Your vehicle report
2002 Land Rover Freelander
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 226
- Received Mar 2002 to Apr 2015
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Transmission fails or loses power while driving31 complaints · 14% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Head gasket leaks coolant into engine25 complaints · 11% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips7 complaints · 3.1% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #07V041000On 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.
- Recall #05V300000On 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.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 4 crashes, 4 fires, 5 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 14 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
1 more problem
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2002 | 11 |
| 2003 | 11 |
| 2004 | 9 |
| 2005 | 16 |
| 2006 | 18 |
| 2007 | 32 |
| 2008 | 69 |
| 2009 | 25 |
| 2010 | 17 |
| 2011 | 4 |
| 2012 | 5 |
| 2013 | 6 |
| 2014 | 2 |
| 2015 | 1 |
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 226 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 31 | 14% | – | |
| Head gasket leaks coolant into engine | 25 | 11% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 7 | 3.1% | – | |
| Brake lights fail or stay on | 7 | 3.1% | – | NHTSA recall #07V041000 |
| Power window regulator fails and window drops | 5 | 2.2% | – | |
| Front brake rotors warp and wear early | 5 | 2.2% | – | |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 4 | 1.8% | – | |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 4 | 1.8% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 3 | 1.3% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 3 | 1.3% | – | |
| Power steering cuts out while driving | 3 | 1.3% | – | |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 3 | 1.3% | – | |
| Brakes make grinding or squealing noise | 3 | 1.3% | – | |
| Transmission will not engage reverse gear | 3 | 1.3% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #07V041000February 9, 200733,247 vehicles affected
exterior lighting: brake lights: switch
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.
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.
NHTSA recall #05V300000June 28, 20051,941 vehicles affected
latches/locks/linkages: doors: latch
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.
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.
NHTSA recall #04V347000July 12, 200431,049 vehicles affected
structure: body: roof and pillars
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.
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.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2002 Land Rover Freelander.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN