IllustrationI BOUGHT A 2004 LAND ROVER FREELANDER HSE AND A YEAR LATER THE ENGINE SEIZED. I SPENT WELL OVER $5,000 ON REPAIRS AND ABOUT 3 WEEKS LATER THE ENGINE SEIZED AGAIN FROM DIFFERENT ISSUES. I NOW STILL AM PAYING FOR MY LOAN AND DRIVING A $500 HUNK OF JUNK. THANKS LAND ROVER. *TR
2004 Land Rover Freelander
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2004 Land Rover Freelander do not stand out strongly from 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
130–25K
725–50K
3250–75K
975–100K
1100–150K
0150K+
62 reports with mileage · 7 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 52 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Visibility. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
2 crash reports1 fire reports0 injury reports
What owners actually said
69 reportsONE YEAR AFTER PURCHASE THE COOLANT BEGAN LEAKING SOMEWHERE, EVENTUALLY IT COMPROMISED THE ENGINE AND IT WAS REPLACED AT 76,000 BEING COVERED BY OUR EXTENDED WARRANTY POLICY. NOW, AFTER 20,000 OUR ENGINE IS MAKING A LOT OF NOISE AND IS BEGINNING TO LEAK COOLANT AGAIN! *TR
2004 FREELANDER SE PURCHASED IN APRIL OF 2007. NOW, (1) CONTINUOUS COOLANT LEAKING, (2) CYLINDER SLEEVE HAS SLIPPED, (3) LOUD "KNOCKING" NOISE UPON STARTING THE ENGINE, (4) COOLANT LEAKING INTO OIL AND (5) ENGINE OVERHEAT LIGHT ILLUMINATING REGULARLY. CONSULTED LOCAL LAND ROVER DEALER, WAS TOLD THAT I WOULD NEED A "TOTAL ENGINE…
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2004 FREELANDER SE PURCHASED IN APRIL OF 2007. NOW, (1) CONTINUOUS COOLANT LEAKING, (2) CYLINDER SLEEVE HAS SLIPPED, (3) LOUD "KNOCKING" NOISE UPON STARTING THE ENGINE, (4) COOLANT LEAKING INTO OIL AND (5) ENGINE OVERHEAT LIGHT ILLUMINATING REGULARLY. CONSULTED LOCAL LAND ROVER DEALER, WAS TOLD THAT I WOULD NEED A "TOTAL ENGINE REPLACEMENT." THAT WAS MY ONLY OPTION. ALSO TOLD TO "GET RID" OF THE VEHICLE. I STILL OWE APPROXIMATELY $13,000 ON THIS VEHICLE, SO THAT IS NOT AN OPTION. WAS TOLD THAT ENGINE REPLACEMENT WOULD COST $10,000.00. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN RAISED BY THOUSANDS OF FREELANDER OWNERS AND SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO FROM A LEGAL STANDPOINT BEFORE SOMEONE GETS INJURED OR WORSE DUE TO ENGINE LOCKUP. *TR
I PURCHASED THE 2004 LAND ROVER, FREELANDER IN 2006. IT HAS ONLY 28000 MILES ON IT. ABOUT A MONTH AFTER THE PURCHASE, I HAD TO TAKE IT IN TO REPLACE THE WINDOW REGULATOR. A FEW MONTHS LATER, I HEARD KNOCKING NOISES UNDER THE HOOD. I TOOK IT BACK IN (LR DEALERSHIP) AND THEY SAID THERE IS LOOSE WASHER SOMEWHERE. THEY WERE NOT ABLE…
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I PURCHASED THE 2004 LAND ROVER, FREELANDER IN 2006. IT HAS ONLY 28000 MILES ON IT. ABOUT A MONTH AFTER THE PURCHASE, I HAD TO TAKE IT IN TO REPLACE THE WINDOW REGULATOR. A FEW MONTHS LATER, I HEARD KNOCKING NOISES UNDER THE HOOD. I TOOK IT BACK IN (LR DEALERSHIP) AND THEY SAID THERE IS LOOSE WASHER SOMEWHERE. THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO REPLACE THE PART, THUS THEY ONLY REPAIRED THE PROBLEM. I COULD STILL HEAR THE NOISE, ESPECIALLY FROM A COLDSTART. I ALSO HAD TOOK IT IN FOR THEM TO LOOK AT AN AC PROBLEM. IT SPRAYS WATER OUT THROUGH THE AIR VENT. I REPORT THE PROBLEM AT LEAST 4 TIMES. EVERYTIME, THEY SAID THEY HAVE FIXED THE PROBLEMS. HOWEVER, AS OF NOW, WE STILL HAVE THAT PROBLEM. RECENTLY, WE HAVE A THERMOSTAT LEAK AT 52000 MILES. THE SUV MAINTENANCE SCHEDULES ARE UP TO DATE. THE SUV IS 5 MONTHS AND 3000 MILES PASS THE WARRANTY PERIOD. I HAVE TO PAY $800 TO REPAIR THE LEAK. TWO DAYS AGO, WILL ON THE FREEWAY (GOING 70MPH), THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THEN THE ENGINE STALLED FOR A SECOND AND JERK FORWARD VIOLENTLY. THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT WENT OFF AND THE TC (TRACTION CONTROL) LIGHT TURNS ON AND THE 'DOWN HILL' CAR SYMBOL ON THE DASHBOARD ILLUMINATES. THE CAR WAS UNABLE TO START WHEN I TURNED IT OFF. I THEN LET IT SIT OVERNIGHT AND WAS ABLE TO START. AFTER THE CAR HAS STARTED, I NOTICE THE 'SERVICE ENGINE SOON' LIGHT ILLUMINATE. THE SUV HAS ONLY 53000 MILES ON IT AS OF NOW. I FEEL THAT THIS CAR IS POORLY DESIGNED. NOT ONLY IT PUT MY LIFE IN DANGER, BUT IT ALSO PUT THE LIVES OF MY WIFE AND MY 1 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER. WHEN WE BOUGHT THE SUV, WE THOUGHT THAT IT A SAFE SUV FOR OUR FAMILY. HOWEVER, THE INCIDENT TWO DAYS AGO ALMOST PUT OUR LIVES IN HARM WAYS. *TR
BOUGHT THE CAR NEW IN 2004. IN LESS THAN 4 YEARS THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT CAME ON OVER 8 TIMES RESULTING IN 5 VIS MOTOR REPLACEMENTS, 2 OXYGEN SENSOR REPLACEMENTS AND ONE REPLACEMENT OF THE ENTIRE INTAKE MANIFOLD. IN ADDITION THE BATTERY HAD TO BE REPLACED TWICE BECAUSE IT WAS "SWOLLEN AND CRACKED" AND THE REAR WINDOW REG…
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BOUGHT THE CAR NEW IN 2004. IN LESS THAN 4 YEARS THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT CAME ON OVER 8 TIMES RESULTING IN 5 VIS MOTOR REPLACEMENTS, 2 OXYGEN SENSOR REPLACEMENTS AND ONE REPLACEMENT OF THE ENTIRE INTAKE MANIFOLD. IN ADDITION THE BATTERY HAD TO BE REPLACED TWICE BECAUSE IT WAS "SWOLLEN AND CRACKED" AND THE REAR WINDOW REGULATOR WAS REPLACED BECAUSE THE REAR WINDOW FELL AND WOULD NOT COME BACK UP. LUCKILY IT DID NOT BREAK AND INJURE ANYONE WHEN IT FELL. COOLANT LEVEL WAS ALSO "ALWAYS LOW." SYSTEM WAS PRESSURE TESTED AND NO LEAKS WERE FOUND BUT I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT A POSSIBLE DEFECTIVE HEAD GASKET. *TR
2004 LAND ROVER FREELANDER. I HAVE HAD REPEATED PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR (COOLANT LEAKS) AND HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO MY LOCAL LAND ROVER DEALERSHIP FOR SERVICE TO NO AVAIL. I KEEP BEING TOLD THERE IS NO LEAK. THERE IS I KEEP LOSING COOLANT. I SEE ON THE INTERNET THAT I AM ONE OF THOUSANDS OF CONSUMERS WHO HAVE BEEN CHEATED B…
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2004 LAND ROVER FREELANDER. I HAVE HAD REPEATED PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR (COOLANT LEAKS) AND HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO MY LOCAL LAND ROVER DEALERSHIP FOR SERVICE TO NO AVAIL. I KEEP BEING TOLD THERE IS NO LEAK. THERE IS I KEEP LOSING COOLANT. I SEE ON THE INTERNET THAT I AM ONE OF THOUSANDS OF CONSUMERS WHO HAVE BEEN CHEATED BY LR. THE FREELANDER IS A LEMON AND THEIR APPEARS TO BE THOUSANDS OF US CONSUMERS WHO HAVE HAD TO EXPERIENCE THE DISAPPOINT AND COSTS INCURRED DUE TO THE FAULTY MANUFACTURING BY LAND ROVER. I REQUEST THAT YOUR OFFICE INVESTIGATE THIS IMMEDIATELY. THE FREELANDER SHOULD BE RECALLED!! I THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR INVESTIGATING THIS MATTER. CHECK THE INTERNET YOU WILL FIND THOUSANDS OF UNHAPPY CONSUMERS OF LR AS MYSELF. *TR
MY 2004 HSE FREELANDER WITH ONLY 35,000 MILES ON IT, THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS AND IT HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP SINCE JUNE. '07 UNTIL JAN. '08 FOR A COOLANT LEAK THAT LEAD TO ENTIRE ENGINE CHANGE. THE KEYLESS ENTRY STOPPED UNLOCKING THE DOORS BEHIND THE PASSANGER SEAT. MY BACK WINDOW REGULATORS ARE BROKEN AND I CANNO…
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MY 2004 HSE FREELANDER WITH ONLY 35,000 MILES ON IT, THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS AND IT HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP SINCE JUNE. '07 UNTIL JAN. '08 FOR A COOLANT LEAK THAT LEAD TO ENTIRE ENGINE CHANGE. THE KEYLESS ENTRY STOPPED UNLOCKING THE DOORS BEHIND THE PASSANGER SEAT. MY BACK WINDOW REGULATORS ARE BROKEN AND I CANNOT CLOSE THIS WINDOW. LAND ROVER NEEDS TO FOCUS MORE ON QUALITY.
SINCE WARRANTY EXPIRATION IN AUG. '07 MY 2004 HSE FREELANDER WITH ONLY 50,000 MILES ON IT HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP SINCE NOV. '07 UNTIL FEB. '08 FOR A COOLANT LEAK THAT LEAD TO ENTIRE ENGINE CHANGE. LUCKY I BOUGHT THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. MY WINDOW REGULATORS HAS BEEN REPLACED NUMEROUS TIMES SINCE I HAVE OWNED THE VEHICLE. NOW I'M H…
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SINCE WARRANTY EXPIRATION IN AUG. '07 MY 2004 HSE FREELANDER WITH ONLY 50,000 MILES ON IT HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP SINCE NOV. '07 UNTIL FEB. '08 FOR A COOLANT LEAK THAT LEAD TO ENTIRE ENGINE CHANGE. LUCKY I BOUGHT THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. MY WINDOW REGULATORS HAS BEEN REPLACED NUMEROUS TIMES SINCE I HAVE OWNED THE VEHICLE. NOW I'M HAVE MORE PROBLEM WITH IT AND I'M GETTING VERY DISGUSTED WITH THIS VEHICLE. LAND ROVER NEEDS TO FOCUS MORE ON QUALITY VICE QUANTITY OF VEHICLES. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND A QUALITY ASSURANCE DIVISION TO RECOMMEND QUALITY AND DURABLE COMPONENTS FOR THEIR VEHICLES INSTEAD OF BEING CHEAP AND USING THE NAME OF LAND ROVER AS A SHIELD FOR THEIR SHADY BUSINESS PRACTICES..... I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE ON THE BASIS OF ITS DURABILITY.... I GUESS LAND ROVER DOES MEAN NOTHING..... I SHOULD'VE DONE BETTER HOMEWORK. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 LAND ROVER FREELANDER. THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START AND WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WAS ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO A MANUFACTURER DEFECT THAT CREATED A HOLE THROUGH THE ENGINE. AFTER THE REPAIR WAS MADE, THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AND THE VEHICLE WILL NOT MOVE. THE CURRENT AND FAILUR…
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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 LAND ROVER FREELANDER. THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START AND WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WAS ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO A MANUFACTURER DEFECT THAT CREATED A HOLE THROUGH THE ENGINE. AFTER THE REPAIR WAS MADE, THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AND THE VEHICLE WILL NOT MOVE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 55,000. UPDATED
TRANSMISSION FAILURE WITH 50,739 MILES. *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