freelander 2ltr diesel

dr ro

how reliable are these as they age if mainly used on road. Need to change car and going for diesel. Don't really need a 4x4 but i want a change from the car. I wouldn't exactly be testing it's off road capabilities. Much! Any reason to not go for a td4 2.0

Saruman

Anecdotal evidence suggests to avoid them. It might depend on which year/model.
I know I saw a crash test of a freelander on Top Gear I believe and the whole body just bent and the dummy lost its legs in a fairly slow moving crash so from a safety standpoint they are rubbish.

This was an older model though, the newer ones are probably better.

dr ro

looking at a 03. Safety issues with this one?

colm_mcm

03 would be the original model. I'd avoid.

Saruman

Yeah I think it was 2007 when the new one came out.

Owen

The engine is reliable, but the rest of the car unfortunately isn't. And I'm a Rover owner.

101sean

The unreliable side is the transmission and that's usually down to owner ignorance. You must maintain matching tyres and not ignore uneven tyre wear or scrubbing. If that happens it means the VCU in the rear prop is failing, which is easy and not too expensive to replace. Ignore it as most do and you end up with two wheel drive and an expensive IRD to replace. Early ones were more prone to this, they altered the axle ratios on later ones.

Late Td4 Freelander 1s are a good buy and actually sought after in the UK.

dr ro

thanks for the replies. Would you then recommend keep looking or take a chance. Any other similar 4x4's i Should consider given above post.

Jimmy Garlic

dr ro wrote: »

thanks for the replies. Would you then recommend keep looking or take a chance. Any other similar 4x4's i Should consider given above post.

Toyota Rav4, a safe investment.

colm_mcm

Rav4 has its own issues too. Diesel ones are prone to flywheel problems (€1200) injectors can be delicate too.
I'd go 1.8 petrol if I was getting a Rav, Diesels command a stupid premium for not a lot more mpg. 2wd petrol less complicated.

dr ro

thank's for the advice. Not going for it.

thehorse

ANY of the freelanders prior to the new freelander 2 are a pile of sh*t. I know, i have had 2 of them and they were serviced by my local Land Rover dealer all the time.

injector problems, head gasket, bearings , fuel rail pressure sensor/loom and lots of other small niggly issues. I had a petrol one years ago and the head went on it. I got rid of it and got a 2005 TD4 (which i thought would be good)and it was fine for a while but i started to have injector problems and then other problems started occuring...
the BMW engine is a pile of dirt, despite what people think and say. It is not reliable and when problems start, they dont stop.

take it from me....avoid any freelander like the plague.

The freelander 2 seems like a nice classy machine and the reports on them are good. By all accounts, they have a ford diesel engine in them which would be good.