Looking at buying 02 freelander yes/no?

[andypharmd]

Please help. We are looking at a 2002 Freelander HSE with 74000 miles on it. I have been reading several reviews and have not heard many good things about them. We do not have the money to keep sinking in to a vehicle right now. I know the sunroof was fixed on and it is in the shop right now getting a new water pump because the heater wasn't working. The dealer won't take any less than $8000 for it. All the reviews I've read say there are probs with coolant leaking in to the engine ruining the engine and other costly repairs.

Please let me know because we really like the looks and handling of this vehicle. My wife will be driving it with our 3 small children. Thanks for your help.

[TerryS]

Several points; tHE ASKING PRICE OF $8000, while compared to the original purchase price, may seem OK, but the truth is, No Land Rover dealer is offering more than $4k, and honestly, they will probably even tell you, they simply don't want them. You didn't say, but is this car on a Land Rover dealership's lot? I suspect not, because when they do take them in, they know enough about them, that they just send them to the auction, and unsuspecting used car dealers buy them.
We had a '02, and while it was substantially trouble free for the first few years, and maybe up to 65K, it was in the dealership for repetitive repairs there after, and I am not exagerating when I tell you it was in FOR MORE DAYS THAN WE HAD IT for the remaining month, till the Subaru Dealership took it off our hands. That dealership was owned by the same company that owned the LR dealership and the owner told them to take it, and GET RID OF IT. The sunroof tracks failed fairly early, but were repaired, under warranty, then again (same track problem, Plus motor) under extended warranty. The third failure was the first nice day in the spring, and the sunroof had been used ONCE, as in ONE TIME,, since it was previously repaired. This repair, without warranty, is between $400 and $1200, depending on if it's just tracks. The other problems any '02 have, in cold climates start with frozen cam cover vent tubes, leading to cam plug blowout, and total loss of oil. I hear this one all the time, and the dealer fixed it THREE times. I know they are complete idiots, and they even admitted they didn't fix it right. LRNA was involved, and VERONICA, at LRNA told me (off the record, I'm sure) She had heard this complaint many times.
Want more? Unless you have tons of money to burn, and don't like your wife and kids, walk away. "03 had fewer problems, and '04 &'05 were really quite good.

[TerryS]

Their fuel milage sucks too. Best we ever saw was 22 on extended highway, but 15-16 around town is average. My wife's new Forrester gets about 30 on the highway, and has seen 32.

[SafariDave]

Don't do it. They are trouble. LR mechanics hate them.

[ArmyRover]

No

[andypharmd]

Thanks for all the replys.... that answers my questions. I have probablly read almost 200 customer reviews and NOT 1 good review..... again thanks for the help. We'll keep looking.

[slangel]

Originally Posted by ArmyRover

No

x2 - run like the wind.

[MATTIELG22]

Dont Do It.will Cost Too Much Money.and If You Trash The Engine;there Almost Impossible To Find.

[bluefreelander]

Agreed, these cars are the worst ones of the bunch, the only opportunity is to install a "Freelander cooling kit" from ebay, some freelanders with this kit installed are clocking higher mileage than the standard "blow the engine before 100k miles freelander doctrine"

[ArmyRover]

[03SilverFL]

It took you 200 reviews? I love mine and it has been a money pit. But when asked asks, run. run away.

[Bushranger]

Land Rover is embarrased they were ever made and even have their name on them. My mother was going to buy one. It had about 10,000 miles on it. I had a friend of mine, who happens to be the service manager of one of the largest and most respected Land Rover Dealers in the midwest run the vin#. New engine at 2k, tranny at 4k, axle isses etc. Numerous recalls, electrical issues etc. Apparently Land Rover had literally purchased this Land Rover Freelander back from the original owner. You get my point. My friend, who has worked for LR for over 20 years told me she would question my intelligence if we purchased a freelander. You still want a Land Rover, buy a Disco. If you oWn a Freelander, it might make an excellent canidate for the "Cash for Clunkers" program

[Prodigy999]

no

[WorldFormula]

Look for an 03 like Terry said. Mines at 106k and only had a problem with the trunk door a while back. Didn't even have to get it fixed, it just started working again.