I had a very scary moment with my IG a few days ago.
I decided to write about it, because I feel that Ineos doesn't care about Grenadier owners, whatsoever.
More on that, later. Now, the incident:
It was an early cold morning, driving on a very busy national road (Romania, DN1). I was just hitting the road, so I pressed the driver seat heating button to warm up a bit. After a few seconds and some dings and dangs, the telltale screen was lit like a Christmas tree, with errors on all major systems - steering, gearbox, abs, esc, brakes, hydraulics, engine. I continued to drive, because the car was driving normally and I was being used to the IG's bugs and quirks. While driving, I called the local dealership to investigate, because the last time I drove the IG was back from the dealership after the service interval (software update, fluids and filters) - I thought it has something to do with the software update. The guy there was always very helpful, he sincerely apologized and suggested that I should restart the car to see if it goes away. It didn't go away after the first restart, but something strange was happening - the car would not move when accelerated, and the ESC telltale was flashing like I was on some very slippery surface. I called the technician again, and he advised to take a break for the system to reset, which I just did. After 5-10 minutes, the car started normally, no errors whatsoever. It was very drivable. At least for a while... because now comes the near-death-experience moment... My route required to take a left on this busy national road. Keep in mind that this is a very busy road, with no central barrier, six lanes, and no traffic management in place, and the usual speeds are between 80 to 120 km/h. Turning left usually takes anywhere between one to even 10 minutes if you are unlucky or slow to take off. As I just said, I was waiting patiently at the intersection for a gap in the traffic, the gap came so I pressed the accelerator firmly. The car accelerated normally for a second, then it brake itself and stalled in the middle of the f#cking street. I heard the brakes of the other cars on the opposite lane, hurling towards me at 100km/h. All traffic got halted. I had to restart the car once again, this time it drove normally and I could clear the intersection. Luckily, nobody was hurt... But I've never been so embarrassed in my entire life. I drove the car back to the dealership. While driving, I contacted Ineos International Roadside Assistance, which was not so helpful, with no technicians immediately available on the phone, but at least someone from the tech called me later that day. I told him the story, the car was already at the Ineos dealership for investigations.
Apparently, a rock somehow managed to damage the wheel speed crown on the rear wheel , and the car would spiral into a meltdown.
This is the Ineos official ticket: AA1052865
The guys from the local dealership don't know how to handle this issue (warranty or not), so the car is grounded in the meantime.
Same communication issues from the BMW dealership to Ineos, it seems it's Ineos specific, which is a damn SHAME!
INEOS, get YOUR shit together, mate!
Later edit:
I apologize for not clearly specify why I think that Ineos doesn't care. It's because of repeated issues with communication and support, with dealerships, engineering and Ineos International Roadside Assistance. When people aped in to buy this vehicle (myself included), I think most of us did it because of the promises - modular vehicle, dependable, minimal non-interfering electronics, no bulls#it mechanics, no lock-ins and worldwide professional roadside assistance, including spare parts and access to highly trained professionals in case something goes south in the bush. In this particular case, the local dealership was unable to resolve the issue, and the car was grounded for indefinite time, with no clear direction on whether the repairs would be covered under warranty. At the dealership, there is a single person allowed to use the Ineos ordering software. This person is on vacation, so nobody knows anything, they are kind and apologetic, but not helpful. In a friendly chat, I was suggested to get a Toyota instead. The guys there all feel like Ineos pushed this vehicle down their throat without any vendor support whatsoever, they have no contact for spare parts, just a ordering software. NO CONTACT WHATSOEVER FROM INEOS. This kind of experience is frustrating for both dealerships and owners who expected the Grenadier to be a highly dependable, no-frills vehicle capable of handling tough conditions, and it creates the perception that Ineos is not responsive and responsible enough.
This problem reflects a deeper issue with the reliability of electronics in a vehicle that is supposed to be robust and capable of surviving tough, remote conditions, where such failures could be life-threatening. The lack of quick solutions or proactive communication has led to a feeling that Ineos is not prioritizing customers, as they should. In fact, I have no idea what they prioritize, and I even question if they actually exist and for how long. There are a lot of issues that were raised last year, that Ineos is aware about (at least the issues were communicated, nobody actually knows if or who they reached, and I sincerely question it's awareness):
- retrofit of critical components not available, even if they were paid when ordered the vehicle (vehicle came without): tow package, diesel water separator.
- No software updates to address critical corner cases that render the lockers unusable without resetting the vehicle.
- Not addressing the batteries burping acid on brake pipes.
- Not addressing the climate control erratic function.
- Not addressing airbag error on battery disconnect (only reset-able at dealership).
- Not addressing erratic headlight control and other random dings and dongs.
- Not addressing pointy hose clamps that pinch holes into other hoses they are in touch with.
- Not addressing bowden cables falling on the shaft.
- Not addressing the battery getting flat in camping when frequently opening doors.
- Not addressing exposed undercarriage components which have already been damaged (and have no place hanging low in an offroad vehicle) - radiators, lambdas, harnesses, abs rings, brake lines.
- Not addressing poor software development and bugs on systems like abs, offroad mode. Damn, even the fuel gauge was coded with a linear progression for an intricate designed fuel tank, which is the wrong way.
I know that some other cars might experience similar failure paths, but Ineos Grenadier was not advertised as a normal, off-the-shelf, car. It was designed (or, at least, advertised) as a specialized vehicle that won't stand in the way.
My trusty Land Cruiser 80 doesn't stand in my way. I don't get it, what's so freakin hard to get things right the way they were 30 years ago? Nobody forced Ineos to overcomplicate things to the point of not being able to figure out their own vehicles. Land Rover did it. Ford did it. Toyota did it with the 300 series, but I did not expect Ineos to do it. I really feel like Idiocracy is closer to a documentary than ever. The only mandatory facts were emissions. Surprisingly, they did an excellent job where they were constrained the most, because the powertrain is faultless.
