Hello everyone!

I want to buy my first Land Rover soon (have a guess which one :p) - a TD4 manual. I would of liked an automatic due to the amount of town driving I'll be doing but after reading so much on the auto box failing and needing a £3k replacement its kind of put me off.

I'll be looking at 2007/8/9 models and I'm really looking for some tips as to what to look for when examining/test driving one? I figure this is definitely the best site to ask on!

Also any general beginners tips relating to 4x4's (or indeed the FL2 in particular) would be greatly appreciated as I've never owned one before, though I've briefly driven a Defender and FL1 before since most of my immediate family own Land Rover's :p

Thanks!

if you browse the forum you'll find the common problems such as clutch/DMF failing and Haldex/DIFF failing.

main thing is make sure you get a warranty with the car as some repairs can be expensive.

Iain

Thanks Iain.

About the warranty: Is this WarrantyDirect company any good for the FL2? has anyone had any experience with them on here?

There really ain't that much difference in cost between a 6 speed manual or auto these days, but autos tend to last longer than a clutch and depending on luck 2 or three DMF's, however post 2010 the DMF is supposed to be better. my PC is slightly to the right of Genghis
2012 HSE SD4 In Orkney Grey now gone, best car ever.

On older cars look for obvious signs of abuse, clocking, excessive wear on seats, pedals steering wheel, uneven tyre wear or brand new tyres .
This applies to all cars not just FL's.
Service history is very important.
If you are considering a high mileage car many warranty companies will not cover or offer very reduced cover.
Freelander 2's are a solid car and not so difficult to service and maintain yourself (I am unaware of your budget)
Try and take someone experienced with you or get an AA report (other reports are available)
If you buy from a trader, you will get some sort of warranty.

Let your pocket be your guide and your eyes be the judge.

Good Luck
Joe Fix it until it's broke !

Wouldn't have a manual one given me.

Thanks for the replies everyone

My budget is roughly £7-8k so I'll be looking at FL's with a mileage around 100k.

I'm really torn about manual vs automatic - on one hand I'd love an auto but on the other hand my wallet says otherwise. How much does a clutch/DMF change cost on a FL2? Trying to compare the potential gearbox costs.

wasn't aware of auto boxes being a frequent failure item. Clutches, Haldex, Diffs, and sundry smaller parts perhaps. Are auto boxes really a prevalent problem?

Clutch and DMF is roughly £700-1000 to replace. On your test drive if the pedal is very heavy and the bite fierce then factor in the aforementioned cost. A good clutch is light with progressive bite. I walked away from a couple that showed signs of a worn clutch. I have had two manuals with no problems and there are a fair few high mileage cars that have never had the clutch changed either. It is a weak point of the car but it wouldn't break the bank to sort. I have also had a FL2 auto and personally hated it!

Thanks again for the replies folks

Another question: Which model years are not likely to have a DPF fitted - and how would I go about finding out whether a FL has one or not?
Of course I could ask the trader but as I'll be looking at reasonably old ones I don't expect them to actually know and they could even flat out lie about it to get a sale...

The DPF info is contained in the VIN (chassis number)
Do a search on here.

http://www.freel2.com/forum/topic22814.html?highlight=dpf

Joe Fix it until it's broke !

Thanks Joe - I believe I've found the info I need.

According to the info document, on cars before MY2010 a TD4 without a DPF is signified by a B as the 8th character on the VIN - is this correct?

That is correct-B signifies no DPF. The other way to tell is the tax-£265=no dpf on a manual. I didn't want DPF either so only looked up to 2009 for a manual and 2010 for the auto. If it has stop/start it will have DPF. Some of the later pre-facelift cars were fitted with DPF so check carefully around 2009/2010.

A few people run cars with DPF and only do low miles without problems. As those cars get older though I think they will start to have issues. I experienced this with a Vauxhall Signum-£1400 to sort out After that experience I never want a car with DPF again!

Don't think that's right that if its stop/start it will have DPF. Mine is a MY2010 TD4e with stop /start and has a B in the 8th VIN number = no DPF

DPF became standard in the UK on 2011 MY vehicles. If it has a TD4 (150bhp) or SD4 (190bhp) engine it will have DPF. If it has a TD4 (160bhp) engine, ie pre-2011 MY it is unlikely to have DPF.