Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||
| 05/04/2011 | |||
| Bought car used in fall 09, had several what seemed like normal wear and tear repairs. there was no warrantly on it as i bought it from another owner. early may '11 the oil light came on but i didnt know what it was. i arrived at my destination. on the way home it came on again and as i was 2 blocks away from home the car just slowed and came to a stop. this turned into a 2+ month stinch in the shop, with the engine needing to be rebuilt. this was done by my mechanic. i wished i had read the info listed here prior to the purchase or even a year ago. last winter the coolant constantly needed to be replaced like every few days and the car was over heating. my mechanic said the hoses needed to be replaced. between then and this winter both were replaced and now i'm experiecing the car over heating when its full with coolant, having problems with it starting, there not being enough power to get it up a hill etc. | |||
| 05/16/2011 | 88000 | ||
| At 88,000 miles, my 2003 land rover freelander lost ~80% of power while going up a hill on a major high way and started to billow smoke. after steering the vehical out of traffic, i popped the hood to find the material on the lower side of the hood on fire. apon putting this fire out, i realized there was still a large amount of smoke coming from the underside of the engine cover and my anti-freeze was empty, when served only a couple weeks prior. after letting the vehical cool, i took off the engine cover to find it had a mixture of coolant and oil resting on top of it; a dark-milky colored liquid. upon having it towed and further inspected by a professional, not only is my head gasket gone, a fitting on the a radiator line had melted above the engine, and a catylitic converter is as well. i got it back to my house in this condition because i still owe $7500 and have only had it for 1 year. mechanically totalled in my driveway, it now only sometimes will shift and when it does, only happens with force. prior to this almost fatal disaster, i had three window assemblies brake; ruining the motors and causing them to fall while driving, and my brake lights do not function. i replaced the brake light switch, problem with brake lights still persists. i've given up hope on this suv and have got not one reply from land rover costumer service. i am stuck making payments, and even if i could afford to fix it, would never put my wife and daughter in it again. please get these vehicals off the road, before someone is even less lucky then i. | |||
| 06/03/2011 | 70000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2003 land rover freelander. the contact stated the coolant fluid mixed with the oil in the vehicle causing the engine to seize. the contact stated the vehicle had an oil change just prior to the failure and there was no mention of the problem. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer and was told the engine could not be repaired and would need to be replaced. the failure mileage and current mileages were 70,000.rl | |||
| 07/01/2007 | 45000 | ||
| 1) driving on the highway at 60mph, my engine suddenly shut off and i lost all power except brakes. i was able to pull over to and allow my car to rest, and later drove my car to the land rover dealership where i was told something along the lines of the coolant gasket was cracked/broke and had caused the engine to overheat. 2) i was having my car fixed for random failure of window motor and sunroof, i was told that the the carrier bearings/support bearings that the driveshaft goes through are bad, yet this repair is covered. the problem is that the place where the shaft comes apart is rusted and corroded which is a $3200 dollar repair. the warrantied part (driveshaft) is $429, and the corroded piece + labor was $3160. 3) while getting a smog check in california, i had error codes indicating engine misfire and fuel injection error and my car did not pass, even though there was no service/check engine light, the car drove fine with fine meaning a grinding noise of my drivetrain and knock when going from 2nd to 3rd gear. land rover said that inside the upper intake manifold chamber, the actuator flap is stuck -a defect known to land rover but not covered since my car was out of warranty. this repair was $2000 4) while driving on the highway, suddenly check engine light came on at 65k miles, and all gauges shut down. rpm, fuel, mph, and temperature all fell to read 0, empty, 130+, and 0 degrees respectfully. i emergently pulled to side of the highway fearing the engine had overheated but everything was fine. i then turned the car back on after 30 minutes and saw all gauges again functional except speed. please look at the internet, this has happened to hundreds of people and this car is unsafe. it needs to be recalled! i was lucky that no one died or was injured in any of these 4 incidents. i never feel safe driving on highways anymore. | |||
| 03/01/2011 | 76000 | ||
| I paid $2,700.00 for an extended warranty throughlandrover/easycare my (2003 freelander ) in june of 2007. the warranty is for 60months and up to 100,000miles. my vehicle has not been operable for over 2 months largely due to the difficulties of conducting what should be normal business with easycare. easycare has been so difficult to deal with that the first car repair shop i took the vehicle to | |||
| 01/01/2007 | 36000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2003 land rover freelander. while driving at any speed the vehicle would stall. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where they were unable to diagnose the failure. the vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic where the contact was told the head gasket needed to be repaired. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure continues. the failure mileage was 36,000 and the current mileage was 55,000. the vin was unavailable. sm. | |||
| 01/02/2006 | 25731 | ||
| My land rover freelander has been in to the dealership for coolant smells coming into the cabin 20+ times and has never been repaired. they have replaced external parts, (reservoir tank, hoses and thermostats) and never fixed the problem. after researching the problem while it was still under warranty on my own, i found a complaint about head gasket problems with the k series engine and was told by the dealer that they new nothing about it, and you can't believe everything you read on the internet. since then i called the ca bureau of automotive repair and had an agent investigate. the dealership offered to send it to another warranty shop which found a bad head gasket. i also called l/r direct to try and find out what they may be able to do for me. they told me they would not replace the engine because it cost $11,000 +, and the replacement engine will fail also. the engine was manufactured incorrectly at the factory. the cylinder sleeves are the wrong alloy and loosen when the engine is hot causing head gasket and eventually total engine failure. land rover has known about this problem since 2004, technical bulletin #0036 and #0026 issued 06/18/2004. the manufacturer offered me $3500 to buy my car from me, and would not replace the engine. the vehicle only has 54,000 miles on it. this seems to be a safety hazard as well as a health issue from breathing in toxic fumes from the coolant. there have been other incidents with this vehicle which are to many to mention in this letter. please contact asap about this matter. | |||
| 01/01/2007 | 36000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2003 land rover freelander. while driving at any speed the vehicle would stall. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where they were unable to diagnose the failure. the vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic where the contact was told the head gasket needed to be repaired. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure continues. the failure mileage was 36,000 and the current mileage was 55,000. the vin was unavailable. sm. | |||
| 01/02/2006 | 25731 | ||
| My land rover freelander has been in to the dealership for coolant smells coming into the cabin 20+ times and has never been repaired. they have replaced external parts, (reservoir tank, hoses and thermostats) and never fixed the problem. after researching the problem while it was still under warranty on my own, i found a complaint about head gasket problems with the k series engine and was told by the dealer that they new nothing about it, and you can't believe everything you read on the internet. since then i called the ca bureau of automotive repair and had an agent investigate. the dealership offered to send it to another warranty shop which found a bad head gasket. i also called l/r direct to try and find out what they may be able to do for me. they told me they would not replace the engine because it cost $11,000 +, and the replacement engine will fail also. the engine was manufactured incorrectly at the factory. the cylinder sleeves are the wrong alloy and loosen when the engine is hot causing head gasket and eventually total engine failure. land rover has known about this problem since 2004, technical bulletin #0036 and #0026 issued 06/18/2004. the manufacturer offered me $3500 to buy my car from me, and would not replace the engine. the vehicle only has 54,000 miles on it. this seems to be a safety hazard as well as a health issue from breathing in toxic fumes from the coolant. there have been other incidents with this vehicle which are to many to mention in this letter. please contact asap about this matter. | |||
| 01/01/2007 | 36000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2003 land rover freelander. while driving at any speed the vehicle would stall. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where they were unable to diagnose the failure. the vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic where the contact was told the head gasket needed to be repaired. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure continues. the failure mileage was 36,000 and the current mileage was 55,000. the vin was unavailable. sm. | |||
| 01/02/2006 | 25731 | ||
| My land rover freelander has been in to the dealership for coolant smells coming into the cabin 20+ times and has never been repaired. they have replaced external parts, (reservoir tank, hoses and thermostats) and never fixed the problem. after researching the problem while it was still under warranty on my own, i found a complaint about head gasket problems with the k series engine and was told by the dealer that they new nothing about it, and you can't believe everything you read on the internet. since then i called the ca bureau of automotive repair and had an agent investigate. the dealership offered to send it to another warranty shop which found a bad head gasket. i also called l/r direct to try and find out what they may be able to do for me. they told me they would not replace the engine because it cost $11,000 +, and the replacement engine will fail also. the engine was manufactured incorrectly at the factory. the cylinder sleeves are the wrong alloy and loosen when the engine is hot causing head gasket and eventually total engine failure. land rover has known about this problem since 2004, technical bulletin #0036 and #0026 issued 06/18/2004. the manufacturer offered me $3500 to buy my car from me, and would not replace the engine. the vehicle only has 54,000 miles on it. this seems to be a safety hazard as well as a health issue from breathing in toxic fumes from the coolant. there have been other incidents with this vehicle which are to many to mention in this letter. please contact asap about this matter. | |||
| 01/01/2007 | 36000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2003 land rover freelander. while driving at any speed the vehicle would stall. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where they were unable to diagnose the failure. the vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic where the contact was told the head gasket needed to be repaired. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure continues. the failure mileage was 36,000 and the current mileage was 55,000. sm. | |||
| 01/01/2007 | 36000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2003 land rover freelander. while driving at any speed the vehicle would stall. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where they were unable to diagnose the failure. the vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic where the contact was told the head gasket needed to be repaired. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure continues. the failure mileage was 36,000 and the current mileage was 55,000. the vin was unavailable. sm. | |||
| 01/02/2006 | 25731 | ||
| My land rover freelander has been in to the dealership for coolant smells coming into the cabin 20+ times and has never been repaired. they have replaced external parts, (reservoir tank, hoses and thermostats) and never fixed the problem. after researching the problem while it was still under warranty on my own, i found a complaint about head gasket problems with the k series engine and was told by the dealer that they new nothing about it, and you can't believe everything you read on the internet. since then i called the ca bureau of automotive repair and had an agent investigate. the dealership offered to send it to another warranty shop which found a bad head gasket. i also called l/r direct to try and find out what they may be able to do for me. they told me they would not replace the engine because it cost $11,000 +, and the replacement engine will fail also. the engine was manufactured incorrectly at the factory. the cylinder sleeves are the wrong alloy and loosen when the engine is hot causing head gasket and eventually total engine failure. land rover has known about this problem since 2004, technical bulletin #0036 and #0026 issued 06/18/2004. the manufacturer offered me $3500 to buy my car from me, and would not replace the engine. the vehicle only has 54,000 miles on it. this seems to be a safety hazard as well as a health issue from breathing in toxic fumes from the coolant. there have been other incidents with this vehicle which are to many to mention in this letter. please contact asap about this matter. | |||
| 01/01/2007 | 36000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2003 land rover freelander. while driving at any speed the vehicle would stall. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where they were unable to diagnose the failure. the vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic where the contact was told the head gasket needed to be repaired. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure continues. the failure mileage was 36,000 and the current mileage was 55,000. sm. | |||
| 01/01/2007 | 36000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2003 land rover freelander. while driving at any speed the vehicle would stall. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where they were unable to diagnose the failure. the vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic where the contact was told the head gasket needed to be repaired. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure continues. the failure mileage was 36,000 and the current mileage was 55,000. the vin was unavailable. sm. | |||
| 01/02/2006 | 25731 | ||
| My land rover freelander has been in to the dealership for coolant smells coming into the cabin 20+ times and has never been repaired. they have replaced external parts, (reservoir tank, hoses and thermostats) and never fixed the problem. after researching the problem while it was still under warranty on my own, i found a complaint about head gasket problems with the k series engine and was told by the dealer that they new nothing about it, and you can't believe everything you read on the internet. since then i called the ca bureau of automotive repair and had an agent investigate. the dealership offered to send it to another warranty shop which found a bad head gasket. i also called l/r direct to try and find out what they may be able to do for me. they told me they would not replace the engine because it cost $11,000 +, and the replacement engine will fail also. the engine was manufactured incorrectly at the factory. the cylinder sleeves are the wrong alloy and loosen when the engine is hot causing head gasket and eventually total engine failure. land rover has known about this problem since 2004, technical bulletin #0036 and #0026 issued 06/18/2004. the manufacturer offered me $3500 to buy my car from me, and would not replace the engine. the vehicle only has 54,000 miles on it. this seems to be a safety hazard as well as a health issue from breathing in toxic fumes from the coolant. there have been other incidents with this vehicle which are to many to mention in this letter. please contact asap about this matter. | |||
| 07/15/2010 | 58000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns 2003 land rover freelander. while driving approximately 10 mph he noticed the temperature gauge was getting hot and he pulled over and stopped. he inspected the vehicle and noticed the fan was running at a very high rate. the vehicle also runs out of anti freeze and had to be added frequently every two tanks of gas. the vehicle was taken to a local mechanic and he advised him to replace the engine because of a well know coolant failure. the local mechanic advised him to continue adding coolant and that if the failure continues the seal could break and mix with the coolant and ruin the engine. the vehicle was purchased used in june 2010. he stated this had happened and the engine was now dead. the vehicle had not been repaired. the failure mileage was 58,000 and the current mileage was 80,000. vwb | |||
| 05/20/2009 | 51483 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2003 landrover freelander. the contact stated that the vehicle has a history of overheating. approximately one year ago the vehicle overheated and was taken to a local mechanic where the waterpump and timing belt were replaced. it overheated again and the thermostat was replaced and a few weeks later the overflow bottle and some hoses were replaced. the vehicle still overheated and it was taken to a authorized dealer where they advised the thermostat needed to be replaced again, which was done. it overheated again and the dealer thought there may be air in the engine, which was removed and it overheated again. the vehicle was parked for two weeks and has just been towed back to the dealer. landrover was notified and offered the owner $5,000.00 for the vehicle. that offer was not accepted and landrover stated they will look into it and call back. the failure mileage was 51,483. the current mileage is approximately 55,900. rd | |||
| 02/18/2008 | 79000 | 1 | |
| I took my car to tuffy service center on 02/16/2008 to have my car serviced for a timing belt. after they changed the belt and put everything back . the odometer switched from mileage to kilometers. when talking to dealerships, they mention that they have seen this before and it is common. if it is common why they do not recall the vehicles and fix them. *tr | |||
| 07/15/2009 | 59500 | 1 | |
| Known defective metal used in engine with this model... causes engine to overheat and engine failure, coolant loss... etc. first overheating in my ownership of the car... busted thermostat 1500.00 repair estimate. *tr | |||
| 07/20/2009 | 80000 | 1 | |
| After knowing about the coolant problems of this car we took care, had an coolant flush and regularly control that there was enough coolant. when we noticed that the coolant was running low, we topped it off, but this happened again and again without any obvious leaking. the repair facility saw some cracks in the coolant tank so we changed it, a few days later the car did not work at all and hand to be towed. the whole engine had to be change; the explanation was coolant was leaking and mixing with oil. now, with the new engine there are again warning lights blinking and repair facility told us we could need a new intake manifold. meanwhile the coolant was low again and we had to change the thermostat because they found a leaking there. there are so many complaints with the coolant and engine to find in the internet and even on this page, so when do they recall the coolant system and engine?? *tr | |||
| 03/18/2009 | 82000 | 1 | |
| Engine needed to be replaced. mechanic said that the coolant was going into engine and mixing with the oil causing oil pressure to drop. also pistons were cracked because engine was running to hot (possible cause). i have numerous problems with this car windows, left passenger door jams up, thermostat needed to be replaced, fuel pump needed to be replaced after car stalled while i was driving, brake lights were malfunctioning dealership said i had replaced wrong bulb on one brake light and that caused malfunction. i found out after shelling out 400 dollars that there was a recall on brakes. i have also had to replace battery the battery twice in the five years i have owned this car. all window motors had to be worked on front right twice. *tr | |||
| 06/29/2009 | 1 | ||
| Well i have had several problems with the landrover. its a horrible car, i have already replaced the engine twice, along with a faulty brake light that was later recalled. this summer, my car began to smoke and overheat i immediately took it to the shop i was told there had been a crack and the coolant was leaking into my engine. they fixed the vehicle, a week later the crack came back but this time my sixteen year old daughter was driving and it began to smoke leaving her stranded on the freeway. i again took it to the shop and it was fixed they replaced the pipe and fixed the crack. 2 days later the same thing happened she was again stranded on the freeway, and it was taken back to the shop. we were told by our mechanic that i now needed to replace my engine for the third time and it was a complete lemon. i called landrover and they were very rude, and said they could do nothing. i began to read reviews about the vehicle and this apparently has happened to about 85 % of the vehicles. please recall this car so people know the dangers of this vehicle , and me and the rest of the landrover owners can get justice! *tr | |||
| 02/04/2009 | 70000 | 1 | |
| Car lost power on highway after driving 10 miles at speed of 65-70 mph, exiting the highway. temperature gauge showed high temperature only when decreasing speed. coolant was smelled in the engine compartment. car was towed to repair shop. repair shop did not have proper equipment. land rover of st.louis was called. repair dept. told me that the repair would total more than the vehicle was worth, the engine had known problems for that model year. nothing has been done, due to lack of funds and the advice of the repair shop. *tr | |||
| 03/05/2009 | 53000 | 1 | |
| 2003 landrover freelander with 35000 when problems started. check engine light came on soon after purchase. car wouldn't hold coolant and constantly overheated. we drove it as little as possible. engine blew on highway. certified mechanic said it was because of the head gasket and that engine needed replaced for approx $6500. *tr | |||
| 04/07/2009 | 55000 | 1 | |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 land rover freelander. the contact stated that the engine was warm and the vehicle failed to start after several attempts. the engine was overheating prior to the failure. there were no warning indicators illuminated on the instrument panel. the vehicle was inspected by a certified mechanic, who stated that the failure was contributed to the head gasket. the mechanic further stated that the engine needed to be replaced. the vehicle has not been repaired. the failure and current mileages were 55,000. updated 8/10/09 *cn updated 08/13/09.*jb | |||
| 10/15/2008 | 62000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 land rover freelander. while driving approximately 30 mph, the vehicle began overheating. there was no fire or smoke, but the temperature gauge indicated that the vehicle was hot. the contact took the vehicle to a toyota dealer, but they could not find any failure or a leak. the contact had to continuously place coolant in the vehicle to prevent it from overheating. six months after the failure began, the engine shut off while driving 5 mph in the driveway. the vehicle was towed to the dealer and they stated that there was engine damage, which could have possibly been the water pump leaking coolant due to overheating. the only solution would be to replace the entire engine. the failure mileage was 62,000 and current mileage was 65,000. | |||
| 04/10/2008 | 117000 | 1 | |
| My lr freelander 2003, has an overheating problem, the head gasket is blown and is in need of repair. there are now mechanics that will fix the problem except for the land rover dealer and they can not guarantee the work. there is a design defect with the heads in this vehicle know by the manufacturer but they refuse to make this a recall to the consumers and they have stopped making this engine. i need this repair done so i may at least trade the vehicle in for a new vehicle. *tr | |||
| 01/14/2009 | 1 | ||
| Poor mechanical design on 2003 freelander land rover with 75,000 miles leading to numerous mechanical failures. low mileage (40,000 to 70,000) failure of vehicle components including: brakes (twice), fuel pump, and water pump. over $5,000 in repairs. engine now leaking coolant indicating head gasket and eventual engine failure. *tr | |||
| 09/05/2007 | 48000 | 1 | |
| My car has endless problems in every aspect!! anyone that owns one are having the same issues and nobody can seem to fix it, nor can i get parts to fix it, and the parts you do get to repair the vehicle break faster than the original parts on the car !! my engine has not failed yet but my transmission has and the dealer ship wont fix it and said there is nothing wrong with it !! iv paid more money fixing the car than i have for the car !! i can't go more than 1000 miles before something else breaks !! i have owned the car for about 18 months and its been in the shop for about 12 of those 18 months !! everyone that has one of these landrover freelanders has the same issues and nobody can get parts for this car ! nothing works right and nothing runs like it should and even the mechanics at the dealer ship will take you aside and tell you get rid of it while you still can !!! i cant and neither can allot of others like me because of the money they have put into the car just to keep it on the road !! this car has left me and my 20 month old son stranded in the middle of nowhere on more than three or four or five occasions !! i lost track of how many times !! and when something goes wrong with this car your stuck wherever your at !! its not safe to walk down a freeway with a baby at any time during the day or night and that's exactly what iv had to do on many different occasions !! this is not a safe car by any means ! when my fuel pump went out my car just died at 60 miles an hour on the highway and nearly caused an accident with me and many other cars and i thank the good lord nothing happened when the car died and it felt like someone was slamming on the brakes !! this car is a safety hazard in the worst way !! kids should not be allowed too ride in this car do too the fact they might get hit by a car when it dies and leaves you on the freeway or anywhere else your at !! i don't let my son in this car unless its absolutely necessary !! i'll borrow my moms car just to go to the store with him !! *tr | |||
| 11/18/2008 | 63659 | 1 | |
| I am the original owner of a 2003 land rover freelander. i have always followed all of the factory service maintenance intervals and have all of the service records for this well-maintained vehicle. although the vehicle has only 63,000 miles on it, i recently had to take it in twice for service at the land rover of fort lauderdale dealership where i purchased it in december, 2004. i was shocked to learn from my service advisor, jesse robinson, that the vehicle needed a head gasket and possibly a new engine. he explained to me that coolant was leaking into the engine's cylinders, and that it was only a matter of time before the engine would stop working and be worthless. he told me that changing the head gasket would not solve the problem anyway, that it is the result of a severe engineering flaw that the land rover corporation has been aware of for several years. it seems that the engine block, while made of aluminum, has cylinder sleeves that are made of steel. since metals expand with heat and different metals have major differences in their metallurgic properties, what eventually happens is that the sleeves disjoin from the engine block and begin to slip and slide in place, something no engine should do regardless of the mileage on it. once the sleeves move, they bend and soon after break the head gasket, which allows coolant to enter the cylinders, which causes the engine to run very erratically until it stops running altogether. changing the head gasket, therefore, doesn't fix the problem, and even replacing the engine isn't possible. the manufacturer that once built and supplied them for land rover went out of business, and what few engines are available are only released to those who bought the factory extended warranty. i have since discovered that there are thousands of very similar cases out there, that anyone with the 2002 to 2005 model experiences the same problems once their vehicles reach 40,000 to 70,000 miles (please see edmunds.com). *tr | |||
| 01/01/1901 | 1 | ||
| 2003 land rover freelander engine overheating. consumer has issues with land rover fixing the vehicle that is no longer under warranty. *nj the consumer was informed that the engine had seized. it was a known defect in the engine, which caused the coolant to disappear and the engine to overheat. the consumer stated the vehicle never showed any signs of a problem. *jb updated 03/01/10. *jb | |||
| 04/08/2008 | 72000 | 1 | |
| My 2003 land rover freelander broke down on the highway. took it to scott motors of reno (the land rover dealer in reno), found out that it needs a new engine. i have an extended warranty through fidelity warranty, they are refusing to pay for it, saying that there is sludge in the engine. i have given them my maintenance records, the car was maintained regularly. land rover of reno has had my car for 5 months while i have been trying to get someone to honor my warranty. i bought the car from internet auto of reno they are willing to reimburse me for my warranty of $2540. the cost to fix replace the engine is $7250, for the same engine. i have been told that there is no way to prevent this from happening again. i have been making payments on this car and still owe more on it than it is worth. so far no one is willing to pay for the repairs, the cost to replace the engine is as much as the car is worth, land rove knows of this problem, and fidelity warranty is not honoring their contract. *tr | |||
| 08/01/2008 | 109000 | 1 | |
| Incident: engine failure/engine block leak in 2003 land rover freelander se3. *tr | |||
| 07/09/2008 | 24379 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 land rover freelander. while driving at any speed, the vehicle completely shut down on at least four occasions. the vehicle was towed to the dealer each time. the dealer has never repaired the failure; therefore, the vehicle continues to shut off and get towed. the vehicle has been to the dealer at least seventeen times for the heating and cooling system. the passenger compartment smelled as if something were burning. a couple of times after shutting the vehicle down, the contact could hear the reservoir boiling. on several occasions, he noticed smoke coming from beneath the engine like steam. the vehicle has been taken to the dealer at least nine times regarding the thermostat and heating core. the vehicle has been to the dealer at least eleven times for the window motors. the vehicle is currently with the dealer after shutting off again. the contact has the repair invoices. the current mileage was 65,000 and failure mileage was 24,379. | |||
| 02/05/2006 | 63000 | 1 | |
| Vehicle was brought into the dealership multiple times for overheating. after the 4th time the car overheated and i lost all power as it caught on fire. i had to make a dangerous lane change across 4 lanes of highway while losing power. the engine was replaced in 2006 but the dealership said it was just over warranty. the vehicle still is having problems starting and is being towed to the mechanic again today. *tr | |||
| 12/28/2004 | 32188 | 1 | |
| Check engine light on, vehicle stalled & woud not start. *tr | |||
| 12/15/2004 | 31995 | 1 | |
| Check engine light on. engine wont start. *tr | |||
| 12/08/2004 | 31896 | 1 | |
| Vehicle loses power, check engine light is on & stays on. traction control light comes on & stays on. *tr | |||
| 11/18/2004 | 31336 | 1 | |
| Cruise control is not working, parking brake light stays on, vehicle stalled out while driving at highway speeds, heater core leaking. took vehicle into dealership they replaced the leaking heater core, hose camshaft, anti freeze hose. *tr | |||
| 07/30/2004 | 24023 | 1 | |
| 2003 freelander, will stall or come to a complete stop. nothing works, no brakes, steering, everything locks up. i was on the freeway going about 75 mph and my vehicle just stalled, this has happened on multiple occasions. *tr | |||
| 10/26/2006 | 35612 | 3 | 11/06/2005 |
| Vehicle shuts down while driving, dies when slowing down 1. 10/26/06-reset throttle 2. 10/29/06-replace wiring assembly, replace throttle body electrical connector. 3. 10/26/07-replace fuel pump gasket,replaced lh/front bank ignition coil, replaced spark plug. *tr | |||
| 08/07/2006 | 34245 | 3 | 11/05/2005 |
| Service engine soon light illuminated 1. 08/07/06-internal failure of intake chamber, linkage motor no good replaced upper intake chamber 2. 10/26/07-fuel pump leaking from gasket, cylinder 3 misfires replaced gasket, replaced cylinder 3 coil and spark plug 3. 02/29/08-topped off coolant. *tr | |||
| 11/02/2007 | 44000 | 3 | 07/07/2005 |
| Engine began overheating, took it to dealer. dealer replaced hoses and checked seals, etc.. problem continued. now it is in the dealers shop because it began spewing smoke and lost power on the highway. it appears to be end of the engine problem. *tr | |||
| 09/28/2007 | 87458 | 2 | 03/17/2006 |
| A sensor shut down the motor while i was driving on i-55. it required me to coast to the side of the road. (this happened in the summer of 2006.) last month, the water resevoir in the engine busted (despite dutiful maintenance) requiring a completely new engine to be installed. the radio has also malfunctioned twice, being replaced last time. no one was injured in either case, but it could have easily resulted in deaths when the vehicle quit in 70 mile per hour traffic! *tr | |||
| 02/19/2006 | 58594 | 6 | 10/29/2003 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 land rover freelander. after driving 25 mph, the contact noticed smoke under the passenger side of the hood. she allowed the vehicle to cool down and drove to purchase antifreeze to replace what leaked out. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer and they stated that the vehicle was fine. when she returned to the dealer, they stated that a new engine would be needed. when the heat is activated, toxic fumes of burning antifreeze enter into the vehicle. the current mileage was 77,600 and failure mileage was 58,494. updated 01-14-08. *kb updated 12/12/07 | |||
| 09/23/2007 | 56835 | 1 | 11/28/2003 |
| 1. in the shop three times for cooling system problem. repair covered by warranty. note the repairs did not fix the water loss problem. last repair 52,000 miles 2. 9-23-07 engine fails without warning on i-77. 56,000 miles now out of warranty 3. car towed 260 miles to land rover dayton. told engine would need replaced at a cost of $4,000. *jb | |||
| 09/21/2006 | 64000 | 4 | 08/01/2004 |
| Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle's engine cam bolt backed out causing the motor to blow. the service dealer determined the engine needed to be replaced. the contact expressed this was a vehicle defect and was looking for a recall. updated 10/17/2006 - the consumer experienced the second failure at 29000 miles, the third failure at 37000. a fourth failure at 49000. the final failure occurred at 64000 and the consumer was advised by land rover that the engine was blown and that a remanufactured on could be installed. *nm | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM | |||
| 03/01/2004 | 5284 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2003 land rover free lander. the contact stated that in january 2011, the cooling system began to leak abnormally, the radiator hose fractured from the vehicle and the engine caught on fire. the following month, the engine continued to overheat, the abs and check engine warning lights were illuminated and the vehicle stalled without warning. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where they repaired the cooling thermostat, hoses and power steering pump. the failure persisted and the vehicle was taken back to the dealer where the intake valves, thermostat and power steering pump were replaced. the abs failure was not repaired and the warning light remained illuminated. in addition, the contact stated that when driving various speeds, the vehicle would jerk violently and exhibit an abnormally loud noise. the dealer advised the contact that the transmission failed and would need replacing. the vehicle was not further repaired. the current mileage was 46, 854 and the failure mileage was 5,284. | |||
| 11/23/2010 | 78000 | ||
| 2003 land rover freeland - began to experience a mysterious loss of coolant. made multiple trips to local garage - they were unable to locate leak. checked web site - it's a well-known engine flaw with the freeland that leads to engine failure. i bought this car in 2003 from lr dealer. technical bulletins were issued back in 2005. went to dealership yesterday - $8000-$10000 to replace engine if they could get one. evidently, it's difficult to get engines. service department knows the problem well - told me my car was junk and lr was well aware. asked what was done for owners since it was a well known documented design flaw. nothing! told me i was lucky it did not happen sooner. lr is just preying on the innocent public by refusing to deal with what is clearly of their own making. | |||
| 09/20/2010 | 82530 | ||
| 03 freelander, purchased used with 74,000 miles. engine had knocking noise, was told by dealer that was normal, not even ninety days later fuel pump failed. ok, no big deal. towed car 90 miles to lr dealer for covered part. was determined at lr dealer that there were serious issues with engine and vehicle was not safe to drive. coolant mixing with oil, etc. have read all of the issues i am experiencing in forums online. this is a defective vehicle and lr needs to be held responsible before someone gets hurt. | |||
| 08/26/2010 | 73000 | ||
| I have a landrover freelander 2003. the car needed a new engine at 41000 miles and right after that transmission seals had to be repaired right after that air.heating units were replaced now the car is at 73000 milers and the dealer is telling me that i need a new engine again for the same problem coolant and oil mixing ,which was the problem i had in 2007 when they replaced the engine.the car is at the dealer for the past two weeks and they are refusing to give me a loaner because i have contacted land rover to see what they are going to do about the garbage of acar and they are taking their time resolving the issue. | |||
| 01/06/2010 | 40000 | 1 | |
| 2003 freelander land rover - transmission died at 40000 miles and coolant system failed 2 weeks later. dealer will not repair, car is incredibly unreliable and hence unsafe. *tr | |||
| 01/11/2010 | 61000 | 1 | |
| Coolant is leaking visibly in coolant bowl. i add coolant on a monthly basis and dealer tells me to replace thermostat ($1,000). coolant still leaking visibly so they replace bowl. coolant still leaking visibly. i have foggy windows and the dealer tells me this is vapor from the coolant leakage. so now i am inhaling coolant (glycol) which is probably a toxic chemical. now i have to replace a heating sensor where the coolant is leaking still. cost is $1100, dealer tells me at least i don't have the big problem. i say, what is that? he says the coolant can leak in about 1/3 of the freelanders and it can ruin the engine. the cost of a rebuilt engine is $7,000. this is the same engine and will most likely have the same problems! *tr | |||
| 06/30/2004 | |||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 land rover freelander. the contact was driving at an unknown speed rate on normal road conditions. there was a strong odor of coolant inside of the vehicle. suddenly, smoked expelled from underneath the hood. the driver pulled over to the side of the road and inspected the vehicle. there was a coolant leakage. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer for inspection. the technician replaced the thermostat. the identical failures occurred on thirty separate occasions. the components replaced over a period of time consist of the head gasket and replacement of the engine three separate occasions. the failures continued after the repairs performed on the vehicle. there were no resolutions. the vehicle has not been repaired at this time. the contact had concern of the safety risk involved. the failure mileage was unavailable. the current mileage was 105,000. the vin was unavailable. | |||
| 11/24/2009 | 75000 | 1 | |
| When i purchase my car jan 2009 it had roughly 56,000 miles on it. i did notice that when i started it in the morning it had a funny sound. i tried to bring back to the dealership several times to have it looked at, either no one was there to help me or the noise was gone since the car was warm. i notice some smoke a week ago and filled the antifreeze fluid back to max line, then i notice the antifreeze was down past the min line again, with no antifreeze on the ground??? took it in the shop and he gave a list of this wrong, intake manifold valves always open, bank 1 & 2 lean, he replace my t connector, just to name some.. oh yeah and noise coming from three different places.. valve tran, water pump/timing belt and the alternator. no he told me it will cost thousand of dollars to fix it. *tr | |||
| 09/11/2009 | 107650 | 1 | |
| The 2003 landrover freelander stalled on 2 seperate ocassions,once in an active intersection with barely missing being struck by another vehicle. the 2nd time ocurred about 4 minutes before the previous instance. additionally,the vehicle as a whole shouldn't be on the highway. to my knowledge this vehicle has never been in an accident and it's uncertain if it may be refurbished from a area where damage was such that some work and relocation presented it for sale elsewhere. the vehicle purchased at a little over 73,000 miles has been in the shop 14 times in 27 months totalling well over $10,000 in repairs. i paid $12,288 for the vehicle. intake maniifold gaskets,cylinder head gaskets, head bolts,cam bolts, the famed coolant leak that has coolant leaking into the engine causing it to cease up. that's the only thing that hasn't happened mechanically with this vehicle. i ride around, when it's not in the shop,with coolant in the back in case its starts to steam again. lock assemblys (2x), torque converter motor,themostat and several other issues that make it non-highway worthy. this is just mine, at the emunds.com automotive forum among the many others i visited there are hundreds of others with the same problems and are left with either, broken down sitting in the driveway, in the driveway after its last repair so miles are kept low for resale or forced to procure another vehicle or mode of transportation, or forced to continue driving it as its their only source of transportation and low resources while still paying a loan on it and an extended warranty company that you hope doesn't dance around the responsibility of paying for repairs that are obvious covered items in the warranty. finally, if it weren't bad enough to be stuck with this vehicle and not know if it will remain operable for the length of the loan,currently 48 months, i can't even rely on the vehicle to safely transport my wife and daugther. landrover mechanics can't keep these vehicles on the road. *tr | |||
| 09/14/2004 | 10956 | 1 | |
| I purchased new a 2003 freelander land rover. this vehicle has had so many conditions including the engine, cooling system, brake and lights system, corrosion. at this point the coolant has manage its way into the engine and mixed with the engine oil, which i attribute those whom have had the engine abruptly stalled, the cause for it. there are many sites and mechanics that will explain this failure to be a badly design and constructed engine. land rover continues to replace the broken parts but they continue to brake. it needs a totally different construction for this problems to stop. i have all records of maintenance if needed. *tr | |||
| 06/19/2009 | 82607 | 1 | |
| I am driving an suv - freelander se3 of the land rover, and have a defect that is getting worse as the car get into highs miles. i can be driving over 50 miles per hour and the service engine light came up, followed by t/c and decent hill lights, them the car have a strong jump and the d (drive mode) change to a flashing f 4- them suddenly the engine shotoff. i drive with the fear that one day i will not be able to pull over and i will be crashing. another problem is that the vehicle loss total power and stop moving, no matter how hard i press down the gas pedal. *tr | |||
| 06/24/2009 | 65000 | 1 | |
| We were driving our 2003 land rover freelander down freeway in portland, or and all the sudden the thermometer began to bounce around, then the car decided not to go anymore and the engine died on freeway !! someone could have been seriously injured for a defect in the motor that land rover has known about. once three transients helped us we got it to a safe place and lifted the hood while clouds of something was billowing out. car would start but not stay running and all fluids would run right through it.. land rover portland told me that it would need a new motor. this car only has approx. 65k miles on it. are you serious!!! land rover what a cop out... their should be a recall on this motor before someone get seriously injured or killed. so far nothing can be done to correct the failure because land rover no longer carries this motor, what are we supposed to do!!!! *tr | |||
| 12/21/2007 | 85000 | 1 | |
| Our lr first started overheating, taking about 10 to 15 minutes to cool down and when checked the coolant would be empty. i was then constantly having to fill it with coolant. i had it in to the shop 3 times for this same problem when after the second time they apparently fixed it so well they caused the coolant to leak into the engine and that caused the traction control to go out and then they said that was because the engine was now gone. although we did actually drive it into carmax who then drove it to land rover. land rover said the engine was shot and would need a new one. our freelander sat for 9 months with no new engine in sight. although, warranty money was waiting to pay for it. land rover took no responsibility in this and kept telling us and carmax that an engine was being reconfigured and would arrive in march, no july, then don't know when. finally carmax paid the freelander off for us and we bought something else. land rover had also taken the old engine or the complete guts of the vehicle and laid the back seats down and threw the guts in the passenger part of the vehicle and left the car sitting unlocked on their lot for i don't know how long. we found it this way on a very hot summer day. land rover doesn't care about their customers and doesn't do anything to help this situation. my understanding is that this is the fate for all freelanders not just mine. *tr | |||
| 09/12/2008 | 76000 | 1 | |
| 2003 freelander with 76k miles began having cooling system leaks immed. after new fuel pump and air conditioning fan. i filled the system, ran the car for 30 minutes in the driveway without incident, and told my wife the car needed to r/t to the dealer.(ventura) my wife and 2 kids were abruptly greeted with an explosion of the cooling system leaving them in heavy traffic in a left-hand turn lane. the car shut down immediately. after a tow to the dealer on a sunday afternoon they were invited to look at new models while they waited for a taxi to take them for a rental. my first report from the dealer rep. was that we probably needed a new engine at a cost of 12k so we might consider trading it in for a new model. i must add that after the fuel pump and fan repair i found the air intake disconnected and told the rep. about this during my visit to him regarding this new issue and his response was i don't see how because they don't even have to lift the hood to make those repairs. after three days of investigation we were told our thermostat and housing were replaced for $600 but we needed timing belts because they could now be heard slapping. i am fairly mechanically knowledgeable, and all of these events point straight to poor product and inept service. coincidentally, i also found a rubber tube about 4 long sitting on top of my engine after just coming from the mechanic's bay. i have since traded the car in for another brand and will never buy another land rover anything ever again! *tr | |||
| 08/11/2008 | 68000 | 1 | |
| Car is constantly over heating with only 68,000 miles. two days ago while driving down the street it loses all power. turns out there's a fuel pump issue. *tr | |||
| 03/24/2008 | 70000 | 1 | |
| Land rover freelander: the vehicle is a time bomb, at some point early in the vehicles life it will die on you while driving....you then have a very short time to get of the road before it locks up. it then becomes a money pit!!! *tr | |||
| 04/15/2008 | 69000 | 1 | |
| I got a land rover freelander with 51,996 miles on it. i had it in the shop over 25 time in 10 months! all for the same reason. the engine stopped on me going 30mph and i found out the engine had blown for the same reason i had it fixed for the last 25 times. *tr | |||
| 12/05/2007 | 72000 | 1 | |
| '03 land rover freelander s - fall '07 - losing coolant and vehicle was not running properly. took it to mechanic and the heater core had to be replaced and check engine light turned off. $600 w/ parts and labor. winter '07 -took to rover dealer to check it out b/c it just wasn't running well. it wouldn't accelerate properly and would often not start on first few tries. dealer ran diagnostic and said it needed a new intake manifold, a few connector components and a new timing belt - total of over $2000 with parts and labor. elected to have my father do the work and he ordered the parts online and installed himself taking many hours to figure it out. his cost was about $900 and he opted not to change the timing belt. *tr | |||
| 10/23/2007 | 36898 | 4 | 05/12/2003 |
| Land rover deceived, defrauded, and continues to victimize me - an owner of a 2003 land rover freelander. land rover diagnosed and acknowledged that the car they sold to me - the 2003 freelander has significant engine damage caused by a defect in the design of the engine and other key operating units - coolant and oil systems, brakes, etc. the defect in the design of the engine in the 2003 land rover freelander ultimately renders the car inoperable and results in total engine failure. land rover refuses to recall this car off the us highways, and disclose the engine's defect to all 2003 freelander owners. land rover advised that it is a matter of time before my car fails completely, and i should not be driving this car. it is now parked in my driveway. the car has been serviced by land rover numerous times (related to the problems with the defect in the design of the engine, coolant and oil systems, brakes, etc.) since i purchased the car. land rover is and was aware of this defect in the 2003 freelander's engine, but failed to disclose it to me. land rover has discontinued manufacturing the freelander models, therefore, not able to replace the defective engine with a new one as they state when you contact the headquarters. i last took the car to land rover parsippany in october 2007 where it stayed for approximately 7 weeks. land rover parsippany further tampered with the car (it was making cranking noise in the engine when i picked it up in january - this noise was not there when i took the car to land rover in october - and they acknowledge this), and ordered me to pick it up from their lot after they refused to fix my car and make me whole. i have been mistreated, and lied to by land rover representatives thus causing me a lot of financial loss, physical and emotional trauma. i do not have the use of my 2003 freelander, but still make payments on this car. i struggle every day to get around since january 2008. *tr | |||
| 01/15/2007 | 45000 | 1 | 09/01/2005 |
| Car just started running hot i did not see any leaks landrover dealer stated that it was the thermostat. keep overheating. has been in shop since october 2007 but has been in the garage since march 2007. *tr | |||
| 10/29/2007 | 79000 | 15 | |
| Numerous large repairs needed for a 2003 land rover freelander, current mileage approx 79,000 including: new engine oct 2007, new radiator june 2007, new fuel pump may 2007, new thermostat april 2007, internal electrical fault september 2006, cooling system september 2006, broken sway bar april 2006, right rear window replaced february 2006, child safety lock recall november 2005, brake switch failure november 2005, heater core leaking coolant november 2005, coolant bottle replaced november 2005, driver door replaced december 2004, windshield washer broken december 2004. *tr | |||
| 10/01/2007 | 11012 | 2 | 11/23/2003 |
| 2003 landrover freelander engine overheating. *tr | |||
| 04/18/2005 | 6 | 9 | 03/19/2003 |
| I have had the same problems with my freelander since the day they delviered it. the check engine, the service engine soon and the coolant/overheating warning. i have also had problems with brakes. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM - HOSE | |||
| 11/03/2006 | 488000 | 6 | 08/20/2005 |
| The land rover freelander is not a safe car. i feel this car is very dangerous to the consumer with all the problems people are having with this car. i am having the same problems that i am seeing on the internet that my fellow freelander owners are having sunroof problems, brakes, oil leaks, transmission problems at low mileage, heater core leak that cause windows to mist at 30,000-40,000 miles that is very dangerous for consumers and i feel the nhtsa needs to check into these many defects and have land rover pay these consumers there money back and save lives. i have had my sunroof fixed twice with less than 40,000 miles, i have had a oil leak with less than 40,000 miles, presently i am dealing with a heater core leak at 50.400 just when my warranty is up and this is going to cost me 1,000 dollars and all land rover had to say was i am sorry. i expect a car like land rover to be more dependable than that, with low mileage and all of these problems. i feel this is to many problems for a car that land rover claims to be rugged, tough and dependable. i truly hope that nhtsa can help myself and my fellow consumers with the defects we are having with this car and provide consumer safety that we all need during these tough times. thank you. *nm | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||
| 09/20/2010 | 82530 | ||
| 03 freelander, purchased used with 74,000 miles. engine had knocking noise, was told by dealer that was normal, not even ninety days later fuel pump failed. ok, no big deal. towed car 90 miles to lr dealer for covered part. was determined at lr dealer that there were serious issues with engine and vehicle was not safe to drive. coolant mixing with oil, etc. have read all of the issues i am experiencing in forums online. this is a defective vehicle and lr needs to be held responsible before someone gets hurt. | |||
| 12/17/2009 | 97000 | ||
| I am having problem with the entire engine system. i spent $1000 repairing the timing belt, yet the timing belt persist with engine failure. mass airflow meter keep blowing up, i am bought 3 at $325 so far. i have spent another $2000 to get the engine fixed still no solutions. highlight keeps coming on every time i press the brake light. the car won't speed up check engine lights come on, srs light is on everything in this car is bad as a result make it real unsafe. please people try to do something for the people that drive this and hopefully get it off the market. | |||
| 11/24/2009 | 75000 | 1 | |
| When i purchase my car jan 2009 it had roughly 56,000 miles on it. i did notice that when i started it in the morning it had a funny sound. i tried to bring back to the dealership several times to have it looked at, either no one was there to help me or the noise was gone since the car was warm. i notice some smoke a week ago and filled the antifreeze fluid back to max line, then i notice the antifreeze was down past the min line again, with no antifreeze on the ground??? took it in the shop and he gave a list of this wrong, intake manifold valves always open, bank 1 & 2 lean, he replace my t connector, just to name some.. oh yeah and noise coming from three different places.. valve tran, water pump/timing belt and the alternator. no he told me it will cost thousand of dollars to fix it. *tr | |||
| 09/01/2009 | 93000 | 1 | |
| Coolant has been leaking into the engine ever since i purchased about 18 months ago. landrover finally acknowledge the problem but now there is not enough funds on my extended warranty to cover a new engine. for the past 18 months my vehicle has been at the dealership at least half the time. it just seems like a big cover up. *tr | |||
| 09/25/2009 | 103000 | 1 | |
| Coolant leaks into the engine in the 2003 land rover freelander. problem started at 25,000 miles and was dismissed by the land rover dealer (frankel land rover- hunt valley) who i bought the car from. i bought it brand new. eventually at about 60,000 miles they told me i would need a new engine after the warranty expired. i continued to fill the coolant chamber daily and drove it until it completely failed at 103,000 miles while i was driving on the baltimore beltway (695) at 60 mph. freelander k-series engines have been known to drop the cylinder liners into the block. because the liners are steel and the block is alloy, the liners being harder, work their way into the block. this is due to the engine block and cylinder head being composed of different materials that expand at different rates with heat generated during running of the vehicle. this can cause the head gasket to fail. the head gasket/cylinder liner design fault has not been classified as a recall. *tr | |||
| 06/19/2009 | 82607 | 1 | |
| I am driving an suv - freelander se3 of the land rover, and have a defect that is getting worse as the car get into highs miles. i can be driving over 50 miles per hour and the service engine light came up, followed by t/c and decent hill lights, them the car have a strong jump and the d (drive mode) change to a flashing f 4- them suddenly the engine shotoff. i drive with the fear that one day i will not be able to pull over and i will be crashing. another problem is that the vehicle loss total power and stop moving, no matter how hard i press down the gas pedal. *tr | |||
| 04/10/2008 | 117000 | 1 | |
| My lr freelander 2003, has an overheating problem, the head gasket is blown and is in need of repair. there are now mechanics that will fix the problem except for the land rover dealer and they can not guarantee the work. there is a design defect with the heads in this vehicle know by the manufacturer but they refuse to make this a recall to the consumers and they have stopped making this engine. i need this repair done so i may at least trade the vehicle in for a new vehicle. *tr | |||
| 09/03/2008 | 75000 | 1 | |
| Head gasket and engine problem. car started off having coolant leak and progressively got worse and is now inoperable. it has been inoperable since september 2008. there are a number of forums that describe this same issue so it is well known within the lr organization. i do not have $3500 to replace my engine nor cover the additional $3k for labor to have it installed. since lr knowingly manufactured this defective engine (made out of aluminum and iron cast which are not compatible), they should be liable for replacing this engine. *tr | |||
| 12/15/2008 | 95000 | 1 | |
| In july 2004 i purchased a 2003 land rover freelander hse with 25k miles. in the four and a half years of owning the vehicle we have had numerous problems. the sunroof failed twice and repaired under warranty and has since broke again. three of the four window regulators have failed (2 fixed under warranty). i have just replaced the fuel pump @ 95k miles. had to repair myself because the nearest dealer is 120 miles away and nobody else would work on it. now it seems the head gasket or who knows what else has failed. we have to put a gallon of water in per week. land rover has discontinued the sale of the freelander in the us. this does not surprise me because of all the complaints due to the overall poor quality of a luxury suv. *tr | |||
| 07/14/2008 | 84000 | 1 | |
| Purchased pre-owned 2003 landrover freelander may 07 and two weeks later check engine soon light came on intermittently. car was taken to dealership and they said computer showed up nothing. two weeks later light came on for several days. was taken back to dealership and they replaced coil wire. two weeks later happened again and they replaced coil pack. happened again two months later and local mechanic changed head under the coil pack and car ran good. one month later the car ran hot, was towed to dealership once again and they replaced something (the guy i purchased the car from took care of the bill) fast forward ahead 5 months and the valves started clicking. oil was changed and lucas oil added. car ran fine for approximately two weeks and then my 16 year old daughter (whom the car was purchased for) got in it from her summer job from the local ball stadium and it would not crank. the car was towed to a garage and he tells me that one of the timing belts broke and warped the cams and a new engine was needed. he said he had all kinds of reports stated that this was a defective engine and should have been recalled. they tell me it will cost 3-7 thousand to repair and i will still be getting a used defective engine and will be facing the same potential problem. thank you in advance for your help. *tr 2/21/10 2003 updated 04/14/10.*jb | |||
| 07/05/2008 | 63000 | 1 | |
| Driving on freeway 65 miles an hour in the left lane attempting to pass a car. while accelerating, the car continued to lose speed. had to maneuver my way to the right side of the freeway crossing 3 lanes of traffic in order to get to a safe place. had the car towed to the dealership. we have been told that the engine blew up and it had to be replaced the cost of replacing the engine was more the replacement of the vehicle. the car only has a little over 60,000 miles on it and has been maintained on a regular basis. there was no warning that this might occur. *tr | |||
| 03/24/2008 | 70000 | 1 | |
| Land rover freelander: the vehicle is a time bomb, at some point early in the vehicles life it will die on you while driving....you then have a very short time to get of the road before it locks up. it then becomes a money pit!!! *tr | |||
| 12/14/2007 | 89800 | 90 | 10/03/2003 |
| 2003 land rover freelander hse, head gasket failure diagnosed by auto technician at dealership service department after reported smell of burnt coolant and visible radiator coolant in the engine-oil. technician advised me this is problem is engine defect in head gasket stress bolts and location of thermostat. engine overheats and oil in radiator system due to head gasket failure. vehicle no longer functional, overheated due to no head gasket/cannot be fixed. mechanic just advised me to try and trade it in when i purchase a new vehicle, as manufacturer discontinued model and also engine, not under warranty nor is product repairable (engine & vehicle discontinued , manufacturer has refused to help in any way). *tr | |||
| 02/15/2008 | 37000 | 1 | 06/22/2004 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 land rover freelander. the contact stated that the vehicle began smoking heavily underneath the hood. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and completely shut off. the dealer stated that the coolant was mixing with the engine oil and the engine needed to be replaced. the engine model in the contact's vehicle has been discontinued. the dealer stated that they could order the engine, but there is a long waiting list and they do not know when it would arrive. the failure and current mileages were 37,000. updated 05/19/08. *lj updated 05/19/08 | |||
| 03/22/2008 | 85329 | 1 | |
| 03 land rover free lander. 85k miles engine died with no explanation. towed to land rover dealer and they said that there is nothing they could do except put me on a waiting list for a new engine that would cost over $8000 to fix and could not guarantee that i would even get an engine at all. the truck is a total loss and i still have a loan to pay off. i am in shock over the fact that i no longer have a vehicle and land rover could not care less! after reading on and on about this same problem with every other owner it appears to me that land rover should be punished for selling such a vehicle! we as the consumers should also be compensated or justified for such a loss after putting faith into a well known high end company. i am willing to be a part of a class action lawsuit and i know there are many others willing to bring land rover to justice. *tr | |||
| 02/06/2007 | 34400 | 1 | 09/01/2006 |
| I own a 03' freelander with only 34,000 miles on it. at this stage in a vehicle's life, there should be very little mechanical problems. it has not been the case for me. i have had this car for 1 and 1/2 years and problems began occurring 1 year after ownership. there is the smell of burnt antifreeze inside the car and an even stronger smell outside the car once the engine is turned off. the smell is toxic and i'm afraid that the fumes could easily impact someone's driving ability if not have the driver go unconscious after a long road trip. i have read about this problem existing on many other freelander vehicles on blogs and customer reviews. something ought to be done. also, for the past few days, i've been hearing a clicking noise coming from my engine. i immediately took my car to a repair shop to get checked out. the owner of the shop operated on my vehicle and discovered the engine manifold needed to be replaced ($970 part + $240 service). he contacted the lr parts dealer and the dealer notified him that this is a constant occurrence. in fact, dealer said that he had received 4 other phone calls the same day for the same exact part. this is ridiculous. lr needs to take proactive steps in resolving these problems. this is a frequent occurrence and implies that there were problems with the manufacturing of these vehicles. as of right now, these frivolous repairs are costing freelander owners lots of money, and in the future, as these cars become a bit older, they will cost people lives. i urge you to please take corrective action and help in orchestrating a recall on this part. thank you, robert gleyzer *tr | |||
| 11/20/2007 | 71674 | 10 | 02/10/2007 |
| Own a 2003 land rover freelander se, vehicle looses coolant into engine then over heats. had head gaskets replaced at a cost of $1,700.00. vehicle still leaking coolant into engine. i did some investigation into this matter found a chat room on edmunds.com it seems it is a common problem with this vehicle, the cause of the coolant leak is a poor design of the engine. it seems that the cylinder sleeve shifts inside the engine and the coolant burns internally. land rover is well aware of this issue but does not want to replace engine. *tr | |||
| 09/27/2007 | 152000 | 1 | 04/02/2003 |
| Engine coolant disappearing into combustion chamber(s), engine overheating, due to engine sleeve. requires replacement engine, either new or remanufactured. *tr problem: there are no replacement engines, anywhere. vehicle has been in the lr dealership since 9/27/07. first estimate was repair by 10/5. then it became 10/22. now i'm told it might be months before a replacement engine is available. this is an intolerable situation which land rover pretends does not exist. it is affecting owners of this model all over the country and canada, which is part of the reason the engines are in short supply. the other part is because land rover made a huge mistake by selling the engine to a chinese mfg. company and now can't meet demands for replacing what is really a poor design with a new poorly designed engine. in my opinion, land rover should be buying these failed vehicles back if they can't be repaired. these are not old vehicles, and the owners have been abandoned by land rover. | |||
| 10/29/2007 | 79000 | 15 | |
| Numerous large repairs needed for a 2003 land rover freelander, current mileage approx 79,000 including: new engine oct 2007, new radiator june 2007, new fuel pump may 2007, new thermostat april 2007, internal electrical fault september 2006, cooling system september 2006, broken sway bar april 2006, right rear window replaced february 2006, child safety lock recall november 2005, brake switch failure november 2005, heater core leaking coolant november 2005, coolant bottle replaced november 2005, driver door replaced december 2004, windshield washer broken december 2004. *tr | |||
| 10/13/2007 | 34717 | 1 | 02/02/2004 |
| Complete engine failure on 10/13/2007 at just over 34,000 miles. two weeks prior car was serviced due check engine light on/car overheating. service dept. claimed due to fluid leakage and claimed it was repaired. even though car is under warranty land rover has declined to cover engine replacement. they want me to pay them over $6400 to replace engine. *jb | |||
| 10/15/2007 | 39000 | 1 | 05/08/2007 |
| (1) engine coolant level diminishing; coolant bottle replaced several times heater core also replaced (2) engine now needs to be replaced (3) land rover denies accountability and states they will provide engine with labor cost being extended to me! *tr | |||
| 02/24/2007 | 46100 | 1 | 09/29/2003 |
| Vehicle's engine had head gasket failure as so many have. this resulted in anti-freeze leaking into the oil. subsequently, the lower bearings failed and the engine needs to be replaced. land rover refused to honor the warranty which was still in effect. they claimed a lack of proper maintenance even though we had all the proper service records. this will cost $6700.00 to repair. land rover even addresses this issue in a memo to their dealers. the internal memo is # 0036. a lawsuit will be filed. it may be a class action as there are so many complaints for the same thing posted on the web. *jb | |||
| 09/21/2006 | 64000 | 4 | 08/01/2004 |
| Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle's engine cam bolt backed out causing the motor to blow. the service dealer determined the engine needed to be replaced. the contact expressed this was a vehicle defect and was looking for a recall. updated 10/17/2006 - the consumer experienced the second failure at 29000 miles, the third failure at 37000. a fourth failure at 49000. the final failure occurred at 64000 and the consumer was advised by land rover that the engine was blown and that a remanufactured on could be installed. *nm | |||
| 02/02/2006 | 58869 | 1 | |
| 2003 land rover freelander would not accelerate and lost power. vehicle wouldn't start. upon inspection mechanic determined the bolt that holds the upper cam started to back out. *kb the engine blew at 56869 miles. the dealer recommended that the consumer replace the entire engine. the vehicle was out of warranty therefore the consumer was going to be responsible for the repairs. *nm | |||
| 06/29/2006 | 0 | 1 | 12/17/2004 |
| My daughter was driving 65 mph when her vehicle lost all power and she pulled onto the shoulder. the vehicle was towed to an authorized service center where they found that the head gasket had failed. before this the vehicle was operating normally with only routine maintenance. *jb | |||
| 06/15/2003 | 1 | 06/13/2003 | |
| 2003 land rover freelander 1. defective engine 2.defective electrical system 3.defective sunroof. *jb 4.defective marker light 5.defective brake system | |||
| 11/24/2004 | 200 | 4 | |
| On 4 separate occasions vehicle stalled while driving. only on the first occasion the engine check light came on. dealership replaced the battery, and a part in the engine. however, problem still exists.*ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||
| 03/24/2008 | 66000 | 1 | 07/21/2005 |
| Like all other 2003 land rover freelanders it seems, mine has a blown head gasket, piston sleeve problems, and a potentially cracked head block, among other problems. this vehicle and its engine in particular has been a problem for almost everyone who has owned one. *tr | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM | |||
| 12/17/2009 | 97000 | ||
| I am having problem with the entire engine system. i spent $1000 repairing the timing belt, yet the timing belt persist with engine failure. mass airflow meter keep blowing up, i am bought 3 at $325 so far. i have spent another $2000 to get the engine fixed still no solutions. highlight keeps coming on every time i press the brake light. the car won't speed up check engine lights come on, srs light is on everything in this car is bad as a result make it real unsafe. please people try to do something for the people that drive this and hopefully get it off the market. | |||
| 05/10/2009 | 55000 | 1 | |
| 1. the head gasket fails allowing coolant to leak into the crank case, which at highway speeds the motor locks up., which can cause a serious accident 2. when the failure occurs the motor is destroyed, and there are thousands of people with these vehicles with defective motors and land rover refuses to do anything if out of warranty. but they are aware of the problem because the new freelander has a completely different motor design which shows that they were aware of this defect. we need your assistance im making this safety issue a national recall. 3. land rover totally refuses to do anything, they say take it to a land rover dealership, but it will be all at your expense. *tr | |||
| 12/28/2005 | 47415 | 1 | |
| Car stalled in busy intersection. speed limit 45. no, power, no brakes, wouldn't start. the check engine light came on. timing cover, cam gear came apart & damaged the heads and pistons. sublet oil cooler for clean & rod replaced motor. *tr | |||
| 04/18/2005 | 6 | 9 | 03/19/2003 |
| I have had the same problems with my freelander since the day they delviered it. the check engine, the service engine soon and the coolant/overheating warning. i have also had problems with brakes. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL | |||
| 04/18/2005 | 6 | 9 | 03/19/2003 |
| I have had the same problems with my freelander since the day they delviered it. the check engine, the service engine soon and the coolant/overheating warning. i have also had problems with brakes. | |||