10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
48,760 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2003 Land Rover Freelander drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

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2003 Land Rover Freelander Owner Comments

problem #8

Nov 102003

Freelander 6-cyl

  • 350 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

1.coolant system:strong antifreeze odor in vehicle cabin - replaced coolant reservoir;replaced coolant reservoir cap; thermostat housing failure; replaced all coolant lines and hoses as preventative measure; heater core failure - leaked anti freeze into heater chamber 2.transmission system (1 of 3): Code F4 appeared on odometer; hill decent fault light illuminated; traction control light illuminated; brake anti block light illuminated; transmission (while in automatic D) will not downshift past 2. transmission will not upshift beyond 3; manually shifting down to 1, transmission experiences harsh shifting accompanied by loud clunking sound shifting from 1 to 2; will not manually shift beyond 3. 3.intake manifold and induction system: Vehicle reverted to creep' mode and would not travel beyond 5 mph; towed vehicle to residence; discovered intake manifold butterfly valves were disconnected from actuation rod - replaced intake manifold 4.fuel system:vehicle lost all power while traveling at high speed on freeway - replaced fuel pump 5.sunroof, windows, and doors: Sunroof will not close replace sunroof actuation mechanism 3 times; power window regulator fail on: Left front (2 times); right front; left rear; right rear (3 times); rear door (2 times): 5.warning and caution system: Check engine light illuminates then extinguishes, then illuminates and stays illuminated (multiple repeat discrepancy and ongoing): Purchased obdm II code scanner/reader: Most common fault left #2 bank too lean; misfire detected on #2 or #1 spark plug - replaced all 6 spark coils; ' discrepancy not corrected; could not determine cause of lean condition possible ECM flash.

- Sacramento, CA, USA

problem #7

May 162011

Freelander 6-cyl

  • 88,000 miles
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 vehicle out of traffic, I popped the hood to find the material on the lower side of the hood on fire. Upon 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 vehicle 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 catalytic 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 totaled 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 vehicles off the road, before someone is even less lucky then I.

- Oak Harbor , WA, USA

problem #6

Aug 242011

Freelander

  • 98,000 miles
The contact owns a 2003 Land Rover Freelander. The contact was driving approximately 35 mph when the transmission began to jerk violently. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the shift solenoid sensor was replaced. The mechanic also detected the transmission intake valves were damaged. In addition, the rear passenger automatic window regulator failed to operate and the sun roof motor exhibited faulty wiring. The vehicle had not been repaired for the additional defects. The manufacturer was made aware of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 98,000.

- Urbana , OH, USA

problem #5

Sep 012011

Freelander 6-cyl

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I just purchased this vehicle for my daughter 16th birthday. Nightmare. The rear window passengers regulator went out cost to be over $300. The transmission has a hard shift bang from 2nd to third gear. I took it to a transmission shop. They want to rebuild it at a cost of $4000. Estimate was to replace cracked high clutch piston & or valve body leaks. Labor would be over 20 hours worth of work. I am stuck with no vehicle for my daughter who is upset that she can't enjoy her first car. What a shame. Very disappointed. I thought landrover was reliable like BMW. Apparently not.

- Rockford, MI, USA

problem #4

Jul 012007

Freelander

  • 45,000 miles
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.

- Los Angeles, CA, USA

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problem #3

Jan 022006

Freelander

  • 25,731 miles
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.

- Santa Rosa, CA, USA

problem #2

Jan 152008

Freelander

  • 85,000 miles
Flapping sound constantly coming from engine that requires complete replacement of the intake manifold to repair. Transmission is slipping, shifting hard and vibrating heavily under acceleration. Tail light went out and turn signal switch needed to be replaced. Window regulators have gone out and needed to be replaced in passenger, behind driver's door and rear cargo areas.

- Reno, NV, USA

problem #1

Sep 052007

Freelander

  • 48,000 miles
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 !!

- Beaverton , OR, USA

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