Problems · NHTSA complaints

2002 Land Rover Freelander problems

Owners filed 226 complaints about the 2002 Land Rover Freelander with NHTSA between Mar 2002 and Apr 2015. The most-cited component is engine and engine cooling (121).

Complaints
226
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
4
Reported by owners
Fires
4
Reported by owners
Injuries
5
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Engine and engine cooling121
  2. Power train83
  3. Visibility27
  4. Electrical system26
  5. Service brakes, hydraulic23
  6. Equipment18
  7. Exterior lighting13
  8. Latches/locks/linkages11
  9. Engine9
  10. Steering9
  11. Fuel system, gasoline8
  12. Structure8
  13. Vehicle speed control7
  14. Air bags2

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 30, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
200211
200311
20049
200516
200618
200732
200869
200925
201017
20114
20125
20136
20142
20151

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Engine and engine cooling

121 reports2 fires
“I PURCHASED THIS CAR LESS THAN A YEAR AGO. TIME FOR INSPECTION AND CAR HAS MANY PROBLEMS LOOKED ON LINE AT COMPLAINTS AND I AM SICK TO SEE WHAT I AM IN FOR WITH THIS CAR. ITS IS SUCKING UP COOLANT,(BAD SIGN), HEAD GASKET ,OIL IN COOLANT, ENGINE FAILURE. WHY WAS I ALLOWED TO BUY THIS CAR? DO WE HAVE CONSUMER PROTECTION? I PURCHASE CAR FROM DEALER THAT SOLD 85% LAND ROVERS. DO YOU THINK THEY NEW WHAT I WAS IN FOR? YES!. YOU SHOULDN'T ALLOW CARS TO BE SOLD IN AMERICA IF THERE IS NO ACTUAL FIX FOR THE CAR. I READ THAT ENGINE REPLACEMENT IS BAD AS ORIGINAL. WILL SOMEONE BUY THIS CAR? I WOULDN'T WANT TO BE SHADY AND TELL SOMEONE THIS IS A GOOD CAR. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 5, 2013Engine and engine cooling, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 10501435

Power train

83 reports
“I JUST PURCHASED THE VEHICLE FROM A GENTLEMAN. HE HAD PURCHASED THE VEHICLE TWO YEARS AGO AT 88,000 MILES, AND STARTED HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE TRANSMISSION ABOUT TWO MONTHS AGO. ABOUT THREE WEEKS AGO THE GENTLEMAN HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO HIS SERVICE CENTER WHO THEN NOTIFIED HIM THAT HIS TRANSMISSION NEEDS REPLACING. I HAVE BOUGHT THE VEHICLE AND PLAN TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. IT DOES SEEM A BIT EARLY FOR A TWO OWNER VEHICLE AT 110,000 TO NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION. IT WAS WELL CARED FOR NOT ABUSED. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 25, 2015Power trainODI 10712817

Visibility

27 reports1 fire
“ENGINE ISSUES. REPLACED VACUUM HOSE TO 6TH CYLINDER. ALSO, THE TIMING BELT IS MAKING NOISE AND THE MECHANIC HAS ADVISED I WILL NEED A NEW ENGINE. THE CAR ONLY HAS 68,850 MILES. ALSO, HAVE REPAIRED THE BRAKES ON FIVE OCCASIONS AND THEY STILL SQUEAK. HAD TO REPAIR THE WINDOW REGULATOR. THE SRS LIGHT AND ENGINE SERVICE LIGHT IS ON. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 2, 2010Engine and engine cooling, Exterior lighting, Visibility, Air bags, Service brakes, electricODI 10315905

Electrical system

26 reports1 crash2 fires
“WHAT IS TO SAY THAT HAS NOT ALREADY BEEN SAID ABOUT THIS NIGHTMARE! I HAVE REPLACED EVERYTHING ON THIS CAR: POWER STEERING SYSTEM, ENGINE MANIFOLD, COOLANT RESERVOIR, WATER PUMP, RADIATOR, BRAKES 2X, CAMSHAFT AND CRANKSHAFT SENSOR, CRANKSHAFT PULLEY, TIMING BELT, AND NOW I AM LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE THE SAME TRANSMISSION FAILURE HAPPENING THAT EVERYONE ELSE WHO OWNS THIS JUNK EXPERIENCES. THIS IS NOT TO MENTION THAT THE SUNROOF DOES NOT WORK, THE PASSENGER DOOR LOCK, AND 3 OF THE 5 POWER WINDOWS DO NOT WORK EITHER. IN THE LAST YEAR ALONE I HAVE PUT MORE THAN $3000+ INTO THIS THING, AND THAT IS BUT A FRACTION OF TOTAL I HAVE PUT INTO IT DURING OWNERSHIP..AND THE BLUE BOOK VALUE IS LESS THAN $5000 AT BEST! WORDS CANNOT EXPRESS HOW ANGRY IT MAKES ME, AND HOW PATHETIC IT IS OF LAND ROVER TO KNOWINGLY IGNORE THE PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS VEHICLE AND THE SUFFERING THAT OWNERS OF IT HAVE TO ENDURE. THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM ALONE SHOULD HAVE A MANDATORY RECALL FORCED ON LAND ROVER TO FIX FOR ALL FREELANDERS, AND THAT SHOULD JUST BE THE BEGINNING! I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW MANY LAND ROVER TECHNICIANS HAVE BLATANTLY TOLD ME THAT LR KNOWS THESE ARE A MONEY PIT NIGHTMARE FULL…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 9, 2014Power train, Electrical system, EngineODI 10663023

Service brakes, hydraulic

23 reports1 fire
“1 NUMEROUS PROBLEMS OVER SEVERAL YEARS, INCLUDING (BUT NOT LIMITED TO) SUDDEN LOSS OF COOLANT AND OIL. AND YESTERDAY, A STRONG SMELL OF HOT OIL, AND SUDDEN SQUEALING FROM RIGHT, FRONT WHEEL. 2 COMPLETE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. VEHICLE IS NO LONGER DRIVABLE. 3 CONTACTED LANDROVER. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 15, 2010Service brakes, hydraulic, Engine and engine cooling, Power train, Latches/locks/linkagesODI 10365663

Equipment

18 reports1 fire
“I TOOK MY 2002 LAND ROVER FREELANDER INTO LAND ROVER TO BE SERVICE BECAUSE MY TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON. THEY SAID IT WASN'T THE TRANSMISSION BUT IT WAS THE UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD, THE VACUUM HOSES, AND SENSOR THAT WAS CAUSING THE PROBLEM. SO WE HAD THEM REPLACE THE MANIFOLD, HOSES AND SENSORS. THE SERVICE MANAGER KEEP NARRATING THAT IT WASN'T THE TRANSMISSION. WE PICKED UP THE CAR THE NEXT DAY AGAIN THE SERVICE MANAGER ASSIST IT WASN'T THE TRANSMISSION AND THE CAR IS RUNNING PERFECTLY. AS SOON AS I WENT ABOUT 2 MILES MY TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING. I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO LAND ROVER THE NEXT DAY IRRITATED. THE CAR SPENT 5 DAYS AT THE SHOP TRYING TO FIND OUT THE PROBLEM. WHICH WAS INDEED THE TRANSMISSION, THEY DIDN'T OFFER TO FIX THE TRANSMISSION BUT TO REFUND THE MONEY AND PUT THE OLD PARTS BACK IN. WHICH WE AGREE TO UNLESS THEY GUARANTEE IT WOULD BE IN THE SAME CONDITION. IT WAS MAKING MORE NOISE THEN BEFORE, 2 WEEKS LATER THE TIMING BELT BROKE. THIS CAR IS A LEMON. ITS DOESN'T MAKE SINCE HOW THE ENGINE, THE TIMING BELT, THE TRANSMISSION, AND THE UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD ALL FELL AT ONCE. THE CAR IS NOT RUNNING AND STUCK IN MY DRIVE WAY. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 30, 2010Engine and engine cooling, Power train, Latches/locks/linkages, EquipmentODI 10328210
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 30, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.