OK, so the headline might be a little dramatic, but it’s a fairly accurate description of the risks associated with owning a Land Rover-Range Rover. Car Edition Ltd, a garage repair shop based in Huntington, UK, is currently replacing the timing chain on a 2018 Range Rover Velar. As the old saying goes, timing chains are supposed to last a lifetime—but apparently not if they’re made like literal bicycle chains, which seems to be what Land Rover opted for.

In a car, a timing chain synchronises the rotation of the crankshaft and camshaft(s) in the engine. But as we’re discovering, Land Rover appears to have cut corners, seemingly choosing a chain that resembles something you’d find on a bike. It’s little wonder, then, that Land Rover has a terrible reputation for reliability, though at least it has a reputation.

Unfortunately, it gets worse. While Land Rover’s exteriors are exquisitely designed these days, that level of care doesn’t seem to extend to the engineering. The timing chain is located behind the engine, meaning the mechanic in the video has no choice but to disconnect the gearbox just to access it. What’s revealed is an overly complex engine layout—far from an example of great engineering.

Timing chain failures are common in the Land Rover-designed Ingenium engines. It’s clear cost-cutting played a role here: the complexity isn’t just unnecessary, it exists largely because it’s cheaper to stick with established engineering practices than to innovate in ways that would reduce it. To be fair, part of this complexity also stems from the need to comply with modern EU emissions regulations.

The 2.0-litre Ingenium engine is notorious for multiple failure points—for instance, water ingress into the engine oil. If this video doesn’t dissuade you from buying a Range Rover Velar, then be prepared to spend thousands of pounds or dollars maintaining your status symbol. Personally, I think now is the time to go fully electric. Fascinating as this engineering may be, it’s starting to look seriously outdated.