Problems · by component

2002 Land Rover Freelander power train problems

83 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2002 Land Rover Freelander cite power train, 37% of all 226 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
83
37% of all complaints
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the power train

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“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
“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
“A CAR MADE TO BREAK DOWN ON YOU. I BOUGHT A LANDROVER FREELANDER 2002 AND BARELY DROVE IT...IT HAD BEEN A LEASED VEHICLE AND WAS WELL TAKEN CARE OF...HOWEVER...IT BROKE DOWN AS SOON AS I GOT IT. FIRST IT WAS A COOLANT PROBLEM, IT OVERHEATED WHILE I WAS DRIVING IT HOME FROM WORK. I LIVE 5 MILES FROM WORK. THE FIRST YEAR I BOUGHT THE CAR I PUT LESS THAN 1000 MILES ON IT AND HAD ALREADY BROUGHT IT IN AT LEAST 3 TIMES FOR PROBLEMS. THE FIRST WAS THE COOLANT, AND THEN I BROUGHT IT IN A FEW TIMES SINCE IT CONSTANTLY HAD THIS FEELING AS IF THE BREAKS WERE BEING APPLIED. IT HAS A HILL DECENT BUTTON THAT WOULD COME ON AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS PART OF THE PROBLEM, BUT IT STILL DID IT REGARDLESS. IT'S AS IF THE BREAKS WERE ON AND WERE STUCK. AND EVERY TIME I BROUGHT IT TO LANDROVER THEY SAID THEY COULDN'T FIND A PROBLEM....OF COURSE NOT. AND THEN I HAD IT IN THERE AND THEY SAID THEY HAD A BUNCH OF "STRANGE" CODES POP UP THEY HADN'T SEEN BEFORE SO THEY JUST "WIPED" THEM AS THE MAN SAID. ??? HE DIDN'T BOTHER TO FIGURE OUT WHY??? NOW...MY CAR HAS BEEN SITTING FOR ALMOST 3 YEARS SINCE I COULDN'T AFFORD TO FIX THE BROKEN TRANSMISSION. I HAVE A TOTAL OF 55350 MILES ON IT..BOUGHT…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 7, 2011Power trainODI 10410894
“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”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 29, 2010Engine and engine cooling, Power train, Latches/locks/linkagesODI 10373264
“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 LAND ROVER FREELANDER. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND AS THE VEHICLE SHIFTED GEARS, THE CONTACT HEARD A NOISE. SHE THEN NOTED A PROBLEM SHIFTING GEARS. THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT ILLUMINATED ALONG WITH AN F4 LIGHT. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN INSPECTED OR REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 50,008.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 27, 2010Power trainODI 10372493
“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

Showing 6 of 83 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 13, 2026NHTSA vehicle page

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