2002 Land Rover Freelander

Typical pattern

3.5% of complaints about the 2002 Land Rover Freelander came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 2002 vehicle — around the middle of the 230 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 5.8 yr in service. The most-reported system is engine cooling (128 complaints), typically at 6.3 yr or about 61,000 miles.

Complaints: 397
Median age at failure: 5.8 yr
Median mileage: 58,000 n=312
Crash / fire / tow: 4.5% of reports
Safety recalls: 3

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

07V041000 2007-02-09

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.

05V300000 2005-06-28

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.

04V347000 2004-07-12

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.

In owners’ own words

Engine cooling mileage not reported 10 mo in service

ACCORDING TO THE DEALERSHIP IN CHARLOTTE, NC OVERHEATING IS A KNOWN DEFECT DUE TO INADEQUATE ENGINE EXHAUST FAN. *AK

Engine cooling 5,000 mi 1.2 yr in service

WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD SQUEAKING NOISE. THEN, THE VEHICLE VIBRATED UNCONTROLLABLY. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, AND PULLED OVER. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, WHO DETERMINED THE BRAKE ROTORS AND PADS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, AND REPLACED THEM. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK THE CONSUMER STATED THE COOLANT SYSTEM FAILED AND THE VEHICLE HAD ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. *JB

Engine cooling 63,000 mi 3.3 yr in service crash / fire / tow

(1) DEFROST/HEAT NOT WORK;2) ENGINE OVERHEATED;3) REPLACED HEATER VAC AT A COST OF $830, OLD PART KEPT AT DELEAR. *AK

Service brakes, hydraulic mileage not reported 10 mo in service

AT 1000 MILES OF DRIVING, VEHICLE STARTED TO MAKE NOISE AFTER WARMING UP. DEALER REPLACED FROONT ROTORS AND PADS WITH IN TWO WEEKS. VEHICLE HAS BEEN ON TWO OCASSIONS AT THE DEALER AND THE PROBLEM STILL REOCURRING. PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. TS

Other Freelander model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

2002 Land Rover Freelander

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

In owners’ own words

Other Freelander model years

How to read this