Hello,
I posted this question below in the General Section but only received one reply.
Maybe those from North America could comment on the lack of Land Rover dealers and your experiences.
I worry that I may be stranded in engine limp mode and no dealer for several hundreds of miles.
Or what about replacement parts that may break down from time to time. Alternators, brake parts, etc. Could you use "off the shelf" parts from for example Canadian Tire, NAPA or a Ford dealership maybe?

I am questioning the wisdom in buying a new LR2 with no Land Rover dealer nearby. The closest dealer is an 8 hour drive for me.
I have been told that I could get warranty work done at a local shop and as long as the parts are ordered from a Land Rover dealer then the dealer that I purchase the LR2 from would get compensation from Land Rover Canada.
This may work out okay but I wonder if there are other issues that may come up that would necessitate a visit to a dealer from time to time for problems that a local shop cannot repair. What about re-programming the key fob when it fails or the battery dies?

I guess we are luck in the UK having dealers in every major town and city even though we complain about their prices and sometimes quality of service.
One option open to you would be to purchase one of the diagnostic tools available on the market such as IID (Canadian company) or Faultmate that way you would at least be able to diagnose any problems before you find a local dealer you would also be able to clear fault codes which sometimes clears the problem.
As a matter of interest where are you located in Ontario and where is your nearest dealer?.
Hope this helps in some small way as the Freelander is a fantastic vehicle eminently suited to your winter climate. FL2 SD4 Metropolis Auto Santorini Black / ivory completely stock.

It's true that light travels faster than sound, some people look quite intelligent until you hear them speak.


Stop global winging.

Yeah that would be a good investment to diagnose problems myself. I would also have to get my hands on a service manual to be able to figure out the codes and how to clear them.
I am in North Western Ontario and the nearest dealer is in Winnipeg Mannitoba which is about an 8 hour drive.
We do a lot of travel in the country and in the US so I could be even further from a dealer when travelling. My last vehicle, a Ford Ranger, broke down on two travel vacations but I was able to pull into the nearest repair shop and have it fixed on the the spot. I fear this would not be possible in a Land Rover but I'm no expert on this.
I would like nothing more than to own an LR2 especially with the winters we get around here.

youd probably buy the volvo petrol engine, so that with many ford parts should mean parts are never to far away.

haldex and diff may/may not be easily available although many other cars use a haldex At work
At home

"I can't always believe facts I read on the web" - Charles Dickens

winner by default of the tractor vs caravan race

Think the i6 has been replaced by the petrol whatever it is from the Epoke. FL2 SD4 Metropolis Auto Santorini Black / ivory completely stock.

It's true that light travels faster than sound, some people look quite intelligent until you hear them speak.


Stop global winging.

The 2014 has the 2 liter ecoboost 4 cylinder petrol, same as Ford's ecoboost I believe.
I guess if there are problems with the Haldex then I would not expect it to be repaired without ordering parts from Land Rover.

PJH
Here in a Switzerland we have used three official LR dealers so far. The first two were arrogant know-all's that as it turned out knew very little about my dear Lady's FL2 due to very low sales volumes meant they hardly saw one.

The third dealer is a round trip of 130kms. A tiny distance by Canadian standards however they to are very inexperienced re the FL2. But, the service manager is not an arrogant know-all and will listen to the experience and knowledge of others. So we are persevering with that dealership despite the distance and time involved. I have even taken the FL2 back to the UK to have issues rectified by LR dealers recommended by the members here on FreeL2 - and that beats the Winnipeg trip in hours and kms travelled. (ps - did many superb trips around the Windy City and Riding Mountain National Park - based at Erickson MB)

Re your comment re a Haldex failure. I'd personally have not too much concern on that issue as Ford or Volvo in Ontario should be able to fix that locally with parts from their common Haldex spares catalogue. Ask LR Canada to clarify that concern before committing to a Freelander 2.

The only serious problem we have experienced (MY2010 TD4-e Manual) has been the failure of the Dual Mass Flywheel. Replaced under warranty after circa 60k kms. Other minor issues have occurred but nothing that has stopped the car in its tracks and dumped her at the side of the road. All in all the FL2 is a competent vehicle on or off any road.

Trust that input helps.

Yes it helps athelstan.
I suppose my previous experience with older vehicles has me a bit scared.
We lived in Winnipeg for 2 years and I like to visit the Freezing City (Winnipeg is the coldest big city in the world) but only when I choose and not when my LR2 needs to.
Riding Mt I recall being a nice spot.

Kings Head Pub
Great beer downstairs - I forgave the manager for decorating the bar with European football club scarves.
Live music upstairs.
Great venue.

Not been back since '97. Time for a revisit.

Popular spot that. We moved out in 97. I couldn't afford to go out boozing much as my significant other and I were pretty fresh out of uni at the time so chances are we probably didn't run into each other.

PJH, I understand the way to get a service manual (I haven't done this myself) is to register for TOPIx then buy a one-day subscription, which will enable you to download the entire manual for later use (may take a little time!).

Thanks Past master!

Come on people, are there any North Americans who wish to share their experience?
Any one else?
I'm still very reluctant but I cannot find a suitable alternative vehicle.
Toyota's 4 Runner is my other option as it is apparently very reliable but a bit too "off road" for my actual needs.

I lived in Ontario for 2 years. I took a Defender with me and it was a total pain in the arse to get parts, and that was only 90 minutes away (Ottowa). I also bought a Subaru Outback at the same time and in comparison it did everything the 90 did, parts were plentiful and anyone could work on them. My advice is to choose something more mainstream.