About to purchase a Freelander

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slob said:
so why are there so many threads on here with people stating how , once its fixed this time its being sold? or i'll never buy another landrover again. and these are from hippo owners that are fed up with the thing being in the garage more than they are on the road..
if it was only one problem they might have kept it but to have them go wrong over and over again and none of it cheap to fix. well its only right this info is past on the anyone thinking of buying one..or would you rather us say ' "oo!, a freelander ,, mmmm! wish i had one; they really are the dogs bollocks"... and i've heard that most garages wont even go near them if it involves a head gasket, which is one of the most common problems.
so yeah you go ahead and tell them its a fine car and will give him years of unrivaled service. but we all know the truth
Click to expand...

Cheers for that input slob now we're getting somewhere. A proper debate.

I have had many a problem with my hippo, most of which was sorted under warranty, even had hgf but not serious. Fixed the hgf problem myself having worked on a few engines over the years. Parts were only £300 and no labour costs. compared to £1200 from a major garage.

Craddock bros qouted me a new re-con engine for £1500 non exchange. I was going to have it tweeked to 220bhp which is what the 1.8 is fully capable of. If its good enough for Lotus (Full heritage of engineering) in the elise then its good enough for me in the Hippo. Dont see too many deisels chugging out that sorted of power and even if they were fitted with power looms and re-chipped the engine would still weigh nearly twice as much as the K-series 1.8 not to mntion the plumes of black/sulphurus carinogenic smoke from the tail pipe.... cough, cough

Garages dont touch the K-series (even car garages dont wanna know about rovers) because its just not cost effective for them to undertake the work. If the aluminium block goes then it simply needs replaced, expensive and parts are hard to source cos Drivetrain no longer in production/business. But there are literally tens of thousands of Hippos in the UK how could they all be wrong??

The hippo makes a good overall run around, for domestic, light goods and business needs. It will not tow 4 ton like a defender/disco but at least its not as agricultural as its bigger brothers. You dont hear people saying the be all and end all about defenders and discos. they have their problems too. A relative of mine was the first person in the UK to get the new Disco, so what! they are overstated and over weighted. Another person I know had the engine blow up on the 4litre diesel HSE new Range Rover.

Some expect too much from the hippo, of course there will be probs (Like all cars) and needs proper servicing like most vehicles
 
slob said:
you hear that daft?? unfortunate, eh? i suspose it could be called that.
Click to expand...

I used to term unfortunate as I was being sympathetic towards MHM

What did you want me to say?

Big windows in that workshop they must have seen you coming a mile off..

More fool you....

I'm sorry for your loss...

MHM no offense to be taken :)
 
i've had all sorts of vehieeckles over the years and none of them have ever had the problems one reads about the hippo.
new cars, old cars, none have ever made me say i'll never buy another one of them..even the ford that needed a new set of keys and locks every year or so. there was a cheap fix for that.
and not every one is able to fix it themselves and not everyone wants to be crawling about under their 'few' year old car every weekend.
i have an oldish jag that has clocked up about 300k kms hardly misses a beat and i have no mechanical sympaty at all. if its lucky it will get to see some new oil once in a while. dunt have problems with ecu's vcr's nor do i have to take the prop off to avoid further damage... don't matter which way you look at it the hippo ain't a good buy .unless allthese tails of woe are false.
 
Slob - Good point about the Jag but you know what they say.... they dont make emm like they used to! There are items on new cars that are designed to be replaced when broken and not fixed... thats the nature of business, a dealer makes their money from servicing and not so much the sale of the vehicle.

Disco PAUL nd others if you are still out there

Recommend a one off publication from 'Land Rover Monthly' - LAND ROVER THE INSPRIRATIONAL 4X4
ISBN 978-0-9552013-0-1 exclusive to WHSmith bookshops

This book goes through just about every landy available giving a fair assessment of the pros and cons. the worst thing they had to say about hippos was that the window cables can corrode, pricey £90 for a new kit of cables and runners. Mine went on the drivers side, there wasnt one drop of oil or grease on them, hence the rusting of the cable. Repaired it using a salvaged brake cable from a mountain bike. Basically free to fix and about 2 hrs of my spare time. The window goes up and down more smoothly than it ever did, purely down to a bit of grease and WD40

Ther are other numerous write ups in some of the older LRM/LRO magazines, must hunt them out and Haynes do the service repair manual (ISBN 1-85960-929-5) and the history of hippos (project CB40) manual (ISBN 1-85960-899-X).

Your local library could order these in for you ;)
 
Shhssssssh! this is a library people are trying to read in here :rolleyes:

Should have said KV6 is not covered in the Haynes manual.... sorry MHM :(

But.... there was talk of Haynes producing a manual for the MG ZT which could have spec on the KV6 ;)
 
Sorry Guys - I cant sit here and see this twaddle from LR!

Are you SERIOUSLY suggesting that the main problem with Freelanders is the window mechanism!

As a Chartered Mechanical Engineer who has owned a Freelander (not a biased serious off roader defender/disco driver) I have to take exception!

I believe the Freelander has serious design issues! Of course not ALL freelanders suffer from ALL of the faults, however anyone purchasing one should be made aware of potential problems,

Of the 3 models of Freelander, the 1.8 is pre-disposed to Head gasket failure caused (in my opinion) by poor cooling design and management. The TD4 is susceptable to hose failure (which is not, to my belief, on any service schedule) and sump pressurisation with immediate and catastrophic expulsion of oil. The V6 is prone to HGF (as above) Vis valve failure and oil contamination of the Throttle body.
As well as these model specific potential problems, the Freelander generically has the potential for several other well documented regular failures. Of which a couple of main ones are...
1) Rear chassis cracking!
2) VCU siezing with possible IRD failure.
3) Automatic gearbox overheating.
Along with those, are several minor, inconvenient, but repetitive issues such as the HDC light, etc.

I would suggest reading several general motoring reviews, rather than those possible pre-disposed towards LR products. Also look at the easily available NCAP results and independant reviews such as by "what car" and others.

I accept I am biased, but that doesnt mean there are not serious design issues. Not all of which are due to stupidity or poor maintenance by the owners.

If you want a Freelander - then just find out as much as you can and, most importantly, dont stick your head in the sand and think "it wont happen to me". I am NOT saying "nevver buy a Freelander - they are a pile of crap" I am just saying "be VERY VERY careful!". I think most people would agree that of all the models - the TD4 is the best bet.
 
The Mad Hat Man said:
however anyone purchasing one should be made aware of potential problems,


I.
Click to expand...

which is exactly what we have been doing , albeit in wur own itimate way. but none the less we do warn folks about the pit falls. i for one couldn't sit back knowing someone was thinking about buying one without getting them to think again. if they still go ahead and buy one then there is always ming and mondo to help them out.
i'm sure if one person has to spend 6g's ,which is probably a years wages to some folk, to keep the thing working in one year then there will be others. its only right they know what the costs could be.
 
The Mad Hat Man said:
wots ya sposed to do guys? Tell it like ya find it - or take the attitude "if he cant be bothered to read the gazillions of threads - then he deservs wot he gets"?
Click to expand...

Referring to the above quote... whats got into you MHM? you used to be helpful with info to fellow LR drivers and now you seem hell bent on starting an anti-freelander campaign. True design faults in the Freelander beckons full abuse at LR and other manufacturing components.. but dont launch into a full scale assault into freelander drivers and prospective owners.... as in....he deserves what he gets!. Think it is quite evident in Disco Paul's last statement.

Im not gonna defend hippos or any other vehicle as the be all and end all, but they do have their good points.

You say you drive a Nissan sloath trail... sorry X-trail... well say no more. might be more reliable then any LR but they are bland and nowhere near as classy as a hippo.

Sorry MHM you had to pay out megga bucks for repairing your KV6, but to be honest, you were robbed. If you bought the KV6 then you sure werent worried about high fuel costs. Look at it this way, your hippo was off the road for sometime, think of the fuel costs you have saved which on average miles (15k pr year) in a KV6 would have been a fair chunk of £6k

Fair enough about the independent motor reviews but this is a LR forum and I have specifically mentioned some publications that address the Freelander issues.

I too could go into my qualifications and letters after my name but that doesnt prove anything hence my referral to the other publications :)
 
lol
I am not "hell bent on starting an anti-freelander campaign or launching into a full scale assault into freelander drivers and prospective owners."

Some of my best friends own Freelanders. I agree the X-Trail is bland compared to the Hippoo, and the Hippoo is the best looking SUV out there, but looks and "classyness" dont mean much when it is sitting on a ramp in a garage! You are also correct to say I was not worried by high fuel costs - I dont think I have ever mentioned fuel costs regarding my V6, but come on - "Look at it this way, your hippo was off the road for sometime, think of the fuel costs you have saved which on average miles (15k pr year) in a KV6 would have been a fair chunk of £6k" - you cant be serious - "lets all buy a classy looking vehicle, put it in the garage and pride ourselves on the amount we are saving by not putting it on the road!" You're winding me up!
you are also taking my "he deserves what he gets" out of context - I was actually asking you guys on the forum whether we repeat (ad nausiam) the discussion about are Hippoos good/bad/crap/best thing since sliced bread or should he have read some of the other threads, which might have answered his question.
I like to think that Disco Paul has some intelligence and will make up his own mind, but re-reading his Q - it says he is getting - not thinking of getting - so his mind is already made up.

Mind you sometimes I think its just Slob/Mondeo just starting it to see WW3 break out!

Owning a Hippoo is like smoking - it wont necessarily bankrupt you or kill you, but there is a higher chance than having a different vehicle.
 
I think most people would agree that of all the models - the TD4 is the best bet.[/quote]

Said it before, the TD4 has more threads and more problems than the 1.8. Given that there are loads more 1.8s on the road than TD4s it looks like on average the TD4 has more going wrong, costs more in servicing, and is only superior if you want to tow something the size of a house. If DP only wants a CAR and thats what they basically are then unless he's very unlucky the 1.8 should do him fine....:) :) :)
 
rock said:
I think most people would agree that of all the models - the TD4 is the best bet.
Click to expand...

Said it before, the TD4 has more threads and more problems than the 1.8. Given that there are loads more 1.8s on the road than TD4s it looks like on average the TD4 has more going wrong, costs more in servicing, and is only superior if you want to tow something the size of a house. If DP only wants a CAR and thats what they basically are then unless he's very unlucky the 1.8 should do him fine....:) :) :)[/quote]


TD4 more threads? Maybe

TD4 more problems? Possibly - but the seriousness & expense of these problems against the K Series engine?? hmmm I would have thought that the 1.8 would come out as the worst option of the two.

As the original purpose of this thread was to advise somebody who is looking to buy a Freelander (and not to squabble over which is worse, who's point of view is the most valid, who has the biggest willy etc) the latest version of the current Freelander is powered by the same BMW unit found in a 320 Beemer. This unit proves to be capable, reliable and relatively economical - dont expect 320 performance though, this is now pulling a heavy lump with all the aerodynamic properties of a brick and an extra 2 wheels to power. I am unsure as to exactly how long this engine has been in use but I reckon its a least a couple of years now - combined with an auto-box it really is a great car to drive and there are plenty of aftermarket goodies if you want a little more power.
Also worth bearing in mind is the fact that LR are about to start selling the Freelander 2 - they have been offering some cracking deals on brand new motors and this has had the effect of lowering the price of motors about 18months - 2 years old. If finances will allow, a two year old FL with the neew Beemer engine and a decent service history will still be under warranty and should be a good buy. The two door has the same wheelbase as the four-door and also has the option of being able to take the lid off during the summer. The Sport has larger wheels and stiffer suspension and it will give most other cars a good run for money on little roundabouts. I dont know about the out & out off-road ability but one of the main reasons I bought mine was because my Mom lives in a pretty isolated part of Wales and often gets snowed in - I have yet to get stuck on some pretty steep slopes in the snow and the HDC is a great back-up if you dont feel quite confident enough to take full control yourself.

Its up to you what you spend your dosh on, but experience tells me that you will struggle to get a balanced view on here - by its very nature, a car forum will tend to attract more people who have problems with their car than people who are perfectly happy.

Yes, some of the early versions had some pretty bad problems but there are some equally problem free ones around. Its worth bearing in mind that the Freelander remains Europes best selling 4x4 since its launch!

PS mine is the biggest willy!!
 
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