"Jaguar Land Rover's attitude is that they want us to just grin and bear owning a vehicle that, we feel, is not of satisfactory quality, is not fit for purpose nor is as described"
One has to wonder why the poor fellow is surprised by this attitude. Land Rover have clearly had this policy for a very long time. I'm afraid I blame the poor misguided owner for:-
1- not doing his homework,
2- wanting to own an Ewok in the first place (I mean, for the love of God, why!!)
3- having the ordacity to expect a Land Rover to be faultless
4- expecting Land Rover to put it right
5- being taken in by the Land Rover hype
6- not buying a Toyota
The gentleman concerned is a retired engineer who is going to want things spot on, and he will look at any fault as being a major problem that needs putting right, such was his working life.
I also think that Land Rover have brought this on themselves by taking more and more of their vehicles, born of 'agricultural' beginnings and aiming them at the high end buyer. A retired engineer won't put up with problems a farmer would be too busy to worry about. With the greatest respect to engineers and farmers of course.
If more Land Rover buyers voted with their feet rather than just accepting the thing has 'character' and accepting the problems, Land Rover would have either got its act together or gone bust by now.
If I were Toyota, I think I would consider offering him a Landcruiser for an extended test drive and his review.