Ask the Car People.SM


Freelander problems are infinite

145 messages,  Last post on Mar 22, 2013 at 2:01 PM

You are in the Land Rover Forum.

What is this discussion about? Land Rover Freelander

Messages Page 4 of 15

#28 of 145 2004 Freelander coolant problems by sripley

Feb 02, 2009 (5:47 pm)

Replying to: cwoolner (Feb 02, 2009 5:15 pm)
Yes, all Freelander models from 2002-2005 (year was discontinued) have the same design-flawed engine (specifically the Series K engine which I researched and found primary components were manufactured in China). If your coolant leakage is found inside the engine it is absolutely the Head Gasket Failure widely reported. If the leakage is attributed to a cracked hose or visible drip/coolant evidence on the ground, could be non-gasket related.
 
I would recommend trading in or unloading the vehicle no matter what, the problem cannot be repaired and the dealer service department will only say engine replacement (for which there are no replacement engines available and all refurbished engines will have the same defect).
 
Save every dollar you can towards purchase of a different vehicle, Freelanders are doomed for inevitable failure and it is extremely unfortunate Land Rover is not more liable for the travesty it sold so many SUV buyers. Do not waste money on trying to repair the problem or dealer tactics to extract money from you in a purposeless effort, you should use every cent towards the next vehicle.
 
Good Luck.

#29 of 145 Re: 2004 Freelander coolant problems [sripley] by cwoolner

Feb 03, 2009 (12:34 pm)

Replying to: sripley (Feb 02, 2009 5:47 pm)
Thank you!
 
I was told today that it was the thermostat that was bad... $500 bill with a suggested coolant flush bringing the total bill to $630. They did the pressurized test and found no leaks. I'm going to have it fixed seeing as I can't trade it in with them knowing there's a problem and then actively look for another vehicle. It's too bad because I really do love the Landy! It's the perfect size and I love the AWD which isn't easy to find in an SUV.
 
It definitely sounds like this means it's on the way out and only a matter of time...

#30 of 145 Fuel Pump Recall by mpw3

Feb 23, 2009 (1:59 pm)

I took my 2004 freelander hse in for a parking light issue and was told there is a recall on the fuel pump. Apparently the recall is very hush hush because I never received a notification from land rover and can find any mention of it anywhere.

#31 of 145 The checklist of freelander problems by driver68

Mar 09, 2009 (4:46 pm)

I need some help, someone had posted an idea about getting together some kind of list in regards to the freelander & the problems, we the owners have had. So I just kind of threw this together & Im definitely open for ideas. You can copy and paste and add whatever you think will make it simple, for us to fill out. Also, I need input on whom we should send this too. Im not sure if this will help or if anyone is interested in the idea. I just turned my 03 flander over to the bank. My credit is ruined & I still owe $8000.00. I am without a vehicle as of now and unsure of what is going to happen in the near future. Read over it & let me know what you think.
Thanks
C
  
Dear Freelander owner, please take a few minutes to fill out this questionnaire. In an effort to compile evidence based on owning a freelander and your experience.
  
What year did you purchase your Freelander
  
What year was your Freelander
  
Did you purchase your Freelander from a Land Rover dealership?
  
If you did Purchase your Freelander from a Land Rover dealership what was the location?
  
How many miles were on your Freelander, at the time of purchase?
  
Did you lease your Freelander?
  
What was the purchase price on your freelander?
  
Was your Freelander under the original factory warranty, when purchased?
  
Who financed you Freelander?
  
PROBLEMS MILEAGE COVERED
                                                                    BY
                                                                  WARRANTY
  
Timing belt
Brakes
Transmission
head gasket
coolant leaking
brake light
head light
brake light switch
  
Did you purchase an extended warranty thru another company?
  
If yes, which comapny.
  
Did you contact land Rover North America
  
Number of times your vehicle was taken to the LR dealership, due to engine light coming on?
  
Do you have documented proof of the times your car was at the dealership?
  
Did they fix the problem on the first visit?
  
If not how many visits?
  
Did you contact the NHTSA?
  
Did you replace the engine in your Freelander?
  
If yes, what was the mileage?
  
what was the dollar amount quoted to you to repair the engine?
  
Was your Freelander under original factory Warranty?
  
How long did you have to wait for an engine?
  
Did they provide you with a rental car?

#32 of 145 hello new here so be kind by ventana

Apr 16, 2009 (10:14 am)

hi i have a 2002 freelander s.
yup i bought one .
now i have the freelander transmission problem the F4 from hell.
and i have been studing all these manuals and i have got my parts on order,but first i'm going to explain why the replacement of these transmissions is a huge waste of time.
first the transmission as a whole has a alot good points and the faults with them are small.
9 outta 10 times the f4 error is nothing more then a simple replacement of the 9 solennoids in the trans valve body.
the cost of the for a , b and c with a case of 12 one liter bottles lrn402 texaco fluid with O-rings comes to $421.54 cad cause i'm from canada, and these parts can be orderd from any landrover dealer.i will list part numbers the end of this post along with the names of the jatco service repair manuals and updates.
this job takes 4 hours to complete and thats with the brake and timing solenoids aswell.
the total cost for this with all 9 solennoids is about $850 cad there is no need to pay 3000 to 5000 to replace or repair this transaxle unit what so ever.
if your not a do it your selfer buy the parts and take them to a transmission repair center and the cost with labor shouldn't be over 1200. still alot better then 3000 to 5000 for a rebuilt that could still have this problem.
if that dosen't fix your problem
and in very rare cares the tranny needs to be replace ,but befor the last resort step check and make sure that the * tcu * (timming control unit) isn't faulty.
 sometimes if your lucky it's just the solenoid wire harness inside the valve body 2 hour job and can be done right in your drive way. cost for part 55.37 and can be gotten from any LR dealer.
the cost for this type of repair is with the lrn402 atf (thats a case of 12. trust me buy the case and your next fluid service will alot cheaper )is 244.25 befor tax.
land rover can not do tranny repairs because there techs are not trained to do them .
thats why the just pull and replace only...
but jatco who makes this transaxle unit has said that the problems with the returns more than 80% are this solenoid problem.
i myself have done this repair on many 2002 s se hse and 2003 s se hse ,jag ,vw golf, mazda 6 and mpv and it's always the solenoid or wire harness.
don't be fooled buy the fancy gibberish spouted buy unwise landrover techs they have not clue about this transaxle cause land rover did build it in the first place.
this list is the parts number of the commen solenoids that fail including the price from the landrover dealer.
 
1.tht500010 (shift a solenoid price 67.26
 
2.tht500030 (shift b solenoid price 36.70
 
3.tht500020 (shift c solenoid price 68.66
 
4.tht500040 (2nd & 4th brake timming solenoid price 68.25
 
5.tht500050 (2nd & 4th brake duty solenoid price 89.97
 
6.cal500050 (O-ring price 2.82
 
7.cal500060 (O-ring sealed 8.73
 
8.lrn02 (tranny fluid price 15.74 x 12 = 188.88
 
these prices are in canadian and the part numbers from landrover
 there is a fluid control solenoid too but out of all the jatco JF506HB transaxle unit i have repaired i never found a bad one .
 the service manual i use for my repairs is the ATSG techtran maunal wich is for the
JF506e (thats the name of your transmission)thats found in the vw golf, jag x type ,landrover freelander ,mazda 6 and mpv.
 
IMPORTANT NOTE:
 
 if you choose to got at this your self the only solenoids that will work in a freelander transaxle are either for the freelander or the jaguar....mazda 6 and mpv and vw golf parts WILL NOT WORK IN THE FREELANDER...
 
i will be watching the forum and if anyone here has any questions
i would be happy to awnser them..
i hope this help ease the pain of freelander ownership and stops people from spending money on replacement transmissions.
 
my next post will be about the cost of timming belts,cam belts and idler pullers how to and how much my cost vs the dealer cost. and how much the rip off really is and i will also talk abit about the fun of head gasket replacment cost and dealer ripp offs.
 
Don't get taken! learn how to fix your vehicles yourself. you will save alot of money in the long run.
it's just a car and it dosen't hate you

#33 of 145 Re: 2004 Freelander coolant problems common? [cwoolner] by shamfam

Apr 16, 2009 (1:29 pm)

Replying to: cwoolner (Feb 02, 2009 5:15 pm)
I have an 05 Freelander and have all the same problems. The car is a heaping pile and needs to be burned and pushed off a cliff. That's just my opinion. I'm going through arbitration with it on the 30th. I'm sure I will post will my results.

#34 of 145 Re: 2004 Freelander coolant problems common? [shamfam] by ventana

Apr 16, 2009 (8:12 pm)

Replying to: shamfam (Apr 16, 2009 1:29 pm)
did you read my post or just the first few lines?

#35 of 145 Re: 2002 Land Rover Nightmare Again! [martman99] by cwoolner

Apr 28, 2009 (12:52 pm)

Replying to: martman99 (Jan 25, 2008 3:03 am)
That's correct. Mine is in the shop currently for diagnosis... was told more than likely a head gasket problem but could not fully determine that until the engine is ripped apart. It could be something worse but they won't know...until the engine is torn apart. Well then what do I do if it's worse - pay them to rip it apart and put it back together again, with nothing resolved? The estimate for me was $1937 which includes 10 hours of labor $117/hour. Also mentioned was the heater core leaking... which goes hand in hand with the head gaskets so I would need to get that fixed too unless I want the same thing to go wrong again. I've been trying to save up money for a down payment so I can get rid of this POS but looks like that will be going towards fixing it first. I can't trade it in with the problems it has...

#36 of 145 Re: 2002 Freelander Severe Nightmare!!! [teriw] by sicntired

Apr 28, 2009 (5:16 pm)

Replying to: teriw (Aug 21, 2008 3:58 pm)
Hi,
I was just informed by Mr. Gutman the attorney handling the class action lawsuit, that he had talked to the Ford attorney and they were willing to give me $3000. I refused. I had an 03 freelander SE, still under original warranty, had to replace the engine at 32,000 miles. LR states it was customer neglect. I had all of the paper work stating that I had the proper oil changes. My FL sat at the LR dealership for 9 months and then they found a rebuilt engine. During this time I was driving a rental car, SUV which was supposedly covered under the warranty. When all was said and done LR charged me $7000 for a rebuilt engine. I paid my car note & insurance for my car to sit on thier lot. They also refused to pay the rental car bill and my credit card was charged $6,000. I'm going to fight this to the bitter end, I have nothing to lose. I turned the car back into the bank last month. My credit is ruined & I don't have a vehicle. If you or anyone can help me please let me know. I am in the process of writing a formal complaint letter to Ford. So any input would help.
Thanks

#37 of 145 Re: 2004 Freelander coolant problems common? [ventana] by shamfam

Apr 29, 2009 (9:50 am)

Replying to: ventana (Apr 16, 2009 8:12 pm)
I did read your entire post. That is great that you have gone above and beyond to take care of your freelander. My husband and I have done the same. My husband is a contractor and does all the work himself on his equipment along with his work truck and our cars. In my opinion, I think this car will always have the problems it does no matter who or where the parts are coming from. I'm just very unsatisified with it. I did however love the car just not the problems that came along with it.

Messages Page 4 of 15

To POST a message, please Sign In.

Advertisement

Browse by Category

Browse by Vehicle
   View All Vehicles

Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
View All Topics

Edmunds Community

Advertisement