2002 Land Rover Freelander Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Freelander years
- Far more complaints than other years 1st of 6 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 226 complaints with NHTSA about the 2002 Land Rover Freelander. That is the most of any Freelander model year in the database (6 years). The most reported problem area is engine and engine cooling (121 complaints, 54%), typically at around 61,034 miles. Complaints mention 4 crashes, 4 fires, 5 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 226owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 4complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2002 Land Rover Freelander problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 121 | 54% | 61,034 | “head gasket” (12%) | $8,850 |
| Power Train problems | 83 | 37% | 60,000 | “transmission went” (10%) | $8,000 |
| Visibility | 27 | 12% | 49,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 26 | 12% | 36,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 23 | 10% | 33,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 13 | 6% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 11 | 5% | 69,444 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 11 | 5% | 72,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 9 | 4% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 9 | 4% | 36,590 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 8 | 4% | 69,500 | — | — |
| Structure | 8 | 4% | 48,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 7 | 3% | 79,950 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 5 | 2% | 60,808 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 2 | 1% | 77,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 2 | 1% | 58,500 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 0% | 120,090 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 0% | 101,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 0% | 45,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 0% | 120,090 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 0% | 23,926 | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 0% | 93,400 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2002 Land Rover Freelander recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Exterior lighting:brake lights:switch
Problem: On certain sport utility vehicles, the brake lights may remain illuminated even when the brake pedal is not depressed. Hill descent control (hdc), traction control (tc) and cruise control warning lights may also be illuminated.
Risk: Failure to provide the proper signal when braking could lead to a crash without warning.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the brake lamp operation and where required, adjust and/or replace the brake light switches with new switches of the same design until a newly designed brake lamp switch is available in may 2007. Owners will then be re-notified to bring their vehicles in for the new brake light switch. An interim letter for the initial inspection was mailed on march 26, 2007. The second letter for replacement of the switches was mailed beginning july 30, 2007. Owners may contact land rover at 1-80-637-6837.
Latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch
Problem: On certain five door sport utility vehicles, it is possible to operate the interior door handle to open the door when the child safety lever is in the "on" position.
Risk: The occupant may open the door inadvertently while the vehicle is in motion and fall out into the traffic, personal injuries could occur.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the latch assembly. The recall began on september 8, 2005. Owners should contact land rover at 1-800-637-6837.
Structure:body:roof and pillars
Problem: Certain sport utility vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 201, "occupant protection in interior impact." during testing, the free motion head form registered a measurement marginally above the permitted 1000 head impact criteria. At the left and right hand a-pillar trim area.
Risk: In the event of a vehicle crash, personal injury to occupants may occur.
Fix: Dealers will replace the a-pillar trim with a revised component that enables the vehicle to fully meet the requirements of fmvss 201. The recall began on december 6, 2005. Owners should contact land rover at 1-800-637-6837.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Brake light switch failure (EA05016) — opened Oct 14, 2005, closed Feb 22, 2007, led to recall 07V041000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
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…
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 brake lights sometimes work and sometimes do not work (cited in 2 incidents by the police). All parts are fine (by check-up of a repair workshop), and no repair can be possibly done. Probably, the height of the brake lights above the ground is too low, so that it is sometimes too damp or wet…
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 land rover freelander. The contact stated that the engine overheated when the vehicle was turned on. The vehicle was taken to the mechanic for inspection who confirmed that the engine coolant was consuming prematurely and there was no evidence of a leak. The mechanic…
We were traveling about 35 mph when we had to make a sudden and hard stop as a car almost pulled out in front of us. The right front tire moved back about three inches and was rubbing against the tire well. The brakes were making a horrendous noise. We had to be towed to a repair shop. The right…
Other Land Rover Freelander years
← 2001 Freelander · 2003 Freelander →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 Freelander | 16 | 3 |
| 2004 Freelander | 69 | 3 |
| 2003 Freelander | 140 | 5 |
| 2002 | 226 | 3 |
| 2001 Freelander | 3 | 0 |
| 2000 Freelander | 1 | 0 |
See all Land Rover Freelander problems by year, every Land Rover model, or the Land Rover VIN decoder.
Similar Land Rover models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2002 Land Rover Freelander?
Owners most often report engine and engine cooling, power train, visibility problems. The top one, engine and engine cooling, accounts for 121 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2002 Land Rover Freelander?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2002 Land Rover Freelander a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Freelander model years, the 2002 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.