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2002 Land Rover DefenderProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 3 owner complaints about the 2002 Land Rover Defender, most often about the engine and engine cooling. It has no vehicle safety recalls on record.

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CarFlaw IndexNot enough dataHigher is better (0–100)
Safety recalls0None on recordOwner complaints30 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage54kEngine and engine cooling, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through November 2, 2007. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 2002 Land Rover Defender has problems

3 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Engine and engine cooling30
Power train10

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

0 recalls

2002 Land Rover Defender recalls and how many were fixed

No vehicle safety recalls are on record for this model year.

Best & worst years

2002 vs. every other Defender year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Defender median. How we score

'92'93'94'95'99'01'02'03'20'21'22'23'24'25'26
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
In owners' words

What Defender owners report

Recent engine and engine cooling complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

I OWN A 2002 FREELANDER WHICH LEAKED COOLANT AND OVERHEATED BECAUSE OF A DEFECTIVE MANIFOLD GASKET. NOW I HAVE ENGINE PROBLEMS. *TR
Complaint 10207706 · Nov 2, 2007 · 38,000 miles
THE ENGINE IN MY 2002 LAND ROVER FREELANDER OVERHEATED AT ABOUT 65K MILES AND MADE IT THE 10 MILES OR SO TO THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE CENTER ONLY BECAUSE I KEPT STOPPING, REMOVING THE COOLANT TANK CAP, AND REPLACING THE FLUID EVERY FEW MILES. THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE CENTER TOLD ME THAT THE ENGINE HAD…
Complaint 10204116 · Sep 25, 2007 · 65,000 miles
IN NOV. 2005 MY 2002 FREELANDER RAN HOT. WHILE CHECKING UNDER HOOD I NOTICED THE WATER RESERVOIR BOTTLE WAS EMPTY. I NOTIFIED HILTON HEAD LAND ROVER AND CARRIED THE VEHICLE TO THE THEM. THEY CHANGED THE RESERVOIR BOTTLE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE NEXT MONTH THE VEHICLE RAN HOT AGAIN AND THE DEALER…
Complaint 10160064 · Jun 17, 2006 · 54,000 miles

Own a 2002 Defender?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.