2004 Land Rover Freelander

ON JUNE 16, 2005, THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) OPENED A PRELIMINARY EVALUATION (PE05-034) TO INVESTIGATE ALLEGED STOP LAMP (BRAKE) SWITCH FAILURES IN CERTAIN MODEL YEAR (MY) 2004 LAND ROVER DISCOVERY SERIES II VEHICLES.ON OCTOBER 14, 2005, THE INVESTIGATION WAS UPGRADED TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS AND THE SCOPE EXPANDED TO INCLUDE CERTAIN MY 2002 THROUGH 2005 FREELANDER VEHICLES THAT USE A SUBSTANTIALLY SIMILAR SELF-ADJUSTING STOP LAMP SWITCH FURNISHED BY THE SAME SUPPLIER, METHODE ELECTRONICS MALTA, LTD. (METHODE).IN SEPTEMBER 2003, METHODE MOVED THE PRODUCTION OF AN INTERNAL SWITCH COMPONENT, KNOWN AS THE SLIDER MECHANISM, FROM A VALIDATED PLASTIC INJECTION-MOLDING TOOL (?CAVITY 1?) TO ANOTHER TOOL (?CAVITY 2?) THAT HAD NOT BEEN USED BEFORE TO PRODUCE PARTS FOR LAND ROVER.SLIDERS FROM CAVITY 2 MAY BE CHARACTERIZED BY POOR FILL, LACK OF DEFINITION IN THE SLIDER TEETH AND DIMENSIONAL INSTABILITY.CONSEQUENTLY, THE SLIDER MAY BE UNABLE TO RESTRAIN IMPROPER MOVEMENT OF THE PLUNGER DURING NORMAL BRAKE PEDAL OPERATION.THIS MAY CAUSE THE SWITCH TO FALL OUT OF ADJUSTMENT, THUS SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCING THE EFFORT REQUIRED TO ENERGIZE THE SWITCH AND ILLUMINATE THE STOP LAMPS.?CAVITY 2? SWITCHES WERE INSTALLED IN APPROXIMATELY 8,763 DISCOVERY SUBJECT VEHICLES BUILT FROM DECEMBER 2003 THROUGH MAY 2004 AND APPROXIMATELY 3,915 FREELANDER SUBJECT VEHICLES BUILT FROM OCTOBER 2003 THROUGH MAY 2004.ADDITIONALLY, STOP LAMP SWITCHES IN CERTAIN MY 2002 THROUGH 2005 FREELANDER SUBJECT VEHICLES MAY SLIP OUT OF ADJUSTMENT AS A RESULT OF SWITCH DAMAGE DUE TO AN INCORRECT SETTING PROCEDURE DURING VEHICLE MANUFACTURE OR AS A RESULT OF SWITCH MOUNTING BRACKET FLEX.ANALYSIS OF ALL AVAILABLE DATA INDICATES THE PREDOMINANT FAILURE MODE IS CONSTANT STOP LAMP ILLUMINATION.OTHER REPORTED CONSEQUENCES OF STOP LAMP SWITCH MALADJUSTMENT INCLUDE INOPERATIVE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION GEAR SELECTOR/BRAKE PEDAL SHIFT INTERLOCK, INOPERATIVE SPEED (CRUISE) CONTROL, AND TELLTALE ILLUMINATION AS DESCRIBED IN TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (TSB) NO. LT206-001 DATED OCTOBER 28, 2004 ISSUED BY THE MANUFACTURER TO LAND ROVER DEALERS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM (UK).TO DATE, ODI IS AWARE OF 77 NON-DUPLICATIVE COMPLAINTS THAT ALLEGE STOP LAMP SWITCH FAILURE ON THE SUBJECT VEHICLES (10 COMPLAINTS ON MY 2004 DISCOVERY, 45 ON MY 2002 FREELANDER, 19 ON MY 2003 FREELANDER, AND 3 ON MY 2004 FREELANDER VEHICLES).ADDITIONALLY, 4,595 DISCOVERY AND 13,370 FREELANDER SUBJECT VEHICLES HAVE EXPERIENCED ONE OR MORE WARRANTY CLAIMS TO REPLACE THE STOP LAMP SWITCH.OF THE 5,170 WARRANTY CLAIMS PAID TO REPLACE STOP LAMP SWITCHES ON DISCOVERY SUBJECT VEHICLES, APPROXIMATELY 31% OCCURRED BEFORE THE VEHICLE WAS SOLD NEW AND APPROXIMATELY 88% OCCURRED WITHIN THE FIRST 12 MONTHS OF VEHICLE SERVICE.THE WARRANTY TREND ON DISCOVERY SUBJECT VEHICLES IS IN DECLINE WITH 3,545 CLAIMS PAID IN CALENDAR YEAR (CY) 2004, 1,303 CLAIMS PAID IN CY 2005, AND 322 CLAIMS PAID IN CY 2006 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 28, 2006 (WHICH IS WHEN ODI LAST RECEIVED UPDATED WARRANTY CLAIMS DATA FROM LAND ROVER), AND IT APPEARS THAT THE ALLEGED DEFECT ON DISCOVER SUBJECT VEHICLES HAS BEEN REMEDIED THROUGH WARRANTY REPAIRS.HOWEVER, ODI ANALYSIS OF THE MANUFACTURER?S WARRANTY AND COMPLAINT RECORDS INDICATES THE FAILURE TREND ON CERTAIN FREELANDER SUBJECT VEHICLES IS ONGOING.BY LETTER DATED FEBRUARY 2, 2007, LAND ROVER HAS NOTIFIED ODI THAT IT WILL CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL (NHTSA RECALL NO. 07V-041) TO REPLACE DEFECTIVE STOP LAMP SWITCHES IN APPROXIMATELY 33,247 MY 2002 THROUGH 2005 FREELANDER VEHICLES BUILT AT THE SOLIHULL, UK ASSEMBLY PLANT FROM SEPTEMBER 5, 2001 THROUGH MAY 19, 2005. ALTHOUGH ODI HAS CONCERN

I HAVE A LAND ROVER FREE LANDER 2004 I BOUGHT IT WITH 30,000 MILES ON IT, IT RAN FINE FOR A WHILE THEN THE CHILD SAFETY LOCKS MAL- FUNCTIONED. THE PEOPLE WHO SAT IN THE BACK SEAT COULD NOT GET OUT I HAD TO OPEN THE REAR DOORS FROM THE OUTSIDE.THE SUN ROOF STOP WORKING AS DID THE REAR WINDOWS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE TRUCK. I TRIED TO START IT THREE WEEKS AGO NO LUCK IT WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY TOLD ME I NEEDED TWO SENSORS $800 THEN THEY TESTED THE ENGINE THE LEFT SIDE NO LONGER WORKED $5800 TO REPAIR THE TRUCK THAT NOW HAS 87,000 MILES. I THOUGHT THESE TRUCKS WERE BUILT TO LAST.I LOVED THE SAFETY OF THESE TRUCKS BUT WHAT GOOD IS SAFETY IT THEY DO NOT LAST ?!?!? *TR

NHTSA ID

10496278

Incident

Jan 14, 2013

Mileage

86,000 mi

REAR TAIL LAMP HOUSINGS FAILED NUMEROUS TIMES CAUSING THE BULBS NOT TO WORK. THIS CREATED A SITUATION WHERE ONLY ONE OR NONE OF THE LAMPS WERE WORKING. I REPLACED THEM AND LATER FOUND OUT THAT A RECALL OR INVESTIGATION WAS ISSUED BUT I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED. INTERIOR DOME LIGHT HAS FAILED TWICE. HEADLAMP FAILURE HAS OCCURRED IN LOW BEAM SIX TIMES AND IN HIGH BEAMS THREE TIMES. THE VEHICLE HAS STALLED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS WHEN THE HEATED SEATS, HEATED WINDSHIELD AND HEADLAMPS WERE ON SIMULTANEOUSLY. *TR

NHTSA ID

10490672

Incident

Jul 5, 2011

Mileage

94,501 mi

VEHICLE HAD ENGINE FAILURE AND TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP DURING ACCELERATION. AFTER A DIAGNOSES IT WAS THE RESULT OF A DEFECTIVE THERMOSTAT HOUSING THAT RELEASED THE COOLANT ONTO THE TOP OF THE ENGINE. AT THE CURRENT TIME THE AUTOMOBILE HAS HAD 39 DIFFERENT PROBLEMS DIAGNOSED SINCE THE PURCHASE DATE IN 2004. *TR

NHTSA ID

10490668

Incident

Dec 29, 2012

Mileage

97,200 mi

MY SON TURNED 16 ON MARCH 18, 2012. WE WANTED AN SUV THAT WOULD BE SAFE TO DRIVE. WE WANTED A CAR WITH LOWER MILEAGE. WE FOUND A 2004 LAND ROVER FREELANDER AT A LOCAL DEALER WITH ONLY 56,000 MILES. CAR WAS IN AWESOME SHAPE INSIDE AND OUT. NEW TIRES, ETC. PAID $9,500. A FEW DAYS LATER TOOK THE CAR TO MY LOCAL LAND ROVER DEALER IN PORTLAND OREGON TO HAVE THE CAR LOOKED OVER. YOU KNOW THE NORMAL OIL CHANGE, OR WHATEVER ELSE THEY DO ON A CAR AT 55K MILES. AFTER THEY LOOKED IT OVER THEY TOLD ME THE COILS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. AND ALSO THE PLUGS. I SAID SURE WHATEVER. $1,200 LATER I HAD MY SON'S CAR BACK. A FEW WEEKS LATER IT HAD A ODOR TO IT, AND IT WAS HAVING PROBLEMS GOING UP HILLS AND THE ENGINE WAS MAKING STRANGE SOUNDS. A DAY LATER IT STALLED. HAD IT TOWED TO LAND ROVER DEALER IN PORTLAND OREGON AND THEY TOLD ME IT APPEARS THAT IS WAS OUT OF COOLANT. THEY THOUGHT AT FIRST IT MUST BE A FAULTY THERMOSTAT OR POSSIBLY THE WATER PUMP. NOPE. THEY CAME BACK WITH THERE IS COOLANT MIXING IN WITH THE ENGINE OIL. THAT IT WOULD ANOTHER $1,200 TO $1,500 JUST TO FIND OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM ACTUALLY IS. TOLD ME IF IT WAS HEAD GASKETS OR SOMETHING IN THE BLOCK, IT WOULD COST AT LEAST $5,000 OR MORE TO REPAIR. THE LAND ROVER DEALERSHIP OFFERED TO REPLACE THE BLOWN HOSES AND THEY TOLD THEY COULD GET IT WORKING AGAIN BUT IT WAS NOT GOING TO RUN FOR VERY MUCH LONGER. I CHECKED WITH OTHER LAND ROVER SERVICE COMPANIES AND THEY ALL REFUSED TO EVEN LOOK AT THE FREELANDER AS THEY KNEW IT WAS NOT GOING TO TURN OUT WELL. I FINALLY FOUND A MECHANIC IN PORTLAND OREGON WHO AGREED TO TAKE IT APART AND FIX IT. THEY TOLD ME NO MORE THAN $3,500. WHAT WAS I SUPPOSE TO DO, WE PAID $9,500 AND SELLING IT FOR SCRAP SEEM LIKE A BAD IDEA. SO AS OF TODAY, JUNE 6TH I AM STILL WAITING FOR THE REPAIRS AT A LOCAL SHOP ON OUR 2004 LAND ROVER FREELANDER WITH ONLY 57K TO BE COMPLETED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10460762

Incident

Apr 30, 2012

Mileage

57,000 mi

I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE IN APRIL 2010 AND HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS EVER SINCE. IT HAD 79,600 MILES ON IT WHEN I BOUGHT IT AND WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT IT HAD JUST RECENTLY HAD A TRANSMISSION REPLACED. THEY DIDN'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO OPEN THE HOOD - PASSENGER SIDE. 2 MONTHS LATER AND IT DIES ON ME GOING DOWN THE STREET. I PULL OVER AND ANTIFREEZE IS RUNNING EVERYWHERE. THE THERMOSTAT HOUSING HAD SEPARATED IN TWO AND CAUSED THE CAR TO OVERHEAT. I CALLED THE CLOSEST LAND ROVER DEALER AND HE QUOTED ME $800 TO FIX IT. I SEARCHED ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND THE PARTS TO FIX IT FOR $80. I REPLACED THE THERMOSTAT AND HOUSING (1 PIECE) AND GOT IT RUNNING AGAIN. SINCE THEN, THE SUNROOF HAS QUIT, BOTH REAR WINDOWS HAVE QUIT AND THE REAR SLIDING WINDOW WON'T OPEN BY KEY. THE DRIVER SIDE WINDSHIELD DEFROSTER WILL NOT WORK (ONLY THE PASSENGER SIDE) AND I HAVE NEVER HAD AN OWNERS MANUAL. THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR WILL NOT UNLOCK WITH THE KEYLESS ENTRY EITHER. NOW I GET TO THE ENGINE - IT STARTED RUNNING REAL ROUGH AND LOST ALOT OF POWER. I HAD A LOCAL MECHANIC RUN CODES ON IT AND THIS IS WHAT HE FOUND: P0303 - #3 CYLINDER MISFIRE; P1319 - MISFIRE EMISSION RELEVANT; P1471, 1472 - VIS MOTORS EVAP PURGE VALVE FLOW BLOCKED; P1475 - LEAK DETECTION PUMP LEAKAGE DIAGNOSTIC PUMP REED SWITCH DID NOT CLOSE; P 1775 - GEARBOX FAULT TRANSMISSION SYSTEM MIL FAULT. I ASKED HIS OPINION AND HE TOLD ME IT WAS PROBABLY NOT WORTH FIXING. HE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT ALL OF THIS MEANT. HE WAS JUST GOING TO START TEARING IT DOWN AND SEE WHAT HE COULD FIX. I CAN'T AFFORD THAT. I LIVE PAYCHECK TO PAYCHECK AND I REALLY THOUGHT THAT LAND ROVER HAD A GOOD NAME AND REPUTATION. I EMAILED AND CALLED THEM AND HAVE HAD NO LUCK TO THIS POINT. EVERYTHING I HAVE SEEN ON THIS MODEL PROVES THAT IT IS A VEHICLE THAT SHOULD BE PUT TO REST. I AM LOOKING FOR ANY HELP I CAN GET. *TR

NHTSA ID

10454571

Incident

Jun 4, 2010

Mileage

81,000 mi

TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO HAVE A ROUGH 2ND TO 3RD SHIFT AROUND 60,000 MI. COMPLETE 3RD GEAR FAILURE BY 69,000. CAR WILL ACCELERATE TO ABOUT 25 MPH AND THEN SHIFT INTO 3RD AND ITS LIKE BEING IN N CAR WILL COAST AND ENGINE WILL REV. HAVE TO INSTALL NEW TRANSMISSION. SHOP SAID IT WAS CLEAR FROM THE CONDITION OF THE CAR THAT IT HAD NOT BEEN ABUSED, AND THAT A TRANSMISSION SHOULD LAST TO ABOUT 150,000 MILES. *TR

NHTSA ID

10449640

Incident

Jan 2, 2012

Mileage

60,000 mi

LIKE THE MYRIAD OF OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS VEHICLE, (HTTP://TOWNHALL-TALK.EDMUNDS.COM/WEBX?14@@.F142477/93#MSG93, HTTP://TOWNHALL-TALK.EDMUNDS.COM/DIRECT/VIEW/.EEA90DB, HTTP://WWW.BUSINESSWEEK.COM/THE_THREAD/BLOGSPOTTING/ARCHIVES/2005/07/BLOGGER_TAKES_O.HTML FOR A TINY EXAMPLE) I TOO BEGAN EXPERIENCING THE EXACT SAME OVERHEATING PROBLEMS NOT TOO FAR PAST THE WARRANTY EXPIRATION. IT IS VERY, VERY WELL DOCUMENTED THAT THERE IS A COMPLETE FAILURE IN THE COOLING SYSTEM IN THE FREELANDERS. CAN YOU PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT? I HAVE ALSO HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE AUTOMATIC WINDOWS, INCLUDING ONE ACTUALLY STUCK PARTIALLY DOWN CURRENTLY BECAUSE I'M PAST WARRANTY. BUT THAT'S SMALL POTATOES COMPARED TO THE OVERHEATING ISSUE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10432455

Incident

Oct 1, 2010

Mileage

62,000 mi

MY 2004 FREELANDER WAS PURCHASED FROM ROYALTY AUTO SALES IN LITTLE FERRY NJ ON APRIL 19, 2010 WITH 52,000 MILES. WE ALSO PURCHASED FROM SAME DEALER A 1-YEAR WARRANTY FROM A WARRANTY COMPANY REPRESENTED BY THE DEALER MIDATLANTIC WARRANTY COMPANY. WE PUT A $6,500 DOWNPAYMENT ON THE VEHICLE, AND FINANCED $7,000. THE PROBLEM STARTED WITHIN 24 HOURS AFTER DRIVING OFF THE LOT WITH AN OVERHEATING ISSUE WE RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHO SAID THERE WAS PROBABLY NOT ENOUGH ANTIFREEZE IN IT AND OFFERED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE FOR A FEW DAYS TO MAKE SURE IT WAS O.K. DEALER MAINTAINED ISSUE NEVER HAPPENED AGAIN AND RETURNED THE CAR TO US. THE CAR OVER THE NEXT MONTH AND ONE-HALF CONTINUED TO OVERHEAT SEVERAL TIMES AND REQUIRE ADDING OF ANTIFREEZE WITH NO APPARENT LEAK UNDER THE VEHICLE. 2-MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE VEHICLE CEASED TO START AND WHEN TOWED TO LANDROVER WAS TOLD IT WOULD NEED A NEW ENGINE AND THESE DEFECTS ARE KNOWN ABOUT IN THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY. TO DATE NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE WARRANTY COMPANY HAS EITHER RETURNED OUR MONEY, VEHICLE OR REPAIRED THE CAR. SOMEONE SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE. SHAME ON LANDROVER AND ANY DEALER THAT DOES NOT RESEARCH THE VEHICLES THEY REPRESENT AS BEING SAFE AND IN GOOD CONDITION TO UNKNOWING CONSUMERS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10426659

Incident

Apr 19, 2010

Mileage

53,000 mi

RESCINDED - Windshield Wiper Noise / Judder / Streak - RESCINDED

The steering wheel may exhibit a vibration / shimmy while driving.

Presentation from Dealer Shop Foreman Conference Call

"SITUATION: THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS MAY MAKE A SQUEAK NOISE, JUDDER, OR STREAK THE WINDSHIELD. CAUSE: THIS MAY BE CAUSED BY A BUILD-UP OF DIRT AND GREASE ON THE SURFACE OF THE WINDSHIELD GLASS."

"ISSUE: REPORTS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED OF ENGINE DAMAGE OCCURRING, WHICH IS CAUSED BY THE USE OF NON-APPROVED ENGINE INDUCTION / FUEL INJECTION CLEANING EQUIPMENT OR MATERIALS. THIS INCLUDES, BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO, ""VACU-FLUSH"" TYPE EQUIPMENT. CAUSE: THE USE OF NON-APPROVED EQUIPMENT CAN CAUSE THE ENGINES TO HYDRO-LOCK, OR CAUSE OTHER ENGINE DAMAGE, AND SOMETIMES THE ONLY POSSIBLE REPAIR IS TO REPLACE THE ENGINE."

Technical Bulletin: Wheel/Tire Balancing and Optimization