10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
63,884 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2003 Land Rover Freelander fuel system problems

fuel system problem

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2003 Land Rover Freelander Owner Comments

problem #15

Aug 262010

Freelander

  • 73,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I have a landrover Freelander 2003. The car needed a new engine at 41,000 miles and right after that transmission seals had to be repaired right after that air. Heating units were replaced now the car is at 73,000 miles and the dealer is telling me that I need a new engine again for the same problem coolant and oil mixing, which was the problem I had in 2007 when they replaced the engine. The car is at the dealer for the past two weeks and they are refusing to give me a loaner because I have contacted Land Rover to see what they are going to do about the garbage of a car and they are taking their time resolving the issue.

- Miller Place, NY, USA

problem #14

Sep 112009

Freelander

  • 107,650 miles
The 2003 landrover Freelander stalled on 2 seperate ocassions, once in an active intersection with barely missing being struck by another vehicle. The 2nd time ocurred about 4 minutes before the previous instance. Additionally, the vehicle as a whole shouldn't be on the highway. To my knowledge this vehicle has never been in an accident and it's uncertain if it may be refurbished from a area where damage was such that some work and relocation presented it for sale elsewhere. The vehicle purchased at a little over 73,000 miles has been in the shop 14 times in 27 months totalling well over $10,000 in repairs. I paid $12,288 for the vehicle. Intake maniifold gaskets, cylinder head gaskets, head bolts, cam bolts, the famed "coolant leak" that has coolant leaking into the engine causing it to cease up. That's the only thing that hasn't happened mechanically with this vehicle. I ride around, when it's not in the shop, with coolant in the back in case its starts to steam again. Lock assemblys (2X), torque converter motor, themostat and several other issues that make it non-highway worthy. This is just mine, at the emunds.com automotive forum among the many others I visited there are hundreds of others with the same problems and are left with either, broken down sitting in the driveway, in the driveway after its last repair so miles are kept low for resale or forced to procure another vehicle or mode of transportation, or forced to continue driving it as its their only source of transportation and low resources while still paying a loan on it and an extended warranty company that you hope doesn't dance around the responsibility of paying for repairs that are obvious covered items in the warranty. Finally, if it weren't bad enough to be stuck with this vehicle and not know if it will remain operable for the length of the loan, currently 48 months, I can't even rely on the vehicle to safely Transport my wife and daugther. Landrover mechanics can't keep these vehicles on the road.

- Willingboro, NJ, USA

problem #13

Sep 142004

Freelander

  • 10,956 miles
I purchased new a 2003 Freelander Land Rover. This vehicle has had so many conditions including the engine, cooling system, brake and lights system, corrosion. At this point the coolant has manage its way into the engine and mixed with the engine oil, which I attribute those whom have had the engine abruptly stalled, the cause for it. There are many sites and mechanics that will explain this failure to be a badly design and constructed engine. Land Rover continues to replace the broken parts but they continue to brake. It needs a totally different construction for this problems to stop. I have all records of maintenance if needed.

- Bayamon, PR, USA

problem #12

Jun 192009

Freelander

  • 82,607 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I am driving an SUV - Freelander SE3 of the Land Rover, and have a defect that is getting worse as the car get into highs miles. I can be driving over 50 miles per hour and the service engine light came up, followed by T/C and decent hill lights, them the car have a strong jump and the D (drive mode) change to a flashing "F" "4"- them suddenly the engine shotoff. I drive with the fear that one day I will not be able to pull over and I will be crashing. Another problem is that the vehicle loss total power and stop moving, no matter how hard I press down the gas pedal.

- Wanaque, NJ, USA

problem #11

Jan 142009

Freelander

  • miles
Poor mechanical design on 2003 Freelander Land Rover with 75,000 miles leading to numerous mechanical failures. Low mileage (40,000 to 70,000) failure of vehicle components including: Brakes (twice), fuel pump, and water pump. Over $5,000 in repairs. Engine now leaking coolant indicating head gasket and eventual engine failure.

- Sequim, WA, USA

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problem #10

Dec 152008

Freelander

  • 95,000 miles
In July 2004 I purchased a 2003 Land Rover Freelander hse with 25K miles. In the four and a half years of owning the vehicle we have had numerous problems. The sunroof failed twice and repaired under warranty and has since broke again. Three of the four window regulators have failed (2 fixed under warranty). I have just replaced the fuel pump @ 95K miles. Had to repair myself because the nearest dealer is 120 miles away and nobody else would work on it. Now it seems the head gasket or who knows what else has failed. We have to put a gallon of water in per week. Land Rover has discontinued the sale of the Freelander in the us. This does not surprise me because of all the complaints due to the overall poor quality of a "luxury SUV".

- Fort Wayne, IN, USA

problem #9

Jan 022009

Freelander

  • 47,863 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

2003 Freelander by Land Rover cut off on me while driving. I had to be towed. The fuel pump and gasket were bad. My mileage is 47,863 miles and the car is driven locally less than 5 miles per day.

- Bluffton, SC, USA

problem #8

Sep 052007

Freelander

  • 48,000 miles
My car has endless problems in every aspect!! anyone that owns one are having the same issues and nobody can seem to fix it, nor can I get parts to fix it, and the parts you do get to repair the vehicle break faster than the original parts on the car !! my engine has not failed yet but my transmission has and the dealer ship wont fix it and said there is nothing wrong with it !! iv paid more money fixing the car than I have for the car !! I can't go more than 1000 miles before something else breaks !! I have owned the car for about 18 months and its been in the shop for about 12 of those 18 months !! everyone that has one of these landrover Freelanders has the same issues and nobody can get parts for this car ! nothing works right and nothing runs like it should and even the mechanics at the dealer ship will take you aside and tell you get rid of it while you still can !!! I cant and neither can allot of others like me because of the money they have put into the car just to keep it on the road !! this car has left me and my 20 month old son stranded in the middle of nowhere on more than three or four or five occasions !! I lost track of how many times !! and when something goes wrong with this car your stuck wherever your at !! its not safe to walk down a freeway with a baby at any time during the day or night and that's exactly what iv had to do on many different occasions !! this is not a safe car by any means ! when my fuel pump went out my car just died at 60 miles an hour on the highway and nearly caused an accident with me and many other cars and I thank the good lord nothing happened when the car died and it felt like someone was slamming on the brakes !! this car is a safety hazard in the worst way !! kids should not be allowed too ride in this car do too the fact they might get hit by a car when it dies and leaves you on the freeway or anywhere else your at !! I don't let my son in this car unless its absolutely necessary !! I'll borrow my moms car just to go to the store with him !!

- Beaverton , OR, USA

problem #7

Dec 112008

Freelander

  • 100,703 miles
2003 Freelander had sudden fuel pump failure while driving on the freeway. Car would not restart and was towed to dealer where fuel pump was replaced. After driving the car for 1 1/2 days car starts and then immediately dies. Once managed to start it will idle but as soon as any pressure is put on the gas pedal the engine falters. Will contact the dealer on Monday to reassess.

- Concord, CA, USA

problem #6

Nov 242008

Freelander

  • 60,000 miles
I was driving my 2003 Land Rover Freelander on the highway on November 24,2008, when the engine died on me. It was snowing and wet on the highway and dark. I was able to get the car to the side of the highway and waited for aaa. I had to be towed 19 miles to my home. I was told the fuel pump went out on the car. There was no warning and it failed in a highway where the average speed is 70 mph.

- Detroit, MI, USA

problem #5

Nov 182008

Freelander

  • 63,659 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I am the original owner of a 2003 Land Rover Freelander. I have always followed all of the factory service maintenance intervals and have all of the service records for this well-maintained vehicle. Although the vehicle has only 63,000 miles on it, I recently had to take it in twice for service at the Land Rover of fort lauderdale dealership where I purchased it in December, 2004. I was shocked to learn from my service advisor, jesse robinson, that the vehicle needed a "head gasket and possibly a new engine." He explained to me that coolant was leaking into the engine's cylinders, and that it was only a matter of time before the engine would stop working and be worthless. He told me that changing the head gasket would not solve the problem anyway, that it is the result of a severe engineering flaw that the Land Rover corporation has been aware of for several years. It seems that the engine block, while made of aluminum, has cylinder sleeves that are made of steel. Since metals expand with heat and different metals have major differences in their metallurgic properties, what eventually happens is that the sleeves disjoin from the engine block and begin to slip and slide in place, something no engine should do regardless of the mileage on it. Once the sleeves move, they bend and soon after break the head gasket, which allows coolant to enter the cylinders, which causes the engine to run very erratically until it stops running altogether. Changing the head gasket, therefore, doesn't fix the problem, and even replacing the engine isn't possible. The manufacturer that once built and supplied them for Land Rover went out of business, and what few engines are available are only released to those who bought the factory extended warranty. I have since discovered that there are thousands of very similar cases out there, that anyone with the 2002 to 2005 model experiences the same problems once their vehicles reach 40,000 to 70,000 miles (please see edmunds.com).

- Boca Raton, FL, USA

problem #4

Nov 062008

Freelander

  • 57,820 miles
My vehicle was giving off service engine faults and then went back to normal, nothing felt wrong about my landrover. A month or so later I parked my car, went into the store, came back out and my lr wouldn't start. I had to have it towed to a mechanic who is replacing the pump. I now ride my bicycle in the North Dakota winter. This is not pleasant.

- Moorhead, MN, USA

problem #3

Aug 122008

Freelander

  • 88,000 miles
Fuel pump failure car tow to be repaired, engine exhaust leaks, numerous coolant leaks always something high cost to repair please check this out.

- North Little Rock, AR, USA

problem #2

Aug 112008

Freelander

  • 68,000 miles
Car is constantly over heating with only 68,000 miles. Two days ago while driving down the street it loses all power. Turns out there's a fuel pump issue.

- Nashville, TN, USA

problem #1

Jul 012007

Freelander

  • 55,000 miles
2000 landrover Freelander - transmission failure at 57K miles. Transmission cost me 1150 dollars to fix. \ the fuel pump failed after another 100 miles. That cost me 1050 dollars. This car was junk. The car has since been in an accident which totaled it. But I can't prove the car was at fault, but I'll bet it was.

- Saugerties, NY, USA

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