NHTSA Complaint #10243234 — 2002 LAND ROVER FREELANDER

AFTER SEVERAL INCIDENTS WITH MY 2002 LAND ROVER FREELANDER TYPE S OVERHEATING, I TOOK IT TO MY LOCAL LAND ROVER DEALER TO FIND OUT THE PROBLEM. THE COOLANT WAS FOUND TO BE LOW, AND A DISCUSSION WITH THE MECHANIC AND THE SHOP PERSON INDICATED THAT THEIR IS NO EXTERNAL LEAKS, AND THAT THE COOLANT MAY BE LEAKING INTO THE ENGINE. I WAS TOLD THAT THE CYLINDERS/HEADS ARE MADE OF DIFFERENT MATERIALS, AND THAT A GAP MAY HAVE FORMED THERE CAUSING THE COOLANT TO LEAK INTO THE ENGINE. I WAS TOLD THAT IF THE COOLANT CONTINUES TO LEAK WITHOUT ANY VISIBLE SIGNS OF EXTERNAL PROBLEMS, THE ENGINE WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. I HAVE 57,500 ORIGINAL MILES ON THIS VEHICLE, AND ALL REQUIRED MAINTENANCE HAS BEEN DONE. IT IS NOW OUT OF MANUFACTURES WARRANTY, AND I DO NOT HAVE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY. I HAVE SEEN THOUSANDS OF POSTINGS ON THE INTERNET RELATING TO THIS PROBLEM, WITH MODELS FROM 2000 TO 2005, THE YEARS THE CAR WAS AVAILABLE IN THE US. IT APPEARS THAT THERE ARE NO VIABLE REPLACEMENT ENGINES AVAILABLE THAT DO NOT HAVE THIS SAME PROBLEM SINCE, THE VEHICLE WAS DISCONTINUED IN 2005. BASED ON THE INFORMATION I HAVE GATHERED, IT APPEARS THAT THE ENGINE USED IN THIS VEHICLE WAS OF A FAULTY DESIGN, GIVEN THE FACT THAT A REPLACEMENT WITH OUT THIS PROBLEM IS NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE RECORD, MY VEHICLE INFO IS AS FOLLOWS: MAKE: LAND ROVER MODEL: FREELANDER TYPE S YEAR: 2002 PURCHASE DATE: 07/12/2002 I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER, AND I PURCHASED THIS FROM A LAND ROVER DEALER IN SIMSBURY, CT. *TR