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| Water streams into the Discovery SUV. Captured from SBS TV |
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| The flawed Discovery SUV. Its owner says water leaks from the roof, but manufacturer Land Rover claims no responsibility. Captured from SBS TV |
By Park Si-soo
How would you feel if your luxury car had a significant water leak allegedly due to flawed assembly but the dealership showed a "none-of-my-business" attitude?
This nightmarish scenario is a reality for a South Korean man who bought a Land Rover Discovery for 100 million won ($86,600) last year, according to an SBS TV report.
Water started leaking in from the car's roof six months after he bought it. He reportedly took the car to an accredited repair center twice, but the leak continued.
The driver asked Land Rover for a free full-scale repair or a new vehicle. But the British carmaker turned down the request, saying any of the two would cost him 30 million won ($26,000).
This was the depreciated value of the one-year-old car, Land Rover said.
Video footage shows a narrow stream of water falling onto the driver's seat when the troubled SUV is taken through a car wash. The water filled a 100ml plastic cup in seconds.
Mechanics also confirmed the leak.
"How can I drive a car like this?" the driver told the broadcaster. "The situation got worse after receiving repairs."
Prof. Kim Pil-soo from Daelim University College's automotive engineering department inspected the vehicle. He said the car's condition was "as bad as a flooded vehicle" and called on the carmaker to offer a free exchange or a full refund.
In response to Land Rover's refusal to offer compensation, the driver recently filed a complaint with the Korea Consumer Agency.
