The Grenadier Forum
Register Now for enhanced site access.
INEOS Agents, Dealers or Commercial vendors please contact admin@theineosforum.com for a commercial account.

INEOS NIGHTMARE!!!

Local time
5:52 PM
Joined
Feb 20, 2024
Messages
4
Reaction score
9
Location
Wilmington, NC, USA
Hello Everyone,

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I feel it is important to share my Ineo's experience. I will have to start by saying I was a huge fan early on when the announcement was made about the production of the Grenadier. I've owned a lot of off-road vehicles over the years starting with a Defender 90, 5 Land Cruisers and was one of the first in my area to order a Defender when they came out. All great vehicles in their own way. The Grenadier seemed to be a better combination of on road manners with off-road capabilities. All in a fantastic looking package.

After doing much homework I made the decision to order my Grenadier which was originally scheduled to arrive June 0f 2024. In November of 23 I was notified by my local dealer that some of the initial orders had been cancelled and there were several units available. Within 24 hours I found a suitable match and made arrangements to pick it up the following day. Prior to my purchase I had asked not once but twice about the process for potential repairs given the limited number of dealerships and the fact that my dealer was 3 plus hours away. Both times I was assured that they not only had mobile repair but a tow service as well for repairs that would need to be done at the service facility.

The next day I headed to the dealership to pick up my new Grenadier. Extremely excited and even more so after seeing it in person. All was well until my trip home and the nightmare begins. I was about 180 miles into my trip when the first light appears on the dash. The front end collision warning light comes on in the middle of my drive. I eventually pulled over at a rest stop and go through the manual and see if there is a reset, but nothing mentioned. After starting the vehicle it did stay off for about 30 minutes but eventually came back on permanently. At this point it's late Saturday so the dealership is closed so I figured I would deal with it on Monday.

Monday morning arrives with another light on the dash. It would go off briefly but by lunch time it was on permanently. This is the first time I called the dealership. I was amazed that no live person picks up the phone it's just prompts depending on which department, and the you leave a message. It took a week to finally here from someone at the dealership. I left multiple messages with the so-called parts and service director, but none were ever returned. The salesperson finally called me back nearly a week later. In that period of time I literally had every single warning indicator on the dash completely lit, including a light that said transmission failure. I was assured there was no problem with the vehicle and he said the had another one do the same thing and I just needed to go to my local AutoZone to clear the codes. Clearly this make no sense but out of desperation I gave it a shot. I was told there was nothing they could do so I did give the local Honda store a try but they could not help either.

I finally heard from the dealership after opening a case with Ineos. The service manager called me to schedule a pickup and it was picked up within 48 hours. After 2weeks I contacted to check the status to find out they still don't know what the problem is and still working with Ineos. Finally I received notification it was the speed sensor that need to be replaced and the part had been ordered. I finally received my Grenadier after it had been in the shop for 1 month. The entire time i was in touch with Ineos problem department which apparently is a third party company that just forwards info to Ineos. She would communicate with me and ask if anyone from Ineos had contacted me. My reply was always the same no. She even seemed shocked and every single time apologized and said she would have someone follow up. To this day none from Ineos has ever talked with me even though i have reputedly requested someone contact me. I really do not think they even have a factory representative in NC.

After the vehicle came back from 1 month in the service department, I drove about 100 yards and another light is now on. There has been no attempt to fix this problem even though I shared with the service manager. I did receive my first call from Ineos which was a follow-up just to see how my service experience was. I shared my story and he seemed shocked and promised he would have someone immediately follow-up, but it has now been almost 3 weeks, and nobody has reached out. This is by far my worst experience with a vehicle in 40 plus years. I don't recommend anyone buy from this company for obvious reasons. There is virtually no support from the manufacture. What's even more strange is it's an open and shut case for the lemon law in NC so you would think they would want to have a conversation. To add to the frustration, I have discovered the vehicle has been damaged on the roof which was not there prior to it's service visit. Currently working with several parties to get the situation resolved, if I ever do talk with Ineos I will post a follow-up.
 

TD5-90

Grenadier Owner
Lifetime Supporter
Founding Guard
Local time
11:52 PM
Joined
Aug 22, 2021
Messages
436
Reaction score
912
Location
South Germany
I feel truly sorry for you.

Since I experienced similar problems:
May I direct you to that post or the related ones? Experienced the same. Sounds like a earth ground fault.

Some of the earlier Grenadiers had the transfer cases swapped. The error with the loose ground braid seemingly happend more often and causes unspecific electrical problems.

Since then my Gren runs extremely well (no SW update) and reliably (minor isues fixed by myself, loose hose & cable clips, rubbing coolant hoses etc.)

Do yourself a favour and do not let yourself drown in disappointment. The vehicle is _really_great!!
 

Stu_Barnes

Grenadier Owner
Fixer & General Dogsbody
Local time
2:52 PM
Joined
Aug 15, 2021
Messages
2,648
Reaction score
8,840
Location
Los Angeles
That's really unfortunate to hear @WFB3, and surprising about the 3rd party handling of claims. Although I know they have engineers at the NC location.

If you direct message me your dealer info and vin I'll see if I can find out anything out for you.
 
Local time
5:52 PM
Joined
Feb 20, 2024
Messages
4
Reaction score
9
Location
Wilmington, NC, USA
That's really unfortunate to hear @WFB3, and surprising about the 3rd party handling of claims. Although I know they have engineers at the NC location.

If you direct message me your dealer info and vin I'll see if I can find out anything out for you.
Thank you Stu. At this point I'm just done with the vehicle and the Company. Should be pretty easy for the lemon law at this point. Thanks for reaching out.
Bill
 

AnD3rew

Inch deep and a mile wide.
Grenadier Owner
Lifetime Supporter
Local time
9:52 AM
Joined
Aug 24, 2022
Messages
2,436
Reaction score
6,046
This is very poor ans very unfortunate. I have had issues with my Grenadier here in Australia, several. But luckily for me, my dealer/agent has been extremely supportive and they do have good communication with INEOS and my issues have been solved relatively quickly. The dealer makes all the difference
 

AngusMacG

Grenadier Owner
Lifetime Supporter
Local time
5:52 PM
Joined
Nov 6, 2023
Messages
745
Reaction score
1,107
Location
Massachusetts, USA
Sucks you went thru it but not sure why you even posted on here If you are giving up. There are so many knowledgable people here that have experienced worse than you but have relied on the community to help resolve and provide guidance.
 

Chadd7

Grenadier Owner
Local time
5:52 PM
Joined
May 17, 2023
Messages
602
Reaction score
809
Location
NJ, USA
Sucks you went thru it but not sure why you even posted on here If you are giving up. There are so many knowledgable people here that have experienced worse than you but have relied on the community to help resolve and provide guidance.
He's clearly venting and not necessarily looking for a solution. I welcome his venting. We can only benefit from people being very vocal about their poor experiences. I've been without my Gren for 3 weeks now because of a part delivery. My neck is starting to twitch. ;)
 

anand

Photo Contest Winner
Forum Moderator
Grenadier Owner
Lifetime Supporter
Local time
5:52 PM
Joined
Mar 12, 2023
Messages
3,023
Reaction score
4,917
Location
Maryland
I really do not think they even have a factory representative in NC.
I can assure you that an entire fleet of people work in NC, including the technical folks for the East coast; after all that is why it is their Americas HQ. The customer service goes through the UK quite often, however. Because the way the dealer model works in the US, all your correspondence (for the most part) goes through the dealer for everything.

I'm sorry to hear that Triad (i'm making the assumption here based on your location) was unable to rectify your issues appropriately, however, if it qualifies for a lemon law, I'm not sure why that isn't your direct route. Unfortunately, there is only so much Ineos corporate can do when it is in the hands of a dealer for repairs; if you made it 100yds from the dealer and another light came on, they never should have let you leave their lot like that. It sounds like a lot of your frustration is centered around how your dealer is handling this (or, more accurately, not handling it).

Hopefully it all works out for you in the end!
 
Local time
10:52 PM
Joined
May 14, 2023
Messages
388
Reaction score
553
Location
UK
l think it's going to take time for the dealer/service network to get established. With most vehicles (such as the new Defender) there's already an established dealer network in place.
lneos are starting from nothing. Maybe they released the vehicle too soon, but l imagine having been delayed by Covid etc and many people with deposits, lneos were under massive financial pressure to start customer deliveries.
 

Carolinaride

Grenadier Owner
Local time
5:52 PM
Joined
Aug 12, 2022
Messages
99
Reaction score
88
Location
Charlotte, NC, USA
Hello Everyone,

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I feel it is important to share my Ineo's experience. I will have to start by saying I was a huge fan early on when the announcement was made about the production of the Grenadier. I've owned a lot of off-road vehicles over the years starting with a Defender 90, 5 Land Cruisers and was one of the first in my area to order a Defender when they came out. All great vehicles in their own way. The Grenadier seemed to be a better combination of on road manners with off-road capabilities. All in a fantastic looking package.

After doing much homework I made the decision to order my Grenadier which was originally scheduled to arrive June 0f 2024. In November of 23 I was notified by my local dealer that some of the initial orders had been cancelled and there were several units available. Within 24 hours I found a suitable match and made arrangements to pick it up the following day. Prior to my purchase I had asked not once but twice about the process for potential repairs given the limited number of dealerships and the fact that my dealer was 3 plus hours away. Both times I was assured that they not only had mobile repair but a tow service as well for repairs that would need to be done at the service facility.

The next day I headed to the dealership to pick up my new Grenadier. Extremely excited and even more so after seeing it in person. All was well until my trip home and the nightmare begins. I was about 180 miles into my trip when the first light appears on the dash. The front end collision warning light comes on in the middle of my drive. I eventually pulled over at a rest stop and go through the manual and see if there is a reset, but nothing mentioned. After starting the vehicle it did stay off for about 30 minutes but eventually came back on permanently. At this point it's late Saturday so the dealership is closed so I figured I would deal with it on Monday.

Monday morning arrives with another light on the dash. It would go off briefly but by lunch time it was on permanently. This is the first time I called the dealership. I was amazed that no live person picks up the phone it's just prompts depending on which department, and the you leave a message. It took a week to finally here from someone at the dealership. I left multiple messages with the so-called parts and service director, but none were ever returned. The salesperson finally called me back nearly a week later. In that period of time I literally had every single warning indicator on the dash completely lit, including a light that said transmission failure. I was assured there was no problem with the vehicle and he said the had another one do the same thing and I just needed to go to my local AutoZone to clear the codes. Clearly this make no sense but out of desperation I gave it a shot. I was told there was nothing they could do so I did give the local Honda store a try but they could not help either.

I finally heard from the dealership after opening a case with Ineos. The service manager called me to schedule a pickup and it was picked up within 48 hours. After 2weeks I contacted to check the status to find out they still don't know what the problem is and still working with Ineos. Finally I received notification it was the speed sensor that need to be replaced and the part had been ordered. I finally received my Grenadier after it had been in the shop for 1 month. The entire time i was in touch with Ineos problem department which apparently is a third party company that just forwards info to Ineos. She would communicate with me and ask if anyone from Ineos had contacted me. My reply was always the same no. She even seemed shocked and every single time apologized and said she would have someone follow up. To this day none from Ineos has ever talked with me even though i have reputedly requested someone contact me. I really do not think they even have a factory representative in NC.

After the vehicle came back from 1 month in the service department, I drove about 100 yards and another light is now on. There has been no attempt to fix this problem even though I shared with the service manager. I did receive my first call from Ineos which was a follow-up just to see how my service experience was. I shared my story and he seemed shocked and promised he would have someone immediately follow-up, but it has now been almost 3 weeks, and nobody has reached out. This is by far my worst experience with a vehicle in 40 plus years. I don't recommend anyone buy from this company for obvious reasons. There is virtually no support from the manufacture. What's even more strange is it's an open and shut case for the lemon law in NC so you would think they would want to have a conversation. To add to the frustration, I have discovered the vehicle has been damaged on the roof which was not there prior to it's service visit. Currently working with several parties to get the situation resolved, if I ever do talk with Ineos I will post a follow-up.
I am curious, which dealer are you referencing? I am in NC and dealing with high point Bentley folks (mills auto group).
 

SkiBum1

GG-4567
Grenadier Owner
Lifetime Supporter
Local time
4:52 PM
Joined
Nov 20, 2023
Messages
213
Reaction score
484
Location
Chicago, IL, USA
My dealer told me that the new software update has arrived. I was waiting for this to take delivery of my grenadier that has been at the dealer since late December. Sounds to me like you have a software glitch and it should be a fairly easy fix. This isn’t unique to Ineos. In 2013 I bought a brand new Mercedes E550 coupe. The electronics went to hell one month later with windows that wouldn’t go up, windows that would go down and stay down etc. they tried to fix it three times and replaced the control unit and eventually just gave me a new car as a replacement. While my car was in their shop for 6 weeks I was in their loaner, so I didn’t care. I was putting miles on their car vs mine and driving the hell out of it. Grenadier dealers should manage this the same way as ineos is reimbursing them for all of their cost here so they make money off these issues.
 

Carolinaride

Grenadier Owner
Local time
5:52 PM
Joined
Aug 12, 2022
Messages
99
Reaction score
88
Location
Charlotte, NC, USA
Up in VA but a Chapel Hill native. Down in the Triangle every few months and west of Asheville. And yes I do bleed Carolina Blue :). Driving a QR though 😂. Cheers!
Ha. I was just there last weekend. I am a Georgia Tech grad but have one in grad school there and another who graduated in the area. It’s an easy drive and i have relatives all over the state. Part of the reason i could not get that lighter blue version like i originally wanted. :)
 

Catpaw4x4

GG 4101
Grenadier Owner
Lifetime Supporter
Local time
5:52 PM
Joined
Oct 14, 2023
Messages
740
Reaction score
682
Location
Virginia, USA
Ha. I was just there last weekend. I am a Georgia Tech grad but have one in grad school there and another who graduated in the area. It’s an easy drive and i have relatives all over the state. Part of the reason i could not get that lighter blue version like i originally wanted. :)
My Dad is a GT grad school grad! All in the Family! I don't cross railroad tracts (NCSU) ;) though.Look forward to eventually seeing you somewhere around the State :giggle: Cheers!
 

Carolinaride

Grenadier Owner
Local time
5:52 PM
Joined
Aug 12, 2022
Messages
99
Reaction score
88
Location
Charlotte, NC, USA
My Dad is a GT grad school grad! All in the Family! I don't cross railroad tracts (NCSU) ;) though.Look forward to eventually seeing you somewhere around the State :giggle: Cheers!
I was the black sheep. All my family went to unc or wake. We do enjoy picking on state and absolutely hate duke. Always have.
 
Back
Top Bottom