LDV T60 Problems

Problems with the electronics appear to be the biggest source of grief for LDV owners. Many complain that the vehicle’s on-board infotainment system appears to be fundamentally incompatible with Android phones and that the Bluetooth function generally just doesn’t work as it should. Many LDVs also seem to have developed the annoying habit of ratcheting their stereo’s volume to full every time the car is started. The blind-spot warning system seems prone to offering false alarms and the reverse camera has been widely panned for it’s low-resolution image. About the only way to fix these issues is to replace the factory system with an aftermarket head unit…not what you’d expect from a modern vehicle.

Of course, given that the LDV T60 was launched in late 2017 with a five-year warranty, the oldest of them can now only be coming up for their fourth birthday. Which means that provided the vehicle has been serviced correctly and you haven’t driven it more than 130,000km, you’re covered by that warranty. Which seems to us, that it’s LDV’s problem to sort something out by either fixing the standard infotainment system or sourcing and fitting an aftermarket one that actually works. Contact LDV’s Australian customer service department and make sure your complaint is logged on the factory system.

Problems with the electronics appear to be the biggest source of grief for LDV owners. Many complain that the vehicle's on-board infotainment system appears to be fundamentally incompatible with Android phones and that the Bluetooth function generally just doesn't work as it should. Many LDVs also seem to have developed the annoying habit of ratcheting their stereo's volume to full every time the car is started. The blind-spot warning system seems prone to offering false alarms and the reverse camera has been widely panned for it's low-resolution image. About the only way to fix these issues is to replace the factory system with an aftermarket head unit…not what you'd expect from a modern vehicle.

Of course, given that the LDV T60 was launched in late 2017 with a five-year warranty, the oldest of them can now only be coming up for their fourth birthday. Which means that provided the vehicle has been serviced correctly and you haven't driven it more than 130,000km, you're covered by that warranty. Which seems to us, that it's LDV's problem to sort something out by either fixing the standard infotainment system or sourcing and fitting an aftermarket one that actually works. Contact LDV's Australian customer service department and make sure your complaint is logged on the factory system.

For reasons known only to marketing departments, the LDV, like most modern four-wheel-drive vehicles, uses a rotary knob to shift between two and four-wheel-drive and high and low-range. While old-school off-roaders of decades ago used a simple, mechanical lever to make these shifts, the modern rotary knob system relies on electronics and solenoids to effect the same shifts. When these solenoids go wrong or there’s an interruption to or glitch in the power supply, you can easily experience the symptoms you’ve noted.

The LDV is by no means the only brand to suffer vague or phantom shifting with this system and a body-computer re-set may be required. The fault has nothing to do with you leaving it in 4H while it was parked for a few days. It’s also very unlikely to be an actual mechanical problem with the transmission. So make it the dealer’s problem; it’s a new vehicle, so the vehicle will be covered by warranty and it won’t cost you anything to have put right.

It seems like the fix here would be an obvious one, but there’s a number of potential causes for a fault like this. Let’s start with the actual starter button. It could have failed internally. Or the starter motor itself might have either failed or simply had a critical wire fall off its terminal. Perhaps the immobiliser system is not arming the ignition as it should.

And here’s one from left field: Is the transmission in Park? If it is and the engine still won’t turn over, try putting the selector into Neutral. Both Park and Neutral should allow the engine to start, but most people only ever try it in Park. You could also have a poor earth or iffy battery terminal which is allowing enough current to pass to illuminate the dashboard lights, but not enough to actually crank the engine over.

How sure are you that the caravan weights 2000 kg when fully loaded? What gear do you use when climbing hills? Make sure you are not heavier than you think, and use a lower gear on hills rather than let the engine lug in an overdrive ratio.

Have the dealer let you drive a demo vehicle and see if that is the same as yours. If it isn’t than have him investigate why yours is different; if it’s not it could be that it’s the way the LDV brakes are. You could take it to a brake specialist and have them give you an opinion on it, and maybe suggest a fix.

It sounds like a speed warning alarm, which should be able to be reset. Check your owner’s manual that should tell you how to do it.

The tray supplied by LDV is 2550 mm long by 1842 mm wide; if you want a bigger tray you’d best talk to an LDV dealer or a body builder. It will tow up to 3000 kg.

The LDV T60 is made in Wixu, China, by Maxus which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Chinese automotive company SAIC Motor.

With the LDV T60 only being launched locally in November 2017 many upgrades are still being developed by Australia's off-road aftermarket segment. Keep an eye out at popular 4x4 accessory shops, as parts to fit these Chinese-made utes come on the market.