Oh, only buy this car if you like suffering... I had to take it back to the dealership for repair at least once every month I owned it.
Within a week of buying the car it was back at the dealership for very rough shifting. I had the transmission reprogrammed with a "patch" and still experienced the same problem.
Water started leaking into the passenger cabin the first time it rained. Turned out the antenna & sunroof had never been sealed.
The sunroof had to be replaced within 3 months. This turned out to be a special order item.
The whole interior rattled. The headliner, sunroof shade, door pillars.
Had to have door pillars re-attached several times as they popped off.
Air conditioning barely worked. Dealership couldn't determine why the interior of the car wasn't cooling off, but claimed the air coming out of the vents was at the right temperature.
Fan for the climate control system was incredibly noisy.
Constantly had a coolant smell when using the air conditioning. The dealer never was able to determine the cause of the smell.
Right front brake started squeaking whenever the car was turned to the right at about 1000 miles. Dealer claimed my brake pad was already worn through and my rotors damaged. Convinced dealer to replace brake pads under warranty. Same brake started squeaking again within 100 miles.
Temperature gauge was very flaky. It never moved past the 1/2 mark, even when the car was turned off. Dealer claimed nothing was wrong with the temperature gauge.
The Freelander is a nimble off-roader, but not worth the cost.
Interior is very cheap. It's inexpensive leather that wears easily and hard plastic trim. The trim pieces are attached too tight on the dash and bow out.
Horrible gas mileage! I was lucky if I was getting 15 mpg most of the time.
Seats are comfortable, but have limited adjustments. Cannot adjust height. The lack of power seats and armrests bothered me. Rear bench seat was uncomfortable for long drives.
Constant hard shifting between 2nd and 3rd gears drove me nuts. Acceleration was sluggish off the line. The dual automatic/manual transmission was a nice thing to have.
Dealer service was BAD on this vehicle. I tried more than one dealership and got the same rude service at each one.
I got so frustrated with all the problems after one year I traded it in and got a 4Runner.
I did the same, bought Japanese (Nissan Xtrail). I don't know why they bother the Freelander was the worst car I had ever owned. Will never ever buy!!! any European car again.
It seems these Guys got rogue models. I believe all decent Manufacturers should recognise when this occurs and replace the vehicle concerned; it is better for them to make a loss on one odd vehicle than to lose numerous sales when potential buyers read about such events. I have owned numerous 4 X 4 s and my 2.5 V6 Freelander is easily the best. It has been driven from Kuwait to UK, used as a commuter vehicle, a serious off-roader in the desert (fun watching all the Japanese Wannabes getting stuck), a camping - tramper, etc. etc. and I love it.
I feel sorry for the Guy who settled for an X Trail - he doesn't know what he's missing in a non - rogue Freelander!
A Freelander in the desert? without low ratio gears? you must be joking (or bending the truth)
Strange that most Aussies drive Yota's in the outback and don't bother with a Landy.
Be careful driving on anything else than a lawn in a freelander or you bump the giant exhaust, bend the exposed drive shafts or get stuck with those narrow road tires with no low ratio gears, no flex and no lockers.
I have owned a Freelander SE since 2002, within first 5000k had the brake issue mentioned above, same dealer BS was the pads, still have the problem, speed odometer is and has been 5 mile above (factory wheels) since I owned it. Also about the 6000 mile mark smelled the coolant went in for 7500 mile mark was told low on coolant no explanation as to where it went. Also AC shooting water out of the dash, ruined CD and radio, under warranty dealer said it was a plugged hose internally, still does it!. At 10000 mile mark over heated went back dealer said it must have "evaporated" noticed an oil leak they said it was fixed still noticed it and keep checking the oil levels no drop, but coolant was continually dropping and no visible ground spots. Went to dealer several times they could not see any issues. Heard a rattle (knocking) and noticed oil was "watery", dealer still did not see any issues, last month drank 1 1/2 gallons anti freeze. Drove around today it was knocking as usual and this evening went to start and you guessed it is never started. Called dealer it is out of warranty and they say they will come up with something next week. Biggest POS I have ever owned, was looking at Discovery.. NO MORE! BTW did I mentioned I am a mechanic (older non computerized cars) and was told so many bold faced lies it isn't funny. If you own this keep all paperwork like I did you may need it when something like this happens!
The biggest issue by far with the Freelander is that the dealers don't treat Freelander owners like "real" Land Rover owners - kind of like a Geo Metro owner in at a Cadillac dealership. I was dropping my Freelander off at the service counter and was waiting behind a soccer mom dropping off her LR3 to check an unspecified rattle. I saw her take off in a new LR3 "loaner" and then the service manager told me that he couldn't spare me a loaner, but could get me a ride in 30-40 minutes if I needed to go somewhere. They needed to keep the car all day to replace (for the second time) the completely failed sunroof mechanism. The service manager told me that the "new" mechanisms had been redesigned so the failure shouldn't happen anymore. When I picked the car up 12 hours later, the sunroof wasn't fixed because the part was DOA (or maybe soccer mom's car took precedence). I was told that they'd call me when the new part came in, but of course they didn't and 2 weeks later I had to call to reschedule the appointment. As we live 50 miles from the dealer, this is a major pain.
As the previous comment noted, when you have a mechanical background, their explanations are laughable (just like when a flight attendant says that "Everything's fine, just a little turbulence" after an engine falls off). When my engine quit the other day, I plugged in my ODBII computer and read the codes, which included 6 electrical faults including the camshaft position sensor and MAF-VAF sensor. I gave the dealer the list of codes. When I called him the next day (notice he didn't call me as promised) he umm'd and uhh'd about whether they had looked at it, then told me that they had looked at it and were checking the fuel pump. When I reminded him about the codes I'd pulled, he said that THEIR tester was different and interpreted the results differently. Interesting as OBDII is a standard, and all of the codes are in the "general" range of codes, not the manufacturer specific codes.
Even though we like to car's driveability and uniqueness, we decided to get rid of it after the warranty expired, but thought we'd stay in the LR family and get a LR3. Now we're just going to get rid of it and probably will chose either an FJ or a 4 Runner.
2002 Freelander S. Just short & not so sweet. Multiple issues until 45000 miles when Transmission failed. Everthing going well until 55000 when camshaft failed trashing engine. LR said it was my fault because I changed my own oil & did not have the 48000 mile service done at the dealer. The best driving & most capable of any small SUV's. The most unreliable auto I have ever owned, topping even a 1960 Corvair & a 1966 Triumph TR4A.
We have a 2002 Freelander S and have had many problems with it - including replacing the transmission at 47,000 miles. It's now in for it's 72,000 mile maintaince - at only $2,000 for the regular services and an additional $450 for the other things they're "finding".
I'll say the dealership has been great - no issues there - but the SUV itself is scary to bring in the shop.
It's just not worth it when there's other better made, better waranteed, and lower-gas - and lower maintaince - priced SUVs out there!
I can't wait to TRADE this thing!
I have the misfortune of buying a 2002 Freeloader. I bought it new. It now has 60k. It's by far the worst car I have ever owned.
The brake pads need replacing every 15k. It goes through oil very quickly. The mpg would make an oil baron happy. The sunroof has broken 3 times. The rear windows have stopped working twice. The rear door handles have both broken twice. The rubber rots around the exterior fittings. The AC is appalling (I am in So cal. It's failed twice). The dash is warped (although it's clearly warped the dealership doesn't seem to see it).
I don't believe I've actually had any time with this car when something has not been wrong with it. I put up with it while under warranty. It was barely worth it when the work was free. Now it's definitely not.
The service is abysmal... Never in for less than a week. Usually in for two. There's nearly always something they missed. Treated like 2nd class. Not open on weekend. No one seems to care. You will not believe how many times I've heard "It's not my fault". Service and parts are horribly expensive. Was asked for $880 to buy and install a new radio (the old one failed). $200 for replacement battery.
For my fun I was advised that well, Land Rover is a luxury car, for which you have to pay... I don't know about you, but I just love to pay lots of money for terrible service.
I have been involved with people who actually designed the KV6 and all I can say is what they say over and over!! LAND ROVER VEHICLES are NOT designed to go get groceries at the store, pick the kids up at school, COMMUTE, or any other stop/go engine on/off sort of thing. This is why the horrid gas mileage, HGF and brake issues. READ the friggin manual for god's sake. Little LR facts: You do NOT warm up a Land Rover before you drive it, you just let the idle drop after about 10 seconds then you drive (its in the manual) You MUST let the engine (especially the KV6) run for a minimum of 10 seconds after you come to a STOP in your driveway, longer if it is hot out to "settle" the engine temp. This is in the manual too, but I will admit it seems to be worded to only apply to diesel models. Anyway FINALLY take it to the dealership BEFORE it blows up, and ask for them to specifically check for any bulletins pertaining to your model. This is like being mad at Microsoft for not installing your updates for you. If you pay $30K plus for an off-road machine, expect to pay the maintenance costs for such a purpose specific vehicle. BTW NEVER run anything besides full synthetic in these engines, and use only dealer filters. Hope this helps anyone wanting to enter the LR market. Remember if you do plan to go OFF-ROAD (meaning NO ROAD exists at all) then put LR on your list. If you plan to get groceries and the kids and maybe a campground, PLEASE save yourself from $200 oil changes and get a TOYO, or NISSAN, or CADI.
The 2002-2005 Land Rover Freelanders are an embarrasing piece of technology. These cars were built around a solid body, but the rest is cheap and prone to fast wear. The caveat with these cars is that the first recommended change of the LRN-402 transmission fluid is 10,000 miles past the warranty. Huuummm... maybe they knew something about the Jatco transmissions we did not. One thing is obvious, these cars fall apart very fast and break down often. Freelanders and LR in general... stay clear.
Two years ago I purchased a '02 Freelander with 60K miles. Since then I have added an additional 28K miles; it would have been more if I could keep it out of the shop. When it runs, it is a very good vehicle that consistently gets 19-21 mpg. (and the AWD is great on icy roads).
The problem is, it seems to be in the shop on a regular basis. The bill for any repair has never been less than $600, and it usually takes one to two weeks to get an appointment to take it in to the local Land Rover dealer.
Currently it is sitting behind my barn with a blown head gasket or worse. I hope to get an appointment to take it in as soon as the holidays are over with.
I would not recommend this vehicle to anyone unless they have deep pockets, or an extended dealer warranty and other transportation available.
Here is the real skinny for all you wonderful supporters of the Freelander.
I just purchased a used 2004 Freelander Sept. 9th 2007 with 54,000 miles on it, for just under $20,000. The VIN# indicated it had been serviced regularly for almost the 1st 40,000 miles which made me feel pretty good about the care and upkeep by the owner.
I took it to the local Land Rover dealer to ask them to check out the car, which got their nod that everything seemed to be in good shape. They just had to change the oil and antifreeze. 1st week the CD player broke; LR quoted a price of $1300 to fix it (thanks anyway). Then we mistakenly tried to get fresh air into the car by rolling down the back window. The regulator appears to have broken for a mere $400. Had to then purchase another set of keys with remote because the dealer we purchased the car from could not find them- another $400. Then the brakes went in December-that was another $400.
Here's where the real misery starts----the week of Christmas we started to notice the engine overheating when the car idles. Replaced the anti-freeze that had just been put in mere weeks before that. Decided to put in more the next day; the anti-freeze was gone, but no sign of where it went. Took the car in to Land Rover and lo and behold, it now needs a new engine with a quote of $8,300.
Land Rover called to say that there is nothing they can do becaues the warranty has expired. No explanation as to why a 4 year old car with 59,000 miles would even possibly need a new engine! So now we have a four year old 59,000 mile Freelander at the dealership waiting for it's 3 1/2 month recently purchase owners to tow it to their garage where it will sit collecting dust.
This company does not deserve your business or your hard-earned cash. We have come to find out the hard way. Imagine finding this blog among a host of others with the same problems, the same complaints, the same results. Buyer beware!
In order to spare someone else from meeting this same tragic end to LR ownership, all I can do is tell my true story to as many people out there whom will listen and compile a whole bunch of data for the NJ Attorney Generals office in the hope that someone will take notice.
Anyone from 20/20 out there?
January 5, 2008
2002 Land rover FreeLander.
We are having the same coolant leak problem and have had for a year. The dealership supposedly addressed it when they changed out the timing belts and it still leaked. We had a clear conversation with them and no one at the dealership documented it on their paperwork. What was in the background was that they would take care of this. How is it since head gaskets are a weak spot in Freelander that they did not let us know that this might be a possibility, before the warranty went out? Do they think if they are real quiet, no one will notice.
Last week they added dye to the cooling system to see if they could find the leak. No luck. Now they want to change out the head gasket. $2200.00.
In the meantime we went out of warranty. Our own fault, got conned by all the advertising hype that comes along with this vehicle, what a crock, and a POS.
Really disappointed am a loyal customer when find a vehicle that works for us.
Going to fix, sell and buy a Toyota.
Buyer Beware.
2004 FREELANDER 63 K MILES ENGINE OVERHEATING, LOOSING FLUID :- sound familiar?? Landover does not want anything to do with it, warranty expired! (where have I heard that before), says it needs a new engine!. I don’t think I will be spending that amount of cash on the worst vehicle I have ever owned only so I can drive it to the dealer to trade it in. Took the engine apart, put it back together with new head gaskets etc. Still overheating!!. It would appear that this particular vehicle is refusing to circulate coolant through the radiator, even though the thermostat is good, and is losing fluid by blowing it of of the expansion reservoir pressure cap. It is worth noting that the engine at this point is about 110 degC, and the coolant system at 16PSI and literally boiling, the temperature gauge is still normal, it is always reads normal until the engine has boiled of enough steam to almost melt down. The list does not end there, but I am sure if you have read any of the previous entries you will get a good idea about how inadequate the KV6 engine is.
Well I purchased a 2002 Land Rover Freelander SE in September of 2007, and since then I have had to replace 3 vacuum hoses and connects, 2 head lights, a a fuel pump and a broken windshield wiper.
Also the transmission due too the undeniable poor mechanics of this car!
It is very sluggish between 10-45 miles per hour, and it jugs a gallon of antifreeze every 2 months!
Maintenance is very expensive and constant! Now in my case I have been victim of sabotage, so if you do get work done on this type of vehicle, get someone well qualified and a trustworthy mechanic to complete the desired job!
The interior is excellent; nice sound system and an overall elegance to the exterior design!
I rate this car easily a 9 on style and a 7 on performance!