Should I or shouldn't I ? ? ?

[DaRedFox]

Hello all,

I'm currently in the market for a 2nd vehicle, specifically an SUV and have always been interested in Land Rovers. I've narrowed it down to an '02 or '03 Freelander for looks, fairly economical for an SUV, off road capabilities, and more importantly it's reputation.

However while doing my research and reading through 4 different L/R forums it seems to me that the Freelander is a LEMON. About 6 out of 10 owner's have complaints after complaints with this particular model. Ranging from blown engines (KV4), blown tranny, the ever constant coolant leaks, defective window motors, shall I go on?

I had my heart set on one but is it a crap shoot, I've also noticed that compared to other mini-SUV's the Freelander seems to be in the lower price range against the likes of Honda's, Jeep's, Ford's and other manufacturers. So I ask myself why?

My heart says YES but my mind says NO. I guess I'm throwing this out here to get some feedback from actual owner's and to somehow justify my decision.

Should I or shouldn't I.....

[Roverdude]

I know it can be frustrating going on what you see on the 'net, people love to complain.

I had a 03 Freelander SE3. In 46,000 miles, issues I had:
-TC/HDC light came on. Didn't affect drivability, fixed under warranty.
-Battery failed. Needed two jumps, fixed under warranty.
- Replaced coolant resevoir. I noticed it looked like it was leaking from the cap, took it in, fixed under warranty.
- Got a flat. Fixed at local tire shop $15.

Other than that, I had one or two very minor trim issues, also fixed under warranty. Nothing I experienced kept me off the road or became a safety issue. I took meticulous care of it and I never had any major issues. Only reason I sold it is that I really wanted an LR2! Freelanders have a bad rap and I believe it's undeserved. Mine was pretty good. That being said, my cousin has an 05 FL which needed an engine replacement. It also was replaced under warranty.

[DaRedFox]

From some of the feedback I've been getting it seems like I'd have better luck in Vegas than owning a Freelander. Which is a shame because I've always wanted a Land Rover and what drew me to the F/L was it's fuel economy, for an SUV. My first choice was really a Disco however with the ever rising gas prices I may have to take out a second mortgage just to keep a V8 tank filled.

Why would Land Rover put out such a dysfunctional vehicle and tarnish their solid reputation for building tanks on 4 wheels.