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Thinking of Buying a Rover?

Do you have a Rover 825Si?

Have you had a problem with the head gasket?


I am the owner of a Rover 825Si; supposedly a 'high quality' car. The car is fitted with the KV6 engine; a V6, 24 valve unit.

After a mere 34000 miles, the head gasket has failed and the repair bill may be in the order of £2500.

Service History

The car has been serviced by Rover since new at all the recommended service intervals. I have been meticulous about the servicing and maintenance of this vehicle. It has been driven with care and consideration. Only the correct lubricants have been used.

Rover's Attitude

Rover say that they are NOT willing to make ANY contribution towards the repair. They say that they do NOT recognise this as a design or a manufacturing fault. They say that the car has done too many miles (34000!).What a fine example of Rover reliability.

The Dealers' View

The two dealers that I have approached both agree that Rover have had problems with the KV6 engine. Both have said that Rover have taken these cars back to the factory to sort out the problem. One of the dealers says that every 825 that he has dealt with that has had this problem has been returned to the factory and the customer has been given a courtesy car.

An independent motor engineer has also recognised this as a common fault with the KV6 engine. He says that the fault is caused by the use of a stainless steel gasket which has a coating which breaks up and allows the oil to enter the water galleries. This then emulsifies and blocks the cooling system.

Repairs

My local Rover dealer advises me that the repair involves changing some 73 components. This is not typical of a car which has only done a low mileage.

The estimate for repairing the car is from £1500 up to £2500.

What can I do?

Currently I am trying to encourage Rover to confirm that there has been a problem with the KV6 engine head gasket. It may be that I will have to take them to court over this.

How can you help?

If you have experienced any similar problems with this engine then I would urge you to email me. The more evidence I collect, the stronger is my case. I have already heard from a number of people who have experienced similar problems.

Rover's latest commercials

Every time I watch the latest Rover commercials, I do not know whether to laugh or cry. Actually I usually seethe. They (Rover) talk about their "great British cars" and how you can "buy with confidence". I think that there is one thing that Rover can be confident about; they have seen the last of my custom.