25th Oct 2010, 06:13

I was considering buying a 2002 Freelander from auction with estimated price around $9000 (New Zealand dollars) with 11,000km on the clock.

Glad I found this site before I burn out my hard earned cash. Kind of explained why there are so few Freelanders on NZ's roads.

Thank you guys for sharing your lessons. The lessons were expensive...

28th Nov 2010, 21:35

Freelander is the worst vehicle ever!

I have always had coolant issues (hoses breaking, falling off, overheating). Transmission is sluggish, lack of horse power, replaced 11 spark plugs in two years... The list goes on and on. Body parts are also cheap and break easy. I have to turn my defrost on with channel locks because dash broke. Buttons for inside lights just fell off for no reason. Seat belt quit working for no reason, and now I can no longer lock my door with my key because the lock broke.

I can't find any mechanic that ever wants to work on it, and the parts will break your wallet fast. $1200 just to replace the front timing belt (they couldn't even do rear ones because it requires a special tool). $500 just to replace a camshaft sensor.

I hate this car.

4th Feb 2011, 10:26

I too was dumb enough to buy a 2002 Freelander. It had 70K, the price was great, one owner SUV (older woman). It now sits in my driveway dead. Had the thing for about a month, and found out the timing belts weren't replaced as recommended, so I had them done $2200. Everything was replaced as recommended by Land Rover. Then cam shaft sensor went, then crank sensor, sun roof stopped working (wouldn't close), brake light switch and harness had to be replaced, rear window doesn't always stay closed, now the one part that wasn't replaced when timing belts were replaced (and water pump) because it isn't part of the recommended parts, stuck (timing belt tensioner). Belt slipped, timing went off, valves hit pistons, engine is now junk. I have had this SUV for less than a year, and now it is a lawn ornament.

My 1985 Chevy pick up still runs great. Looks like crap, but at least it runs. I will never buy another car that isn't a Chevy.

Land Rover has to know that they put out a pile of crap with the Freelander. I wouldn't recommend this "SUV" to anyone.

20th Mar 2011, 14:21

OK... 02 Freelander sucker here as well. Where is my coolant going? Is there a class action suit? Why is my SUV in "limp" mode (down hill assist light amber) 90% of the time? Seems directly related to coolant system that I just spent $700 on. Not to mention the new tranny and module installed a few months back. I owe enough on this one to prevent me from getting another ride, and feel trapped. Tell me there is a remedy.. please...

27th Mar 2011, 16:40

We are experiencing the same problems (coolant leakage and engine failure --- see previous comments from others) with our 2002 Freelander SE.

What could there be for a class action suit?

15th Apr 2011, 00:37

We are shopping for a car for our son, and I fell in love with a Freelander on craigslist. After reading all of these horror stories, I think I understand why the Kelly Blue Book value is so low on this car. Glad I did some homework!

17th Apr 2011, 21:36

All of this sounds oh so familiar! I am an '02 Freelander owner myself. Well, part time owner, I guess, because the other part of the time, my mechanic has it!!

The worst SUV on the planet!! I have had mine for 4 years and it's been nothing but a nightmare! OK, here it goes...

Had the Freelander for 3 days, when the rear taildoor window regulator went out. Window was stuck in the down position for a month while I waited on the new regulator to come in! $400.00... Cha ching!!

Next comes the motor mounts. Hmmmm... The engine was as loose as a goose and about to fall out on the ground!! I could hear it shifting back and forth while cornering! Roughly $150.00 for new motor mounts.

Next comes the axle. Driving down the road and I could hear, clunk, clunk, click, click, and my Rover starts shaking like crazy. Couldn't drive over 35 mph. Had it towed to shop, needed a driver's side Axle. Cha Ching!!! $300.00 for the axle and $500.00 for the car I had to rent for a month while waiting on the part! Yeah!

Let's see... Then comes the stalling. Yes, sounded and felt like it was running on about half of its cylinders. Needed a new fuel pump. Had to have it hauled on a trailer 150 miles to nearest Land Rover dealership, because it definitely wasn't drivable! Actually, that was the only thing I've not had to pay for fixing, because it was actually a recall! Yes, couldn't believe it! I did have to haul it there on a trailer, leave it there for 3 days and then go back and get it. But it was the cheapest so far! OK...

Next was the never ending coolant leak! Yep, uses antifreeze like it would use gas! Can't find out where it was going. No one knows. So I add coolant just like you would gas!! One morning, start the Land Rover to warm it up, go back out and get in, it's blowing cold air. Hmmm... That's funny, it's been running for like 15 minutes. Start to back out of drive, and see a trail of coolant in front of me! Pull back in, yep, it's pouring out the bottom on the ground. Needed a water pump. And once they get to the water pump it also needed 3 new timing belts!!! Who would have guessed that?!!! Cha ching... $550.00.

OK, so at this point, I think this car should be about like new! After putting all of these parts on! WRONG!!

Next comes another clunk, clunk, click, click, click, 35 mph down the 4 lane. Hmmmmm... Been there, done this, exactly, needed another axle!! This time, passenger side. OK, Mechanic has the Land Rover for about a week, gets the axle in and goes to put it on. Well, I guess it lost transmission fluid while putting on this axle, so he takes what he thinks is the plug out and fills her up. I get the Land Rover back. Drive home, Get ready to leave for work... What, no reverse?!! Yes, what they thought was a fill plug on the transmission, was actually a reverse band bolt. And if you remove this bolt, there is no fixing it! You lose reverse and have to take apart the tranny to fix it!! WHOA! So after that little mess up, things went from bad to worse!! After 2 months of it sitting at his shop, he ended up having to put a new transmission in it!! Cha ching... $3000.00 for tranny and $300.00 for that axle!

Next, ahhh yes, down that same road I've already been down. AGAIN! Leaking coolant, no one knows where it's going again! Here's a guess, Yep, you got it... Needed another water pump. And yep you guessed it... 3 more timing belts to go with that water pump! Cha ching... $400.00.

OK, and next brings me to the latest adventure. Driving down highway, look at temperature gauge, it is pegged out! Yep hot!! Pull over, lift hood, guess what, there's no coolant!! HMMMMM... Look underneath, there's my coolant, running out on the ground. Have it hauled to shop on trailer, Much to my surprise they say, needs a water pump!! WHAT?!!! OK, now this is ridiculous! Isn't there some kind of warranty?! OK, he starts taking it apart, gets to water pump, it's fine. I get a phone call. Actually what it needs is a thermostat, thermostat housing, intake manifold gaskets, and 2 water pipes. Nice!! Cha ching... $300.00.

OK, now that was Friday. Today is Sunday. Get in the Land Rover, start her up, what's this? Service engine soon light come on! So tomorrow morning, I'm headed back to see my mechanic. I will keep ya posted on how that goes!

So, the moral of this very long horror story is... Don't buy a Land Rover! Pass it on...