NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Engine And Engine Cooling complaints
121 reportsClear category filter90,000 miles · Jun 29, 2009
Engine And Engine Cooling
SINCE I PURCHASED MY 2002 LANDROVER FREELANDER IN AUG OF 2007 WITH 63456 MILES ON IT, I HAVE TAKEN IT IN FOR NUMEROUS COSTLY REPAIRS. THE FIRST BEING 12 DAYS AFTER THE PURCHASE IN ATTEMPT TO FIX WHAT I THOUGHT WAS CAUSING THE DISAPPEARANCE OF MY COOLANT, THE CRACKED COOLANT RESERVOIR WAS REPLACED, ONLY TO FIND OUT TO THE ENGINE …
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SINCE I PURCHASED MY 2002 LANDROVER FREELANDER IN AUG OF 2007 WITH 63456 MILES ON IT, I HAVE TAKEN IT IN FOR NUMEROUS COSTLY REPAIRS. THE FIRST BEING 12 DAYS AFTER THE PURCHASE IN ATTEMPT TO FIX WHAT I THOUGHT WAS CAUSING THE DISAPPEARANCE OF MY COOLANT, THE CRACKED COOLANT RESERVOIR WAS REPLACED, ONLY TO FIND OUT TO THE ENGINE WOULD CONTINUALLY OVERHEAT AND I WOULD BECOME STRANDED ON THE ROAD ON AT LEAST 3 OCCASIONS EVEN AFTER I HAD TAKEN IT IN BY THIS POINT AND HAD IT SUCTION TESTED TO SEE IF A LEAK COULD BE LOCATED WITH IN THE COOLANT SYSTEM AND WAS TOLD IT PASSED. SO I CONTINUED TO OPERATE THE VEHICLE SHUTTLING MYSELF TO AND FROM SCHOOL AND WORK, STOCKING MY VEHICLE WITH NECESSARY COOLANT TO MAINTAIN THE PROPER LEVEL. AFTER A TRAUMATIC INCIDENT ON THE FREEWAY IN I JUNE 2008, WHERE I WAS FORCED TO QUICKLY PULL TO THE SHOULDER GOING FORM 60 TO ZERO WHILE STILL IN TRAFFIC, I TOOK THE CAR IN TO HAVE IT SERVICED AGAIN WHERE I SOON FOUND OUT THE COOLANT CONTAMINATED THE OIL BECAUSE OF THE SEAL SLIPPING (THROUGH RESEARCH OF MY OWN I HAVE LEARNED THE MATERIAL THE SEAL IS MADE OF IS IN ADEQUATE TO HOLD HIGH TEMPERATURES FOR EVEN A REASONABLE LIFE OF THE CAR). UNABLE TO AFFORD THE COSTLY REPLACEMENT OF THE ENGINE WHICH WAS ADVISED AT THIS TIME, 6/08 (OVER THE WORTH OF THE VEHICLE AT $7,579 + TAXES NEW AND WITH MULTIPLE RESEARCH ATTEMPTS DONE TO FIND A USED ONE WITH NO SUCCESS BECAUSE IT'S SUCH A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE MODELS) I BOUGHT SOME TIME WITH AN ENGINE FLUSH ONLY TO HAVE THE INTERNAL DAMAGE THE SEAL FAILURE HAD CAUSED RESULT IN THE COMPLETE SEIZURE OF MY ENGINE AS OF 1/09. I HAVE BEEN PUT IN HARMS WAY IN NEAR MISSES OF CAUSING AN ACCIDENT AS I UNCONTROLLABLY COME TO A STOP AND SOON AFTER SIT HELPLESSLY ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD THROUGH NO FAULT OF MY OWN, COUNTLESS TIMES DO TO THE MANUFACTURES NEGLIGENCE FOR THE SAFETY OF THE OPERATOR. EVEN AFTER THIS WHOLE ORDEAL, I STILL FIND MYSELF FORTUNATE TO ONLY BE OUT A COSTLY VEHICLE AND NOT THE LOSS OF MY LIFE. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10275276
83,000 miles · Jun 4, 2009
Engine And Engine Cooling
BOUGHT THE CAR USED 2002 FREELANDER LAND ROVER V6 AND DROVE IT. DAY FOUR HEARD A LOOSE BOLT SOUND, IT WENT AWAY. LATER THAT DAY DRIVING HOME WITH CHILDREN IN THE CAR, IT DIED ON THE FREEWAY, NO WARNING LIGHTS, NO WARNING AT ALL, JUST DIED. TURNS OUT THE TIMING BELT BROKE AND BROKE THE VALVES AND NOW THEY WANT TO REPLACE THE E…
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BOUGHT THE CAR USED 2002 FREELANDER LAND ROVER V6 AND DROVE IT. DAY FOUR HEARD A LOOSE BOLT SOUND, IT WENT AWAY. LATER THAT DAY DRIVING HOME WITH CHILDREN IN THE CAR, IT DIED ON THE FREEWAY, NO WARNING LIGHTS, NO WARNING AT ALL, JUST DIED. TURNS OUT THE TIMING BELT BROKE AND BROKE THE VALVES AND NOW THEY WANT TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE ENGINE. I PAID 4K FOR THE CAR AND IT WILL COST 6K TO REPAIR. THIS CAR IS DANGEROUS. WE HAD TO MOVE OVER 3 HIGHWAY LANES WITH NO POWER AND SIT ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD FOR 1.5 HOURS TO BE TOWED. I HAD MY CHILDREN IN THE CAR WITH ME, THIS WAS VERY VERY SCARY! *TR
NHTSA ODI #10272856
59,828 miles · May 26, 2009
Engine And Engine Cooling
MY 2002 LAND ROVER FREELANDER WAS HAVING COOLING LEAK PROBLEMS STARTING AT 50,000 MILES. IT WAS FOUND THAT THE LEAKS WERE CAUSED BY BRITTLE HEATER LINES AND BRITTLE UNIVERSAL HEATER JOINTS MADE OUT OF PLASTIC. THE LINES FAILED CATASTROPHICALLY. THE LINES AND JOINTS WERE REPLACED COSTING $50. AT 58,000 MI THE THERMOSTAT HAD TO …
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MY 2002 LAND ROVER FREELANDER WAS HAVING COOLING LEAK PROBLEMS STARTING AT 50,000 MILES. IT WAS FOUND THAT THE LEAKS WERE CAUSED BY BRITTLE HEATER LINES AND BRITTLE UNIVERSAL HEATER JOINTS MADE OUT OF PLASTIC. THE LINES FAILED CATASTROPHICALLY. THE LINES AND JOINTS WERE REPLACED COSTING $50. AT 58,000 MI THE THERMOSTAT HAD TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE THE COOLANT LEAK STILL EXISTED AND WAS LEAKING FROM THIS LOCATION. COST OF REPAIR AT DEALER $1100. AT 59,828 MI THE ENGINE FAILED CATASTROPHICALLY. THE CAUSE OF THE ENGINE FAILURE IS DUE TO THE CYLINDER LINER (SLEEVE) SLIPPING CAUSING A GAP WHICH CAUSED THE COOLANT LEAK INTO THE ENGINE BLOCK. THE ENGINE REQUIRED TOTAL REPLACEMENT. THERE IS NO RECALL AGAINST THIS KNOWN PROBLEM. LAND ROVER'S STANCE IS THAT THEY ONLY GUARANTEE THE VEHICLE FOR 50,000 MI, SO THEY ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ENGINE FAILURE. COST OF REPLACEMENT OF THE ENGINE IS $15,000 AS QUOTED FROM THE LAND ROVER DEALER. TOTAL CONSUMPTION OF COOLANT WAS AT A RATE OF 1 GALLON PER WEEK, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE HEATER LINES AND UNIVERSAL JOINTS. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10269947
65,000 miles · Apr 5, 2009
Engine And Engine Cooling
MY LANDROVER FREELANDER BROKE DOWN SUDDENLY WHILE DRIVING ON THE GARDEN STATE PARKWAY. NO WARNING LIGHTS WERE LIT, THE GAUGES WERE FINE, ETC. THE CAR STALLED WHILE AT 65 MPH. AFTER TAKING IT TO THE SHOP, THE CAR NEEDS A NEW ENGINE AT ONLY 65,000 MILES. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10264184
Mileage unknown · Mar 24, 2009
Engine And Engine CoolingEquipment
MANY LAND ROVER FREELANDERS ARE HAVING SERIOUS PROBLEMS DUE TO THE FAULTY CONSTRUCTION OF THE ENGINE. PRIOR TO COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE, THERE MAY BE UNEXPLAINED COOLANT LOSS, OVERHEATING, AND OTHER PROBLEMS RELATED TO HEAD GASKET FAILURE. BECAUSE THE CYLINDER LINERS ARE STEEL AND THE BLOCK IS ALLOY, THE CYLINDER LINERS TEND TO W…
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MANY LAND ROVER FREELANDERS ARE HAVING SERIOUS PROBLEMS DUE TO THE FAULTY CONSTRUCTION OF THE ENGINE. PRIOR TO COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE, THERE MAY BE UNEXPLAINED COOLANT LOSS, OVERHEATING, AND OTHER PROBLEMS RELATED TO HEAD GASKET FAILURE. BECAUSE THE CYLINDER LINERS ARE STEEL AND THE BLOCK IS ALLOY, THE CYLINDER LINERS TEND TO WORK THEIR WAY INTO THE BLOCK. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, THERE IS NO WAY TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE SHORT OF ENGINE REPLACEMENT, AND MANY OF THE REPLACEMENT ENGINES HAVE THE SAME CONSTRUCTION DEFECT AS THE ORIGINAL VEHICLE. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10262923
50,000 miles · Mar 4, 2009
Engine And Engine Cooling
I HAVE A 2002 FREELANDER BOUGHT NEW 50000 MILES LATER NEW ENGINE 4000 MILES LATER NEW TRANSMISSION 45000 MILES NEEDS ANOTHER ENGINE THROUGH IN A WINDOW PROBLEM TO. ACCORDING TO THE DEALERSHIP I WAS TOLD THAT THERE IS A DESIGN FLAW IN THE ENGINE AND THE COMPANY THAT MAKES THE ENGINE IS NO LONGER IN BUSINESS AND LAND ROVER WONT H…
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I HAVE A 2002 FREELANDER BOUGHT NEW 50000 MILES LATER NEW ENGINE 4000 MILES LATER NEW TRANSMISSION 45000 MILES NEEDS ANOTHER ENGINE THROUGH IN A WINDOW PROBLEM TO. ACCORDING TO THE DEALERSHIP I WAS TOLD THAT THERE IS A DESIGN FLAW IN THE ENGINE AND THE COMPANY THAT MAKES THE ENGINE IS NO LONGER IN BUSINESS AND LAND ROVER WONT HELP BECAUSE THE SECOND ENGINE ONLY HAD A 1 YEAR WARRANTY. LAND ROVER NEEDS TO STANDBY THEIR PRODUCT ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY KNEW THERE WERE PROBLEMS WITH THIS ENGINE WHAT CAN BE DONE. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10260751
62,000 miles · Mar 3, 2009
Engine And Engine Cooling
I HAVE HAD MY 2002 LAND ROVER FREELANDER MAINTAINED METICULOUSLY... BUT THE ENGINE KEPT OVER HEATING AND I HAD DISAPPEARING COOLANT. NOW I AM IN NEED OF A 3RD ENGINE AND I ONLY HAVE 62,000 MILES ON MY CAR. SINCE MY VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY A NEW ENGINE WILL COST ME $10,000. LAND ROVER SAID THEY WOULD PAY HALF OF A NEW ENGIN…
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I HAVE HAD MY 2002 LAND ROVER FREELANDER MAINTAINED METICULOUSLY... BUT THE ENGINE KEPT OVER HEATING AND I HAD DISAPPEARING COOLANT. NOW I AM IN NEED OF A 3RD ENGINE AND I ONLY HAVE 62,000 MILES ON MY CAR. SINCE MY VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY A NEW ENGINE WILL COST ME $10,000. LAND ROVER SAID THEY WOULD PAY HALF OF A NEW ENGINE. BUT ADMIT THEY PUT A FAULTY ENGINE IN 2 YEARS AGO WHEN I RECEIVED MY 2ND ENGINE. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10260628
47,000 miles · Feb 8, 2009
Engine And Engine Cooling
AT 48,000 MILES, I'M BEING TOLD I HAVE TO REPLACE THE ENGINE SINCE COOLANT IS LEAKING INTO THE OIL. THIS IS THE LATEST IN A LONG LINE OF PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE. ON MY 2002 FREELANDER SE *TR
NHTSA ODI #10257968
85,189 miles · Feb 3, 2009
Engine And Engine Cooling
I BOUGHT MY 02 FREELANDER IN MARCH 06 WITH MY FEMA MONEY. I DESPERATELY NEEDED A CAR AFTER MINE FLOODED IN KATRINA. SINCE MY PURCHASE I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT TROUBLE WITH THIS LEMON. I SEE FROM THE MANY BLOGS THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE. BETWEEN ME AND MY NOW EXPIRED WARRANTY WE'VE SPENT WELL OVER 5,000. PLEASE TELL ME IF TH…
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I BOUGHT MY 02 FREELANDER IN MARCH 06 WITH MY FEMA MONEY. I DESPERATELY NEEDED A CAR AFTER MINE FLOODED IN KATRINA. SINCE MY PURCHASE I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT TROUBLE WITH THIS LEMON. I SEE FROM THE MANY BLOGS THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE. BETWEEN ME AND MY NOW EXPIRED WARRANTY WE'VE SPENT WELL OVER 5,000. PLEASE TELL ME IF THERE IS ANYTHING I CAN DO. IT HAS SEVERAL PROBLEMS NOW AND IS UNDRIVABLE. I STILL OWE OVER 7,000 ON IT. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10257345
33,000 miles · Jan 19, 2009
Engine And Engine CoolingService Brakes, Hydraulic
I HAVE 2002 LANDROVER FREELANDER WITH LESS THAN 35000 MILES. I HAVE TRANSMISSION FAILURE, REPEATED BRAKE PROBLEMS, COOLING SYSTEM PROBLEMS, WINDOW AND DOOR OPERATOR PROBLEMS, TO INCLUDE THE LOCK ON THE DRIVER SIDE NOT BEEN ABLE TO BE OPENED WITH THE REMOTE. THE HESITATE WHEN ACCELERATING UP HILLS. I HAVE HAD TO SHIP THE CAR B…
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I HAVE 2002 LANDROVER FREELANDER WITH LESS THAN 35000 MILES. I HAVE TRANSMISSION FAILURE, REPEATED BRAKE PROBLEMS, COOLING SYSTEM PROBLEMS, WINDOW AND DOOR OPERATOR PROBLEMS, TO INCLUDE THE LOCK ON THE DRIVER SIDE NOT BEEN ABLE TO BE OPENED WITH THE REMOTE. THE HESITATE WHEN ACCELERATING UP HILLS. I HAVE HAD TO SHIP THE CAR BACK TO THE STATES FOR REPAIR. I AM NOT HAPPY WITH WHAT I THOUGHT WAS MY DREAM CAR. THE COMPANY IS NOT HELPFUL. THE DEALERSHIP THAT REPAIRED MY CAR WAS VERY ABRUPT WHEN THEY DEALT WITH ME. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS PROBLEM VEHICLE. TOO MANY COMPLAINTS WITHOUT ANY REMEDY. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10255597
NHTSA investigations
1EA05016 · Brake Light Switch Failure
Opened Oct 14, 2005 · Closed Feb 22, 2007
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Exterior Lighting:brake Lights; Exterior Lighting:brake Lights:switch
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 (NHTSA 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
Additional source detail variants (2)
Exterior Lighting:brake Lights
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 (NHTSA 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
Exterior Lighting:brake Lights:switch
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 (NHTSA 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
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