IN 2006 MY WATER RESERVOIR BUSTED IN MY 2002 FREELANDER FREEZING THE ENGINE WITH A REPAIR COST OF OVER $7,000. LAST WEEK MY TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING AND NOW I HAVE BEEN INFORMED THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS GONE WITHOUT ANY LEAKAGE. *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
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.
What owners actually said
226 reports2002 LANDROVER FREELANDER 52,000MILES ENGINE OVERHEATS, COOLANT LEAKING INTO ENGINE ENGINE REPLACED WITH NEW FROM LANDROVER. 52,300 ENGINE DEFECTIVE REPLACED AGAIN 60,000MI ENGINE AGAIN NEEDS TO BE REPLACED, NO HELP FROM LANDROVER. *TR
THE 2002 LAND ROVERS FREELANDERS HAVE OVERHEATING PROBLEMS AND CAUSES THE ENGINE TO LOCK AND CAUSE ACCIDENTS ON THE ROAD. ALL FREELANDER BECOME LEMON..THE FAILURES HAPPEN WHEN THE CAR TURNS 5OK MILES. I FOUND OUT THAT THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WHO BOUGHT THE SAME CAR HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM . AND DEALER WON'T EVEN SUPPLY THE PARTS TO F…
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THE 2002 LAND ROVERS FREELANDERS HAVE OVERHEATING PROBLEMS AND CAUSES THE ENGINE TO LOCK AND CAUSE ACCIDENTS ON THE ROAD. ALL FREELANDER BECOME LEMON..THE FAILURES HAPPEN WHEN THE CAR TURNS 5OK MILES. I FOUND OUT THAT THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WHO BOUGHT THE SAME CAR HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM . AND DEALER WON'T EVEN SUPPLY THE PARTS TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THE FREELANDERS WERE RIP OFF AND LAND ROVER DEALERSHIP STOP MAKING AFTER THEY FOUND OUT THAT THE CAR WAS A TOTAL DISASTER BOTH FOR THE COMPANY AND THEY CUSTOMERS. BUT STILL NO RECALLS ORDERED OR SERVICE CAMPAIGN IS ORDERED TO SAVE THE PEOPLE WHO PAID TOP DOLLAR FOR A LEMON. *TR
ENGINE FAILED DUE TO A DESIGN FLAW. NEEDED TO REPLACE ENGINE. *TR
I WAS DRIVING TO GET DINNER WITH MY DAUGHTER AND MY LANDROVER FREELANDER JUST FELL DEAD WHILE DRIVING. THIS INCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN FATAL IF IT HAD HAPPENED ON THE FREEWAY. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO MY HOME LESS THAN 2 MILES AWAY AND HAD A CERTIFIED LAND ROVER MECHANIC COME TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE. HE INFORMED ME THAT THE MOTOR LOC…
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I WAS DRIVING TO GET DINNER WITH MY DAUGHTER AND MY LANDROVER FREELANDER JUST FELL DEAD WHILE DRIVING. THIS INCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN FATAL IF IT HAD HAPPENED ON THE FREEWAY. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO MY HOME LESS THAN 2 MILES AWAY AND HAD A CERTIFIED LAND ROVER MECHANIC COME TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE. HE INFORMED ME THAT THE MOTOR LOCKED UP FOR NO APPARENT REASON. THE CAR WAS NOT LOW ON OIL, NOR HAD IT BEEN OVERHEATING AND THERE WERE NO OTHER LIQUIDS MIXED IN THE OIL. THE ONLY OPTION GOING FORWARD WOULD BE TO HAVE THE ENTIRE ENGINE REPLACED. THIS VEHICLE HAS HAD ONE MECHANICAL FAILURE AFTER ANOTHER AND IS NOT WORTH THE MONEY SPENT. *TR
MY 2002 LAND ROVER FREELANDER HAD AN ENGINE FAILURE IN SEPTEMBER 2006. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MAKE OF VEHICLE AND COST ME $6,849.61 TO REPLACE SINCE I WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. OTHER POPULAR PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE ARE PROBLEMS WITH THE WINDOW MOTORS. MY SUNROOF AND TWO BACKDOOR WINDOWS WOULD NOT OPERATE PROPERLY. I C…
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MY 2002 LAND ROVER FREELANDER HAD AN ENGINE FAILURE IN SEPTEMBER 2006. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MAKE OF VEHICLE AND COST ME $6,849.61 TO REPLACE SINCE I WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. OTHER POPULAR PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE ARE PROBLEMS WITH THE WINDOW MOTORS. MY SUNROOF AND TWO BACKDOOR WINDOWS WOULD NOT OPERATE PROPERLY. I COULD ONLY PAY TO REPAIR THE BACKDOOR WINDOWS AT THE EXPENSE OF $904.88. ALSO, THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR LOCK DOES NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY, BUT I WAS NOT ABLE TO HAVE THAT FIXED. *TR
ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS, ONE DAYS AFTER MY CAR WAS CLEARED FOR A SECOND TIME BY A LAND ROVER DEALER. MY CAR WENT INTO 'LIMITED PERFOMANCE MODE' WHILE I WAS COMMUTING TO WORK....I WAS IN THE HIGH SPEED LANE AND THE MIDDLE LANE AND MY CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE ABOUT 20 MPH. I HAD TO CALL 911 ON THE SECOND OCCASION AS IT HAPPENED…
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ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS, ONE DAYS AFTER MY CAR WAS CLEARED FOR A SECOND TIME BY A LAND ROVER DEALER. MY CAR WENT INTO 'LIMITED PERFOMANCE MODE' WHILE I WAS COMMUTING TO WORK....I WAS IN THE HIGH SPEED LANE AND THE MIDDLE LANE AND MY CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE ABOUT 20 MPH. I HAD TO CALL 911 ON THE SECOND OCCASION AS IT HAPPENED BECAUSE I WAS IN THE MERGE OF 2 HIGHWAYS IN THE EVENING. MY CAR ALSO HAD DOWNSHIFTING PROBLEMS WHERE THE DOWNHILL DECENT CONTROL WOULD COME ON OUT OF NOWHERE CAUSING MY CAR TO BUCK FORWARD AND DROP DOWN TO SECOND GEAR. THE DEALERSHIP AGAIN SAID THAT IS COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED 3 TIMES BEFORE THEY FINALLY FOUND SOMETHING AND THEN IT KEPT HAPPENING ANYWAY. MY TRANSMISSION LET GO ON THE HIGHWAY AT JUST OVER 60K MILES AND THEN MY ENGINE LINING SHIFTED SPEWING OIL ONLY ABOUT 2 MONTHS AFTER. THE DEALERSHIPS ARE WELL AWARE OF THE POOR QUALITY OF THESE VEHICLES AND YET, THEY SELL AND RE-SELL THEM TO THE UNSUSPECTING CONSUMERS. I HAVE A LAWYER AND WILL BE SUING LR FOR EVERYTHING I CAN, INCLUDING LOST WAGES, EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL DISTRESS, AND ANYTHING ELSE THAT CAN BE TIED INTO MY TWO YEAR NIGHTMARE. I STRONGLY SUGGEST YOU GET THESE VEHICLES OFF THE ROAD BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED. THANK YOU *TR
MY 2002 LAND ROVER FREELANDER HAS EXPERIENCED SLUGGISH ACCELERATION TO A JOLT AND DOWSHIFTS ON ITS OWN AT FREEWAY SPEED. ABOUT 2 WEEKS AFTER BUYING IT USED I TOOK IT TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND THEY SAID I NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION, HAD IT TOWED BACK TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID IT DIDN'T. NEEDLESS TO SAY THEY WOULDN'T REPLACE IT.…
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MY 2002 LAND ROVER FREELANDER HAS EXPERIENCED SLUGGISH ACCELERATION TO A JOLT AND DOWSHIFTS ON ITS OWN AT FREEWAY SPEED. ABOUT 2 WEEKS AFTER BUYING IT USED I TOOK IT TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND THEY SAID I NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION, HAD IT TOWED BACK TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID IT DIDN'T. NEEDLESS TO SAY THEY WOULDN'T REPLACE IT. IT HAS A OVERHEATING PROBLEM WHICH IS CONTINUOUS. THE ENGINE SOUNDS LIKE IT HAS NO OIL IN IT, EVEN AFTER AN OIL CHANGE I HAVE TO CHECK IT TO MAKE SURE BECAUSE THE NOISE IS SO LOUD. THE HDC LIGHT COMES ON AND THE VEHICLE SEEMS TO DRIVE IN AN ALMOST 4WHEEL LOW AT ALL TIMES. THERE WAS ANTIFREEZE IN MY OIL. THIS VEHICLE HAS MAJOR PROBLEMS!!!!!!!! *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 LAND ROVER FREELANDER. WHILE SLOWING DOWN AND TURNING AT 10 MPH, THE STEERING RACK MADE A LOUD CRUNCHING SOUND AND THE CONTACT LOST TOTAL STEERING CONTROL. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE RACK AND PINION FAILED. THE RACK HAD BEEN REPLACED THE PREVIOUS YEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAIL…
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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 LAND ROVER FREELANDER. WHILE SLOWING DOWN AND TURNING AT 10 MPH, THE STEERING RACK MADE A LOUD CRUNCHING SOUND AND THE CONTACT LOST TOTAL STEERING CONTROL. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE RACK AND PINION FAILED. THE RACK HAD BEEN REPLACED THE PREVIOUS YEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 82,558. UPDATED 01/09/08. *LJ THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN RETURNING TO LAND ROVER DEALER IN KNOXVILLE THEY STATED THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT, HOWEVER THE CONSUMER BODY SHOP CONFIRMED INFACT IT HAD NOT BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT BUT THE RACK AND PINION FAILED. UPDATED 12/12/07 *TR
TRANSMISSION FAILED, IN REVERSE AND THEN IN DRIVE. *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
Illustration