NHTSA Complaint #10460762 — 2004 LAND ROVER FREELANDER

MY SON TURNED 16 ON MARCH 18, 2012. WE WANTED AN SUV THAT WOULD BE SAFE TO DRIVE. WE WANTED A CAR WITH LOWER MILEAGE. WE FOUND A 2004 LAND ROVER FREELANDER AT A LOCAL DEALER WITH ONLY 56,000 MILES. CAR WAS IN AWESOME SHAPE INSIDE AND OUT. NEW TIRES, ETC. PAID $9,500. A FEW DAYS LATER TOOK THE CAR TO MY LOCAL LAND ROVER DEALER IN PORTLAND OREGON TO HAVE THE CAR LOOKED OVER. YOU KNOW THE NORMAL OIL CHANGE, OR WHATEVER ELSE THEY DO ON A CAR AT 55K MILES. AFTER THEY LOOKED IT OVER THEY TOLD ME THE COILS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. AND ALSO THE PLUGS. I SAID SURE WHATEVER. $1,200 LATER I HAD MY SON'S CAR BACK. A FEW WEEKS LATER IT HAD A ODOR TO IT, AND IT WAS HAVING PROBLEMS GOING UP HILLS AND THE ENGINE WAS MAKING STRANGE SOUNDS. A DAY LATER IT STALLED. HAD IT TOWED TO LAND ROVER DEALER IN PORTLAND OREGON AND THEY TOLD ME IT APPEARS THAT IS WAS OUT OF COOLANT. THEY THOUGHT AT FIRST IT MUST BE A FAULTY THERMOSTAT OR POSSIBLY THE WATER PUMP. NOPE. THEY CAME BACK WITH THERE IS COOLANT MIXING IN WITH THE ENGINE OIL. THAT IT WOULD ANOTHER $1,200 TO $1,500 JUST TO FIND OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM ACTUALLY IS. TOLD ME IF IT WAS HEAD GASKETS OR SOMETHING IN THE BLOCK, IT WOULD COST AT LEAST $5,000 OR MORE TO REPAIR. THE LAND ROVER DEALERSHIP OFFERED TO REPLACE THE BLOWN HOSES AND THEY TOLD THEY COULD GET IT WORKING AGAIN BUT IT WAS NOT GOING TO RUN FOR VERY MUCH LONGER. I CHECKED WITH OTHER LAND ROVER SERVICE COMPANIES AND THEY ALL REFUSED TO EVEN LOOK AT THE FREELANDER AS THEY KNEW IT WAS NOT GOING TO TURN OUT WELL. I FINALLY FOUND A MECHANIC IN PORTLAND OREGON WHO AGREED TO TAKE IT APART AND FIX IT. THEY TOLD ME NO MORE THAN $3,500. WHAT WAS I SUPPOSE TO DO, WE PAID $9,500 AND SELLING IT FOR SCRAP SEEM LIKE A BAD IDEA. SO AS OF TODAY, JUNE 6TH I AM STILL WAITING FOR THE REPAIRS AT A LOCAL SHOP ON OUR 2004 LAND ROVER FREELANDER WITH ONLY 57K TO BE COMPLETED. *TR