized.

After explaining what had happened i was told to call the insurance which was not in my name so this was a carry on and finally the car went to them. The car was then given a diagnostic's check where they have said in the report ' Non Start Metal in oil filter SUSPECT engine fail vehicle not in work shop to carry out full VHC'

After months of no comunication from the insurance company with 100s of hours of phone calls they have came back and said they are not coving the cost of the engine as it was mechanical and not accident related and that's it really

well done if you are still tuned in...... my question is are they coping out?
How can i prove that the engine and the accident are related if they are saying that they aren't?

what would be my next steps?

Thank You for any help given.

Click to expand...

To be brutally honest, considering the facts that we have to hand.
Car nearly 12 years old, and high mileage.
You have suffered a serious mechanical failure, which has probably damaged the engine beyond economic repair.

I think you are unlikely to get any money from the insurer, or anyone else.
So your choice is really whether to look around for a second hand engine, and pay the garage to install it.
Or to flog the car for parts, and buy another car.

freelance said:

Look at the sump, pipework, does it show impact damage, or damage from an internal failure? It should be self evident, my thoughts are the crankshaft snapped when you stamped on the brakes whilst it was powered up, sorry.

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I think this is where you have to be careful, as I bet some policies might pay out for the accident body damage but not for associated repairs ie knackered engine, if on the other hand the engine failed and caused the crash then that may be different.

lynall said:

I think this is where you have to be careful, as I bet some policies might pay out for the accident body damage but not for associated repairs ie knackered engine, if on the other hand the engine failed and caused the crash then that may be different.

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too much cheap insurance that isn’t fit for purpose out there

As the insurance wasn't in your name just get them to claim that you stole it!

Having re read the post, it seems months have passed, so the trail has gone a bit cold ! Never mind the kids should be quieter now they’re walking!

freelance said:

Having re read the post, it seems months have passed, so the trail has gone a bit cold ! Never mind the kids should be quieter now they’re walking!

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In my extensive experience, once kids start walking, they are ten times more trouble. Things settle a bit when they start school then become trouble again in their teens. By the time they reach 20 you are trying to talk them into emigrating.

Col

The OP hasn't been back on since posting, so I suspect any answers will go unseen.