Problems with 2002 Land Rover Freelander POWER TRAIN

Transmission failed, in reverse and then in drive. *tr

Our well-maintained 2002 freelander had engine and transmission failure within 6 months of reaching 50,000 miles. in both cases the failures occurred during highway driving with no warning lights or indications of problems. in both cases the loss of power/control posed a serious health hazard to everyone in the car. one of these events occurred immediately following service and safety check by the dealer. this care is so badly designed that is a driving hazard and should be recalled in its entirety. the very extensive information on major failures without warning attest to the dangers that this vehicle is imposing on the public on a daily basis. *tr

Land rover freelander hse 2002: at 70,000 miles, transmission halts, seizing, rapid rpm jumps; less than one month later, the transmission completely died. inoperable car towed and transmission rebuilt at private shop. five miles from shop after pickup, car seized and died. now, an additional repair of the "transfer case," which we were told caused the transmission failure. now, service engine soon light on; battery keeps dying. rapid depreciation, frequent repairs of brakes, brake pads, headlights, etc. complained to manufacturer 2/23/2007. car inoperable as of this date. don't know what to do -- owe more than it's worth, cannot get full nada/kbb trade in value...frustrated and disappointed. and out of money. *jb

Our 2002 landrover was purchased used and the mileage started at 3,500. it was a show room car. when the mileage reached mid 40,000 miles the check engine light came on. we heard strange noises coming from engine , and the car had trouble accelerating. we brought it to the dealer, and made it so that the check engine light went away. however, the car still did not accelerate well, making it difficult to drive on freeway. after a while, the light came on again. we brought the car to dealer again, and once more they worked on it, but the results were similar. when we passed the 50,000 mileage mark the car started to fall apart rapidly. the transmission went out, the rear door didn't open from outside, the sun roof broke, and the starter also broke. this all happened very fast. when we went to dealer, they said we were no longer covered under the warranty, even though we bought the car at 3,500 miles to start with. so we thought that we would be covered until 53,500. therefore, we had to pay for all the repairs ourselves, and the transmission alone cost us $5000 to repair. we are worried that the car will continue to break down the longer we have it and we don't know what to do.*ak

Freelander 2002 has had many defects. the transmission failed at approx. 50k miles & was replaced. power windows failed. a/c hose cracked & repaired. manifold replaced. exterior brake lights have been replaced. electrical power to passenger door lock system have been replaced. now, at 70k miles the coolant leaking and engine knocking. not worth replacing engine at this point. this car has cost more to repair than what is was worth. it should be recalled as a lemon & law suit against land rover. *tr

During the repair of our transmission, we began to get check engine lights. after the transmission was fixed, it was taken to the dealer for service. upon driving to the dealer, the car had no power. this became very difficult to drive and dangerous. trying to get up to the 65 mph speed limit on a freeway took almost 2 miles. i was also worried the car would stall in traffic due to this condition. the car was serviced and it was determined that the mass airflow sensor and the variable intake motors 1 and 2 had failed. the variable intake motors had failed 15,000 miles /12 months before and were replaced during the long block replacement. after all repairs were completed the car was taken home. the next day the check engine light came on. the following day i scheduled an appointment. during the drive to the dealer, the same power problems were present. this made driving this car dangerous in that there was no way to know if it would accelerate. the dealer then determined that the air intake manifold gasket had cracked. this too was a new part from the long block repair 15,000 miles /12 months prior. right now this repair is being performed. the land rover dealer acknowledges that these car should not be owned without any type of warranty due to the numerous problems. *jb

Transmission went out in busy intersection, i was stranded 100 miles from my house. 1 month later cam shaft seal burst while driving. 2 months later engine completely blew while driving. *tr

While driving on highways and inclines i noticed my truck engine slipping and losing speed...when the decent indicator light came on, i looked into the manual only to find that the manual shows that particular control - but states nothing about the transmission- it says my problem is the brakes. i took my truck to the brake shop and yes my brakes were in need of its set of 2nd rotors. so i had that fixed. on my way to work a few nights afterwards, i was driving up a hill when my truck died. transmission dead. my 2002 land rover freelander's has only 69,000 miles on it. it is in need of rotors, a back window regulator and a transmission. i have already had overheating problems over and over again. this truck has been in the shop more than i have driven it. headlight issues, brakes, water pump, temp gauge, engine problems, radiator and a few recalls. : (. *nm

Transmission started slipping. needs new transmission. *nm

Transmission broke at 50,050 miles. needed full replacement. *tr

While driving down the street, the transmission seemed to slip. i scheduled a service appointment with the dealer whom stated that the car could still be used. as time went by, the failure became worse, up to the point that you could not depend on the transmission to work safely. we decided to park the car and wait for the day of service. the car was taken in and the transmission was deemed to have failed. the torque converter and all gear clutches had failed. the transmission was replaced. the repair shop did admit that land rover was aware of defective units, but did not make this public. the repair house was supposed to confirm off the old transmission that it was from the bad set and this was the case. our transmission was replaced. *jb

I have 2002 landrover freelander 4x4 v6. the transmission has went out on it. it has 50,000 miles on it. i took it to the landrover dealership and they said i needed a new transmission and new rails and tracks on the sunroof. the powerlocks are also messed up. *tr

I purchased a new 2002 freelander from land rover fort worth (tx) in january of 2002. while under warranty the car had numerous problems. my warranty expired in february of 2006 (4 years), but due to my low mileage 32,000 miles, i did not purchase an extended warranty. since february 2006, i have replaced the brakes for the 3rd time ($1000), had the engine overheat due to a faulty temp gauge which in turn blew the intake gasket ($1500), replaced the heater core again (pd. for by dealership), and am now faced with replacing the entire transmission ($5000). my transmission trouble began in early august 2006, when the car began to jerk and shudder unexpectedly. i immediately took the car into the dealership to check out the issue. they replaced the transmission temp sensor and said the care was fixed. i picked up the "fixed" car and 4 hours later the dangerous jumping/shuddering happened again. while attempting to drive the car back to the dealership, the problem grew worse and several warning lights lit up on the dash. i pulled over and the car was then flatbedded to the dealership. the next diagnosis was that an electronic computer chip (ecc) for the transmission needed to be replaced. the part was ordered and installed - but this did not fix the problem. the dealership now states that the entire transmission needs to be replaced for $5000. the car currently has 37,000 miles (highway and city miles only - no off-roading) and has been serviced on time and only at lr dealerships for routine maintenance. i find this entire situation unacceptable. *jb

2002 land rover freelander. transmission failed at 45,000 miles. catastrophic engine failure at 55,000 miles. vehicles stopped dead in the middle of rush hour traffic. mechanics at the land rover dealership said that 100% of the freelander model had the same transmission & engine failures. *tr

My 2002 land rover freelander has experienced sluggish acceleration to a jolt and dowshifts on its own at freeway speed. about 2 weeks after buying it used i took it to a local repair shop and they said i needed a new transmission, had it towed back to the dealer and they said it didn't. needless to say they wouldn't replace it. it has a overheating problem which is continuous. the engine sounds like it has no oil in it, even after an oil change i have to check it to make sure because the noise is so loud. the hdc light comes on and the vehicle seems to drive in an almost 4wheel low at all times. there was antifreeze in my oil. this vehicle has major problems!!!!!!!! *tr

I bought this vehicle used (landrover freelander) just over a year ago in early 2007. at the time it had just under 40,000 miles on it and within the first week of having it the sunroof malfunctioned and broke. i contacted the dealer and they referred me to my extended warranty that i had purchased. after going round and round with the dealership and the folks at the lr dealership we got it resolved to the tune of $1,200.00. since then the vehicle has had numerous visits to the lr dealership to be repaired (fuel pump, front end, transmission, etc...). at this point i am considering driving the vehicle until it can run no more and then just letting the bank take it back. i have no choice because he lr dealership basically said the vehicle is junk, even though it looks great and is in great condition for a 2002. what's going on with the sale of these freelanders is nothing less than fraud by landrover and the car dealerships that choose to sell these models used. even if you buy a extended warranty as i did, no one told me i should have had it at the dealership every day and pushing the lr dealership to go through the car with a fine tooth comb to make sure every item is in working order, before the extended warranty runs out. i believe that land rover knows that the freelander has serious issues & at this point they are merely using it as a means to drive revenue sales at their service departments throughout the world. please help, this problem has reached epidemic proportions. will it take a death(s) due to a malfunctioning part(s) on these vehicles before someone takes land rover to task on this lemon of a vehicle. i have three small children and i am scared to death for them to ride with me in this vehicle, but it is our only vehicle and we have no choice. please someone hold land rover accountable for duping the american public. this is similar to the adjustable rate mortgage scam that has put a strangle hold on customers throughout the country. *tr

This is about transmission failure for 2002 landrover/freelander. keeping the car in best shape and maintaining on schedule, still the transmission went bad with less than 40,000 mileage. car warranty is for 50k or 4 years. unfortunately, the warranty was up in january 2006. engine has special noise and car is coming apart. window does not roll up and down, rear seat got stuck and wouldn't get its position. one problem after another, but the main one is the transmission. *jb

On two separate occasions, one days after my car was cleared for a second time by a land rover dealer. my car went into 'limited perfomance mode' while i was commuting to work....i was in the high speed lane and the middle lane and my car would not accelerate about 20 mph. i had to call 911 on the second occasion as it happened because i was in the merge of 2 highways in the evening. my car also had downshifting problems where the downhill decent control would come on out of nowhere causing my car to buck forward and drop down to second gear. the dealership again said that is could not be duplicated 3 times before they finally found something and then it kept happening anyway. my transmission let go on the highway at just over 60k miles and then my engine lining shifted spewing oil only about 2 months after. the dealerships are well aware of the poor quality of these vehicles and yet, they sell and re-sell them to the unsuspecting consumers. i have a lawyer and will be suing lr for everything i can, including lost wages, emotional and physical distress, and anything else that can be tied into my two year nightmare. i strongly suggest you get these vehicles off the road before someone gets killed. thank you *tr

Engine coolant, transmission failure overheated, leaking fluids. dealership replaced transmission when vehicle overheated. paid 2500 for a new transmission then dealer indicated that this vehicle needed more servicing unrelated to the transmission for another 3000.00. dealer was negligent when fixing transmission and caused further damage. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 65 mph the vehicle shifted from fifth gear to neutral without warning and the reverse failed when attempting to park. the vehicle was towed to a local independent repair shop. they replaced the automatic transmission. the manufacturer was alerted.

I purchased a new 2002 land rover freelander from land rover new orleans (paretti) on august 19, 2002. since that time, the vehicle has had continuous problems. the power steering, transmission, transfer case (2), ird unit (2), front drive shaft, manifold chamber and other items have been replaced and the brake pads (2) have had to be changed. the vehicle only has 35,498 miles. after reviewing edmunds.com and other consumer resource sites, it appears that the problems that i encountered have also been encountered by others purchasing this vehicle. i have had 23 warranty claims on this vehicle and land rover north america, inc., as of january 2005, has paid in excess of $11,994.55 for repairs on a vehicle that had a purchase price of $30,603.77. the aforementioned amount does not include the costs of replacing the transfer case, ird unit, front drive shaft and manifold chamber in april 2005 or the replacement of the sun roof assembly in june 2005. neither the local land rover dealer nor land rover north america, inc. have been cooperative in dealing with me on this issue. *jb

I bought a 2002 land rover freelander as a 2nd owner of the vehicle from a local car dealership. since the purchase of the vehicle, i replaced a sunroof, a transmission, the brakes require constant replacement (more often than should be necessary), a passenger door window motor and the engine has been replaced once and now has blown again - i am unable to have this engine replaced #1 there are no more engines as the landrover dealer only made this defective model 1 year and there have been so many engines replaced by other owners that there are no other engines available. even if there were any engines i would not pay $10,000 to have another "defective" engine placed in this vehicle. there are over 1400 messages on the edmond forum.com outlining other peoples similar complaints. this defective vehicle has caused countless people's credit to be ruined, and financial hardship to untold families. i wonder why nothing has been done already with all the complaints that have been filed. landrover needs to reimburse these owners the money they have spent - such as myself on repairs, constantly in the shop and having to pay for rental vehicles. the local dealer was rude and had absolutely no sympathy and actually told me after bringing my vehicle in to them over and over that "he will be glad when my husband and i get out from under this vehicle" and admitted that this vehicle had been a problem for them. but... the dealer wouldn't even offer us a free oil change for all of our hardships. it is a shame. i hope eventually something is done before this company "bellies up" and files bankruptcy and all of these families that have been ruined will have no recourse for their financial woes as a result of this horrible situation. please help any way you can! *tr

The consumer was traveling 20 miles per hour when all of a sudden without warning the vehicle stalled. the consumer took the vehicle to the dealer for an inspection and after 3 times of testing, results showed that the transmission needed to be replaced. *jb

At 40000 miles the vehicle started to become unstable because of a "wobble" on the front wheels. it was determined that the drivetrain bearings were bad. my wife had trouble controlling the vehicle and i immediatly had it in for service. *ak

My 2002 land rover freelander left my family and i stranded on the highway twice and both events were very costly. i own the vehicle 16 months. the first break down occurred in hartford, al when the vehicle was towed back to the nearest dealer jax, fl 300 plus miles. a battery cable was replaced. the vehicle reached 48,000 miles when i made a formal complaint of engine noise and requested the dealership (mantheny jaguar and land rover) perform the appropriate services to include noting any problems considering the warranty expired at 50000 mil. after 50000 the vehicle literally began to break down mechanically. one noted cost of several was the replacement of the transmission at a cost of $4800.00 to repair. i believe any vehicle that has a major break down of this nature, the amercian consumers have a right to know. the free lander is costly and performs poorly stacked up against american made products. *ak

2002 land rover freelander has problems with faulty cam sensor, faulty sunroof, transmission and battery.*mr the battery and struts were replaced. the driver's side window would not close or open easily, so the dealer replaced the regulator. the vehicle overheated. the engine light illuminated and different componets were replaced to try and rectify the problem. *jb

2002 landrover freelander tranmission failure. *ak

When applying brakes at normal conditions abs light came on intermittently, and there was extended stopping distance. dealer stated braking system was defective but they could do nothing about it. also, automatic transmission failed. *ak

We own a 2002 land rover freelander. it has been in the repair shop numerous times. while on a trip all of the warning lights on the dashboard lite up and the transmission became stuck in 4th gear. because road side assistance could not direct us to an open dealership, we had to drive from buffalo ny to chicago il. once back in the city, the dealership took the car and replaced the computer, which took more than two weeks. on the way home, the same problem occurred. we brought the car back and the dealership has had the vehicle for the past 26 days to replace the transmission. we went in to try and trade it in for a discovery and they only offered 14,000. we have tried to get corporate to buy back the car at our pay off amount and they have refused. we are currently exploring our options under the ucc and the magnuson-moss act for breach of warranty.*ak

The car was purchased new in 2002. with only 23,000 miles, the vehicle has been out of service for 43 days with catastrophic mechanical failures, including: 21 days for a new wiring harness; 3 days for a new gearshift assembly and 8 days for a new transmission and ecu and front brakes. additionally, the vehicle has been in the shop 8 times for warranty repairs; and brakes. the vehicle is currently in the shop where it was been for the last 11 days with the dealer once again trying to resolve warning light and transmission issue. i have had problems with the vehicle shifting to lower gears by itself at freeway speeds. in addition all of the on-board failure lights coming on and stay on routinely. the car continues to be plagued by electrical/mechanical problems. after every visit the dealer i am assured the problem has been fixed by both the dealer and land rover customer service; only to find myself bringing the vehicle back literally days later with the exact same problem. within 8 months of purchasing the new vehicle, it required three separate visits to the dealer for a total of 15 maintenance problems, but the purchasing dealer could not fix any of these problems. in june 2002, i brought the vehicle to another dealer with identical maintenance problems. though the car continues to have hard shifting and failure lights. in october 2003, i started caring a digital camera in the vehicle so that i could document the problems. *la

Many problems. 1st. thermostat failure before 200 mile mark. replaced. coolant leaks. heater replaced, leaking coolant. engine sound like a diesel truck, never told what it was. sunroof broke 3 times. transmission replaced twice. steering column was not bolted correctly, steering wheel always off center. coolant still leaks... *tr

2002 freelander se transmission problems at 90,000 miles. *tr