Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2002 Land Rover Freelander owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The car was purchased new in 2002. With only 23,000 miles, the vehicle has been out of service for 43 days with catastrophic mechanical failures, including: 21 days for a new wiring harness; 3 days for a new gearshift assembly and 8 days for a new transmission and ECU and front brakes. Additionally, the vehicle has been in the shop 8 times for warranty repairs; and brakes. The vehicle is currently in the shop where it was been for the last 11 days with the dealer once again trying to resolve warning light and transmission issue. I have had problems with the vehicle shifting to lower gears by itself at freeway speeds. In addition all of the on-board failure lights coming on and stay on routinely. The car continues to be plagued by electrical/mechanical problems. …
I purchased a new 2002 Freelander from Land Rover fort worth (tx) in January of 2002. While under warranty the car had numerous problems. My warranty expired in February of 2006 (4 years), but due to my low mileage 32,000 miles, I did not purchase an extended warranty. Since February 2006, I have replaced the brakes for the 3rd time ($1000), had the engine overheat due to a faulty temp gauge which in turn blew the intake gasket ($1500), replaced the heater core again (pd. For by dealership), and am now faced with replacing the entire transmission ($5000). My transmission trouble began in early August 2006, when the car began to jerk and shudder unexpectedly. I immediately took the car into the dealership to check out the issue. They replaced the transmission temp sensor and said the care was fixed. …
I purchased this SUV with only 14,000 on it with the remaining factory warranty. At 21,000 the SUV engine left me stranded on the interstate 2 hours from home. It had to be towed. Land Rover fixed it, $13,000 they found metal shavings in the engine at 21,000 miles. The warranty covered the engine, but they charged me $80 for an oil change~ you have to put new oil in a new engine~~but they made me pay for the oil! They navigation system screen went black and keeps going off, they said the warranty would pay for it, never heard back and the warranty is out last month. They fixed a recall on the carb the last oil change. The brakes ground down to the rotors, had to replace them at 20,000. New engine left me stranded in another state with my little girl in the middle of no where with no cell service. Needed towed again. …
In October of 2002 my husband and I purchased a 2002 Freelander from landrover north dade of florida. The car was in the showroom with minimal miles. Within three(3) days of purchase we returned the car because it shook violently after reaching a speed of 50 MPH. I must admit the dealership advised us of some type of malfunction and offered us an exact replacement Freelander. At that point we should have asked for a refund of our cash payment and left landrover alone. It has been a completely expensive nightmare diving this lemon with its myriad of problems: repeated overheating, loss of power without warning (often times resulting in close call situations, replaced brakes and rotor (lost count), not to mention an air conditioner unit that only works on full power(imagine that in florida). At present, the vehicle is at an authorized landrover repair shop because the warranty has ended. …
I purchased a new 2002 Land Rover Freelander from Land Rover new orleans (paretti) on August 19, 2002. Since that time, the vehicle has had continuous problems. The power steering, transmission, transfer case (2), ird unit (2), front drive shaft, manifold chamber and other items have been replaced and the brake pads (2) have had to be changed. The vehicle only has 35,498 miles. After reviewing edmunds.com and other consumer resource sites, it appears that the problems that I encountered have also been encountered by others purchasing this vehicle. I have had 23 warranty claims on this vehicle and Land Rover north America, inc., as of January 2005, has paid in excess of $11,994.55 for repairs on a vehicle that had a purchase price of $30,603.77. …
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 (after snow or rain) for the brake lights to work properly. When they dry up, they work again. Next, the 2 brake lights are on the 2 corners of the bumper, and the central brake light is high on the tailgate. Theoretically, the 3 brake lights give warning enough when the car stops. However, there are 2 tail lights are high on the fenders (the 2 sides of the car's tailgate), relatively far away from the 2 brake lights on the bumper. …
The 2002 Freelander s I own has very poor brakes. At 12000 miles or so I took the vehicle in for some other problems and was told the brakes had to be replaced. I want to note that Land Rover compensated me for the cost of the brake pads because there were other front end problems. Today I took my Freelander in and the dealership gave me an identical 2003 Freelander. The brakes were somewhat better and the Freelander had 11000 miles. I am hoping the dealership can fix this problem. I also have had several instances where the car lurched forward on its own. I thought it was my driving until I saw other entries on this site. One other item is that my 2002 Freelander A/C blower is very loud. I noticed that the 2003 Freelander I am driving today the blower is somewhat normal. …
Land Rover Freelander hse 2002: at 70,000 miles, transmission halts, seizing, rapid RPM jumps; less than one month later, the transmission completely died. Inoperable car towed and transmission rebuilt at private shop. Five miles from shop after pickup, car seized and died. Now, an additional repair of the "transfer case," which we were told caused the transmission failure. Now, service engine soon light on; battery keeps dying. Rapid depreciation, frequent repairs of brakes, brake pads, headlights, etc. Complained to manufacturer 2/23/2007. Car inoperable as of this date. Don't know what to do -- owe more than it's worth, cannot get full nada/kbb trade in value...frustrated and disappointed. And out of money.
I own a 2002 Freelander with less the 18,000 miles. Brake pads went from good to grinding metal in one day with no signs. I bought extended warranty for $3,000. Since the truck has under 50,000 miles Land Rover will not cover. What kind of service is this. Road side assistance did a great job picking up my truck but I was informed that my local Land Rover has no cars for loaners due to another facility closing in eden prairie minnesota. So here I sit with no wheels. If this is not going to be repaired under any of my warranties you will see a lawsuit brought against Land Rover. Look at the complaints on this truck for brakes, these are factory defects. You should not have to replace brakes and rotors every 10,000 miles.
I have 2002 landrover Freelander with less than 35000 miles. I have transmission failure, repeated brake problems, cooling system problems, window and door operator problems, to include the lock on the driver side not been able to be opened with the remote. The hesitate when accelerating up hills. I have had to ship the car back to the states for repair. I am not happy with what I thought was my dream car. The company is not helpful. The dealership that repaired my car was very abrupt when they dealt with me. Something needs to be done about this problem vehicle. Too many complaints without any remedy.
Brake complaints in other Freelander years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2002 Land Rover Freelander?
NHTSA has 25 complaints about the brakes of the 2002 Land Rover Freelander, 11% of the model year's 226 complaints. The component named most often is foundation components › disc › rotor (5 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 Land Rover Freelander brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 2002 Land Rover Freelander, though it has 3 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2002 Land Rover Freelander brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 34,000 miles, and 45% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 1 fire and 0 injuries to brakes problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.