Hi John,
welcome to the forum. hope you can find the information you are looking for. the following list is not exhaustive, you should obviously carry out the normal checks when buying any used vehicle.
1) check for stiffness in vcu/drivertrain. take it to an empty car park or similar, and try driving forwards and backwards on full lock. it should feel a little stiff, but not unduly so. it is a natural tendancy of the freelander to stiffen on full lock.
2) check condition of intercooler hoses in engine bay. not a pricey repair, but could be a haggling point. allow £50 a set if they need replacing.
3) check hill descent control. turn on using switch, then select 1st gear on a downward slope. feet off pedals and let it go. it should speed up a bit, then you should feel the vehicle slowing, and hear the brakes pinging on and off as the HDC controls the speed.
4) watch for HDC warning light to flash when any other gear than 1st or reverse is selected.
5) get under vehicle and check rear prop is still fitted. many a drivetrain problem masked by removing rear prop.
6) check rear tailgate window drops slightly when door open switch operated.
7) watch for abs warning light, make sure it goes out. could be something as simple and cheap as brake light switch, could be abs sensors.
8) look for signs of water ingress to tool storage area in boot. is really common, reasonable simple to fix, but again, haggling point.
9) check for function of electric mirrors etc. they should get hot when engine is running, as heated mirrors are on all the time engine is running.
10) check service history, intervals are every 12k. For the vehicle shown, interval would have been 84k, so 88k is late, next due 96k or 100k depending on your outlook.
11) carefully remove dipstick with engine running. if oil rushes out under pressure, crankcase breather filter is blocked and needs replacement STRAIGHT AWAY. bear in mind, this test can make a huge mess if you pull it all the way out. just pull it a little, and cover with a rag.
12) do a search on here for common faults.
13) check all windows drop and return with window switches. any grinding or sticking is a sign of a failing regulator, as the cables are becoming frayed.
14) check operation of central locking from remote fob. one press drivers door only unlocks, two presses all doors unlock. one lock press, all doors lock. check both ignition keys work, keep them apart while you do this as transponder in one can affect other. only one ignition key ? a replacement will require coding and could be up to £150 from main stealer.
good luck.
