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2003 Land Rover FreelanderProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 140 owner complaints about the 2003 Land Rover Freelander, most often about the engine and engine cooling. It is covered by 5 safety recalls.

2003 Land Rover Freelander
50
CarFlaw IndexSolid year1.0× the Freelander median · #2 of 4 years by complaints
Safety recalls5Free fix at dealersOwner complaints1407 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage65kEngine and engine cooling, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through July 31, 2018. Updated daily. Photo: Vauxford, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Complaints by system

Where the 2003 Land Rover Freelander has problems

140 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 cooling885
Fuel system, gasoline281
Power train273
Electrical system250
Visibility121
Exterior lighting100
Service brakes, hydraulic90
Structure50
Latches/locks/linkages30
12 other systems261

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

5 recalls

2003 Land Rover Freelander recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

–no report yet

Doors: latch

Recall 05V-300 · Jun 28, 2005 · 1,941 vehicles

Risk. THE OCCUPANT MAY OPEN THE DOOR INADVERTENTLY WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION AND FALL OUT INTO THE TRAFFIC, PERSONAL INJURIES COULD OCCUR.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Structure: frame and members

Recall 04V-489 · Oct 7, 2004 · 4 vehicles

Risk. A CRACKED OR DEFORMED SUBFRAME COULD POTENTIALLY LEAD TO INSTABILITY OF THE VEHICLE, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Show 1 more recall
–no report yet

Doors: latch

Recall 04V-207 · May 5, 2004 · 3,194 vehicles

Risk. THIS COULD LEAD TO A CHILD BEING ABLE TO OPEN A REAR DOOR WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION, INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Land Rover.

Mileage at failure

When do engine and engine cooling problems start?

65kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 80 engine and engine cooling complaints. 93% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
8under 30k miles74under 100k miles6100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs

What owners say repairs cost

Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.

Engine and engine cooling

16 owners mentioned a cost

$5,700median

Middle half: $3,075 – $7,438

If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.

Best & worst years

2003 vs. every other Freelander 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 Freelander median. How we score

'02'03'04'05
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

2003 Land Rover Freelander safety ratings

2003 Land Rover Roverover Freelander in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

  • Stability control: No
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
3 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2003 Land Rover Freelander, and the recalls they led to.

  1. BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH FAILUREEA05016 · closed Feb 22, 2007
    Led to recall 07V-041
  2. FUEL PUMP FAILURE - STALLEA07018 · closed Dec 22, 2008
    No recall
  3. FUEL PUMP FAILUREPE07036 · closed Dec 10, 2007
    No recall
In owners' words

What Freelander owners report

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

1.COOLANT SYSTEM:STRONG ANTIFREEZE ODOR IN VEHICLE CABIN - REPLACED COOLANT RESERVOIR;REPLACED COOLANT RESERVOIR CAP; THERMOSTAT HOUSING FAILURE; REPLACED ALL COOLANT LINES AND HOSES AS PREVENTATIVE MEASURE; HEATER CORE FAILURE - LEAKED ANTI FREEZE INTO HEATER CHAMBER 2.TRANSMISSION SYSTEM (1 OF…
Complaint 10458178 · May 12, 2012 · 350 miles
F-4 FLASHING ON THE ODOMETER, BOTH CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS ON, AND THE HILL DESCENT/TRACTION CONTROL LIGHTS COMING ON. VEHICLE QUICKLY DROPPED POWER TO NO POWER. SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT AND CAR LOST POWER WHILE DRIVING, SOMETHING WITH THE THROTTLE WAS REPAIRED THE FIRST TIME. THEN THE HARNESS WAS…
Complaint 10457063 · May 1, 2012 · 77,000 miles
BOUGHT CAR USED IN FALL 09, HAD SEVERAL WHAT SEEMED LIKE NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR REPAIRS. THERE WAS NO WARRANTY ON IT AS I BOUGHT IT FROM ANOTHER OWNER. EARLY MAY '11 THE OIL LIGHT CAME ON BUT I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS. I ARRIVED AT MY DESTINATION. ON THE WAY HOME IT CAME ON AGAIN AND AS I WAS 2…
Complaint 10451718 · Mar 14, 2012

Own a 2003 Freelander?

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