Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
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).
My sons 2002 Land Rover Freelander caught fire on September 29, 2010 at 4:00 am. The vehicle had been parked since 11:00 pm the previous evening. At 4:00 am my son heard his alarms in the car going off and rushed to see what was going on to find the interior of the car was on fire. He tried to slap the fire out with his hands and received 3rd degree burns due to this. He then ran inside and retrieved a fire extinguisher and put the fire out. The fire was contained, but the damage was so severe, the vehicle was declared a total loss. The fire started in the wiring system under the steering column. We do have a case open with Land Rover, but their representative stated this is only for their internal use and no compensation would be made. …
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 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. …
Bought a 2002 Land Rover Freelander used a little over a year ago with under 55,000 miles. Just got it back yesterday from the shop with an estimated repair cost of over $10000.00 and that is just in parts not labor. Did some research on the vehicle and come to find out others have had the same problems with less mileage on there vehicles and there have been absolutely no recalls on this vehicle that include any of these problems. The worst of which being the engine leaking antifreeze into the oil. This could cause the motor to overheat and seize and lock up. Who knows what kind of damage or what kind of accident this could have caused if this had happened to the vehicle when my wife was driving to work . We lucked out and discovered the problems before my wife, myself or anyone else got hurt. There are major problems with these vehicles and landrover should be held responsible.
The year is accurate,month and date are approximations started having problems with overheating and coolant leaks. Coolant wouldn't puddle under vehicle,though.but I could smell it sometimes with windows open. Then,one day it would not start. Towed it to Land Rover dealer and over the course of 3 days,they couldn't start it,either. Was told it needed a new engine.paid out $5800+.now,with 104,000 miles,it's losing coolant,again. They claimed the over flow container was leaking. Had it replaced. And it is still losing coolant.it is not puddling under the truck.I saw,online,where the Freelander has a possible engine defect,with cylinder sleeves and gasket problems.do I have any recourse with Land Rover? Or, could the lemon law come into effect? I,also,have experienced rear window and sunroof motor failures. I am retired. I cannot afford to replace another engine ! Thank you.
We own a 2002 Land Rover Freelander. It has been in the repair shop numerous times. While on a trip all of the warning lights on the dashboard lite up and the transmission became stuck in 4th gear. Because road side assistance could not direct us to an open dealership, we had to drive from buffalo ny to chicago il. Once back in the city, the dealership took the car and replaced the computer, which took more than two weeks. On the way home, the same problem occurred. We brought the car back and the dealership has had the vehicle for the past 26 days to replace the transmission. We went in to try and trade it in for a discovery and they only offered 14,000. We have tried to get corporate to buy back the car at our pay off amount and they have refused. We are currently exploring our options under the ucc and the magnuson-moss act for breach of warranty.
The engine/head gasket issue is the repair that is the most critical and terminal condition for the vehicle. The dealers mechanics will never fix the gasket, so they will only offer the engine replacement, but either repair will cost you more than the SUV is worth. And yes, the brake pads and then rotors wear out very quickly, because of the weight of the vehicle (the dealer says). I personally think it has more to do with the fact that there are 2 disc front brakes and 2 drum rear brakes on the vehicle, hence the wear and weight all goes to the front of the vehicle. Another poor design flaw issue, and I was told the drum brakes were there to better allow the off-roading. Yeah, who ever could off road these things, they fall apart on the driveway!
Have owned 2002 lr Freelander since May 2008, for around $9,000, have spent $4000 on repairs since. Transfer case went in the end of November, then the transmission died in the middle of January. The car was returned to me "fixed" early February but the transmission died again within 25 miles of the auto shop, luckily the work was under warranty, they found that an electrical issue was the true problem and returned it to me "fixed" again March 6, 2009, not even 20 miles this time and I'm getting the f4 signal, hdc warning, and the gears won't shift. I owe to much on the car to scrap it, but can't imagine wasting more money to have it sit in the shop for another couple of months (while im making payments on it) just to suffer the same fate.
Service history at plaza motors overview date issuerepairs date returned 6/7/06vehicle stalled, won't startbattery replaced6/8/2006 6/16/2006vehicle stalled, won't startreplaced ignition switch, key reader7/17/2006 8/15/2006vehicle stalled, won't start, intermittent startreplaced fuel pump8/18/2006 6/5/2007vehicle stalled, won't startsecured started wire6/6/2007 6/7/2007vehicle stalled, won't start, intermittent startreplaced immobilizer 2 times8/20/2007 11/16/2007vehicle won't acceleratereplaced intake manifold, engine, heater core3/5/2008 5/16/2008vehicle won't acceleratewant to replace entire transmission5/19/2008 notes: Freelander was purchased on June 3, 2006. Freelander broke down 3 days after purchased.
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.
Electrical complaints in other Freelander years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2002 Land Rover Freelander?
NHTSA has 26 complaints about the electrical system of the 2002 Land Rover Freelander, 12% of the model year's 226 complaints. The component named most often is ignition › switch (3 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 Land Rover Freelander electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system 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 electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 36,000 miles, and 16% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 2 fires and 2 injuries to electrical system 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.