2002 Land Rover Freelander Electrical System Problems

MY SONS 2002 LAND ROVER FREELANDER CAUGHT FIRE ON SEPTEMBER 29, 2010 AT 4:00 AM. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN PARKED SINCE 11:00 PM THE PREVIOUS EVENING. AT 4:00 AM MY SON HEARD HIS ALARMS IN THE CAR GOING OFF AND RUSHED TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON TO FIND THE INTERIOR OF THE CAR WAS ON FIRE. HE TRIED TO SLAP THE FIRE OUT WITH HIS HANDS AND RECEIVED 3RD DEGREE BURNS DUE TO THIS. HE THEN RAN INSIDE AND RETRIEVED A FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND PUT THE FIRE OUT. THE FIRE WAS CONTAINED, BUT THE DAMAGE WAS SO SEVERE, THE VEHICLE WAS DECLARED A TOTAL LOSS. THE FIRE STARTED IN THE WIRING SYSTEM UNDER THE STEERING COLUMN. WE DO HAVE A CASE OPEN WITH LAND ROVER, BUT THEIR REPRESENTATIVE STATED THIS IS ONLY FOR THEIR INTERNAL USE AND NO COMPENSATION WOULD BE MADE. MY SON ONLY OWNED THE PRE-USED VEHICLE FOR ONE MONTH AND HAD ONLY SECURED "LIABILITY" INSURANCE ONLY ON THE VEHICLE UNTIL HIS NEXT PAYCHECK SO HE COULD AFFORD FULL COVERAGE. WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT A VEHICLE WOULD CATCH ON FIRE BY ITSELF. WE ARE GRATEFUL THAT HE WAS NOT HARMED FURTHER AND THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT PARKED IN THE GARAGE, BUT WE ARE EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED THAT A VEHICLE WHICH HE OWNED FOR ONLY ONE MONTH WOULD CATCH FIRE AND LAND ROVER WILL NOT OFFER ANY COMPENSATION FOR OUR LOSS. *TR

THE YEAR IS ACCURATE,MONTH AND DATE ARE APPROXIMATIONS STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS WITH OVERHEATING AND COOLANT LEAKS. COOLANT WOULDN'T PUDDLE UNDER VEHICLE,THOUGH.BUT I COULD SMELL IT SOMETIMES WITH WINDOWS OPEN. THEN,ONE DAY IT WOULD NOT START. TOWED IT TO LAND ROVER DEALER AND OVER THE COURSE OF 3 DAYS,THEY COULDN'T START IT,EITHER. WAS TOLD IT NEEDED A NEW ENGINE.PAID OUT $5800+.NOW,WITH 104,000 MILES,IT'S LOSING COOLANT,AGAIN. THEY CLAIMED THE OVER FLOW CONTAINER WAS LEAKING. HAD IT REPLACED. AND IT IS STILL LOSING COOLANT.IT IS NOT PUDDLING UNDER THE TRUCK.I SAW,ONLINE,WHERE THE FREELANDER HAS A POSSIBLE ENGINE DEFECT,WITH CYLINDER SLEEVES AND GASKET PROBLEMS.DO I HAVE ANY RECOURSE WITH LAND ROVER? OR, COULD THE LEMON LAW COME INTO EFFECT? I,ALSO,HAVE EXPERIENCED REAR WINDOW AND SUNROOF MOTOR FAILURES. I AM RETIRED. I CANNOT AFFORD TO REPLACE ANOTHER ENGINE ! THANK YOU. *TR

THE ELECTRICAL POWER TO THE ENGINE SIMPLY GOES OUT; THUS AFFECTING THE STEERING. I BELIEVE THAT IT IS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM; HOWEVER, LANDROVER ROCKVILLE RAN A DIAGNOSTIC AND FOUND NOTHING. IN OCTOBER, THE POWER WENT OUT WHILE MAKING A TURN AND I LOST CONTROL OF THE CAR HITTING A CURB. ALSO, THE SUNROOF HAS COST ME OVER $2K. FIRST, I WAS REQUIRED TO REPLACE THE TRACKS. THEN THE ROOF BEGAN TO LEAK AND I WAS REQUIRED TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE ASSEMBLY. THIS CAR WAS A MISTAKE FROM THE BEGINNING. *JB

THE VEHICLE WAS PICKED UP ON FEBRUARY 5TH FROM THE DEALERSHIP, AFTER EBING THERE FOR THREE WEEKS FOR A NO START ISSUE WHERE IT FAILED ON THE WAY HOME. WE COMPLAINED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THIS TIME THE IGNITION KEY CYLINDER WAS REPLACED.

JANUARY 15TH, 2005 MY WIFE LEFT WORK AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THE OUTSIDE AIR TEMPERATURE WAS ~ 20 F. ALL OTHER ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS WERE WORKING, BUT THE STARTER SELENOID WOULD NOT ENGAGE. SEVERAL ATTEMPTS WERE MADE TO JUMP START THE VEHICLE AND AN ATTEMPT TO RESET THE SECURITY YEILDED NOTHING. THE DIAGNOSED NO FAULT AFTER HAVING THE VEHICLE FOR 3 WEEKS.

2002 LAND ROVER FREELANDER EXPERIENCED A VEHICLE FIRE.*MR THE CONSUMER ADDRESSED DEALERSHIP SEVERAL TIMES, LAND ROVER TOLD HIM THAT THE VEHICLE DID NOT MEET THE MEXICO LEMON LAW GUIDELINES AND THEY WERE NOT IN ANY POSITION TO REPURCHASE THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER ALSO COMPLAINED ABOUT OTHER PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE SUCH AS ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS, THE REAR PASSENGER DOOR DID NOT UNLOCK WITH THE REMOTE, DRIVERS REAR SEAT DID NOT FOLD, THE REAR WINDOW DID NOT GO UP WHEN IT WAS COLD AND THE DRIVERS SEAT WAS SQUEAKY. THE CONSUMER HAD MADE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS TO THE DEALERSHIP BEFORE THE FIRE OCCURRED. *CB *JB

HEATER DOESN'T PROVIDE POWERFUL HEAT AND RIGHT FOOT GETS SO HOT AND LEFT FOOT FREEZES WHILE DRIVING. CAR SHAKES AND RUMBLES OFTEN, SOUNDING LIKE THERE IS NO OIL. HAD SEVERE WATER LEAK FROM MISSING SEALS AROUND REAR CARGO DOOR. SEALS, HEADLINER AND RUG HAD TO BE REPLACED. GAS CAP CAN ONLY BE REMOVED WITH KEY IN IT. IF KEY IS REMOVED WHILE GAS CAP IS OFF, MAKES FOR EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TIME TO REPLACE (ABOUT 5-10 MINUTES TO WORK THE KEY BACK IN). DASHBOARD LIGHTS COME ON FREQUENTLY TO WARN OF A FAILURE WHEN THERE IS NO SUCH FAILURE. ENGINE DOESN'T START ON FIRST TRY A LOT OF TIMES. ONCE DRIVING FOR A WHILE THEN PARKING FOR, CAR SOMETIMES DOESN'T START ON FIRST TRY. SHIFTING IS DIFFICULT, RPMS REV PRETTY HIGH. CAR HAS LURCHED FORWARD WHEN SPEED DECREASES (I.E. GOING DOWN HILL). *CB

THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN FROM WORK TO A RELATIVES HOUSE WERE IT FAILED TO RESTART AFTER SETTING FOR 15 MINUTES. THE HAD TO BE PUSH OUT OF THE WAY, ONE OF THE PUSHERS INJURED THEIR BACK, WHO WAS TREATED AND RELEASE FROM HENRY FORD HOSPITAL. THE VEHICLE WAS LEFT OVER NIGHT AND WAS ATTEMPTED TO BE STARTED THE FOLLOWING DAY. THE STARTER SELENOID WOULD NOT ENGAGE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED WITH ANOTHER INGNITION KEY CYLINDER AFTER THE FIRST REPLACEMENT HAD FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT RETURNED AFTER SEVEN WEEKS OF SERVICE BECAUSE OF DAMAGE DURING SERVICE.WHICH TOOK ANOTHER TWO WEEKS TO COMPLETE.