NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Engine And Engine Cooling complaints
121 reportsClear category filter101,000 miles · Mar 5, 2013
Engine And Engine CoolingFuel/propulsion System
I PURCHASED THIS CAR LESS THAN A YEAR AGO. TIME FOR INSPECTION AND CAR HAS MANY PROBLEMS LOOKED ON LINE AT COMPLAINTS AND I AM SICK TO SEE WHAT I AM IN FOR WITH THIS CAR. ITS IS SUCKING UP COOLANT,(BAD SIGN), HEAD GASKET ,OIL IN COOLANT, ENGINE FAILURE. WHY WAS I ALLOWED TO BUY THIS CAR? DO WE HAVE CONSUMER PROTECTION? I PURCHAS…
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I PURCHASED THIS CAR LESS THAN A YEAR AGO. TIME FOR INSPECTION AND CAR HAS MANY PROBLEMS LOOKED ON LINE AT COMPLAINTS AND I AM SICK TO SEE WHAT I AM IN FOR WITH THIS CAR. ITS IS SUCKING UP COOLANT,(BAD SIGN), HEAD GASKET ,OIL IN COOLANT, ENGINE FAILURE. WHY WAS I ALLOWED TO BUY THIS CAR? DO WE HAVE CONSUMER PROTECTION? I PURCHASE CAR FROM DEALER THAT SOLD 85% LAND ROVERS. DO YOU THINK THEY NEW WHAT I WAS IN FOR? YES!. YOU SHOULDN'T ALLOW CARS TO BE SOLD IN AMERICA IF THERE IS NO ACTUAL FIX FOR THE CAR. I READ THAT ENGINE REPLACEMENT IS BAD AS ORIGINAL. WILL SOMEONE BUY THIS CAR? I WOULDN'T WANT TO BE SHADY AND TELL SOMEONE THIS IS A GOOD CAR. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10501435
95,235 miles · Mar 3, 2012
Engine And Engine Cooling
I WAS DRIVING THE CAR AWAY FROM MY HOUSE AND THE ENGINE DIED. IT WOULDN'T RESTART AND AFTER ABOUT 2 MINUTES OF TRYING, IT STARTED MAKING A GRINDING NOISE. WHEN I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC, HE SAID IT HAD BLOWN THE HEAD GASKET, THEN THE PISTON ROD HAD COLLAPSED, SO THE ENGINE WAS VIRTUALLY RUINED. THE VEHICLE HAD 96,000 MILES ON IT. …
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I WAS DRIVING THE CAR AWAY FROM MY HOUSE AND THE ENGINE DIED. IT WOULDN'T RESTART AND AFTER ABOUT 2 MINUTES OF TRYING, IT STARTED MAKING A GRINDING NOISE. WHEN I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC, HE SAID IT HAD BLOWN THE HEAD GASKET, THEN THE PISTON ROD HAD COLLAPSED, SO THE ENGINE WAS VIRTUALLY RUINED. THE VEHICLE HAD 96,000 MILES ON IT. LAND ROVER PRODUCED THOUSANDS OF THESE VEHICLES WITH FAULTY ENGINES(THE 2.5 V-6). I ALSO WANT TO KNOW IF THERE IS A CLASS-ACTION LAWSUIT FILED AGAINST LAND ROVER AND HOW TO GET INVOLVED WITH IT. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10450155
3,000 miles · Aug 28, 2011
Engine And Engine Cooling
WE HAVE HAD SEVERAL INCIDENTS WITH MY 2002 LAND ROVER FREELANDER TYPE S OVERHEATING AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT GOING ON, WE HAVE REGULARLY TAKEN IT TO OUR LOCAL LAND ROVER DEALER TO FIND OUT THE PROBLEM. THE LATEST, NOW AUGUST 2011, THE COOLANT WAS FOUND TO BE LOW, AND A DISCUSSION WITH THE MECHANIC AND THE SHOP PERSON INDICATED TH…
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WE HAVE HAD SEVERAL INCIDENTS WITH MY 2002 LAND ROVER FREELANDER TYPE S OVERHEATING AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT GOING ON, WE HAVE REGULARLY TAKEN IT TO OUR LOCAL LAND ROVER DEALER TO FIND OUT THE PROBLEM. THE LATEST, NOW AUGUST 2011, 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. WE HAVE DONE ALL OF THE ROUTINE MAINTENANCE AS WELL AS THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS OF REPAIRS FOR THE COOLING - INCLUDING MULTIPLE THERMOSTATS(I BELIEVE WE ARE ON OUR FOURTH ONE, INCLUDING THE ONES UNDER WARRANTY, ETC. THE LATEST DIAGNOSIS IS COOLANT INTO THE ENGINE AND FOULING A CYLINDER. I REPEATED ASKED, SINCE WE WERE UNDER WARRANTY, IF WE HAD A LEMON AND HAVE NOW SEEN THOUSANDS OF POSTINGS ON THE INTERNET RELATING TO THIS PROBLEM, WITH MODELS FROM 2000 TO 2005, THE YEARS THE CAR WAS AVAILABLE IN THE US. IT APPEARS THAT THERE ARE NO VIABLE REPLACEMENT ENGINES AVAILABLE THAT DO NOT HAVE THIS SAME PROBLEM SINCE, THE VEHICLE WAS DISCONTINUED IN 2005. BASED ON THE INFORMATION I HAVE GATHERED, IT APPEARS THAT THE ENGINE USED IN THIS VEHICLE WAS OF A FAULTY DESIGN, GIVEN THE FACT THAT A REPLACEMENT WITH OUT THIS PROBLEM IS NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE RECORD, MY VEHICLE INFO IS AS FOLLOWS: MAKE: LAND ROVER MODEL: FREELANDER TYPE S YEAR: 2002 PURCHASE DATE: 07/2002 I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER, AND I PURCHASED THIS FROM LAND ROVER PORTLAND, PORTLAND OREGON. *TT
NHTSA ODI #10422315
120,000 miles · May 22, 2011
Engine And Engine Cooling
ENGINE FAILURE ON THE ROAD. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10402350
Mileage unknown · Dec 29, 2010
Engine And Engine CoolingLatches/locks/linkagesPower Train
FREELANDER 2002 HAS HAD MANY DEFECTS. THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AT APPROX. 50K MILES & WAS REPLACED. POWER WINDOWS FAILED. A/C HOSE CRACKED & REPAIRED. MANIFOLD REPLACED. EXTERIOR BRAKE LIGHTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED. ELECTRICAL POWER TO PASSENGER DOOR LOCK SYSTEM HAVE BEEN REPLACED. NOW, AT 70K MILES THE COOLANT LEAKING AND ENGINE KN…
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FREELANDER 2002 HAS HAD MANY DEFECTS. THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AT APPROX. 50K MILES & WAS REPLACED. POWER WINDOWS FAILED. A/C HOSE CRACKED & REPAIRED. MANIFOLD REPLACED. EXTERIOR BRAKE LIGHTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED. ELECTRICAL POWER TO PASSENGER DOOR LOCK SYSTEM HAVE BEEN REPLACED. NOW, AT 70K MILES THE COOLANT LEAKING AND ENGINE KNOCKING. NOT WORTH REPLACING ENGINE AT THIS POINT. THIS CAR HAS COST MORE TO REPAIR THAN WHAT IS WAS WORTH. IT SHOULD BE RECALLED AS A LEMON & LAW SUIT AGAINST LAND ROVER. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10373264
42,000 miles · Dec 24, 2010
Engine And Engine Cooling
BOTH HEAD GASKETS ARE LEAKING COOLANT FROM ALL FOUR CORNERS. THIS IS A COMMON FAILURE IN THIS MODEL CAUSED BY THE CYLINDER SLEEVES COMING LOOSE. THE SLEEVES CONTACT THE HEAD GASKETS CAUSING THEM TO LEAK. EVENTUALLY THE ENGINE FAILS. THERE HAVE BEEN CONTINUING COOLANT PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR SINCE NEW. WHEN IT WAS A MONTH OLD ALL …
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BOTH HEAD GASKETS ARE LEAKING COOLANT FROM ALL FOUR CORNERS. THIS IS A COMMON FAILURE IN THIS MODEL CAUSED BY THE CYLINDER SLEEVES COMING LOOSE. THE SLEEVES CONTACT THE HEAD GASKETS CAUSING THEM TO LEAK. EVENTUALLY THE ENGINE FAILS. THERE HAVE BEEN CONTINUING COOLANT PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR SINCE NEW. WHEN IT WAS A MONTH OLD ALL THE COOLANT DISAPPEARED. THE DEALER OFFERED NO EXPLANATION. SINCE THEN THE COOLANT RESERVOIR AND TEMPERATURE SENSOR HAVE BEEN REPLACED. IT HAS ALWAYS LEAKED COOLANT.
NHTSA ODI #10372888
120,840 miles · Nov 15, 2010
Engine And Engine CoolingLatches/locks/linkagesPower Train
1 NUMEROUS PROBLEMS OVER SEVERAL YEARS, INCLUDING (BUT NOT LIMITED TO) SUDDEN LOSS OF COOLANT AND OIL. AND YESTERDAY, A STRONG SMELL OF HOT OIL, AND SUDDEN SQUEALING FROM RIGHT, FRONT WHEEL. 2 COMPLETE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. VEHICLE IS NO LONGER DRIVABLE. 3 CONTACTED LANDROVER. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10365663
Mileage unknown · Aug 12, 2010
Engine And Engine Cooling
COOLANT LEAKING, HEAD GASKET FAILURE, THERMOSTAT FAILURE FOR 90,000 MILES. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10348921
83,000 miles · Jul 29, 2010
Engine And Engine Cooling
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 LAND ROVER FREELANDER. THE CONTACT WAS AT A COMPLETE STOP WHEN THE VEHICLE STALED WITHOUT WARNING. THE OIL WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES BUT TO NO AVAIL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL AUTOMOTIVE STORE WHERE THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED. THE CONTAC…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 LAND ROVER FREELANDER. THE CONTACT WAS AT A COMPLETE STOP WHEN THE VEHICLE STALED WITHOUT WARNING. THE OIL WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES BUT TO NO AVAIL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL AUTOMOTIVE STORE WHERE THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED. THE CONTACT WAS STILL UNABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 83,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 87,000. UPDATED 10/20/10 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE ISSUE HAS BEEN SETTLED WITH LANDROVER. UPDATED 10/21/10*JB
NHTSA ODI #10346044
101,000 miles · Apr 30, 2010
Engine And Engine CoolingEquipmentLatches/locks/linkages
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. …
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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. WHICH WE AGREE TO UNLESS THEY GUARANTEE IT WOULD BE IN THE SAME CONDITION. IT WAS MAKING MORE NOISE THEN BEFORE, 2 WEEKS LATER THE TIMING BELT BROKE. THIS CAR IS A LEMON. ITS DOESN'T MAKE SINCE HOW THE ENGINE, THE TIMING BELT, THE TRANSMISSION, AND THE UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD ALL FELL AT ONCE. THE CAR IS NOT RUNNING AND STUCK IN MY DRIVE WAY. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10328210
NHTSA investigations
1EA05016 · Brake Light Switch Failure
Opened Oct 14, 2005 · Closed Feb 22, 2007
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Exterior Lighting:brake Lights; Exterior Lighting:brake Lights:switch
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
Additional source detail variants (2)
Exterior Lighting:brake Lights
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
Exterior Lighting:brake Lights:switch
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
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