NHTSA Complaint #10166346 — 2002 LAND ROVER FREELANDER

I PURCHASED A NEW 2002 FREELANDER FROM LAND ROVER FORT WORTH (TX) IN JANUARY OF 2002. WHILE UNDER WARRANTY THE CAR HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS. MY WARRANTY EXPIRED IN FEBRUARY OF 2006 (4 YEARS), BUT DUE TO MY LOW MILEAGE 32,000 MILES, I DID NOT PURCHASE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY. SINCE FEBRUARY 2006, I HAVE REPLACED THE BRAKES FOR THE 3RD TIME ($1000), HAD THE ENGINE OVERHEAT DUE TO A FAULTY TEMP GAUGE WHICH IN TURN BLEW THE INTAKE GASKET ($1500), REPLACED THE HEATER CORE AGAIN (PD. FOR BY DEALERSHIP), AND AM NOW FACED WITH REPLACING THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION ($5000). MY TRANSMISSION TROUBLE BEGAN IN EARLY AUGUST 2006, WHEN THE CAR BEGAN TO JERK AND SHUDDER UNEXPECTEDLY. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE CAR INTO THE DEALERSHIP TO CHECK OUT THE ISSUE. THEY REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION TEMP SENSOR AND SAID THE CARE WAS FIXED. I PICKED UP THE "FIXED" CAR AND 4 HOURS LATER THE DANGEROUS JUMPING/SHUDDERING HAPPENED AGAIN. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO DRIVE THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP, THE PROBLEM GREW WORSE AND SEVERAL WARNING LIGHTS LIT UP ON THE DASH. I PULLED OVER AND THE CAR WAS THEN FLATBEDDED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE NEXT DIAGNOSIS WAS THAT AN ELECTRONIC COMPUTER CHIP (ECC) FOR THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE PART WAS ORDERED AND INSTALLED - BUT THIS DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP NOW STATES THAT THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED FOR $5000. THE CAR CURRENTLY HAS 37,000 MILES (HIGHWAY AND CITY MILES ONLY - NO OFF-ROADING) AND HAS BEEN SERVICED ON TIME AND ONLY AT LR DEALERSHIPS FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE. I FIND THIS ENTIRE SITUATION UNACCEPTABLE. *JB