I have owned my Freelander 2.0ltr TD4 for 12 months. This is a family car that can take just about anything that a familiy can throw at it. This is the best SUV that I have driven when it comes to reliability and overall performance. No problems so far, (except for servicing costs at LR main agents) just having completed 14K. Engine is robust and reliable and you feel confident that it will pull you out of any terrain when needed. Fuel economy is excellent and I use it for work, domestic and off-road activities. This is a comfortable SUV to drive and both my partner and young boy feel safe and comfortable when travelling as passengers. Steering is responsive and overall quality is good. I can honestly say I have had no problems with this vehicle since I purchased it from new. I feel for the guy's who have had nothing but problems with their Landy's which I put down to the 1.8 engine manufacturing fault and Land Rover should re-imburse these people without issue. LR will reap the benefits of this with customer loyalty. I will be keeping my SUV for at least another four years and if all goes the way it has been then I will invest in either the new Freelander 2 or the Discovery 3. I will keep you all up to date with my experiences of owning this excellent all round work horse.
The Freelander isn't a bad car, you just need to chose the right model. All these posts have a common theme and it relates to the petrol based K-Series engines, which have a well-known fault: they blow up!
At the risk of repeating advice already given: BUY THE TD4 DIESEL!
You will get a stronger more reliable engine, better fuel consumption and superior residual values.
I would urge all people who read this page to avoid buying a freelander nasty nasty nasty ,why are they so expensive ?The build quality is rubbish.I have a Wreg 1.8 XEI soon to be traded in at available car for a sum of £2000 cost me £6000 a year ago.But I just cant trust it.Door mirrror dropped of,the alarm triggers its self and keeps stranding me locking me outside the car,hill decent faulty,brakes poor,deafening road noise.tail gate glass dropped on the motorway with two dogs in the rear !!!! Shall I go on .Now its started to loose coolant and the dreaded white sludge is in the oil.Hope it lasts the week ! till i get my nice new reliable vauxuall.
I purchased my Freelander new in 2000, 2 months ago hydraulics for the clutch blew, it was towed in to Land Rover where I purchased it for repairs. The next day I received a quote for AUS$4,000plus parts and $2,000plus labour. The list include Headgasket, Clutch Kit, IRD Unit and a few other things. The car have only done 52,000kms, never gone off road should not have these problems. Land Rover Australia won't help me, they said it was because the age of my car. I have always had my service there, but that didn't matter. So if anyone still owns a LR I would suggest having your service elsewhere once your warranty expires. I simply cannot afford the repairs, so I had it towed back to my house until I can decide what to do with it.
Try threatening the dealer with legal action. The Sale of Goods Act states that a good must be sold "fit for purpose" and "of merchantable quality". These dealers know what they're selling and they keep getting away with it. They must be rubbing their hands in glee every time they get rid of one of these beasts! It's criminal. If you have no luck with the legal avenue, just try to sell it on as soon as possible. I'm pretty sure it will only be a matter of time before NO-ONE will touch a 1.8. Quit while you're ahead! Good luck and keep us posted...
bought a freelander (Wreg, fsh, 53K miles)for my wife 3 months ago...wish I read all your comments first. Cylinder head just blown this PM. Dealer wants nothing to do with it...anyone any advise...
Have just received my new freelander 1.8 petrol in March 2006. Great start! 3 particles of grit on roof- painted over, plus severe staining of paint also on roof. Lousy dealer response, so contacted Landrover. Their solution is a complete roof respray on a 2 week old car. Why was this not spotted at factory or by dealer? Tried to get dealer to take back car, their response was unrepeatable. Also numerous little problems, including radio which also has to be replaced. My advice. Do not buy this car, it is rubbish, Inspectors at Solihull must all have guide dogs.
Are the last two readers mad?! Have yo you read the other reviews? On you head be it if you end up in the same predicament as everyone else...!
These cars are not worth the risk. I, and I'm sure the vast majority of other Freelander owners, wouldn't touch another one with a barge pole! Once bitten, twice shy.
Have an L series Diesel freelander which has been totally reliable over 6 years and 75,000 miles. Some niggling faults early on were fixed under warranty. I use the car for towing and have off roaded. Brilliant in both respects. Not the most refined or comfortable of cars but it does what is says on the can efficiently (37mpg) with servicing and spares and tyres about the same as a medium saloon. Suspect the problem is with the petrol versions. Will be looking at a TD4 for my next car.
purchased freelander td4 new 2001.@13000miles clutch failed,replaced under warranty landrover customer care excellent.Vehicle lr. serviced first 3 yrs,now do my own maintenance,lr dealer too expensive for work done on a new vehicle am of the opiniom that whilst vehicle is less than 3 yrs.with exception to major failures,a basic oil & filter change is expensive.I carry out my maintenance to a haines manual.have now developed a fault at 64000 miles engine runs fine but on a incline will not pull in 4 th gear,will change fuel filter hoping this will cure this.if this does not solve fault have no option but send to dealer for electric diagnostic checks. I would like to say that this vehicle up till now has given me excellent reliability,if this problem is cured would have no hesitation in buying the new model due in October this year may i add the vehicle is not used off road have just renewed all tyres rear at 64000 miles front at 30000 miles,electric door mechanism at 50000 must add the drive system is very poor,also wiper motor bearing driver side repaired,still keen to buy
I owned this vehicle for 4 months. I drove it two thousand miles. The head gasket is gone. The IRD drive is gone and cost me £1200 to fix. Don't buy this car.
Final up-date... I've got rid of my Freelander!!!! I finally found a garage that agreed to take it off my hands and I've traded it in for the princely sum of £2,700 - the new engine cost more than that! Anyway, I now have a lovely, brand new, sporty Renault Clio. I couldn't be more happy or relieved! Some poor, unsuspecting fool will think they've got a bargain when they buy my old heap of junk at auction, but in reality, the clutch is on the floor and exhaust pipe has a huge hole in it! If you are reading this, DO NOT BUY a green, 1.8 petrol Freelander, S reg. It could be my old one, and trust me, it will NOT be a bargain! Good riddance to absolute rubbish! Happy motoring everyone!
P.S. Against all my advice, my friend recently bought a brand new Freelander (not sure of the model) and it has just been returned to him after having the cluth repaired. No matter how high spec or how new these cars are, the same problems continue to crop up. Are you listening, Landrover?!!
We had the car for the last 21months , head gasket was changed after 29000miles and new engine fitted,nearly year on the same problem has occured its booked in for Monday . I am totally stressed out about the outcome of the inspection but I was very naive buying a car with such a serious reputation , BE WARNED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Up-date...I still haven't managed to part exchange my 1.8 XEi Freelander BACK to the second hand car dealer I originally bought the thing from. They don't seem overly happy to take it back - I wonder why? I have since trawelled around a number of second hand car dealers, hoping to swap the car with something more reliable, but most of them won't touch the car with a barge pole, although one did offer me £1000 to scrap it! I have emailed Watchdog and will be following this up. In fact, the kids at my school are right behind me, especially one boy who won a successful campign against 'iPod' through Watchdog! I will be following his advice closely... There's power in numbers. Please do the same. To the reader who offered thier advice on changing the engine at 20-30k... I would never have bought a car which I thought would need a new engine after such a short amount of time. I would have told the dealer where to stick it! However, you are right that Landrover continue to let their customers down over this issue and that they do not seem to possess any kind of business ethics. Steer clear, everyone! Rosie
I stumbled across this thread while searching for something else, and thought I would add a comment (please excuse me if someone else has already said this - or if it's common knowledge!) but...
The problem is not the Freelander itself, it's the 1.8 model's engine. They use a Rover (now powertrain, I think) manufactured engine which actually is brilliant...except for one problem. The head gasket is substandard and unless you change it before it 'gives', you get the engine blow out that several of you have mentioned. Ridiculously, you need to get the head gasket changed within the first 20 or 30,000 miles, then you will be fine for the remained of the engine's life - and these engines really do go on and on and on and on...
I know none of this is any help to all those already affected, but the issue for me is, why, when they know there's a problem with the head gasket, did they not advise owners to change them?
Purchased brand new 1.8i in March 2000 fromTaunton Land Rover dealership, has been serviced annually by same dealer ever since. Previous problem was power steering 'going' but problem that has left me incandescent with rage is engine failure after only 52,500 miles. Needless to say Land Rover Customer Care are uninterested in my complaint. This car has never travelled up mountains, down valleys or across deserts and puts a new slant on its 'off road' image as unless I now pay £3,200 for a new engine it will be permanently off road. How can Land Rover get away with this? This (as I have now read from the string of messages) is a common problem. I see that a previous member has mailed Watchdog, I will follow - prehaps everyone with the same issue could do the same and maybe with enough pressure, Land Rover will have to concede their position. Please, please mail Watchdog.
I bought a 1.8 petrol Freelander ('99 S reg) from Car Craft in the West Midlands in August 2004. I had had it for 6 months and by then, was a dab hand at getting it started by climbing into the engine and wiggling the lead to the starter motor around! Then, at 60k, the head gaskett went and practically 'melted' the rest of the engine. When replacing the engine (at a cost of £2,500) it was discovered that the lead from the engine to the thermometer display unit on the dash board had been severed and that the head gaskett had previously been "extensively skimmed". Had someone known something that I didn't when I bought the damn thing...?! As well as the engine 'blowing up' and amongst various other problems, the relay starter has been replaced, the clutch has gone and now the exhaust needs work. In 14 months, I have spent nearly £4000 on the thing. Car Craft do not accept liability even though they sold it to me with the afore-mentioned anomolies. Landrover don't want to know at all. "Fit for purpose"? "Of merhcantable quality"? I don't think so! A rip off, more likely! Am due to attempt a part exchange with Car Craft soon - that's all they'll offer me, so watch this space.... NEVER BUY FREELANDER!!!!!! (unless you're loaded and have a lot of free time on your hands!)
I wish I had never heard of the Landrover freelander it is a pile of junk. Two engines, two full clutch management systems, two starter motors, condensation problems no clock where do you want to stop
I had a very poor experience of the 1.8 Freelander Serengeti Freelander, as well. The head gasket issue got me repeatedly, too, as did an axle snapping despite never going off road.
What astounded me most, though, was the appallingly snotty attitude towards its customers that I encountered from both the dealer, Guy Salmon of Coventry, and the manufacturer itself which seemed to be mostly along the lines of 'We gotcha money and we ain't doing anything else'). Indeed the franchise MD seemed to think most of my problems would go away if I just bought another car from him!
And would anyone be surprised to learn that Landrover is a member of the Institute for Customer Services (See http://www.instituteofcustomerservice.com) who are committed to the promotion of excellent customer service?
Bought a 52 Freelander 1.8S Petrol new, cylinder head failed at 27K and clutch went at 35K. Nightmare car. Drive shaft failed also. Performance is not responsive, the Freelander is too heavy for the small 1.8S block.
Part exchanged for a Honda which is proving to be far more reliable.
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