NHTSA Complaint #10246405 — 2003 LAND ROVER FREELANDER

OUR LR FIRST STARTED OVERHEATING, TAKING ABOUT 10 TO 15 MINUTES TO COOL DOWN AND WHEN CHECKED THE COOLANT WOULD BE EMPTY. I WAS THEN CONSTANTLY HAVING TO FILL IT WITH COOLANT. I HAD IT IN TO THE SHOP 3 TIMES FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM WHEN AFTER THE SECOND TIME THEY APPARENTLY FIXED IT SO WELL THEY CAUSED THE COOLANT TO LEAK INTO THE ENGINE AND THAT CAUSED THE TRACTION CONTROL TO GO OUT AND THEN THEY SAID THAT WAS BECAUSE THE ENGINE WAS NOW GONE. ALTHOUGH WE DID ACTUALLY DRIVE IT INTO CARMAX WHO THEN DROVE IT TO LAND ROVER. LAND ROVER SAID THE ENGINE WAS SHOT AND WOULD NEED A NEW ONE. OUR FREELANDER SAT FOR 9 MONTHS WITH NO NEW ENGINE IN SIGHT. ALTHOUGH, WARRANTY MONEY WAS WAITING TO PAY FOR IT. LAND ROVER TOOK NO RESPONSIBILITY IN THIS AND KEPT TELLING US AND CARMAX THAT AN ENGINE WAS BEING RECONFIGURED AND WOULD ARRIVE IN MARCH, NO JULY, THEN DON'T KNOW WHEN. FINALLY CARMAX PAID THE FREELANDER OFF FOR US AND WE BOUGHT SOMETHING ELSE. LAND ROVER HAD ALSO TAKEN THE OLD ENGINE OR THE COMPLETE GUTS OF THE VEHICLE AND LAID THE BACK SEATS DOWN AND THREW THE GUTS IN THE PASSENGER PART OF THE VEHICLE AND LEFT THE CAR SITTING UNLOCKED ON THEIR LOT FOR I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG. WE FOUND IT THIS WAY ON A VERY HOT SUMMER DAY. LAND ROVER DOESN'T CARE ABOUT THEIR CUSTOMERS AND DOESN'T DO ANYTHING TO HELP THIS SITUATION. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THIS IS THE FATE FOR ALL FREELANDERS NOT JUST MINE. *TR