23rd Apr 2009, 18:21

I purchased my used FL two years ago, and since then it has broken down literally 13 times. I got the SUV at 65k miles, and drove it up until last weekend (98K miles) when the transmission, engine, and exhaust system somehow broke down at the same time. Maybe mine was just a lemon? I don't know? I did not abuse this car, regular routine maintenance etc it just really left me financially in a hole - and also on the side of the road... often.

The air would never blow consistently, and even when the AC was on it was always really hot by my feet.

My LR would constantly have random problems where the temp dial would be out of control spinning between hot and cold to the extreme degree.

The power windows always got stuck in the down position.

The cheap plastic speakers would fall off of the door and into the seat when I closed the passenger door.

The second "glove box" on the driver side would fly open and bang me in the shins as I was going down the highway.

The tires would somehow fuse themselves onto the vehicle. I would need to change the tire, and honestly could not get it off of the car. It wasn't just me, I had a few people try. I had to tow it into the dealer just to get my tire changed. This happened a few times... random annoyances like this were frequent, mixed with hardcore repairs every couple of months.

Either way, the value of my LR depreciated dramatically faster than any other vehicle I've heard of, and paying a loan for a expensive luxury/off road vehicle is not fun when two years later it's only worth about 2k in perfect condition.

I love the look of my Freelander, and I love the spacious interior as it's perfect size for me and my big dog, but no I would not buy another LR. Unfortunately it's a poorly built vehicle in a fancy suit.