Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
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).
Numerous times the engine of my Freelander loses compression and the vehicle will not travel at a speed faster than 5 MPH. The vehicle lurches and won't maintain a proper speed. The vehicle has been into the dealership several times. I have been told that they aren't sure what is wrong with it. Approximately 8 months ago the replaced the throttle body. The vehicle worked properly for 7 months. A month ago it happened again. This time I was on the expressway in between semi trucks. The vehicle lost speed and I could not tracel faster than 5 MPH. I was able to get the vehicle off to the side of the road. I let it coll down for 20 minutes. When I started the vehicle it was able to drive. I took it to the dealership and they said that they didn't know what the problem was. …
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. …
During the repair of our transmission, we began to get check engine lights. After the transmission was fixed, it was taken to the dealer for service. Upon driving to the dealer, the car had no power. This became very difficult to drive and dangerous. Trying to get up to the 65 MPH speed limit on a freeway took almost 2 miles. I was also worried the car would stall in traffic due to this condition. The car was serviced and it was determined that the mass airflow sensor and the variable intake motors 1 and 2 had failed. The variable intake motors had failed 15,000 miles /12 months before and were replaced during the long block replacement. After all repairs were completed the car was taken home. The next day the check engine light came on. The following day I scheduled an appointment. During the drive to the dealer, the same power problems were present. …
On two separate occasions, one days after my car was cleared for a second time by a Land Rover dealer. My car went into 'limited perfomance mode' while I was commuting to work....I was in the high speed lane and the middle lane and my car would not accelerate about 20 MPH. I had to call 911 on the second occasion as it happened because I was in the merge of 2 highways in the evening. My car also had downshifting problems where the downhill decent control would come on out of nowhere causing my car to buck forward and drop down to second gear. The dealership again said that is could not be duplicated 3 times before they finally found something and then it kept happening anyway. My transmission let go on the highway at just over 60K miles and then my engine lining shifted spewing oil only about 2 months after. …
We currently have a landrover Freelander that is on its third engine (within 1 year). We are continuously inconvenienced with this vehicle having issues that bring it back to the dealership they claim to fix the issue and within 3,000 miles we are back again like clockwork. Landrover does know about this issue, and we have a vehicle that we could never sell to anyone else, purchased an extended warranty on, and have absolutely no recourse with. I brought the car in last week for them to fix an issue, service engine light was on and I was inhaling coolant fumes; they stated that it was fixed, no sooner than 4 hours after I picked the car up on Friday afternoon, did the same check engine light go on and I currently am driving around inhaling fumes from coolant again. When do these issues get resolved. …
My 2002 landrover Freelander's engine failed at around 70,000 miles without any warning from the vehicles warning light system and just as the vehicle's original 5 year warranty ended. The dealers repair shop attributed the engine failure to overheating. Due to the manufacture discontinuing manufacturing this engine's the dealer had to locate a "rebuilt" engine as a replacement. The total cost of the "rebuilt engine and labor was an astounding $7,500.00. Due to the high incident of this particular engine failing and the manufacturer not making the engine any longer it took around 3 months to procure a replacement "rebuilt" engine and install it. Also, the sunroof motor and the rear passenger window motor both failed and had to be replaced at a cost of around $1,200.00. …
After several incidents with my 2002 Land Rover Freelander type s overheating, I took it to my local Land Rover dealer to find out the problem. The coolant was found to be low, and a discussion with the mechanic and the shop person indicated that their is no external leaks, and that the coolant May be leaking into the engine. I was told that the cylinders/heads are made of different materials, and that a gap May have formed there causing the coolant to leak into the engine. I was told that if the coolant continues to leak without any visible signs of external problems, the engine would need to be replaced. I have 57,500 original miles on this vehicle, and all required maintenance has been done. It is now out of manufactures warranty, and I do not have an extended warranty. …
I took my 2002 Land Rover Freelander into Land Rover to be service because my transmission was slipping and the check engine light was on. They said it wasn't the transmission but it was the upper intake manifold, the vacuum hoses, and sensor that was causing the problem. So we had them replace the manifold, hoses and sensors. The service manager keep narrating that it wasn't the transmission. We picked up the car the next day again the service manager assist it wasn't the transmission and the car is running perfectly. As soon as I went about 2 miles my transmission started slipping. I took the car back to Land Rover the next day irritated. The car spent 5 days at the shop trying to find out the problem. Which was indeed the transmission, they didn't offer to fix the transmission but to refund the money and put the old parts back in. …
Engine complaints in other Freelander years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2002 Land Rover Freelander?
NHTSA has 130 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2002 Land Rover Freelander, 58% of the model year's 226 complaints. The component named most often is engine (35 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 Land Rover Freelander engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling 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 engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 62,000 miles, and 7% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 2 fires and 3 injuries to engine & cooling 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.