Hi All

New to the forum so please excuse me if this has all been covered before. We are test driving a Freelander 2 2.2TD4 e GS manual on Saturday, 2009 59 plate with 25k on the clock. This is our first LR so no experience of them. I am slightly concerned by the talk of rear diff problems and/or haldex. Is there a certain age of vehicle from which the problems are better or are the newer aged ones as bad as the older ones.Is there anyway I can find out if the diff or haldex has already been replaced, we are not buying it from a LR dealer.
Also, is there anything I need to look for or be aware of when looking round the vehicle.
We are buying this primarily to tow with but wifey using it on a day to day basis.

Any/all advice gratefully accepted.

Pat

make sure it has full service history .you could have it inspected at a indie and take out your own warranty like warranty direct(don't take first price offered to you by them) .also is the garage a 4x4 dealer? I would only use a 4x4 specialist to do your service.

Last edited by freelander2 on 22nd Jan 2014 8:41 pm. Edited 1 time in total

Don't worry too much about the Haldex unit, my first one completed 89,000 miles in 30 months with only 1, utterly trivial, mechanical issue (one split tube, that lead to a sensor, which triggered a phantom error). Total fix time, about 20 minutes. All being well, I hope to run my new (to me), 14,000 mile old example, well beyond 89,000 miles. 25,000 miles is still virtually new!

Though I don't like autos, autos are generally reckoned to be better suited to towing, but beware the high CO2 output of pre-2010 automatics if future tax liabilities are a concern for you.

PS: I've just had dealings with Nick, at the Land Rover dealer in Norwich and he's been as good as his word in all his dealing with me and retained his interest way beyond the order being signed!

If you haven't spoken to him, please give him a call and say that John from Cornwall recommended you to him

Just had rear diff done on swmbos 57 GS cost 61k miles £1150 for parts and labour from 4x4 garage. But go for it you will not regret owning one

Thanks for all the advice. Going to look at cars tomorrow, definitely not put off by slight problems. Had a Vectra diesel a few years ago that Vauxhall wanted to charge £1800 to put a dual mass balanced flywheel on so any car can have issues. Got a very good, independant LR garage not far from me so I suspect ours will end up over at his for service/repairs though I am fairly mechanically minded and not afraid to pick up the spanners, time is the thing I generally lack.