I was very close to purchasing a used Land Rover Defender - Ari
I was very close to purchasing a used Land Rover Defender from Land Rover Thousand Oaks, and unfortunately the experience ended up being very disappointing.
To be fair, the salesperson was responsive, patient with my questions, and the pricing on the vehicle was competitive. I also appreciated that the dealership had already discounted the vehicle. My frustration was not really with the initial communication or the price itself, but with important details that were only disclosed very late in the process.
By the time my wife and I came in to finalize the purchase, I had already spent a significant amount of time working through the deal, arranged financing, taken a hard credit inquiry, and rearranged our family schedule so we could come in and complete the transaction. We were essentially at the point of signing the contract when I learned that the Defender came with only one key.
That was a major surprise. On a vehicle like a Defender, a replacement OEM key can cost around or even over $1,000. I understand that used vehicles do not always come with two keys, but I believe something this significant and costly should be disclosed earlier in the process, especially before a customer invests this much time, goes through financing, and arrives ready to sign.
I asked whether the dealership could either provide a second OEM key or make a modest adjustment to the price, but they were unwilling to do so. What was most frustrating was that we were genuinely ready to complete the purchase, yet there seemed to be no flexibility to resolve what was, for us, an important last-minute issue.
Another concern was the vehicle’s certification status. The Defender appeared on Land Rover’s inventory website as “Approved Certified Pre-Owned,” and I have a screenshot showing that. However, when I came in and asked about it, I was told that the vehicle was not actually being sold as a Land Rover Certified Pre-Owned vehicle. On a used Land Rover, that distinction matters because warranty coverage and certification are important parts of the buying decision. I would have appreciated much clearer information about that before coming in.
Again, I want to be balanced: the salesperson was courteous and responsive, and the vehicle price was competitive. My disappointment is with the overall dealership process, the late disclosure of the one-key situation, the confusion around the CPO status, and the unwillingness to find a reasonable solution once we were already at the finish line.
In the end, the dealership lost a customer who was ready to buy. I hope they improve how these details are disclosed to future customers, because better transparency earlier in the process would have made a big difference in my experience.
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