I have a land rover free lander 2004 I bought it with 30,000 miles on it, it ran fine for a while then the child safety locks mal- functioned. The people who sat in the back seat could not get out I had to open the rear doors from the outside.the sun roof stop working as did the rear windows on both sides of the truck. I tried to start it three weeks ago no luck it was towed to the dealership they told me I needed two sensors $800 then they tested the engine the left side no longer worked $5800 to repair the truck that now has 87,000 miles. I thought these trucks were built to last.I loved the safety of these trucks but what good is safety it they do not last ?!?!?
The worst 2004 Land Rover Freelander problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Engine55
- Transmission9
- Visibility9
- Electrical8
- Brakes6
- Acceleration3
- Body3
- Fuel system3
- Lights2
- Locks2
- Airbags1
- Driver assistance1
- Steering1
- Tires1
Specific symptoms reported on the 2004 Land Rover Freelander
Engine failure 27Overheating 16Check engine light 13Power windows 9Stalling 8Loss of power 5
Recalls 3
Exterior lighting: brake lights: switch
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- 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.
Recall number 07V041000 · Recall details
Latches/locks/linkages: doors: latch
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- 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.
Recall number 05V300000 · Recall details
Structure: body: roof and pillars
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- 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.
Recall number 04V347000 · Recall details
See all 3 recalls for the 2004 Land Rover Freelander
Defect investigations
Brake light switch failure
On june 16, 2005, the office of defects investigation (odi) opened a preliminary evaluation (pe05-034) to investigate alleged stop lamp (brake) switch failures in certain model year (my) 2004 land rover discovery series ii vehicles.on october 14, 2005, the investigation was upgraded to an engineering analysis and the scope expanded to include certain my 2002 through 2005 freelander vehicles that use a substantially similar self-adjusting stop lamp switch furnished by the same supplier, methode electronics malta, ltd. (methode).in september 2003, methode moved the production of an internal switch component, known as the slider mechanism, from a validated plastic injection-molding tool (?cavity 1?) to another tool (?cavity 2?) that had not been used before to produce parts for land rover.sliders from cavity 2 may be characterized by poor fill, lack of definition in the slider teeth and dimensional instability.consequently, the slider may be unable to restrain improper movement of the plunger during normal brake pedal operation.this may cause the switch to fall out of adjustment, thus significantly reducing the effort required to energize the switch and illuminate the stop lamps.?cavity 2? Switches were installed in approximately 8,763 discovery subject vehicles built from december 2003 through may 2004 and approximately 3,915 freelander subject vehicles built from october 2003 through may 2004.additionally, stop lamp switches in certain my 2002 through 2005 freelander subject vehicles may slip out of adjustment as a result of switch damage due to an incorrect setting procedure during vehicle manufacture or as a result of switch mounting bracket flex.analysis of all available data indicates the predominant failure mode is constant stop lamp illumination.other reported consequences of stop lamp switch maladjustment include inoperative automatic transmission gear selector/brake pedal shift interlock, inoperative speed (cruise) control, and telltale illumination as described in technical service bulletin (tsb) no. Lt206-001 dated october 28, 2004 issued by the manufacturer to land rover dealers in the united kingdom (uk).to date, odi is aware of 77 non-duplicative complaints that allege stop lamp switch failure on the subject vehicles (10 complaints on my 2004 discovery, 45 on my 2002 freelander, 19 on my 2003 freelander, and 3 on my 2004 freelander vehicles).additionally, 4,595 discovery and 13,370 freelander subject vehicles have experienced one or more warranty claims to replace the stop lamp switch.of the 5,170 warranty claims paid to replace stop lamp switches on discovery subject vehicles, approximately 31% occurred before the vehicle was sold new and approximately 88% occurred within the first 12 months of vehicle service.the warranty trend on discovery subject vehicles is in decline with 3,545 claims paid in calendar year (cy) 2004, 1,303 claims paid in cy 2005, and 322 claims paid in cy 2006 through september 28, 2006 (which is when odi last received updated warranty claims data from land rover), and it appears that the alleged defect on discover subject vehicles has been remedied through warranty repairs.however, odi analysis of the manufacturer?s warranty and complaint records indicates the failure trend on certain freelander subject vehicles is ongoing.by letter dated february 2, 2007, land rover has notified odi that it will conduct a safety recall (the federal safety agency recall no. 07v‑041) to replace defective stop lamp switches in approximately 33,247 my 2002 through 2005 freelander vehicles built at the solihull, uk assembly plant from september 5, 2001 through may 19, 2005. Although odi has concern
EA05016
Technical service bulletins for the 2004 Land Rover Freelander 34
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Rescinded
- The steering wheel may exhibit a vibration / shimmy while driving.
- Presentation from Dealer Shop Foreman Conference Call
- Situation: the windshield wipers may make a squeak noise, judder, or streak the windshield
- Issue: reports have been received of engine damage occurring, which is caused by the use of non-approved...
- Situation: the steering wheel may exhibit a vibration / shimmy while driving
- Technical Bulletin: Wheel/Tire Balancing and Optimization
- Technical Bulletin: Squeaks & Rattles Kit Availability
- Issue: this ssm has been released to address the high number of speaker assemblies returned, many of which...
- Technical Bulletin: Windshiefld Wiper Noise/Judder/Streak
2004 Land Rover Freelander fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5L 6‑cyl | 4WD | 16 | 19 | 17 |
What 2004 Land Rover Freelander owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Rear tail lamp housings failed numerous times causing the bulbs not to work. This created a situation where only one or none of the lamps were working. I replaced them and later found out that a recall or investigation was issued but I was never notified. Interior dome light has failed twice. Headlamp failure has occurred in low beam six times and in high beams three times. The vehicle has stalled on numerous occasions when the heated seats, heated windshield and headlamps were on simultaneously.
Vehicle had engine failure and transmission locked up during acceleration. After a diagnoses it was the result of a defective thermostat housing that released the coolant onto the top of the engine. At the current time the automobile has had 39 different problems diagnosed since the purchase date in 2004.
My son turned 16 on march 18, 2012. We wanted an SUV that would be safe to drive. We wanted a car with lower mileage. We found a 2004 land rover freelander at a local dealer with only 56,000 miles. Car was in awesome shape inside and out. New tires, etc. Paid $9,500. A few days later took the car to my local land rover dealer in portland oregon to have the car looked over. You know the normal oil change, or whatever else they do on a car at 55k miles. After they looked it over they told me the coils needed to be replaced. And also the plugs. I said sure whatever. $1,200 later I had my son's car back. A few weeks later it had a odor to it, and it was having problems going up hills and the engine was making strange sounds. A day later it stalled. Had it towed to land rover dealer in portland oregon and they told me it appears that is was out of coolant. They thought at first it must be a faulty thermostat or possibly the water pump. Nope. They came back with there is coolant mixing in with the engine oil. That it would another $1,200 to $1,500 just to find out what the problem actually is. Told me if it was head gaskets or something in the block, it would cost at least $5,000 or more to repair. The land rover dealership offered to replace the blown hoses and they told they could get it working again but it was not going to run for very much longer. I checked with other land rover service companies and they all refused to even look at the freelander as they knew it was not going to turn out well. I finally found a mechanic in portland oregon who agreed to take it apart and fix it. They told me no more than $3,500. What was I suppose to do, we paid $9,500 and selling it for scrap seem like a bad idea. So as of today, june 6th I am still waiting for the repairs at a local shop on our 2004 land rover freelander with only 57k to be completed.
I bought this vehicle in april 2010 and have had nothing but problems ever since. It had 79,600 miles on it when I bought it and was told by the dealer that it had just recently had a transmission replaced. They didn't even know how to open the hood - passenger side. 2 months later and it dies on me going down the street. I pull over and antifreeze is running everywhere. The thermostat housing had separated in two and caused the car to overheat. I called the closest land rover dealer and he quoted me $800 to fix it. I searched on the internet and found the parts to fix it for $80. I replaced the thermostat and housing (1 piece) and got it running again. Since then, the sunroof has quit, both rear windows have quit and the rear sliding window won't open by key. The driver side windshield defroster will not work (only the passenger side) and I have never had an owners manual. The drivers side door will not unlock with the keyless entry either. Now I get to the engine - it started running real rough and lost alot of power. I had a local mechanic run codes on it and this is what he found: p0303 - #3 cylinder misfire; p1319 - misfire emission relevant; p1471, 1472 - vis motors evap purge valve flow blocked; p1475 - leak detection pump leakage diagnostic pump reed switch did not close; p 1775 - gearbox fault transmission system mil fault. I asked his opinion and he told me it was probably not worth fixing. He didn't even know what all of this meant. He was just going to start tearing it down and see what he could fix. I can't afford that. I live paycheck to paycheck and I really thought that land rover had a good name and reputation. I emailed and called them and have had no luck to this point. Everything I have seen on this model proves that it is a vehicle that should be put to rest. I am looking for any help I can get.
Transmission began to have a rough 2nd to 3rd shift around 60,000 mi. Complete 3rd gear failure by 69,000. Car will accelerate to about 25 MPH and then shift into 3rd and its like being in n car will coast and engine will rev. Have to install new transmission. Shop said it was clear from the condition of the car that it had not been abused, and that a transmission should last to about 150,000 miles.
Like the myriad of other complaints about this vehicle, (http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/webx?14@@.f142477/93#msg93, http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.eea90db, http://www.businessweek.com/the_thread/blogspotting/archives/2005/07/blogger_takes_o.html for a tiny example) I too began experiencing the exact same overheating problems not too far past the warranty expiration. It is very, very well documented that there is a complete failure in the cooling system in the freelanders. Can you please, please, please do something about it? I have also had problems with the automatic windows, including one actually stuck partially down currently because I'm past warranty. But that's small potatoes compared to the overheating issue.
My 2004 freelander was purchased from royalty auto sales in little ferry nj on april 19, 2010 with 52,000 miles. We also purchased from same dealer a 1-year warranty from a warranty company represented by the dealer midatlantic warranty company. We put a $6,500 downpayment on the vehicle, and financed $7,000. The problem started within 24 hours after driving off the lot with an overheating issue we returned the vehicle to the dealer who said there was probably not enough antifreeze in it and offered to drive the vehicle for a few days to make sure it was o.k. Dealer maintained issue never happened again and returned the car to us. The car over the next month and one-half continued to overheat several times and require adding of antifreeze with no apparent leak under the vehicle. 2-months after purchase vehicle ceased to start and when towed to landrover was told it would need a new engine and these defects are known about in the automotive industry. To date neither the dealer nor the warranty company has either returned our money, vehicle or repaired the car. Someone should be responsible. Shame on landrover and any dealer that does not research the vehicles they represent as being safe and in good condition to unknowing consumers.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 land rover freelander. The contact stated the casing on the engine cylinder was separated and was causing the engine to freeze. In addition, the engine oil and antifreeze was mixing together abnormally and causing the engine to fail. The dealer was contacted who advised that whenever the vehicle engine failed, that they should bring the vehicle in for repairs. The manufacturer was contacted who offered no assistance. The VIN was unavailable. The failure mileage was 69,000.
I purchased a 2004 land rover freelander in october 2007. I have had several issues with the engine and engine cooling system that have caused me to take the vehicle in for numerous repairs. The head gasket needs replaced. The repairs are numerous and expensive. Even the land rover dealers say that these vehicles are junk and almost impossible to completely repair. I am told that engine replacement may be the only way to solve the issue.
Compare the 2004 Land Rover Freelander
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Questions about the 2004 Land Rover Freelander
Is the 2004 Land Rover Freelander reliable?
Owners have filed 69 complaints about the 2004 Land Rover Freelander, close to a typical Freelander model year.
What is the 2004 Land Rover Freelander year score?
The 2004 Land Rover Freelander scores 74 out of 100 (average). The score compares it with the other model years of the Land Rover Freelander: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2004 Land Rover Freelander?
Engine and cooling, with 55 complaints, typically around 59,000 miles. Next is transmission (9).
How many recalls does the 2004 Land Rover Freelander have?
3 recalls, covering exterior lighting, latches/locks/linkages and structure.
What year does the Land Rover Freelander have bad engine?
The Land Rover Freelander model years with the most engine complaints are 2002 (130 complaints), 2003 (91 complaints) and 2004 (55 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 2004 Land Rover Freelander get?
Official estimates for the 2004 Land Rover Freelander range from 17 mpg combined. The most efficient version (2.5L 6-cyl, 4WD) gets 16 city and 19 highway.
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