LAND Rover Freelander Reliability by YearBest & worst years, problems & recalls — NHTSA data

I AM DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND THE CAR SHIFTS INTO EXTREMELY LOW GEAR (MAYBE 5 MPH), F4 FLASHES, AND THE SERVICE ENGINE, HILL DESCENT CONTROL, AND TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT UP. ONCE I CAN MOVE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, I CAN TURN OFF THE CAR, WAIT LESS THAN 5 MINUTES AND THE CAR STARTS WITHOUT ANY OF THE LIGHTS. THE VEHICLE ONLY HAD ABOUT 42,000 MILES WHEN THE PROBLEM STARTED - ONE MONTH AFTER THE WARRANTY RAN OUT. FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS, I'VE DRIVEN THE VEHICLE LESS THAN 5,000 MILES BECAUSE IT IS NOT DEPENDABLE. THEY CHANGE A SENSOR, IT'S OK FOR ABOUT TWO MONTHS THEN THE SAME THING HAPPENS, THEY CLEAN OFF PARTS AND IT'S GOOD FOR ANOTHER COUPLE OF MONTHS THEN IT HAPPENS AGAIN. I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH THIS VEHICLE BECAUSE IT RUNS FINE WHEN IT IS WORKING! THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS, ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE ON THE INTERSTATE AND YOUR AUTO SUDDENLY GOES FROM 60-75 MPH TO 5 MPH. *TR

ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED ONLY WITHIN ABOUT 2 WEEKS OF PURCHASING VEHICLE, APPROXIMATE 5,000 MILES LATER THE ENGINE BEGINS TO FAULT AGAIN AND I WAS TOLD THAT IT COULD BE BECAUSE ANTIFREEZE WAS LEAKING INTO MY ENGINE OR ONE OF MY HEAD GASKETS BLEW AGAIN, NOT TO MENTION THE COOLING SYSTEM FAILED AGAIN AND I NEEDED A NEW O-RING ALREADY. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 LAND ROVER FREELANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN HE WAS DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS AND ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE, THERE WAS A HESITATION. THE FAILURE BECAME MORE CONSISTENT WHENEVER HE DROVE THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN INSPECTED OR REPAIRED. PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, THE HEAD GASKET CONTINUED TO LOSE ANTIFREEZE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. A LOCAL MECHANIC PUT A SEALANT TO STOP THE LEAKAGE. THE OIL PUMP WAS ALSO REPLACED IN 2005 UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE IT WAS LEAKING. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND FILED A COMPLAINT. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 50,500. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 35,000.

VEHICLE OVER HEATED. LOSS OF COOLANT. COOLANT IN OIL. DEALER DIAGNOSIS: HEAD GASKET FAILURE.

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON, DEFECTIVE THERMOSTAT, CRACKED ENGINE HOSES, CRACKED MANIFOLD, COOLANT LEAKING INTO ENGINE DUE TO SLIPPED SLEEVE - THIS CAUSES CAR TO RANDOMLY GO FROM DRIVING FINE TO NOT BEING ABLE TO ACCELERATE. ADDITIONALLY, WIPERS GO ON WHEN THEY ARE NOT TURNED ON, WINDOW CONTROLS DO NOT WORK. *TR

2005 LAND ROVER (FREE LANDER): SHIFTING REARS FROM DRIVE (D) TO REVERSE (R) RESULTED IN BROKEN GEAR LINKAGE CABLE ON ONE OCCASION. THE SUV BECAME TOTALLY IMMOVABLE AND UNSAFE (LOCKED IN PARK MODE) IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET. VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED ON FLATBED TO DEALER AFTER TWO TOW TRUCK DRIVERS (MECHANICS) MANUVERED THE VEHICLE TO A SAFE POSITION. DEALER REPLACED WITH NEW GEAR SELECTOR WITH CABLE . COST $1019.23. *TR

HEAD GASKET FAILURE 55,000 MILES BLOWN ENGINE. IN REPAIR OVER 23 X'S LANDROVER ACKNOWLEDGED ENGINE WAS LOOSING ANTI FREEZE, BUT COULDN'T FIND WHERE. CAUSED MY SON TO THROW UP EVERYTIME HE WAS DRIVEN IN THE CAR. CAUSED SEVERE HEADACHES IN ALL WHO DROVE FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME. THIS IS A VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR NEEDS A NEW ENGINE. A VERY COMMON PROBLEM. WHY HASN'T THIS BEEN RECALLED YET?? THIS IS VERY DISTRESSING TO HAVE A CAR FOUR YRS AND A BLOWN ENGINE. VERY SAD AND DISTURBING TO A FAMILY DURING A RECESSION!!! CAR ENGINES SHOULDN'T FAIL AT 55,000 AND CAN'T BE DRIVEN BECAUSE THEY MAKE A FAMILY SICK! *TR

IN MID JULY 2009, TEMPERATURE GAUGE ON 2005 LAND ROVER FREELANDER BEGAN ACTING ERRATICALLY. BROUGHT IT TO DEALER IN SAN ANTONIO, TX. WAS TOLD THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM ON FREELANDERS, NEVER MENTIONING WHAT "HAPPENS NEXT." THEY REPLACED THE GAUGE AND A "LEAKING" HOSE. AT A COST OF $700. THREE WEEKS LATER THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED. (TEMPERATURE GAUGE BEGAN ACTING ERRATICALLY.) DROVE DIRECTLY TO THE DEALER. PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED AS MASSIVE OVERHEATING, AND THE HEAD GASKET "SLIPPED" ALL COOLANT AND FLUID DRAINED INTO THE ENGINE. THE ENGINE WAS DESTROYED AND UNREPAIRABLE. NEED TO REPLACE ENGINE AT A COST OF $10,000+. WAS TOLD THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH FREELANDERS AT THE 50,000-60,000 MILE MARK. I WAS AT 60,000 MILES JUST 10,000 MILES AND 2 MONTHS PAST WARRANTY. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 LAND ROVER FREELANDER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE REDUCED TO ITS LOWEST READING. THE ENGINE BEGAN TO OVERHEAT AND SUDDENLY THE ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE FAILURES OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE ENGINE STALLED; HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE RESTARTED AND RESUMED NORMAL OPERATION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR INSPECTION AND THEY STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS CONTRIBUTED TO A BLOWN HEAD GASKET. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE EXCEEDED FIVE MILES OF THE SERVICE WARRANTY AGREEMENT. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 50,500.

I BOUGHT 2005 LANDROVER FREELANDER JANUARY 27TH, 2006 WITH 3770 MILEAGE AND ABOUT A WEEK LATER, CAR WAS OVERHEATED AND STEAM CAME OUT FROM THE ENGINE. DEALER SERVICE CENTER SAID COOLING FAN WAS NOT WORKING, SO THEY CHANGED IT,AND EVERYTHING WILL BE OK, BUT YESTERDAY MIDNIGHT, CAR GOT OVERHEATED AGAIN CURRENT MILEAGE IS ONLY 5400. I GOT STUCK ON THE FREEWAY WITH STEAMY ENGINE. SERVICE CENTER SAID THEY WILL FIX IT, BUT I CAN NOT FEEL SECURED TO DRIVE THAT CAR. I COMPLAINED THAT AND TRY TO GET REFUND SINCE IT HAS BEEN ONLY 3 MONTHS, BUT THEY SAID THEY CAN GIVE ME 5000 LOWER PRICE THAN THE PURCHASE PRICE. WHAT CAN I DO? I CANNOT GET A FULL REFUND? *NM

I HAVE A LAND ROVER FREE LANDER 2004 I BOUGHT IT WITH 30,000 MILES ON IT, IT RAN FINE FOR A WHILE THEN THE CHILD SAFETY LOCKS MAL- FUNCTIONED. THE PEOPLE WHO SAT IN THE BACK SEAT COULD NOT GET OUT I HAD TO OPEN THE REAR DOORS FROM THE OUTSIDE.THE SUN ROOF STOP WORKING AS DID THE REAR WINDOWS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE TRUCK. I TRIED TO START IT THREE WEEKS AGO NO LUCK IT WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY TOLD ME I NEEDED TWO SENSORS $800 THEN THEY TESTED THE ENGINE THE LEFT SIDE NO LONGER WORKED $5800 TO REPAIR THE TRUCK THAT NOW HAS 87,000 MILES. I THOUGHT THESE TRUCKS WERE BUILT TO LAST.I LOVED THE SAFETY OF THESE TRUCKS BUT WHAT GOOD IS SAFETY IT THEY DO NOT LAST ?!?!? *TR

REAR TAIL LAMP HOUSINGS FAILED NUMEROUS TIMES CAUSING THE BULBS NOT TO WORK. THIS CREATED A SITUATION WHERE ONLY ONE OR NONE OF THE LAMPS WERE WORKING. I REPLACED THEM AND LATER FOUND OUT THAT A RECALL OR INVESTIGATION WAS ISSUED BUT I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED. INTERIOR DOME LIGHT HAS FAILED TWICE. HEADLAMP FAILURE HAS OCCURRED IN LOW BEAM SIX TIMES AND IN HIGH BEAMS THREE TIMES. THE VEHICLE HAS STALLED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS WHEN THE HEATED SEATS, HEATED WINDSHIELD AND HEADLAMPS WERE ON SIMULTANEOUSLY. *TR

VEHICLE HAD ENGINE FAILURE AND TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP DURING ACCELERATION. AFTER A DIAGNOSES IT WAS THE RESULT OF A DEFECTIVE THERMOSTAT HOUSING THAT RELEASED THE COOLANT ONTO THE TOP OF THE ENGINE. AT THE CURRENT TIME THE AUTOMOBILE HAS HAD 39 DIFFERENT PROBLEMS DIAGNOSED SINCE THE PURCHASE DATE IN 2004. *TR

MY SON TURNED 16 ON MARCH 18, 2012. WE WANTED AN SUV THAT WOULD BE SAFE TO DRIVE. WE WANTED A CAR WITH LOWER MILEAGE. WE FOUND A 2004 LAND ROVER FREELANDER AT A LOCAL DEALER WITH ONLY 56,000 MILES. CAR WAS IN AWESOME SHAPE INSIDE AND OUT. NEW TIRES, ETC. PAID $9,500. A FEW DAYS LATER TOOK THE CAR TO MY LOCAL LAND ROVER DEALER IN PORTLAND OREGON TO HAVE THE CAR LOOKED OVER. YOU KNOW THE NORMAL OIL CHANGE, OR WHATEVER ELSE THEY DO ON A CAR AT 55K MILES. AFTER THEY LOOKED IT OVER THEY TOLD ME THE COILS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. AND ALSO THE PLUGS. I SAID SURE WHATEVER. $1,200 LATER I HAD MY SON'S CAR BACK. A FEW WEEKS LATER IT HAD A ODOR TO IT, AND IT WAS HAVING PROBLEMS GOING UP HILLS AND THE ENGINE WAS MAKING STRANGE SOUNDS. A DAY LATER IT STALLED. HAD IT TOWED TO LAND ROVER DEALER IN PORTLAND OREGON AND THEY TOLD ME IT APPEARS THAT IS WAS OUT OF COOLANT. THEY THOUGHT AT FIRST IT MUST BE A FAULTY THERMOSTAT OR POSSIBLY THE WATER PUMP. NOPE. THEY CAME BACK WITH THERE IS COOLANT MIXING IN WITH THE ENGINE OIL. THAT IT WOULD ANOTHER $1,200 TO $1,500 JUST TO FIND OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM ACTUALLY IS. TOLD ME IF IT WAS HEAD GASKETS OR SOMETHING IN THE BLOCK, IT WOULD COST AT LEAST $5,000 OR MORE TO REPAIR. THE LAND ROVER DEALERSHIP OFFERED TO REPLACE THE BLOWN HOSES AND THEY TOLD THEY COULD GET IT WORKING AGAIN BUT IT WAS NOT GOING TO RUN FOR VERY MUCH LONGER. I CHECKED WITH OTHER LAND ROVER SERVICE COMPANIES AND THEY ALL REFUSED TO EVEN LOOK AT THE FREELANDER AS THEY KNEW IT WAS NOT GOING TO TURN OUT WELL. I FINALLY FOUND A MECHANIC IN PORTLAND OREGON WHO AGREED TO TAKE IT APART AND FIX IT. THEY TOLD ME NO MORE THAN $3,500. WHAT WAS I SUPPOSE TO DO, WE PAID $9,500 AND SELLING IT FOR SCRAP SEEM LIKE A BAD IDEA. SO AS OF TODAY, JUNE 6TH I AM STILL WAITING FOR THE REPAIRS AT A LOCAL SHOP ON OUR 2004 LAND ROVER FREELANDER WITH ONLY 57K TO BE COMPLETED. *TR