I am due to collect my first Freelander on Saturday, SD4 HSE in Orkney grey with a couple of extras on it. I have always been used to the reliability and build quality of German cars but as i now need to commute to work I need someting that will get me there if the winters become bad on a regular basis.

Having spent a long time reading posts on this forum I cant help feeling nervous about what I have let myself in for. There are so many negative posts regarding poor build quality, poor reliability and bad customer care - surely the Freelander caqnt be as bad as the picture that is being painted. Usually I am dead excited about picking up a new car however this time i find myself questioning whether I have made the right choice.

Please, if you have a freelander that you love and one that is a good car, put some plus points on here to reassure this old soldier that he hasnt made the wrong choice.

Thanks

That's the curse of Forums I'm afraid. Anyone with a problem usually writes about it, often to excess. You must be concerned, as you've written your post at 4.50am!

To put your mind at rest, I've driven Volvo V70's for the last 8 years and roughly 250,000 miles and, although I have had my Freelander for only 2 months / 6,000 miles, it's every bit as reliable as the Volvos were. Customer service from the 2 dealers that I have had dealings with has been better than almost anything that I've experienced before; certainly much better than Volvo's customer service.

I've had one fault since new, where the heater on the driver's side decided to stick in the "on" position. I was on holiday in Cumbria, so called in unannounced at the dealer in Kendal at 10.30 on a Saturday morning. I had no appointment and they had a fully booked service department, yet they had it in the workshop within 20 minutes and fixed in in another 30 minutes. The service receptionist even (without being asked) made tea and hot chocolate for my family and invited my border collie in and offered him a drink too. When the service technician brought the car back, he spent the time to tell me what he'd done, what I should do if it ever happened again and then talked to me about my Freelander in a way that showed he was genuinely interested in them. The fault has not returned.

Apart from this experience, the Freelander always works first time and never gives me any cause for concern. Based on my experience so far, I'd buy another Freelander in a heartbeat.

PS: If you're used to driving German cars, you are going to love the ride quality of your Freelander!

I was a bit like you too just after I'd ordered my Freelander 2 - more concern was caused by a slightly higher than average mileage. (2008 with 60k miles).
It needed a new aircon compressor before I bought it, but since then I've had no problems with it so far and am really pleased with it. I changed from a Skoda Octavia to the Freelander, and having driven many lovely cars over the years, this is by far the nicest.

As Tigger says - you rarely see a post started just to say how good someone's car is! Don't worry, it'll be great!

ITS A FANTASTIC CAR.

Yes, there are some issues, but no more or less than most other makes. As was said, people are far more likely to take the time to write about a fault than how good these cars really are.

You are going to love it. And when the snow comes, you will be in awe of it!!

Agree with the other guys. best car i have ever had. Top notch, and never been a bother. You won't be dissapointed.

Charlie.

Bearing in mind that I drive around 3,000 miles a month, it's the first car I've had in at least 10 years that I really look forward to driving as part of my job.

The only problem I've had with mine was a rear wheel bearing which was sorted with the warranty.

Brilliant car to drive  2002 Honda VFR800
2002 Toyota Celica 140 Silver (mid life crisis - again!)
2007 FL2 GS Manual Army Reconnaissance Green + freel2.com sticker
2004 Toyota Celica 140 Black - Gone
2000 Toyota Celica 140 Silver - Gone
1998 Toyota Celica ST Pearl Green - Gone
1996 Nissan Primera 1.6 - Gone
1994 Rover Montego 1.6 Auto - Gone

Fantastic car, drove approx 50k miles since new. Never had any real issues with it.

Don't forget this is not only a forum where most post are about problems but it's a worldwide forum and probably the most active one too. Therefor considering the amount of daily users on this forum the amount problems posted is actually really low.

I think a new problem thread is started about once a week, maybe one major one each month. Considering there are about 3300 members on here, why are there only about maybe 10 people here actually actively posting messages.

My opinion: either becouse there issues got resolved and they never got a problem again or they just browsed the forum and never got a problem with the car.

If you then look at the numbers presented and the amount of cars sold each year you should conclude there isn't much going wrong with these cars.

I'm also on a belgian freelander forum and a quick glance, without reading through the actual posts, I see only about 5 issues since the beginning of this year:

- battery dead (if you consider this an issue)
- oil leak (very small, unknown origin)
- metallic rattle (turns out to be a pebble in one of the protection plates, had it happen to me too)
- reduced engine performance (not yet resolved, but the car is protecting itself)
- broken haldex (first actual issue, dated 5 march)
- car not running smooth after service by dealer (not actually a car issue but after reading some of the posts, more a local dealer issue, a lot of people seem to have issues with the same dealer)

Compared to the FL1, I read like 7 issues this month alone. This makes the FL2 like 10 times better then the FL1 :

Last edited by zone30 on 30th Aug 2011 7:41 am. Edited 1 time in total

Love mine! I drive around in fear that something will go wrong with it (which is annoying) but I look forward to driving it and get a big smile on face every time I get in.

Enjoy your new car. Besides, you have three years warranty on it (assuming you are buying it brand spanking new) 1st time FL2 owner. 2007 SE i6 in Tambora Flame.

zone30 wrote:

Fantastic car, drove approx 50k miles since new. Never had any real issues with it.

Don't forget this is not only a forum where most post are about problems but it's a worldwide forum and probably the most active one too. Therefor considering the amount of daily users on this forum the amount problems posted is actually really low.

I think a new problem thread is started about once a week, maybe one major one each month. Considering there are about 3300 members on here, why are there only about maybe 10 people here actually actively posting messages.

My opinion: either becouse there issues got resolved and they never got a problem again or they just browsed the forum and never got a problem with the car.

If you then look at the numbers presented and the amount of cars sold each year you should conclude there isn't much going wrong with these cars.

I'm also on a belgian freelander forum and a quick glance, without reading through the actual posts, I see only about 5 issues since the beginning of this year:

- battery dead (if yo consider this an issue)
- oil leak (very small, unknown origin)
- metallic rattle (turns out to be al pepple in one of the protection plates, had it happen to me too)
- reduced engine performance (not yet resolved, but the car is protecting itself)
- broken haldex (first actual issue, dated 5 march)
- car not running smooth after service by dealer (not actually a car issue but after reading some of the posts, more a loacal dealer issue, a lot of people seem to have issues with the same dealer)

Compared to the FL1, I read like 7 issues this month alone. This makes the FL2 like 10 times better then the FL1 :

Had mine from new (Nov. 2007). The only real issue was the PDF playing up (they all do on many cars sooner or later) but which was replaced under warranty last year. Having owned a BMW earlier was used to more practical use of storage space and design features, but you get used to the British design after a while.
Otherwise a great car to own and drive and certainly the best vehicle I have owned, its great on tour and if you go off asphalt occasionaly it is a dream. With the correct tyres fitted it will beat the s t out of almost everything else on slippery winter roads.  2007 Freelander 2 HSE TD4 Manual with Premium Pack & Moonroof.
Stornoway Grey with Ebony Black Pleather, Clear Indicators, Body Side Mouldings etc.

Been a Merc and BMW owner for the last 15 years, customer service was pretty poor ( Merc I understand are now better !)

Had a 59 FL2 HSE for nearly 8 months bought as i was ( like so many ) fed up with being stuck in when we had bad weather.

Car is a joy to drive but does not have the dynamics of a 3 series BMW, ride comfort far superior and for some reasopn, maybe height , seems less tyring to drive.

Probably 25% of the time I am towing a race trailer so works quite hard

fuel consumption ( auto ) no better than 32mpg , towing 26mpg.

Only fault was whining diff , replaced withouit problem under warranty. I used Swain and Jones Farnham who are mainly Jaguar dealers and only sell a few Land Rovers.

if you dont live too far away go and book a factory tour at hailwood where the freelander is built costs approx
40.00 be the best 1/2 days entertainment you will have for a long time can be booked on the net under landrover experance it will also put some piece of mind at quality control is strict  rainy-city
xs

The FL2 is an awful car, shocking reliabilty, things dropping off, no traction in snow and just 15mpg, wish I had never seen it, i feel for you I really do, so much so I will give you £10000 and take your new FL2 off your hands to save you any worry and grief!!......

No seriously it is absolutely wonderful. I wouldnt have had another if it wasnt. My only gripe is a slightly dated interior compared to rivals. ENJOY! Now - 2017 BMW X3 M Sport Carbon Black
Gone - 2014 BMW X3 M Sport Space Grey, faultless!
Gone - 2011 Freelander 2 SD4 HSE Bali Blue with xenons
Gone - 2008 Freelander 2 TD4 HSE Rimini Red with bodykit

shilen wrote:

The FL2 is an awful car, shocking reliabilty, things dropping off, no traction in snow and just 15mpg, wish I had never seen it, i feel for you I really do, so much so I will give you £10000 and take your new FL2 off your hands to save you any worry and grief!!......

No seriously it is absolutely wonderful. I wouldnt have had another if it wasnt. My only gripe is a slightly dated interior compared to rivals. ENJOY!