Check your fuel cradle
I’ve just had my Discovery 3 in the garage for a full service. When I got the invoice it stated that the fuel tank cradle is severely rusted and wants replacing urgently. I have questioned this with the garage on the basis that the car passed its MOT only three months ago and that this is just a protective shield to protect the fuel tank from off-roading damage. But they disagree and say it’s dangerous. They can provide the new part for £360 plus labour. Are they having me on and, if not, should I be asking the MOT station for a contribution for not picking it up during the test? Andrew Talbot
ED EVANS REPLIES: This part is sometimes described as a fuel tank shield, and sometimes as a support cradle. As with some earlier models, it does give off-road protection to the tank, but it’s also a vital means of support for the tank and, if it’s badly rusted then the vehicle is potentially in a dangerous condition and it
needs to be replaced. You might find the cost of the part is cheaper if you buy direct from Land Rover and have it shipped to the garage that’s going to fit it. I expect your garage will be able to replace it without removing the tank but, to make this more practical, you need to run the fuel as low as possible to reduce the weight before the work is done.
It’s difficult to suggest why this wasn’t picked up during the MOT test, or to lay any blame there. It’s possible that a jolt from a pothole or off-roading has dislodged a chunk of rusted metal and exposed the condition during the last three months – remember, the MOT test covers only what is visible to the examiner at the time. You won’t get any compensation because this is a repair that you would have needed to do in any case, but the MOT station would hopefully want to be told if they’ve missed something.