Having just bought my FL2 last week, today I began giving it a detailed inspection. I had wanted to get it up on a hoist at the main dealers but they wouldn't do it for me. First time ever a dealer wouldn't oblige.
It has just turned eight years old so I wasn't expecting much in the way of corrosion but I was unpleasantly surprised!

First job was to give the underside , sills and wheel arches a good wash out. Despite looking quite sound I was amazed at the amount of mud which came out.
Anyway, after the hosing, off came the plastic sills, and - after a huge effort undoing some rusted & seized screws - the FOS wheel arch liner.
I was quite shocked to see the amount of surface corrosion in some places, especially at either ends of the sills.
No mudflaps had been fitted (huge mistake) so there was a large amount of stone chipping and tar splashes in places.
There was some corrosion inside the wheel arch too, around the threaded studs for the liner and in a few places where it appears the liner was rubbing the paint off.
Most of it was superficial but two places on the offside sill are quite serious.
It took a bit of work with a wire brush attachment in a drill to clean up the affected areas, after which I gave them all a thick coat of Jenolite to kill the rust.
I had planned to spray the exposed areas with clear Waxoyl but then the heavens opened so I had to stop work.
It took me most of the day to treat the FOS wheel arch and half the offside sill. At this rate it'll take me quite some time to finish, after which I'll get the whole underbody cleaned and Waxoyled. (I can't find anyone local who will do the sills and wheel arches which is why I'm doing them).
Based on what I have uncovered I would certainly recommend getting your car checked out, behind the plastic sills and wheel arch liners especially.

I am surprised to read your post as (in a previous post) WIZKING says

External protection
The Freelander 2 uses only galvanized steel panels double sided as part of treatment and anti-corrosion paint applied ever more sophisticated in a Land Rover. Includes a cosmetic warranty three-year, unlimited mileage anti-corrosion warranty and six years.

http://www.freel2.com/forum/post71205.html

When I originally read this I was quite relieved, and I can say that the paintwork on my first 7 year old FL2 looked immaculate
when I sold it (and it was white). FL2 XS SD4 Auto 2010 2012-2017 (21k - 91k miles) (MY2011)
FL2 Metropolis SD4 Auto 2014 2017- (16k - 79k+ miles) (MY2015)
Metro in its 11th Year of (Extended) LR Warranty / Full LR Service History
(Expensive, but Trouble/Worry free - hopefully?)

Hi ian, that is curious.
I'll try and remember to take some photos of the affected areas tomorrow.
It's definitely rust.

Sounds like a thorough job your doing . Pics will be handy .Give Bilt Hamber a try for any coatings .

Mark 2009 FL2 TD4 SE (Sadly gone)
2007 FL2 TD4 GS (The wifes , gone after 8 great years)
2012 FL2 SD4 SPORT LE(Gone and missing it)
2015 DISCOVERY SPORT 2.2SD4 HSE (Now gone)
2014 Ford Bmax 1.0 ecoboost ( Gone but what next )
2014 Ford Focus 2.0tdci Zetec S (Gone,but what a car)
2020 Ford Fiesta ActiveX 1.0 Ecoboost
2024 Skoda Kodiaq 1.5 Tsi SEL

I did some work under mine last year as said above the plastic trim hides buckets full of mud and debris I ended up waxoyling all the sills and up under the body where needed.

Day two of the anti corrosion work. I managed to remove the ROS wheel arch liner much easier than the FOS one. I was amazed to get almost 3lt of mud from behind the liner, but pleased to see only light surface rust in a few places.
I've jet washed the remaining muck out, letting it dry overnight then applying Jenolite to kill the rust. Still waiting for the Waxoyl I ordered to arrive
Here are some photos of the work so far:

FOS wheel arch







Offside sill (yet to be treated with Jenolite)





 Derek Hill
2009 FL2 HSE TD4 Auto

That looks alarming! I really don't want to look! 😳

Bob 10MY (Sept 09) TD4 HSE Auto in Stornoway Grey (Now Gone)

08 FL2 TD4 SE Manual in Rimini Red (Now Gone)

That looks much worse than mine was.

I seem to remember one of the Land Rover magazines had an article a while ago covering this very situation on a Freelander 2. There was some g(ood advice and pics of what to remove for best access but unfortunately I can't find the magazine. Does anyone know which mag and the date. ? (or perhaps a scanned copy.)

Delboy - The sills look terrible. No wonder the dealers wouldnt let you look. They knew how bad it was for sure. Give them a wide birth in future is my advice.
I see you are near the East coast. If you bought it locally then I bet its been on beaches or in sea water. My son lives in Lowestoft and you can see the combination of salty air and falling seagull crap will really play havoc with any car and thats before you take down to the seaside. Jules

does it have a tow bar fitted? maybe been pulling a boat out of the water ?

Iain

ps ones from up here in Scotland must be much worse.

I spoke too soon about the ROS Wheel Arch.
Loads of corrosion coming through from various places, especially the top of the suspension turret, where I removed masses of dirt, so no surprise there I guess.
Morning spent removing surface rust with drill and wire brush attachment.
What looks like a tiny piece of rust is always worse. Like the iceberg effect, more to it than you can see.
Once I start removing, the paint strips away to reveal corrosion in a much wider area.
I'm also wondering if the car has been exposed to a high salt environment such as a beach?
I know the car has spent its life inland in my neighborhood as it's been looked after by a local Indie, but there seems to be more corrosion than I would have expected for an 8 year old car. Or am I just unlucky? Still, I'm managing to tackle it slowly, just wish I was thirty years younger, it takes me a while to keep getting up if the ground
Some pic's:



















 Derek Hill
2009 FL2 HSE TD4 Auto

I know the feeling I really do the week I spent doing mine knackered me up big time,at least after you have finished you know it's sorted for good no one would do a better job than you on your own car come the winters you will have no problem. I've had mine many years now and have allways hosed under the wheel arches and underbody thoroughly getting the jet of water in every gap there is I think it helps. Also look on your rear doors open them and pull the rubber seal out from the bottom and hose in there it seems to trap all sorts of rubbish.

Good advice, thanks for that.  Derek Hill
2009 FL2 HSE TD4 Auto

Hi mine about the same around the rear turrets,removing the plastic side trim to empty out the mud.fitting mud flaps to blank off the front sounds good.