NHTSA Complaint #10247487 — 2002 LAND ROVER FREELANDER

I BEGAN EXPERIENCING REASONABLY SIGNIFICANT LOSS OF COOLANT OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS. I MONITORED AND REFILLED EVERY TIME I SAW THE LEVEL BELOW THE MINIMUM LEVEL IN THE OVERFLOW TANK. OVER THE LAST COUPLE WEEKS I HAVE BEGAN NOTICING WHAT APPEARED TO BE SOLIDIFIED OIL IN THE OIL CAP AND AM GROWING VERY WORRIED THAT I AM HEADING DOWN THE SAME PATH THAT SO MANY 2002 LAND ROVER FREELANDER OWNERS HAVE EXPERIENCED. COOLANT IS CLEARLY LEAKING INTO THE ENGINE, IS MIXING WITH THE OIL AND IS IN VERY SHORT ORDER DESTROYING MY ENGINE. WITH 100'S OF REPORTS OF THIS VERY SAME ISSUE IT'S OBVIOUS LAND ROVER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND BASED ON THE BEST INFORMATION I CAN GATHER HAS NO SOLUTION. THEY APPARENTLY DON'T EVEN HAVE REPLACEMENT ENGINES AVAILABLE AS THE MODEL WAS DISCONTINUED. THIS MAKES REPAIR COMPLETELY IMPOSSIBLE. I STILL OWE SEVERAL THOUSAND ON THE VEHICLE. GIVEN THE ACCOUNTS OF MANY WHOSE ENGINES HAVE SEIZED WHILE DRIVING I AM FEARFUL OF DRIVING IT. THE NEGATIVE IMPACT OF THE WIDESPREAD KNOWLEDGE OF THIS ISSUE, BAD PR, HAS DEVALUED MY FREELANDER TO THE POINT THAT IT CANNOT BE SOLD FOR WHAT IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE VALUED AT. I OWN A VEHICLE FROM LAND ROVER THAT DOES NOT DESERVE TO BE ON THE STREETS. TO REPAIR IT IS APPARENTLY IMPOSSIBLE. SELLING IT CAN ONLY BE DONE AT AN EXTREME FINANCIAL LOSS. THE ISSUE IS A KNOWN MANUFACTURING FLAW. I BELIEVE IT'S TIME THE DOT STEPPED UP AND PULLED THESE CARS OFF THE STREET BEFORE SOMETHING VERY BAD HAPPENS AND HOLDS LAND ROVER RESPONSIBLE BY COMPENSATING ALL FREELANDER OWNERS FOR THEIR MANUFACTURE OF A VERY, VERY FLAWED VEHICLE. PLEASE TAKE ACTION AND HELP TAKE AN UNSAFE VEHICLE OFF US ROADS. *TR