NHTSA Complaint #10269947 — 2002 LAND ROVER FREELANDER

MY 2002 LAND ROVER FREELANDER WAS HAVING COOLING LEAK PROBLEMS STARTING AT 50,000 MILES. IT WAS FOUND THAT THE LEAKS WERE CAUSED BY BRITTLE HEATER LINES AND BRITTLE UNIVERSAL HEATER JOINTS MADE OUT OF PLASTIC. THE LINES FAILED CATASTROPHICALLY. THE LINES AND JOINTS WERE REPLACED COSTING $50. AT 58,000 MI THE THERMOSTAT HAD TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE THE COOLANT LEAK STILL EXISTED AND WAS LEAKING FROM THIS LOCATION. COST OF REPAIR AT DEALER $1100. AT 59,828 MI THE ENGINE FAILED CATASTROPHICALLY. THE CAUSE OF THE ENGINE FAILURE IS DUE TO THE CYLINDER LINER (SLEEVE) SLIPPING CAUSING A GAP WHICH CAUSED THE COOLANT LEAK INTO THE ENGINE BLOCK. THE ENGINE REQUIRED TOTAL REPLACEMENT. THERE IS NO RECALL AGAINST THIS KNOWN PROBLEM. LAND ROVER'S STANCE IS THAT THEY ONLY GUARANTEE THE VEHICLE FOR 50,000 MI, SO THEY ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ENGINE FAILURE. COST OF REPLACEMENT OF THE ENGINE IS $15,000 AS QUOTED FROM THE LAND ROVER DEALER. TOTAL CONSUMPTION OF COOLANT WAS AT A RATE OF 1 GALLON PER WEEK, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE HEATER LINES AND UNIVERSAL JOINTS. *TR