Freelander Maintenance and Repair

wildrover · April 2008

Land Rover sells junk. My truck had 6,000 miles on it when i bought it and i went through endless amounts of repairs and more than enough times vehicle-less due to the numeral times it was in the shop. My tranny went at 51,000. That was after the engine had went and just about everything else. The last straw was when the back window motor went at 52,000 miles on our family vacation and we had to drive home 950 miles with the back window down and all it did was rain. The wind and rain ruined everything we had up there to protect our luggage and belongings. It was such a nightmare. When we returned home I called around for the part and was quoted $500 not including labor.
That was it for us.... we had already put way too much money into repairs for this crappy truck - so we gave that truck back to the bank (repo). UGH!!

Land Rover sells crap :mad:

ihatelandrover · May 2008

I had a 2004 Freelander that started leaking coolant in March. It happened like clockwork (right around 50K). I was naive and thought that Land Rover would step up and do the right thing to fix the situation. Everyone admitted that the Freelander was junk -- my service specialist, the Land Rover North America customer service representative I spoke with, even the salesperson that I bought the car from. They all told me to trade the car in as soon as possible. But when it came down to help, there seemed very little that they were willing to do. They wouldn't even talk to me about a trade-in, unless it was for an LR3. This is the second Land Rover that died on me within 3 years of ownership (I had a 1999 Discovery II before this, which died within 2 years), so buying yet another piece of junk was out of the question. I haven't even seen a single Freelander on their lot (Bellevue Land Rover) since this all began.

Without boring you all with too much detail, it took two months of fighting with Land Rover and with Primus to finally get a new engine installed. It cost me about $1000 out of pocket, even though I had an extended warranty. (Primus is getting very good about finding things not to pay for).

A (reputable) local car dealer was cool enough to take a trade-in on my Freelander while it was still in the shop. I lost a lot of money in negative equity on this car. I made the investment hoping that I would have this car long-term. But I figured that it is better to spend the money to get out of it now rather than spend 7-10K on a new engine a few years from now when the second engine dies and I'm out of warranty.

My advice is to trade in this vehicle at the first sign of a coolant leak. Don't feel as though you're passing off the problem on to someone else -- you'd be surprised at the number of people who love these cars and are willing to put up with the trouble they cause.

Land Rover is very aware of this situation, and they are very prepared in how to fight customers that are facing this. They will not help you. Cut your losses and buy a more dependable car -- a Honda, Toyota, Volkswagen, or Subaru. I went with the Subaru Forester, and I'll agree with the Rav4 owner in a previous post, it was the best thing I ever did.

What disappoints me most is that Land Rover is not accountable to anyone for the cars that they manufacture. They supposedly discontinued the Disco and the Freelander in favor of the 'improved' LR3 and LR2. If you do a bit of research you'll find that these cars are money pits just as their predecessors.

If you've had a similar experience, write your state Attorney General, Land Rover North America, and your local Land Rover dealer. Let them know how disappointed you are with Land Rover products and service. :lemon:

nateb · June 2008

I have a 2002 Freelander SE. Love the car, except for all the problems, and high service costs. I bought it new, and it started out fairly well. Been taking it in regularly for scheduled maintenance. More problems towards the end of the factory warranty, including most of the things listed here, such as sunroof replacement, rear seat hinges, windshield wiper switch replacement, front brakes, passenger door lock actuator, window motor, check engine light (mass airflow sensor, upper intake manifold chamber,) and of course the coolant leaks!!! I'm in for the 3rd time on coolant leaks now, and they can't find anything this time. Other times, they've replaced the thermostat and hoses. I hope they find it, as my extended warranty runs out soon!

marchiask · October 2008

Did you ever sue? Is their a group law suit going? I would like to join. I have a 2003 Freelander that is now dead, of course right after the warranty expired. we bought it used with 21,000 miles and complained constantly always bringing it in. imagine they only found the real problems after the warranty expired and now it will cost $12,000 to fix it. The engine, transmission, drive shaft, coolant system, etc. is gone. We have always taken it to the dealer as did the prior owner. They even called landrover for us to see if they would help. Of course the answer was no. I will take legal action after I call them myself. There seem to be many many people complaining about this car and the dealer told me they took it off the market for awhile and then built a new freelander that is much improved.

maywomen · October 2008

:sick: I have a 2002 Freelander land rover, that I am trying to find a picture that will show the timing setting. I have had more problems with this piece of cramp. It has been off the road for seven months now and I am about ready to call the bank and tell them to repo it. I own over 12 thousand on the piece of junk, never will buy another one.

maywomen · October 2008

I would like to join in a lawsuit as well. They should provide the information that you need to make repairs on the cars.

smithspeech · October 2008

October, 2008
I have a 2004 Freelander HSE with more than 73,000 miles. I bought it brand new. My vehicle was leaking coolant (at 60,000 miles) and I brought it back to the service department where I purchased the car. They couldn't find anything wrong with it. I had to keep the orange coolant in my car at all times. Finally I went to a local mechanic and he took a long look into the vehicle and found that the water pump had a crack in an unusual place. It had to be replaced so I had to spend approximately $1500.00 for the pump, thermostat (which got damaged from the leaking coolant) and labor. My vehicle was no longer under warranty. Perhaps you should have your water pump checked. Perhaps there was a flaw in the original water pumps in some of these models. If this stuff leaks out too much it can destroy the engine.
I have had weird electrical problems from day one. The car would short out starting with the directionals. The dealer tried to fix them but they recurred over and over until I got stuck in Myrtle beach, SC (I live in NY). A local stereo installer couldn't find anything but a tiny piece of plastic that broke off in the ignition switch box. Voila! I have not had that problem since. How weird is that?
Last year the car stalled and ran at about 1 mile per hour. I couldn't get it going faster. I was near the same local mechanic so I left my car on his lot. He said that the ground wire came loose. Now, a year and a half later the same thing happened and it was not the ground wire. It is still unknown. This is rather troubling as it happens without warning while you are moving.
I hoped to have this SUV for 200,000 miles but now I'm considering getting rid of it.
If there is a Class Action Suit against Land Rover, USA I would like to be a participant. I would like Land Rover to compensate me for the problems and repurchase my vehicle.

sripley · October 2008

atalexa - I believe most of the coolant leak failures are resulting from Head Gasket Failures, occuring at anywhere from 30,000 miles on up (mine happened at around 50,000 miles). Thats interesting the water pump failed, that one of the things that happened on my 2003 Freelander HSE was the head gasket failure eventually led to engine oil throughout the vehicles coolant system.

The landrover service technician who checked and diagnosed my vehicle said to check the oil cap and you will notice the gel'd up green [non-permissible content removed] which is the emulsified coolant w/ engine oil. He said there is no fixing of the problem, that only a replacement engine (which are not available) can be done to correct the problem. Replacing the head gasket only will result in another inevitable failure, as the design flaw is what is causing these failures.

Its unbelievable the number of vehicles resulting in these failures, one would think that would be evidence enough to the NHTSA that these vehicles are lemons.

I hope something comes out of all of our shared aggravation. We deserve our money back!

cyd68 · November 2008

Does anyone know if they have recalled the rear passenger window motor??? I was driving the car with my 3yr old in the backseat when the window dropped down into the door, it was snowing & I was on the highway and could not pull over in a timely manner to move her over, I was just thankful it didn't shatter all over her. LR quoted me $500 just for the motor, not including labor. My car is not under factory warranty anymore, Ive put way too much money into this POS and I refuse to give LR anymore money. :lemon:

sripley · November 2008

No recall on the Rear Window Regulator, I had the same thing happen where the wire/plastic mechanism broke inside the door frame, causing the window to not stay up. Only the brake light switch has ever been recalled on this vehicle.

Just for reference, I had Land Rover fix this repair at a cost of $480 which included labor and the new regulator (I had this before the Head Gasket Failure caused the inevitable destruction of the vehicle months later).

My advice, do not spend $1 on repairs for this vehicle and trade it in as soon as you can for another vehicle, if you can. These minor repairs, which I had Gas Filter Assembly replaced, Window Regulator replaced, Air Filter assembly replaced, Replaced brake Rotors twice, etc, all are a complete waste in the end when the Head Gasket inevitably fails and coolant is mixed in with the engine block.

Get rid of the vehicle if you can, as soon as you can!

ydtr · November 2008

I have replaced the coolant with three full bottles in the past month. I took the car to the dealer on Monday to have the window regulator replaced (2nd time, first time it was on the driver rear, now it's the passenger rear. I told them about the problem with the coolant and they seem to think that I am going to take the car home and drive it since they put some dye in the coolant. They are now requesting vehicle maintenance reports. I purchased the car in July used. It is still under the original manufacturer warranty. They have called me all week telling me the car was ready. Today they called to tell me that they only cover the rental car for 4 days so I needed to pick my car up or pay for the rental my self. I took the rental back and left that POS at the dealer. I am contacting an attorney as well as all the news stations and the better business bureau. Enough is enough with them. I did some research on the problems I was having with my car before taking it in so I knew what the problem was, now they are acting like that don't have a clue as to what is wrong with the car. It is my understanding that the only way to fix the problem its to replace the engine. There needs to be a class action suit against them. I will be pursuing that also.

sripley · November 2008

Yes, Land Rover Mechanics are fully aware of the problems with this vehicle, in fact one told me the problem (at least 1 honest mechanic that works for Land Rover) and told me to trade it in or sell it as quickly as possible. Please be sure to file a claim/report with the NHTSA, in the other Freelander Forum (has 1404 posts) has the link for that.

You may want to find out what the seller was aware of prior to selling the vehicle to you, not sure if there is any liability to that person.

The coolant leak is actually a failure of the Head Gasket, and you should check the oil screwoff cap and should see emulsified engine oil mixed with coolant like a paste stuck to the cap. If you are filling the coolant 3 times in a month, your next problem will be the engine service light intermittantly coming on & off as the pistons misfire due to the emulsified oil-coolant clogging the pistons. Your engine will have alot of piston-knocking and then you will need to get more and more frequent oil changes just to keep the thing from stalling/not starting at all. Lastly, the head gasket will eventually completely fail resulting in over-heating and then oil filling up your coolant overflow cannister. That is when the car is completely dead.

There is some talk of a Howard Getman in NJ pursuing a class action lawsuit, however this attorney told me a few months ago that he could not do anything for me but sue if I decided to replace the engine (at a cost of $7000-$10,000 if any engines were even available).

My suggestion would be to see if you can throw it back/sue the seller, that the seller likely knew the coolant leakage resulting head gasket failure. Otherwise, see if you can trade it in for any value at all, if you financed it, tell your financing company the vehicles problem. Nothing about this is easy, probably the most aggravation I've ever had with a vehicle.

desertchildaz · November 2008

Hi everyone. This is my first post. (I feel like we all need therapy for what we're going through.)

I bought a 2003 Freelander, 32K miles, one year ago. When I drove it off the lot, the "service engine soon" light was on. I called the dealer (Tempe Mitsubishi, which has since closed its doors) immediately and he said their service department had just done the standard pre-sale maintenance and that they probably just forgot to reset the light and that it could be done at the next oil change. The light actually went off the next day so I didn't think anything of it. It's been engaged and disengaged numerous times since. Finally, when my car overheated at about 50K miles and it was clear that my anti-freeze/coolant was disappearing, I brought it to Land Rover to investigate in August 2008. While it was there, I had them replace the recalled brake switch, fix the inoperable rear door latch, repair the inoperable sunroof and resolve the "service engine only" light and the "T/C DHS" intermittent light. Of course, with the exception of the recalled brake switch (which was also the cause of the T/C DHS light), nothing was covered by my extended warranty. And I was advised that I needed to replace the coolant resevoir and cap. In addition to that, I had to replace the intake manifold and the vacuum inserts at at cost of $2,000. I was told this was not urgent and that it would only affect performance such as pick up etc.

October rolls around and my registration is expired. I try to renew and find that I need an emissions test in the state of Arizona because my car is now 5 years old. I go to emissions and am rejected because the DLC cable behind the dash (to the Onboard Computer) is not secure enough to proceed with the test. I go to Land Rover and have the bracket tightened. They tighten it without question or charge and I return to the line at emissions. I'm in line when my temperature gauge spikes again for a brief period of time. I get off line and return to Land Rover. They advise me that the heating coil need to be replaced (in addition to the intake manifold and the vacuum inserts) and that the service engine soon light will remain on until those items are fixed. My predicament: In the State of Arizona, they will not pass you through emissions with the "Service Engine Soon" light on. It's an automatic fail. So, now I can't pass emissions and I can't register my car if I can't pass emissions.

Following this realization, I go online and discover all of this is happening to all of you. Now I just want to unload this piece of dung even though it will probably cost me $10,000 to do so.

Here's my question: Will a dealer accept this car as a trade-in if it isn't registered?

Also, if I file a complaint with NHTSB, I have to enter my VIN number. If I enter my VIN on this complaint, will it appear on the CarFax for my car? I have no intention of selling it party-to-party, just unload it as a trade-in and get SOMETHING for it. I'm just not sure if it will appear on the CarFax and affect my trade-in value.

lemon44 · November 2008

Get rid of the vehicle now! This is exactly what happened to me. 4 months after the coolant incident which included a new cam shaft seal, the timing belt and engine went out. The car was dead. I owe $4000 on a vehicle that had 52,000 miles on it and no longer own. I am glad to be rid of the hunk of junk. Never again will I buy a Land Rover. I love my Acura, it is dependable and has 94,000 miles on it!

sripley · November 2008

It's unfortunate that the dealership closed, you may want to speak to an attorney and see if there is any civil action that could be brought against the owner of the dealership, just an idea.

For your question, the trade-in value for the vehicle is already diminished due to the fact that so many of these Freelanders have the head gasket failure (which is your coolant disappearing, periodic over-heating and service engine light soon issue-- and you can quickly check you have that problem by just unscrewing your oil cap and looking underneath for coolant colored [non-permissible content removed] stuck under the oil cap-- that would be the emulsified coolant & oil mixture). So, as long as you own the vehicle and can pass clear title to the next dealership should be sufficient (as registration is required to be able to drive the vehicle but not necessarily sell the vehicle, hell you could decide to sell it to someone as the really big paper weight it actually is!). If you owe money on a loan on the vehicle, you seriously want to weigh all options, and contact the finance company on the issue. But if you just paid cash for it, then you can mix it in as part of a trade for a new vehicle, some dealers won't want it since they know it's junk/scrap metal, but others say, bring your vehicle in ANY condition and that might fetch you $1000 or so.

Absolutely report it to the NHTSA, which does ask for a VIN #. I do not know if it shows up on Car-Fax however this vehicles problems are so well know nowadays, it really wont make a difference. Most in the industry know this vehicle is crap and should never have been allowed to be sold to consumers.

This vehicle is a lose-lose proposition, weigh all your options, but dont try to fix the thing.. it just is not worth it. Better to spend the money on your next vehicle. Good luck!

desertchildaz · November 2008

Well, the money is a big problem for me. I only bought this car last year for $15,000 (+ extended warranty), taxes, etc....totally $17,000. I still owe about $15,000 on the car. Kelly Blue Book definitely reflects the devaluation. Last year it read around $14000. Now it reads $5000. So I was hoping to get at least $5000 on trade-in and eat $10,000 on the deal. (I'm sick to my stomach about that. I could stand on the corner and give away $10,000 to strangers and at least get reactions of joy in return. I get NOTHING for this.)

I've seen people on here say to tell the finance company about the issue. What does that do though? It's not like they are going to help me with my payments. I'm still obligated to them for the loan.

sripley · November 2008

That was what I was afraid of, that if you have that large of a loan on the vehicle, telling the finance company at least makes them aware of the situation (even if they refuse or cannot help, it's always better than having them think nothing was an issue, just in case you ever ended up suing any of the parties or whatever).

I would really suggest talking to a lawyer about any and all options. That rapid devaluation and everything else about this whole mess just screams bad business and only through the legal channel will you be able to find any relief (correct, the loan company probably wont release you of the loan). I was told by the one attorney I spoke with to get all my service paperwork from the time I bought it, but in the end he couldn't do anything for me unless I paid the $7000-$10,000 to replace the engine (and he would try to recoup that cost in court). You bought the car used, so I would hope there would be some lemon law, liability issue on the dealer's owner (even if the dealer closed, there has to be some standing to sue), some means to go after the extended warranty company, or some other way the attorney might be able to help you. One person recently posted that CarMax who provided their warranty eventually settled on the vehicle after nearly 12 months of battling over the mess, maybe that is a possibility the attorney might suggest.

The only other ways out of the mess that I know all will destroy your credit, including voluntary repossession by financing company or bankruptcy.

I do wish you luck and hope you can rid yourself of the vehicle for some value without ruining your credit or resulting in being obligated for $15,000 on something that doesn't even work. This was the worst experience of my life, and I couldn't sleep for months because of it.

desertchildaz · November 2008

There is a lemon law that covers used cars in Arizona. Unfortunately, you need to keep the car until a settlement is agreed to. I can't register the car because of the emissions issue so it's stuck in the driveway and of no use to me. I can't maintain the loan on it and purchase another car (debt:income ratio will probably prevent me from getting another loan for another car anyway). What am I to do to get back and forth to work (a 35 mile roundtrip drive) until the dispute is settled? I'm in between a rock and a hard place. I think I'm just going to try to dump the car on a trade-in. In today's car market, I think I have some advantages since dealers are desperate to sell cars. I'll insist on 5K for the car on trade.

I am going to speak with the Better Business Bureau and see if I can't at least get them to have the parent company of the dealership refund me my extended warranty cost. That will give me another $1000 or so.

I have to pick up the car from Land Rover today. I am going to talk to my service guy, tell him what I know and see if LR can work out something with me...compensate me somehow - either by agreeing to a buy-back (not likely, I know, since they didn't sell me the car, even though they did manufacture it.) I might have to agree not to pursue the class action suit but I do plan to threaten them with it to see if I can get something back. If they refuse, I will proceed with the class action suit. I do know one thing: I will not agree, under any circumstances, to a new engine replacement. I'm done with this car and don't need these problems to renew themselves once the new engine starts acting up.

desertchildaz · November 2008

I think I found something that might help me and others, initially. As I mentioned, I am unable to pass emission in Arizona because my Service Engine Soon light is engaged, which is an automatic fail in Arizona. My Land Rover service team tells me that the only way to clear that light is to repair (for $2,000) by replacing my intake manifold and vacuum inserts. My extended warranty will not cover it.

When I picked up my car today, the cashier asked me to sign a group of documents that didn't match the document that I received as a receipt. I asked her to make me a copy of what I was signing and brought it home. It contains all the history on my car....back to the original owner in Oregon. Included is the following details:

Warranty Cover
Policy: Expires: Distance:
Corrosion Warranty 14 Nov - 2009 999999
Federal Emission Warranty 14 Nov - 2011 80000
Paint Warranty 14 Nov - 2007 50000
Standard Factor Warranty 14 Nov - 2007 50000

I looked up the Federal Emission Warranty here:

http://www.epa.gov/oms/consumer/warr95fs.txt

It states that my intake manifold should be replaced at the manufacturers expense.

Can someone else read over this and confirm that I am not reading it incorrectly??

I have 53,000 miles on my car.

Anyone know what a P002K code is? It appears as a Field Service Action at Land Rover Scottsdale 3 months before I bought the car.

I also now have the name of the original owner as well as phone number. Would it be inappropriate to contact that owner and find out if there was a particular mechanical reason he got rid of it only 1 year after buying it?

I still plan to get rid of the car, but I'd LOVE to see Land Rover have to pay the expense to fix those things before getting rid of it!

desertchildaz · November 2008

I guess the most important question is: Does the Federal Emission Warranty cover the intake manifold for the vehicle's first 24,000 miles/24 months of life or first 24K/24 Mo of ownership? I bought it used one year ago and haven't gone 24K miles yet.

mysonscar1 · November 2008

After lots of research on a sturdy vehicle for my high school senior's first car, we purchased a used 03 with 64K on it. Stupid me, the ONLY thing I didn't research was repair record. It's got 70K on it now and we honestly haven't had any problems (except rear window just died) but I know it needs a new serpentine belt...
Problem is, I'm in Bakersfield CA and there are no dealers here. Could anyone recommend a dealer in Valencia or Pasadena CA?
From everything I've read, we should consider trading this in and buying something else..but in the meantime, I know I need to do the required maintenance.
Any advice is welcomed. thank you! My son's car (my checkbook)

cyd68 · November 2008

I have a situation, I have a car note on a 2003 freelander. I can't make the payments on it anymore due to the cost of the repairs. I want to let the lien holder take it back. I do have a co-signer on the car, will that leave her liable? Also I wrecked the car, should I pay the deductible to get it fixed, it will cost me $500.00. My credit score is not good, would you suggest trading it in before I let the bank come and repo it. How much are you getting on the trade ins? I need advice. I don't want to hurt my co-signers credit. :mad:

atalexa · November 2008

If you let the vehicle go back to the bank they will come after the co-signer for the money, that's sort of the point of a co-signer. You should fix the car and try to either make your payments or trade it off for something else. A year ago, I got rid of my Freelander and paid about $4000 to get out of it. The amount a dealer was willing to pay for the trade-in was +/-$1000 less than various pricing guides stated as the trade-in value, so you may not be able to rely on those values.

My maintenance experience was similar to many others who have posted messages on this board...new transmission 500 miles out of warranty, windows that quit working, cooling system issues, etc. I got rid of it when it was having a good day.

sripley · November 2008

For the new 03 owner, you really should consider selling or trading it in soon, the Rear Window Regulator will cost you around $500 to fix and the repairs on this vehicle will only get worse if you are already at 70K miles. Please check the coolant level, if the head gasket failure occurs, that is how you can tell that problem is occuring. These vehicles were designed-flawed and every! one of the engines will eventually experience that issue, let alone the multitude of other issues. You really want to get rid of it as fast as you possibly can!

For the co-signer issue, yes if you stop paying on it, they will go after the cosigner for the payments and impact that persons credit. If you trade it in, I've read posts saying anywhere from $1000 (damaged vehicle) to $5000 (if it is in pristine condition, and the word is out on these vehicles, so Kellys Blue Book and other valuators dropped these vehicle values to next-to-nothing. You may want to see if the cosigner can be removed from the loan with the lender, sometimes they will allow that if you've made payments on-time and then you would be able to do what you planned. Otherwise, these vehicles are a legal fiasco waiting to happen and I dont know any easy ways out, other than consulting a lawyer for possible legal issues with the dealer or whomever sold you the Freelander.

desertchildaz · November 2008

Am I correct in assuming GAP insurance would only be applicable in cases of theft, accident or fire? I mean, if my engine seized and the car could be claimed a "total loss" as a result, could I collect the gap insurance?

If not and I trade the car in, can't I also cancel my GAP insurance and my extended warranty and get a prorated refund on both the GAP insurance AND my extended warranty? (Remember, I only bought the car a year ago. I paid $600 for GAP and $2300 for a mid-grade 36K/36 mo extended warranty that has covered next to nothing.)

(People can knock GAP and it doesn't make sense for cars that keep their value but I know three people who were virtually saved from financial ruin because of GAP insurance.)

~ Kelly

tidester · November 2008

You should pose that question in the Gap Insurance discussion.

tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper

mysonscar1 · November 2008

I live in Bakersfield CA (roughly 110 miles northeast of Los Angeles) - the new owner of an 03. No dealer in our city. Anyone recommend a dealer in Valencia or this side of LA?

stever · November 2008

Check out this Edmunds Answers thread while waiting for responses in here.

mysonscar1 · November 2008

Ok, I appreciate the advice. I'll need to fix the rear window first, but then I'll make tracks to sell it or trade it in. I did notice today that the coolant level was very low. It does smell a bit in the car when you turn on the a/c or heat - does that mean the head gasket has already gone??

desertchildaz · November 2008

Okay, just an update. As I mentioned, I owe $14,800 on my '03 Freelander and I'm trying to unload it by trading it in. I found an '09 Toyota that I want to buy, sat down, worked out a $5800 trade in (they would give NO MORE even though they have a 2002 Freelander out on the lot selling for $14,000. Crooks). Despite having a FICO in the mid 700's, I'm being told I need to put $6-8,000 down on the $20,000 car I'm buying because of the negative equity on the Land Rover. Apparently, these days, lenders are being so overly cautious that they will not loan more than 120% of the book price of the new car for someone with a mid-700 credit score. :confuse: So, essentially, I'm having to pay off the LR to get the new car. Argghhh! I won't be able to come up with that money until the end of December when I get my Christmas bonus (which isn't even guaranteed in these times). So, needless to say, I didn't drive away with a new car. Still have my Land Rover and terrified to drive it in case something worse goes wrong with it before I can trade it in at the end of December. It sits in the garage and my boyfriend and I intend to commute in his car until the end of December.

On that note, reading these forums I see all the talk about the Class Action Suit. Nothing has been formally been submitted on that yet, has it?

Wouldn't it be more productive, in the meantime, if we created some kind of standard form letter that owners can fill out and submit to their state's respective consumer advocacy groups or Attorney Generals? I think the sheer NUMBER of similar letters they receive in the same format would have more of an impact than individual personal letters here or there. They would see a more organized group of affected consumers. The form could include a list of all related repairs that are epidemic on these cars (i.e. disappearing coolant, intake manifold, sunroof, engine replacement, transmission replacement, etc.) Each owner can check the boxes of those problems they experienced that are specific to this car. Each form would contain a field for vehicle model, purchase date, mileage at purchase, purchase price, extended warranty cost. Another section would include "Out-Of-Pocket Repair Expenses" and "Warranty Covered Expenses". Total Damages for purchase, repairs, etc. It would also contain a field for "Voluntary Repossession", "Negative Equity on Trade" or "Estimated Loss of Value". It would contain another section for mental anguish (loss of sleep, stress during operation,etc.), "Income Loss". A section for "Land Rover Relations" (Customer service issues), "Land Rover Acknowledgements and Recommendations" (Admissions by Land Rover representatives of Engine Defects and their Recommendations ("trade it in"). LR owners would attach receipts, additional comments and copies of correspondence with other agencies, lawyers and Land Rover. Maybe we can create a "committee" of sorts to design the form and post it online for people to download by State, with instructions for where it is to be send for that state, etc?

I think it's important that all of these forms be sent to the SAME person for each state....the Attorney General and copied to the equivalent Federal counterpart. I think that we would be more effective if we were more organized. The Class Action Suit is a good step but timely.

Of course, you should also submit a report to the NHTSB complaint site as well.

desertchildaz · November 2008

I'm happy and relieved to announce that I'm no longer the owner of a 2003 Freelander. Amen!

I am now the proud owner of a brand new 2009 Scion XB. It will be my personal mission in life to make sure nobody I know ever owns any vehicle ever made by Land Rover.

desertchildaz · December 2008

Important Money Saving Advice for those of you who choose to trade your Freelander in at a substantial loss. Remember, if you still have anything left on your extended warranty or GAP insurance, you need to contact your issuing dealer (person who sold you the Land Rover) and request a refund. If there is still a leinholder, they will pay the leinholder. If it has been paid off in the trade, you need proof and they will issue a refund to you. I traded my Freelander in with 52000 miles on it (I had purchased an extended warranty one year ago for 36,000 miles/3 years). I received an extended warranty refund in the amount of 39.83 % of the original purchase price ($2,399.00). The refund came to $995. Considering I lost $9,000 on the trade, that $995 refund is $995 less lost on this POS car and I got it back in cash since the vehicle was paid off when I rolled the original loan into my new car loan. I haven't processed it yet, but I believe I'll get a GAP insurance refund of around $285 as well.

cyd68 · December 2008

Im all for the letter to the Attorney General, Consumer Affairs, Better Business Bureau, Land Rover North America or to anyone that can bring someones attention to the problems we are all having. Someone out there has to care!!! I will start working on a rough draft today. I think the letter is a great idea, I've called LRNA on numerous occassions and they don't seem to care, even though I have pointed out the obvious. But, one person is not going to get there attention, thats why we need everyone to work together on this. I will get started on it today and would like feedback, or if you desert child would like to write up a letter I will gladly start filling it out and passing it on to other Freelander owners.

winezealott · January 2009

I just read your email - I, too, am the unfortunate owner of a 03 Freelander who's engine just blew. Drove it to the deal for a 3rd visit for a coolant problem, and ended up having it towed to my personal mechanic. Dealer blamed me for engine, saying timing belt should have been replaced. However, upon inspection, my mechanic said the camshaft is locked so can't rebuild. He stated that happens because the car is extremely hot (ie, they ran the car trying to find the coolant leak and blew the timing belt). They appallingly rude and disrespectful being that I'm a customer and had no regard this was the 3rd visit for the same problem. I wouldn't be in this situation had they fixed when they had the first 2 opportunities. Any class action going on on the West Coast? LR needs to be held responsible.

:lemon:

smachine · January 2009

hi,I hate to say that I am in the same situation ,and I have spent more than 5k on top of my extended warranty which cover only about 11,800.00 and land rover did not renewed because I waited untill I had about 600 miles left on the warranty before the expiration date . I belive it is unfer and something needs to be done.
If you are planinig to go ahead I will join you
Ps. my fuel pup just went out. estimate aroud 1000.dollars :sick: :mad: :confuse:

winezealott · January 2009

OMG - you're definitely in my same nightmare. But at least you still have a car to drive (barely). I actually have been contacting attorneys here in California trying to get some feedback. I'm trying to get enough people to get a class action lawsuit going here on the West Coast - where are you located? Do you know anyone else that's a Freelander owner having the same problems? I'm going to the various websites and responding to emails to hopefully get in contact with other owners. I'm sure you've seen them all - there are quite a few others having the same issues. Let's keep in touch. Thanks for responding.

cyd68 · January 2009

That was the letter I received from the attorney in mid December. Please contact him if you havent already. Also, I urge you to log on to the NHTSA website & document every single problem that you have had with your freelander, putting a major emphasis on SAFETY, how unsafe this car is to drive, not only for the driver, but passengers also. I actually think we are getting somewhere with this, so I need all of your support. Power in numbers;) :lemon:

jagman56 · January 2009

My daughter purchased a 2002 freelander.I was researching to see if I find out what might be causing the problem she is having,when I found this blog.she will be drivg along and the car jerks and boggs down,won't go over 35mph.engine light comes on.She stops the car and restarts and it runs fine.Anyone know what the problem may be ? (besides being a piece of junk)

atalexa · January 2009

I had a similar issue with the one I had. When I took it in to LR they told me the motors for the cold air intake were bad and needed replaced. That ran around $300. The next winter the problem started again and I decided to make due having spent more on maintenance for the vehicle than I really wanted to. I did find a way to avoid the problem most of the time. I found that problem typically occurred if I didn't give it enough time to warm up in cold weather conditions. When I let it sit long enough for the temperature gauge to start moving - usually 3-5 minutes - it was fine. Usually, I found that when the problem did happen, I could restart and the problem went away as you mentioned, but the light sometimes stayed on for a day or two.

ali6010 · January 2009

As the other person also said, we had the same problem and replacing the variable intake motors fixed the problem. I believe the parts cost over $150 each plus labor. Not cheap! Just like all of the other problems with these vehicles. I do believe Land Rover has tarnished their reputation with the Freelander. I will personally never ever buy another Land Rover.

jax290 · January 2009

I had the same problem many of you have had with my Freelander overheating. I purchased my Freelander new in 2002. To date I have few problems with it outside of the coolant loss. As with most overheating problems I always start with the easiest and least expensive fix. I replaced the thermostat. I found that this was a "dealer only part", like almost everything on this vehicle. The thermostat is encased in a plastic housing with two intake ports, one port feeding directly into the engine block and one feeding to the water pump for a total of 4 ports. A second plastic tube installs directly adjacent to the thermostat housing feeding a separate coolant flow. Both the thermostat and coolant tube are a plug in design, with a single 10mm bolt holding both in place. The engine block ports on both parts are held in place with a single O ring, and the bolt only stabilizes both units jointly without holding them stationary. Here in lies the problem. Neither unit is securely held against the engine block, so vibration can cause the O ring seals to allow fluid to escape by and out of the system. I replaced my Thermostat and coolant tube with a new unit, and still had the coolant leakage problem, I took the thermostat out and installed it twice without successfully resolving the leakage problem. So, I purchased from NAPA a product called "Right Stuff", a rubberized gasket compound and essentially glued the parts into their proper locations. This cured the leakage at this location. Now I had to deal with the coolant reservoir cap failure. The cap is designed to hold pressure to 16psi, apparently LandRover found that the 2002 model reservoir cap was faulty, so they do not make a replacement. I had to buy a new tank and cap. Bottom line, the above fix cured my coolant leakage and overheating problem. Those of you who still have coolant leakage problems might consider doing the same thing I did, or your engine overheating problem could result in a warped head and coolant leakage into the oil system, as so many have mentioned prior. Hope this helps.

bernie25 · February 2009

I also have a coolant leak, the dealer says they can't find it. It is apparently leaking into the engine, is this a common problem?

sripley · February 2009

Yes, the coolant leak into the engine is the Head Gasket Failure issue widely reported. The problem you are experiencing is a terminal-catastrophic vehicle failure issue and you seriously need to consider trading in the vehicle and I do not recommend spending any money whatsoever on trying to repair it. The dealer will say only a replacement engine will fix it, the problem with that is the engines were discontinued and any refurbished engine from a salvage yard, etc would have the same design flawed engine resulting in another failure, at a cost of $7000-$9000.

The above poster is correct that certain head gasket repair compounds such as Blue Devil and similiar products have on certain occasion corrected the problem temporarily, however those products will result in failure of the thermostat if not properly dont by a licensed mechanic. Blue Devil will also not cure any of the related issues with the gasket failure, such as warped piston head and the further emulsification of the coolant and oil which inevitably will result in the overheating issue as the gasket leak becomes a complete failure, the final failure having engine oil completely fill up your coolant overflow cannister and throughout the radiator system.

I do not recommend the gasket repair products, as they may temporarily correct the problem, but even state on the product cannister results may only last 6 - 12 months. Your best bet is to trade in the vehicle or discuss selling/legal or credit options to rid yourself of the Freelander. I understand a previous poster was successful in temporarily curing the gasket failure but it is like putting glue on broken cork, inevitably it will fail again.

Good luck.

jax290 · February 2009

If it is in fact leaking into the engine a quick check is: remove the oil filler cap and check the underside of the cap. If you have a glob type gray matter, somewhat like snot, then you most likely have a head gasket failure. This is most commonly caused by an overheated engine. If you haven't overheated the engine, and you don't have crud under the cap, then most likely the leak is what I discribed, and the is the same as I indicated. What I didn't mention was that the part of the thermostat that inserts into the engine block and the second tube were badly decayed when I removed the old ones. A quick check to see if the leak was the same as I discribed is: remove the air filter cover, that big plastic cover on the engine. If you look with a flashlight down between the intake tubes you can see a flat part of the engine block, with a black tube going from the thermostat housing to the back of the water pump. Directly under that system you will see either fluid or crud from evaporated coolant. If you have this then your thermostat system is leaking, and it needs to be fixed.

cwoolner · February 2009

I have a 2004 Freelander SE, bought brand new off the lot in 04. I currently have about 54k miles on it and in the last week have noticed coolant leaking, causing the over heating light to come on. I have read on this forum about the 2002 and 2003 problems, but I'm not reading much about the 04 model having the same problems. I have it in the shop now being looked at and waiting to hear what the verdict is. My question is... can any one tell me if the 04 model is doomed to what appears to be a major quality issue with the earlier models? While I'm here... is it common for the rear differential to go bad at 52k miles? I had that fixed about 2 months ago. I want to figure out how much more $$ to put into this thing or if I should off load it sooner than later. Thanks!

cwoolner · February 2009

I am in for any lawsuit that can be filed. I live in MI, own a 2004 Freelander SE with 54k miles on it and was bought new off the lot in 2004. The rear differential went out 2 months ago (replaced for $385) and currently in the shop for a thermostat issue... $630 to get fixed. Of course the warranty was up at 50k. I will be looking to offload BEFORE the tranny issues start. Hopefully I can get a decent trade in for it...still owe $$ of course!

smithspeech · February 2009

I bought a brand new 2004 Freelander and it started leaking coolant at 61,000 miles. The service department at my dealership could not find the cause, They told me to add the orange Dexol or whatever. I did so and it helped for awhile. Then it got worse. I brought it to a local service station and they found a small crack in the water pump. They said that the crack was in a weird place (it was probably a flaw in the manufacturing, in my opinion). I had the water pump replaced and so far I've added 16,000 miles and it's been fine. I just had to add a little bit of the coolant but not more than 8 ounces mixed with water, of course, after about 10,000 miles. So far, so good. I've had two door latches replaced over the years and just recently the plenum intake and the wire harness (it's had electrical quirks since I bought it). It drives well and is very comfortable so I'm sticking with it for now. I hope to get at least 100,000 miles plus (at least until 2011).

kpence · February 2009

Hello All,
Is there any new news about a class action law suit? I will join one if there is one filed.
I am actually going to Carmax today to see if they will buy my 2002 Freelander
for anything reasonable. I don't drive it anymore since getting the engine replaced among all of the other repairs for fear of the replacement engine going out and the thing being worth nothing at all. Anyone having any luck selling to Carmax?
Kim

mpw3 · February 2009

I took my 2004 Freelander in for a parking light problem and was told there is a recall on the fuel pump. You should contact your dealer since it doesn't seem that Land Rover is sending out any notices on this.

driver68 · March 2009

I need some help, someone had posted an idea about getting together some kind of list in regards to the freelander & the problems, we the owners have had. So I just kind of threw this together & Im definitely open for ideas. You can copy and paste and add whatever you think will make it simple, for us to fill out. Also, I need input on whom we should send this too. Im not sure if this will help or if anyone is interested in the idea. I just turned my 03 flander over to the bank. My credit is ruined & I still owe $8000.00. I am without a vehicle as of now and unsure of what is going to happen in the near future. Read over it & let me know what you think.
Thanks
C

Dear Freelander owner, please take a few minutes to fill out this questionnaire. In an effort to compile evidence based on owning a freelander and your experience.

What year did you purchase your Freelander

What year was your Freelander

Did you purchase your Freelander from a Land Rover dealership?

If you did Purchase your Freelander from a Land Rover dealership what was the location?

How many miles were on your Freelander, at the time of purchase?

Did you lease your Freelander?

What was the purchase price on your freelander?

Was your Freelander under the original factory warranty, when purchased?

Who financed you Freelander?

PROBLEMS MILEAGE COVERED
BY
WARRANTY

Timing belt
Brakes
Transmission
head gasket
coolant leaking
brake light
head light
brake light switch

Did you purchase an extended warranty thru another company?

If yes, which comapny.

Did you contact land Rover North America

Number of times your vehicle was taken to the LR dealership, due to engine light coming on?

Do you have documented proof of the times your car was at the dealership?

Did they fix the problem on the first visit?

If not how many visits?

Did you contact the NHTSA?

Did you replace the engine in your Freelander?

If yes, what was the mileage?

what was the dollar amount quoted to you to repair the engine?

Was your Freelander under original factory Warranty?

How long did you have to wait for an engine?

Did they provide you with a rental car?

Freelander Maintenance and Repair

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