IllustrationTRANSMISSION FAILED CAUSING LOSS OF POWER AND MOVEMENT. TOWED TO TRANSMISSION REPAIR SHOP AND HAD TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION RE-BUILT. HILL DECENT LIGHT WOULD COME ON AND STAY ON WHILE DRIVING UNTIL ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF FOR NO REASON BEFORE THE FAILURE OF THE TRANSMISSION OCCURRED. *TR
2002 Land Rover Freelander
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Freelander years
Owner complaints for the 2002 Land Rover Freelander are substantially higher than the model-year median of 42.5.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Freelander years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
190–25K
3925–50K
6950–75K
3675–100K
13100–150K
3150K+
179 reports with mileage · 47 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 121 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 83 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Visibility. Review the 27 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
4 crash reports4 fire reports4 injury reports
Power Train complaints
83 reports2002 FREELANDER WITH 65,000 MILES - REAR WINDOW REGULATOR REPLACED AT 55K; NOW THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION NEEDS REPLACED. LAND ROVER CAN NO LONGER GET THE PARTS, SO LOOKING AT A RE-MANUFACTURED ONE AT ABOUT $4,000. DEALERSHIP CLOSED DOWN AND THERE HAS BEEN NO HELP! *TR
DATE ISSUEREPAIRS DATE RETURNED 6/7/06VEHICLE STALLED, WON'T STARTBATTERY REPLACED6/8/2006 6/16/2006VEHICLE STALLED, WON'T STARTREPLACED IGNITION SWITCH, KEY READER7/17/2006 8/15/2006VEHICLE STALLED, WON'T START, INTERMITTENT STARTREPLACED FUEL PUMP8/18/2006 6/5/2007VEHICLE STALLED, WON'T STARTSECURED STARTED WIRE6/6/2007 …
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DATE ISSUEREPAIRS DATE RETURNED 6/7/06VEHICLE STALLED, WON'T STARTBATTERY REPLACED6/8/2006 6/16/2006VEHICLE STALLED, WON'T STARTREPLACED IGNITION SWITCH, KEY READER7/17/2006 8/15/2006VEHICLE STALLED, WON'T START, INTERMITTENT STARTREPLACED FUEL PUMP8/18/2006 6/5/2007VEHICLE STALLED, WON'T STARTSECURED STARTED WIRE6/6/2007 6/7/2007VEHICLE STALLED, WON'T START, INTERMITTENT STARTREPLACED IMMOBOLIZER 2 TIMES8/20/2007 11/16/2007VEHICLE WON'T ACCELERATEREPLACED INTAKE MANIFOLD, ENGINE, HEATER CORE3/5/2008 5/16/2008VEHICLE WON'T ACCELERATEWANT TO REPLACE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION. *TR
LESS THAN 50,000 MILES LANDROVER FREELANDER GIVES F4 FAULT, WILL NOT SHIFT OUT OF 2ND GEAR. HAS OVERHEATING PROBLEM, SUNROOF DIED, DEALER SAID NEEDS NEW TRANSMISSION, COMPLETELY NEW WIRING HARNESS, NEW ECU, NEW DOOR TO FIX WINDOW FAILURE, AND!!!!!!!!!!!! A NEW ENGINE TO FIX THE OVERHEATING PROBLEM THAT THEY TELL ME IS A COMMON T…
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LESS THAN 50,000 MILES LANDROVER FREELANDER GIVES F4 FAULT, WILL NOT SHIFT OUT OF 2ND GEAR. HAS OVERHEATING PROBLEM, SUNROOF DIED, DEALER SAID NEEDS NEW TRANSMISSION, COMPLETELY NEW WIRING HARNESS, NEW ECU, NEW DOOR TO FIX WINDOW FAILURE, AND!!!!!!!!!!!! A NEW ENGINE TO FIX THE OVERHEATING PROBLEM THAT THEY TELL ME IS A COMMON THING, AND THEY HAVEN'T SEEN ANY FREELANDER'S GET OVER 65,000 MILES WITHOUT AN ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT. LUXURY VEHICLE MY [XXX]. DEALERSHIP GAVE ME AN 18,000 DOLLAR REPAIR ESTIMATE. I GUESS LUXURY MEANS IT COSTS A LOT TO DRIVE NOT YOU HAVE THE LUXURY OF DRIVING WITHOUT WORRYING ABOUT SITTING ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD IN A 30,000 DOLLAR PIECE OF CRAP. READ SOME FORUMS ONLINE. ALL OF THESE PROBLEMS ARE HAPPENING EVERYDAY, AND NOTHING IS BEING DONE TO MAKE THIS LUXURY VEHICLE COMPANY MAKE A BETTER VEHICLE. I MEAN [XXX] I SHOULD HAVE BOUGHT A HONDA...... AT LEAST THEY HAVE HEATED SEATS TO KEEP MY [XXX] WARM WHEN I WAIT ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. *TR INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
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 QUICK…
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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
I HAVE 2002 LANDROVER FREELANDER 4X4 V6. THE TRANSMISSION HAS WENT OUT ON IT. IT HAS 50,000 MILES ON IT. I TOOK IT TO THE LANDROVER DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID I NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION AND NEW RAILS AND TRACKS ON THE SUNROOF. THE POWERLOCKS ARE ALSO MESSED UP. *TR
OUR WELL-MAINTAINED 2002 FREELANDER HAD ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION FAILURE WITHIN 6 MONTHS OF REACHING 50,000 MILES. IN BOTH CASES THE FAILURES OCCURRED DURING HIGHWAY DRIVING WITH NO WARNING LIGHTS OR INDICATIONS OF PROBLEMS. IN BOTH CASES THE LOSS OF POWER/CONTROL POSED A SERIOUS HEALTH HAZARD TO EVERYONE IN THE CAR. ONE OF TH…
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OUR WELL-MAINTAINED 2002 FREELANDER HAD ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION FAILURE WITHIN 6 MONTHS OF REACHING 50,000 MILES. IN BOTH CASES THE FAILURES OCCURRED DURING HIGHWAY DRIVING WITH NO WARNING LIGHTS OR INDICATIONS OF PROBLEMS. IN BOTH CASES THE LOSS OF POWER/CONTROL POSED A SERIOUS HEALTH HAZARD TO EVERYONE IN THE CAR. ONE OF THESE EVENTS OCCURRED IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING SERVICE AND SAFETY CHECK BY THE DEALER. THIS CARE IS SO BADLY DESIGNED THAT IS A DRIVING HAZARD AND SHOULD BE RECALLED IN ITS ENTIRETY. THE VERY EXTENSIVE INFORMATION ON MAJOR FAILURES WITHOUT WARNING ATTEST TO THE DANGERS THAT THIS VEHICLE IS IMPOSING ON THE PUBLIC ON A DAILY BASIS. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 LAND ROVER FREELANDER. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION GEARS FAILED TO SHIFT. THE DEALER STATED THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE AND ADVISED THE CONTACT TO KEEP DRIVING UNTIL THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 44,000.
TRANSMISSION BROKE AT 50,050 MILES. NEEDED FULL REPLACEMENT. *TR
THE CAR IS JUST POORLY DESIGNED AND A DISASTER. DESPITE OUR REGULAR MAINTENANCE AT MANUFACTURER'S DEALERS & AT NORMAL INTERVALS, THE CAR'S ENGINE & TRANSMISSION FAILED. REPAIR COSTS READILY EXCEEDED THE VALUE OF THE VEHICLE. ALL WITH LESS THAN 65,000 MILES. LAND ROVER & FORD WERE UN-WILLING TO ASSIST IN ANY WAY. WE ARE OUT …
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THE CAR IS JUST POORLY DESIGNED AND A DISASTER. DESPITE OUR REGULAR MAINTENANCE AT MANUFACTURER'S DEALERS & AT NORMAL INTERVALS, THE CAR'S ENGINE & TRANSMISSION FAILED. REPAIR COSTS READILY EXCEEDED THE VALUE OF THE VEHICLE. ALL WITH LESS THAN 65,000 MILES. LAND ROVER & FORD WERE UN-WILLING TO ASSIST IN ANY WAY. WE ARE OUT OF THE CAR AND WILL NOT PURCHASE LR OR FORD PRODUCTS IN THE FUTURE. *TR
Official recalls
307V041000 · Exterior Lighting:brake Lights:switch
Feb 9, 2007
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: FAILURE TO PROVIDE THE PROPER SIGNAL WHEN BRAKING COULD LEAD TO A CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
Remedy: 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.
05V300000 · Latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch
Jun 28, 2005
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THE OCCUPANT MAY OPEN THE DOOR INADVERTENTLY WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION AND FALL OUT INTO THE TRAFFIC, PERSONAL INJURIES COULD OCCUR.
Remedy: 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.
04V347000 · Structure:body:roof And Pillars
Jul 12, 2004
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH, PERSONAL INJURY TO OCCUPANTS MAY OCCUR.
Remedy: 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.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
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