NHTSA Complaint #10249374 — 2003 LAND ROVER FREELANDER

I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF A 2003 LAND ROVER FREELANDER. I HAVE ALWAYS FOLLOWED ALL OF THE FACTORY SERVICE MAINTENANCE INTERVALS AND HAVE ALL OF THE SERVICE RECORDS FOR THIS WELL-MAINTAINED VEHICLE. ALTHOUGH THE VEHICLE HAS ONLY 63,000 MILES ON IT, I RECENTLY HAD TO TAKE IT IN TWICE FOR SERVICE AT THE LAND ROVER OF FORT LAUDERDALE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED IT IN DECEMBER, 2004. I WAS SHOCKED TO LEARN FROM MY SERVICE ADVISOR, JESSE ROBINSON, THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED A "HEAD GASKET AND POSSIBLY A NEW ENGINE." HE EXPLAINED TO ME THAT COOLANT WAS LEAKING INTO THE ENGINE'S CYLINDERS, AND THAT IT WAS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THE ENGINE WOULD STOP WORKING AND BE WORTHLESS. HE TOLD ME THAT CHANGING THE HEAD GASKET WOULD NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM ANYWAY, THAT IT IS THE RESULT OF A SEVERE ENGINEERING FLAW THAT THE LAND ROVER CORPORATION HAS BEEN AWARE OF FOR SEVERAL YEARS. IT SEEMS THAT THE ENGINE BLOCK, WHILE MADE OF ALUMINUM, HAS CYLINDER SLEEVES THAT ARE MADE OF STEEL. SINCE METALS EXPAND WITH HEAT AND DIFFERENT METALS HAVE MAJOR DIFFERENCES IN THEIR METALLURGIC PROPERTIES, WHAT EVENTUALLY HAPPENS IS THAT THE SLEEVES DISJOIN FROM THE ENGINE BLOCK AND BEGIN TO SLIP AND SLIDE IN PLACE, SOMETHING NO ENGINE SHOULD DO REGARDLESS OF THE MILEAGE ON IT. ONCE THE SLEEVES MOVE, THEY BEND AND SOON AFTER BREAK THE HEAD GASKET, WHICH ALLOWS COOLANT TO ENTER THE CYLINDERS, WHICH CAUSES THE ENGINE TO RUN VERY ERRATICALLY UNTIL IT STOPS RUNNING ALTOGETHER. CHANGING THE HEAD GASKET, THEREFORE, DOESN'T FIX THE PROBLEM, AND EVEN REPLACING THE ENGINE ISN'T POSSIBLE. THE MANUFACTURER THAT ONCE BUILT AND SUPPLIED THEM FOR LAND ROVER WENT OUT OF BUSINESS, AND WHAT FEW ENGINES ARE AVAILABLE ARE ONLY RELEASED TO THOSE WHO BOUGHT THE FACTORY EXTENDED WARRANTY. I HAVE SINCE DISCOVERED THAT THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF VERY SIMILAR CASES OUT THERE, THAT ANYONE WITH THE 2002 TO 2005 MODEL EXPERIENCES THE SAME PROBLEMS ONCE THEIR VEHICLES REACH 40,000 TO 70,000 MILES (PLEASE SEE EDMUNDS.COM). *TR