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Land Rover Freelander

Land Rover Freelander Series 1

Finding a reliable used Freelander can be difficult. Here we tell you what to look out for before you part with your money...

Land Rover Freelander

By Richard Dredge

May 2007

 
Nearly a quarter of complaints concerned electrical faults, and 23 per cent of owners had engine problems – Driver Power 2007
The Land Rover Freelander is the nat­ion’s favourite SUV, with more than 200,000 examples finding homes in the UK alone since 1997.
Used prices start from only a few thousand pounds, and the model’s attractive combination of car-like dyn­amics, excellent value for money and smart styling explains its popularity on second-hand forecourts.

However, this off-roader isn’t with­out its headaches, and early cars in particular faced numerous gremlins – which makes the job of finding a good one more difficult than you’d imagine. Here, we show you how to avoid the most common pitfalls when buying the Land Rover baby.

What to look for
Performance from the K Series 1.8-litre isn’t particularly good, while the four-cylinder powerplant’s well documented cooling problems can lead to head gasket failure and costly repair bills. The V6 petrol unit is thirsty, and when it comes to diesel models, the noisy Di engine is to be avoided.

If used hard, the Steptronic automatic transmis­sion fitted as standard to the 2.5 V6 can fail. So on models with tow bars, find out what they have been pulling – there are enough weak spots in the Freelander’s drive­train without putting it under extra stress. The Td4 oil-burner is the only sensible choice for most buyers.

Checklist
Engines: best buy is the Td4. The 1.8 K Series has a very low coolant capacity, so even small leaks can lead to blown head gaskets. Check oil filler cap for white goo.

Transmission: a whining noise from the gearbox may mean differential or gearbox wear, while a clonking suggests the bushes and driveline joints need to be replaced.

Leaks: look under the car, but examine the ground for gearbox and differential oil leaks. Also, be very suspicious of examples which have recently been steam-cleaned.

Damp cabin: water often gets into the cockpit, so check the footwells and load bay. Carpets will go mouldy and the floorpans can rot, so have a good look under the trim.

Alternatives
There was a time when the Land Rover had the 4x4 market to itself, but Japanese rivals have since stolen a march on the Freelander. Cars such as the Nissan X-Trail, Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 all offer superior reliability, with good dynamics, generous equipment and reasonable off-road performance. What they can’t match is the affordability, image and availability of the Freelander.


Tell us about your car in our Driver Power survey.

Find a good example and the Land Rover will reward you with a great combination of style and practicality. But don’t be tempted by the cheapest cars, many of which have been sold on due to their poor reliability.

Later models offer much improved build quality and durability, so buy the most recent car you can afford. Aim for a post-2003 Freelander, and the Td4 is the undisputed engine choice.

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7 Comments

Like Going Back In Time To British Leyland Days

A number of years agoI purchased a second hand "K" series Freelander 5 Door with 60000 on the clock. Within 2 weeks the head gasket "blew" and wrecked the cylinder head, this was before the warnings about this failure were all over the press and internet, plus the only alternative was the Di diesel, which pulled like an asthmatic pensioner and sounded like a 30 year old FX4 taxi.

£1250 lighter and with a new head, gasket and belt in place and warning by the mechanic to "Keep your f*&$!+% eye on the coolant level!" I recovered the car from the garage. That wasn't the end of it. Dependent which way the wind blew when it rained the rear load space got sodden, because the seals on the rear were so poorly designed and the under floor "cubby" box could be used to transport tropical fish, there was so much water in it. "Iffy" electrics meant that every attempt to open a window was a lottery, as some times they wouldn't move at all and sometimes they'd open but blow the fuse when they tried to close.

The vehicle was a throw back to the worst days of British car building, it was like one of those fabled "Friday Afternoon" cars from BL in the 60's and 70's, utter rubbish; Avoid!!!!

By derkdangler on 21 July, 2011, 8:07am

Hey above ^^

forget to but water in it did we?..lol. engines do tend to blow head gaskets if people forget to put water in . didnt you check it out before spending your cash?... if it's as bad as you say? maybe next time spend a few pound and get a pro to look over it for you... Then you will get a good example not a trashy one!

By liverpool on 14 September, 2011, 7:48pm

Need Advice!

Put a deposit down on a 2004 Freelander 1.8 yesterday but am worried having read the reviews. Are they any better from 2004 on or do they give as much problems with the HG? I asked about the coolant tank bubbling when I had a look at the engine but was told that it was just the water circulating?.........Didn't think it sounded right at the time and even more so now. Any advice greatly appreciated

By Carly on 18 September, 2011, 5:36pm

get the td4 diesel agreat car it is a BMW engine do not get the petrol 1.8

the petrol one will cost you a fortune in fuel and the gaskets are prown to blow avoi get the td4 I had the td4 diesel auto which got 32mpg over 61000 trouble free miles it is much smoother and quieter than the manual.

By coolkid on 25 October, 2011, 7:20pm

Avoid these

Rushed into buying a nearly new one back in 2002 without doing some background research, only to find it had a head gasket failure after 6 months. I then did all the research I should have done before purchasing it - there are whole web sites dedicated to the head gasket issues with the 1.8L engine. There were various 'fixes' which could be applied and some on the forums were saying it was a design fault. It was also a lottery as to whether Landrover would fix the issue or not, some people were forking out thousands to get theirs fixed. I put mine in for part exchange for a more reliable make/model. Nowadays there is more information on the engine here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rover_K_engine

By gaztt on 15 November, 2011, 8:43pm

Avoid these

Rushed into buying a nearly new one back in 2002 without doing some background research, only to find it had a head gasket failure after 6 months. I then did all the research I should have done before purchasing it - there are whole web sites dedicated to the head gasket issues with the 1.8L engine. There were various 'fixes' which could be applied and some on the forums were saying it was a design fault. It was also a lottery as to whether Landrover would fix the issue or not, some people were forking out thousands to get theirs fixed. I put mine in for part exchange for a more reliable make/model. Nowadays there is more information on the engine here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rover_K_engine

By gaztt on 15 November, 2011, 8:55pm

I have just bought a freelander !!! in haste maybe !!! as i drove through flood water with my passat a very reliable car until then !!! so am worried as all i get is negative comments about the freelander !! Must say i do love it and so do the kids !!! so is anyone out there be honest into how i protect or look out for the headcastgit blowing up on me or anything else !!!! yes im a woman !!! and its a 4td

By hogg123 on 31 January, 2012, 8:03pm

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Extra Info

Running costs
All Freelanders need a service annually or every 12,000 miles, while the 1.8 and 2.5-litre petrol models require a fresh cambelt after 72,000 miles or six years. The early Di diesel needs a new cambelt after four years or 48,000 miles.

Brake fluid and coolant should be renewed every three years or 36,000 miles. Costs are typically £300-£400 per service up to 96,000 miles for all derivatives, but there are exceptions to this. Cambelt replacement services for the 1.8 and 2.0 Di are around £700; for the 2.5 V6, this rises to £900.

Recalls
Nov 1998: possible failure of rear suspension locating links on cars built from June 1997 to June 1998.
Oct 2001: front seat backrest may give way on models made from Aug 2000 to end Feb 2001. Engine wiring loom chafes on Aug-Nov 2000 cars. And handbrake may release on Freelanders built from October 1997 to end of February 2001.
Nov 2002: diagnostic connector issue on petrol cars made between July 2000 and March 2002.
Aug 2004: possibility of left-hand child lock disengaging on five-doors produced from July-Sept 2002.
Nov 2004: incorrect manufacture of passenger airbag on models made from August to October 2004.
Jan 2005: incorrect nut on rear subframe, Aug 2003 cars.
Sep 2005: left-hand rear door child safety lock lever can fail on Nov 2000 to April 2005 five-doors.

VERDICT

    Find a good example and the Land Rover will reward you with a great combination of style and practicality. But don’t be tempted by the cheapest cars, many of which have been sold on due to their poor reliability.

    Later models offer much improved build quality and durability, so buy the most recent car you can afford. Aim for a post-2003 Freelander, and the Td4 is the undisputed engine choice.
 

HISTORY

    The Freelander was launched in 1997, offering a choice of 1.8-litre petrol or underpowered 2.0 Di diesel engines, plus three or five-door bodystyles. Its first facelift was carried out in August 2000, when then parent firm BMW’s superb 2.0-litre Td4 replaced the old Di oil-burner. A new 2.5-litre V6 petrol powerplant also joined the line-up at this time, along with a revised 1.8-litre petrol. However, the biggest upheaval was the revamp of September 2003, when the car was given a fresh nose, revised tail-lights and improved equipment. Land Rover introduced a road-biased Sport var­iant as part of the changes, too.
 
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