NHTSA Complaint #10160064 — 2002 LAND ROVER DEFENDER

IN NOV. 2005 MY 2002 FREELANDER RAN HOT. WHILE CHECKING UNDER HOOD I NOTICED THE WATER RESERVOIR BOTTLE WAS EMPTY. I NOTIFIED HILTON HEAD LAND ROVER AND CARRIED THE VEHICLE TO THE THEM. THEY CHANGED THE RESERVOIR BOTTLE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE NEXT MONTH THE VEHICLE RAN HOT AGAIN AND THE DEALER REPLACED THE THERMOSTAT AND TWO WEEKS LATER IT RAN HOT AGAIN. ON THIS VISIT IN WHICH EVERY VISIT TO THE DEALERSHIP IN AN HOUR FROM MY HOME THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. ONE WEEK LATER THE ENGINE FROZE UP AND WOULD NOT START AND THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALER. THANKFULLY WE PURCHASED THE EXTENDED WARRANTY AND IT WAS COVERED. THE ENGINE HAD TO BE REPLACED AFTER FINDING WATER IN THE OIL. AT THE SAME TIME AS ALL THE ENGINE PROBLEMS WE WERE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE SUNROOF WHICH AFTER 4 TIMES OF ATTEMPTING TO REPAIR IT I THINK IT WAS REPAIRED. AFTER HAVING THE VEHICLE BACK FOR 2 WEEKS I NOTICED TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAKING IN THE DRIVEWAY. AT THE DEALER THEY NOTICED THE TRANSMISSION SEAL WAS RUPTURED PROBABLY DURING THE ENGINE REPLACEMENT. ONE WEEK AFTER THIS THE ENGINE BEGAN KNOCKING VERY HARD LIKE A ROD ABOUT TO SHOOT THROUGH THE HOOD. THIS WAS DIAGNOSED AS A CRACK IN THE PRESSURE PLATE WHICH I AM SURE IS PROBABLY FROM RUNNING WITHOUT TRANSMISSION FLUID. AFTER DEALING WITH THE WORST CAR I HAVE EVER OWNED I SOLD THE VEHICLE BACK TO HILTON HEAD LANDROVER WITH A 3500.00 LOSS. LANDROVER USA WAS NO HELP TO ME WITH THESE ISSUES AND OFFERED NO COMPENSATION TO MY LOSS. I WILL NEVER OWN ANOTHER LAND ROVER. *NM