NHTSA Complaint #10385868 — 2003 LAND ROVER FREELANDER

MY LAND ROVER FREELANDER HAS BEEN IN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR COOLANT SMELLS COMING INTO THE CABIN 20+ TIMES AND HAS NEVER BEEN REPAIRED. THEY HAVE REPLACED EXTERNAL PARTS, (RESERVOIR TANK, HOSES AND THERMOSTATS) AND NEVER FIXED THE PROBLEM. AFTER RESEARCHING THE PROBLEM WHILE IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY ON MY OWN, I FOUND A COMPLAINT ABOUT HEAD GASKET PROBLEMS WITH THE K SERIES ENGINE AND WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT THEY NEW NOTHING ABOUT IT, AND YOU CAN'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU READ ON THE INTERNET. SINCE THEN I CALLED THE CA BUREAU OF AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR AND HAD AN AGENT INVESTIGATE. THE DEALERSHIP OFFERED TO SEND IT TO ANOTHER WARRANTY SHOP WHICH FOUND A BAD HEAD GASKET. I ALSO CALLED L/R DIRECT TO TRY AND FIND OUT WHAT THEY MAY BE ABLE TO DO FOR ME. THEY TOLD ME THEY WOULD NOT REPLACE THE ENGINE BECAUSE IT COST $11,000 +, AND THE REPLACEMENT ENGINE WILL FAIL ALSO. THE ENGINE WAS MANUFACTURED INCORRECTLY AT THE FACTORY. THE CYLINDER SLEEVES ARE THE WRONG ALLOY AND LOOSEN WHEN THE ENGINE IS HOT CAUSING HEAD GASKET AND EVENTUALLY TOTAL ENGINE FAILURE. LAND ROVER HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS PROBLEM SINCE 2004, TECHNICAL BULLETIN #0036 AND #0026 ISSUED 06/18/2004. THE MANUFACTURER OFFERED ME $3500 TO BUY MY CAR FROM ME, AND WOULD NOT REPLACE THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE ONLY HAS 54,000 MILES ON IT. THIS SEEMS TO BE A SAFETY HAZARD AS WELL AS A HEALTH ISSUE FROM BREATHING IN TOXIC FUMES FROM THE COOLANT. THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER INCIDENTS WITH THIS VEHICLE WHICH ARE TO MANY TO MENTION IN THIS LETTER. PLEASE CONTACT ASAP ABOUT THIS MATTER.