2002 Land Rover Freelander recalls and problems

The 2002 Land Rover Freelander has 3 recalls and 226 owner complaints on file with NHTSA; the most reported problem area is engine.

2002 Land Rover Freelander
Photo: 2002 Land Rover Freelander by MercurySable99, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
How the 2002 compares
Fewest complaintsMost complaints

Highest complaint count among 6 Freelander model years — the most of any year.

3recalls
226complaints
4crashes
4fires
5injuries
60,000median miles

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, not verified and not adjusted for sales. Ranking compares this model's own years only.

Does your car have an open recall?
Recalls apply to specific vehicles. Only a VIN lookup on NHTSA's official site shows whether yours is affected and still unrepaired.
Check your VIN →

3 recalls

Exterior Lighting

Feb 9, 2007 · NHTSA campaign 07V041000 · 33,247 vehicles

Problem: On certain sport utility vehicles, the brake lights May remain illuminated even when the brake pedal is not depressed. Hill descent control (hdc), traction control (tc) and cruise control warning lights May also be illuminated.

Original NHTSA wording

ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, THE BRAKE LIGHTS MAY REMAIN ILLUMINATED EVEN WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS NOT DEPRESSED. HILL DESCENT CONTROL (HDC), TRACTION CONTROL (TC) AND CRUISE CONTROL WARNING LIGHTS MAY ALSO BE ILLUMINATED.

Risk: Failure to provide the proper signal when braking could lead to a crash without warning.

Original NHTSA wording

FAILURE TO PROVIDE THE PROPER SIGNAL WHEN BRAKING COULD LEAD TO A CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.

Remedy & notes

Dealers will inspect the brake lamp operation and where required, adjust and/or replace the brake light switches with new switches of the same design until a newly designed brake lamp switch is available in May 2007. Owners will then be re-notified to bring their vehicles in for the new brake light switch. An interim letter for the initial inspection was mailed on March 26, 2007. The second letter for replacement of the switches was mailed beginning July 30, 2007. Owners May contact Land Rover at 1-80-637-6837.

Land Rover recall no. P004.customers May also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov.

Latches/locks/linkages

Jun 28, 2005 · NHTSA campaign 05V300000 · 1,941 vehicles

Problem: On certain five door sport utility vehicles, it is possible to operate the interior door handle to open the door when the child safety lever is in the "on" position.

Original NHTSA wording

ON CERTAIN FIVE DOOR SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, IT IS POSSIBLE TO OPERATE THE INTERIOR DOOR HANDLE TO OPEN THE DOOR WHEN THE CHILD SAFETY LEVER IS IN THE "ON" POSITION.

Risk: The occupant May open the door inadvertently while the vehicle is in motion and fall out into the traffic, personal injuries could occur.

Original NHTSA wording

THE OCCUPANT MAY OPEN THE DOOR INADVERTENTLY WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION AND FALL OUT INTO THE TRAFFIC, PERSONAL INJURIES COULD OCCUR.

Remedy & notes

Dealers will inspect and replace the latch assembly. The recall began on September 8, 2005. Owners should contact Land Rover at 1-800-637-6837.

Land Rover recall no.B011.customers can also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty: 1-800-424-9153); or go to http://www.safercar.gov.

Structure

Jul 12, 2004 · NHTSA campaign 04V347000 · 31,049 vehicles

Problem: Certain sport utility vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 201, "occupant protection in interior impact." during testing, the free motion head form registered a measurement marginally above the permitted 1000 head impact criteria. At the left and right hand a-pillar trim area.

Original NHTSA wording

CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 201, "OCCUPANT PROTECTION IN INTERIOR IMPACT." DURING TESTING, THE FREE MOTION HEAD FORM REGISTERED A MEASUREMENT MARGINALLY ABOVE THE PERMITTED 1000 HEAD IMPACT CRITERIA. AT THE LEFT AND RIGHT HAND A-PILLAR TRIM AREA.

Risk: In the event of a vehicle crash, personal injury to occupants May occur.

Original NHTSA wording

IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH, PERSONAL INJURY TO OCCUPANTS MAY OCCUR.

Remedy & notes

Dealers will replace the a-pillar trim with a revised component that enables the vehicle to fully meet the requirements of FMVSS 201. The recall began on December 6, 2005. Owners should contact Land Rover at 1-800-637-6837.

Land Rover recall no. B176.customers can also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236).

Recall text as published by NHTSA and the manufacturer.

What owners complain about

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA; one complaint can name several areas. Not verified by NHTSA.

Complaints by year filed

2002: 11 complaints20022003: 11 complaints2004: 9 complaints20042005: 16 complaints2006: 18 complaints20062007: 32 complaints2008: 69 complaints2008692009: 25 complaints2010: 17 complaints20102011: 4 complaints2012: 5 complaints20122013: 6 complaints2014: 2 complaints20142015: 1 complaints20151

NHTSA investigations

BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH FAILURE

EA05016 · opened Oct 14, 2005 · closed Feb 22, 2007 · led to recall 07V041000
Summary

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 V…

2002 vs. other Land Rover Freelander years

Owner complaints by model year; the darker bar is the 2002. Click a bar to switch year.

Questions

Does the 2002 Land Rover Freelander have recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns covering the 2002 Land Rover Freelander, the latest from Feb 9, 2007 (exterior lighting). A recall applies to specific vehicles: enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours is affected and still open.

What are the most common problems with the 2002 Land Rover Freelander?

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA most often mention engine (130), power train (83), visibility (27). Complaints are consumer reports and are not verified by NHTSA.