2002 Land Rover Freelander Driver assistance Problems

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 2 TAIL LIGHTS GIVE A WRONG IMPRESSION TO ANY DRIVERS BEHIND THIS CAR, AND LET THOSE DRIVERS MISUNDERSTAND THE TAIL LIGHTS TO BE THE BRAKE LIGHTS (EVEN THE 2 POLICE OFFICERS MISUNDERSTOOD IN THE 2 INCIDENTS). THIS WILL CAUSE COLLISION IN REALITY. *TR

NHTSA ID

10561427

Incident

Jan 16, 2014

Mileage

120,090 mi

I BEGAN ACCELERATING ON A VIADOCK (BRIDGE) WHEN I FELT A SNAP UNDERNEATH ME, AS I REACHED THE PEAK OF THE BRIGDE, THE CAR STALLED OUT AND I BEGAN DESCENDING ON THE BRIDGE WITH MY 2 DAUGHTERS IN THE CAR. IT COMPLETELY STOPPED BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO REACH THE BOTTOM OF THE BRIDGE, WHICH PUT ME IN HARMS WAY OF TRAFFIC COMING OVER THE HILL. I IMMEDIATELY HIT MY HAZARDS AND PRAYED EVERYONE WOULD SEE ME BEFORE REAR ENDING ME. I WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR TOWED. THEN I FOUND OUT IT MY TIMING BELT BROKE; CAUSING MY ENGINE TO SHUT DOWN. TOTAL COST TO FIX WILL BE $4000. I RESEARCHED THIS MAKE AND MODEL AND FOUND THAT HUNDREDS OF OTHER PEOPLE HAVE REPORTED SIMILAR ISSUES. THERE SEEMS TO BE A LOT OF ISSUES WITH THIS PARTICULAR MAKE/MODEL/YEAR. THE REVIEWS ON HOW LAND ROVER HAS BEEN HANDLING THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE ARE MIXED WITH SOME SAYING THEY RECTIFIED THE PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY AND OTHERS SAYING THEY WOULD NOT EVEN RESPOND TO THEIR COMPLAINTS. I AM NERVOUS TO SEE HOW THEY HANDLE MINE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10466964

Incident

Jul 20, 2012

Mileage

103,000 mi

FOR NO APPARENT REASON, THE VEHICLE WILL SUDDENLY LUNGE FORWARD WHILE AT A STOP. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES SINCE I HAVE OWNED THE VEHICLE OVER THE LAST 3 WEEKS. THE FIRST TIME, IT DID SO WHILE STOPPED, WAITING FOR ANOTHER VEHICLE TO PASS BEFORE ENTERING THE ROADWAY. SUDDENLY, WITHOUT WARNING, THE VEHICLE LUNGED IN FRONT OF THE ONCOMING CAR, AND I COULDN'T STOP IT, NOT MATTER HOW MUCH BRAKE PRESSURE I APPLIED. I ENDED UP HAVING TO RELEASE THE BRAKE AND DRIVE ACROSS THE ROAD TO AVOID IMPACT WITH THE OTHER VEHICLE, CRASHING MY VEHICLE INTO SOME BUSHES. I VERIFIED THERE WAS NO CONTACT BETWEEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND CARPET OR MAT. THE SECOND TIME, I SLOWED COMING INTO A ROUND ABOUT, WAITING FOR ANOTHER VEHICLE TO PASS. AS THE VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD, IT WAS ON A COLLISION COURSE WITH THE CAR RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME IN THE CIRCLE, BUT HAVING HAD THE FIRST ACCIDENT, I INSTINCTIVELY PRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AS HARD AS I COULD, AND REACHED OVER AND DISENGAGED THE TRANSMISSION FROM DRIVE INTO NEUTRAL, AVOIDING THE ACCIDENT. THE VEHICLE REVVED TO OVER 4000 RPM BEFORE TAPPING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL TO BRING IT BACK DOWN TO NORMAL SPEED. THIS HAPPENED ONE MORE TIME WITH NO OTHER VEHICLE AROUND. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10297877

Incident

Dec 24, 2009

Mileage

79,950 mi

I HAVE A 2002 LAND ROVER FREELANDER. THE CAR IS MORE TROUBLE THAN ITS WORTH. FROM THE TRUCK NOT STARTING, WINDOWS ROLLING UP AND DOWN WHEN THEY FEEL LIKE IT, ENGINE COOLANT LEAKING, INTAKE MANIFOLD PROBLEMS, MISDIAGNOSED FROM LANDROVER, THE LOCKS DON'T WORK. THE CAR BASICALLY STARTS WHEN IT WANTS TO, IT DOESN'T NEED A NEW STARTER, OR SPARK PLUGS OR AN ALTERNATOR. WHEN DRIVING THE CAR WONT ACCELERATE AS A CAR SHOULD IT RIDES BUMPY AS IF THE ENGINE IS ABOUT TO DROP OUT. LAND ROVER WONT HELP WITH ANYTHING BECAUSE THEY SAY THAT THE COMPANY WHO MADE THE ENGINES FOR THE TRUCK WENT OUT OF BUSINESS. MANY PEOPLE COMPLAIN ABOUT THIS TRUCK. WHEN I TOOK THE CAR TO LAND ROVER TO SEE WHAT THE TICKING NOISE UNDER THE HOOD WAS THEY CHARGED ME 200 FOR A DIAGNOSTIC AND DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM WRONG. THE MAJOR PROBLEMS ARE THE WINDOWS ROLLING DOWN, THAT'S A SAFETY HAZARD WHEN YOU HAVE PEOPLE IN THE CAR AND HAVE THE WINDOW LOCK ON YET THE WINDOW STILL ROLLS DOWN. THE COOLANT LEAKING BECAUSE ONCE A LAND ROVER ENGINE OVERHEATS YOU HAVE TO REPLACE THE WHOLE ENGINE. THE LOCKS DON'T WORK MEANING YOU CANT LOCK THE VEHICLE ALSO A SAFETY HAZARD AND THE CAR DOESN'T ACCELERATE PAST 30 MPH SOMETIMES AND ITS NOT THE TRANSMISSION. *TR

NHTSA ID

10255369

Incident

Dec 28, 2008

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! *TR

NHTSA ID

10227995

Incident

Dec 9, 2007

Mileage

45,000 mi

HEATER DOESN'T PROVIDE POWERFUL HEAT AND RIGHT FOOT GETS SO HOT AND LEFT FOOT FREEZES WHILE DRIVING. CAR SHAKES AND RUMBLES OFTEN, SOUNDING LIKE THERE IS NO OIL. HAD SEVERE WATER LEAK FROM MISSING SEALS AROUND REAR CARGO DOOR. SEALS, HEADLINER AND RUG HAD TO BE REPLACED. GAS CAP CAN ONLY BE REMOVED WITH KEY IN IT. IF KEY IS REMOVED WHILE GAS CAP IS OFF, MAKES FOR EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TIME TO REPLACE (ABOUT 5-10 MINUTES TO WORK THE KEY BACK IN). DASHBOARD LIGHTS COME ON FREQUENTLY TO WARN OF A FAILURE WHEN THERE IS NO SUCH FAILURE. ENGINE DOESN'T START ON FIRST TRY A LOT OF TIMES. ONCE DRIVING FOR A WHILE THEN PARKING FOR, CAR SOMETIMES DOESN'T START ON FIRST TRY. SHIFTING IS DIFFICULT, RPMS REV PRETTY HIGH. CAR HAS LURCHED FORWARD WHEN SPEED DECREASES (I.E. GOING DOWN HILL). *CB

NHTSA ID

10054258

Incident

May 18, 2003

I PURCHASED MY 2002 LANDROVER IN AUG 02. SINCE THEN IT HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR OVER 30 DAYS FOR REPAIR WORK TO THE STEREO, SUNROOF, THROTTLE ASSEMBY, TRANCTION CONTROL WARNING LIGHT, PASSENGER WINDOW BREAKING, ETC. HOWEVER, I WAS MOST DISTURBED TO LEARN THAT LANDROVER IS "FINDING" OUT, AS QUOTED BY TWO DEALERSHIPS, THAT THE BREAKS NEED TO BE REPLACED EVERY 12000 MILES BECASUE THE VEHICLE IS TOO HEAVY FOR THE PADS USED DURING MANUFACTURING. LANDROVER NORTH AMERICA HAS PROVIDED NO RELIEF IN THIS MATTER AND MAINTAINS THAT IT IS MY PERSONAL DRIVING HABITS THAT ARE RESPONSIBLE AND THIS IS A NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR ITEM. I HAVE OWNED SEVERAL OTHER SUVS AND HAVE NEVER HAD TO REPLACE BREAKS EVEN UP TO 70,000 MILES DRIVING ON MOUTAIN ROADS. I BELIEVE LANDROVER NA HAS A PERSONNEL RESPONSIBILITY TO DISCLOSE THE ADDITIONAL COST OF $300 THAT EACH CUSTOMER HAS TO PAY EVERY 12K MILES FOR BREAK IN ADDITION TO THE $350 THEY HAVE TO PAY FOR THEIR SCHEDULED SERVICE EVERY 12K MILES. I DOUBT THEY WOULD SELL ANOTHER VEHICLE. EVEN THE SERVICE MANAGER AT THE DEALERSHIP THAT SERVICES MY CAR ADMITTED HE WOULDN'T BY ONE EITHER.

NHTSA ID

10031157

Incident

Jul 27, 2003

AT 2MPH APPROACHING PARKING SPACE CAR LURCHED FORWARD OVER CURB AND HEADED RIGHT AT BUILDING. MY FOOT WAS NOT IN CONTACT WITH THE ACCELERATOR WHEN THIS HAPPENED. FORTUNATELY, NO ONE WAS ON THE SIDEWALK AND I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE CAR TWO FEET IN FRONT OF. *AK

NHTSA ID

761850

Incident

Apr 28, 2002