Thinking about getting a freelander?

Hello All,

I'm a newbie and thinking about a TD4 Freelander Sport or HSE facelift in manual for a new run about and ditching my Fiesta.

My Mum has had a 2002 HSE from new and it has never been any trouble but then again has only covered 35k in 8 years.

I was all set for a Freelander facelift till coming on here and this forum makes it look like they are the most unreliable, expensive car on earth to run and people have nothing but issues. I know vehicle specific forums will always have people asking/talking more about problems than people saying how great the vehicle is, but on here it really does look shocking.

Another thing that has caught my eye is this replacing four tyres at one time melarky. I have a Focus RS mk1 (toy/garage queen) and know that the front must have equal tread depths or it will kill the Quaife ATB. What I would like to know is if having 7mm on the rear and say 3-4mm on the front is really that bad on a Freelander. Seems daft to me to replace tyres that have good tread depth, throwing good money away springs to mind. Is it totally fine as long as the newer tyre is on the rear?

One last thing, when they revised the Freelander for the facelift model, did they revise any parts on them to make them less susceptable to what seems to be common issues on the pre-facelift? Or was it purely just "looks" upgrade?

Thanks in advance,

Ben

p.s were heated front screens standard fitment on Sport and HSE models? Heated screen is a must.

best tyres on the back is fine, if you get decent tyres they will do 50k easy from what i hear from some of the guys on here.

every car has its problems and the freelander is no different however it is reliable if you look after it right just use the forum for advice and :search:

check parker.co.uk for heated screen spec or wait for someone to answer

Fit new rear tyres to the back and you should be OK.
Several changes were made around 2000, and again in 2003, brakes, wheels, gear ratios(IRD), diesel engine type, suspension all underwent changes.

The later the model the better - although there are those who have the less powerfull earlier diesel who swear by them (less electronics).

Heated screen - I don't remeber having one on my 2006 HSE, suspect it is only fitted to the FL2.

If tyre prices are a concern - have you checked the fuel consumption as this is going to be a MUCH bigger bill.

You are right though, few people come here to praise the FL, most come is search of answers, although some do come to poke fun

Not worried about tyre prices as such, was more bothered about "having" to throw away perfectly good tyres. I don't mind spending money but don't like throwing it away. With my job I don't pay retail for anything car related any way.

MPG isn't an issue. As long as it is around 35mpg, (which it should be) I won't be too fussed. My current daily hack only does around 35mpg.. I do mostly motorway miles, so I would expect a little better from the Freelander than my Fiesta run about as that is more geared towards town driving.

Is the IRD and VCU still a big problem on the later models?

Thanks for the imput sofar.

Our 2005 SE has a heated windscreen, but I think it may be part of a cold climate pack, along with heated seats and a Fuel Burning Heater.

Our Sport has heated screen!

get a TD4 sport !

had mine 5 months now and I Love it to bits !

much better then my previous L series freelander.

Heated windscreen, Fuel burning heater, suede, leather !

Great handling and damm quick once its been "roverron'd" on setting 10 and with an EGR bypass.

you wont regret gettting one

I would say unless you have a very deep pocket buy a warrenty

Work one moment die the nextr

tedshred said:

I would say unless you have a very deep pocket buy a warrenty

Work one moment die the nextr

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yours int that reliable either.

Buy either of the diesel models. If your after toys etc then buy a higher spec model. Make sure you have a good read through the Freelander forum for the sort of typical faults people have.

I think you will find that the heated front screen was dropped around 2005, certainly it doesn't appear to have even been an option on the 2006 models which were the last of the F1's.

I have 05 sport, without heated screen - they were optional. TD4 manual if you want 35+ mpg. Great car if you get a goodun/check the appropriate bits. Sort the recommended tweaks out and it'll be a pleasure. I was experiencing some stalling issues at low revs but crankcase filter/egr bypass and clean have sorted it out completely. As ever, I suggest you read and reread all the major threads and stickies - just about every niggle and fix is covered somewhere and will prepare you for a thorough vehicle inspection

Thanks for the replies, I take it the heated screen button in on the left hand side of the centre console with the rear heated screen? Alot of cars I have looked at online seem to have this button but are not listed as having heated front screens.

Im guessing the chap who suggested a warranty has a defender? From reading threads on here it seems alot of Defender owners have alot of ill feeling towards Freelander owners? Very odd.

Warranties usually arn't worth the paper they are written on. I can carry out any repair work myself at work. So only parts will cost me anything.

As for suggesting to read round the forum. Doing that is what has made me have doubts about getting one at all. All doom and gloom on here! lol
Only thing is there arn't really any cars that I fancy at the moment!

I am assuming any that have the aux heater will mean slightly worse MPG due to this extra?

I'll be remapping it at work as soon as I get it, so MPG should improve anyway. Not getting one to thrash around I have fast cars for that. Just want a nice sensible, comfortable cruiser.

To answer yer Q’s

Front screen heater is on a different button to the rear screen heater. All will have rear screen heater. As said above, front is optional.

The trattor boys pick on us Freelander owners generally. Part of the coming out process. It gives them something to do, after they’ve washed and waxed their heaps. There’s a Christmas truce on at the moment, but yer allowd to call em oil polutin durdy ****s.

Doom and gloom yes, but that’s because earthlings only ever list the faults they have. Few post saying everything is working fine. It does happen though. There’s loads of them out there, all happily working.

Disconnect the fuel burning heater electrical connection if you want to disable it. It dun't use much fuel anyway.

I think 35mpg may be a touch optimistic unless you're doing exclusively easy-paced motorway journeys.

To be fair ive had a petrol, now i have a TD4 Sport and ive had no problems with them, do buy the best you can, look at a few. A sport might not be for you, the ride is harder, but we love it, fantastic in the snow and when its washed and polished looks superb. We get about 35mpg, but we dont do alot of stop start trips. Do some research and go for it, we did and we dont regret it!

Hippo said:

To answer yer Q’s

Front screen heater is on a different button to the rear screen heater. All will have rear screen heater. As said above, front is optional.

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Sorry, I didn't mean on the same button. I beleive it is above the rear heated screen button? Alot I have seen for sale on the net have another button above the rear heated screen button. I assume this is the heated front screen button?

Ian Griffiths said:

I think 35mpg may be a touch optimistic unless you're doing exclusively easy-paced motorway journeys.

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As long as its over 30 it will be fine, can't see me struggling to get that. Especially once I map it at work for abit extra torque. Not getting it to hoon about it, have other faster cars for that . So will be used for steady daily driving.

hxsw said:

To be fair ive had a petrol, now i have a TD4 Sport and ive had no problems with them, do buy the best you can, look at a few. A sport might not be for you, the ride is harder, but we love it, fantastic in the snow and when its washed and polished looks superb. We get about 35mpg, but we dont do alot of stop start trips. Do some research and go for it, we did and we dont regret it!

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Not to fussed about the ride of the sport, sport and the HSE are the only models I am intrested in due to the specs.

Hardly any for sale locally to me at the moment. Only one Sport model, which is at 63k and slightly over priced imo compared to others. I'm after one below 60k ideally. Don't really want to be travelling half way up the country to view them only to be dissapointed.

SE and above should have heated screen up to about 55 reg when they appear to be dropped. Yes look additional for switch in interior photos, if has the switch it will have the heated screen. FBH doesn't use hardly any fuel and tbh in recent winter temps would be a godsend. Later models had PTC heater instead and should be just as good.

Chaser said:

SE and above should have heated screen up to about 55 reg when they appear to be dropped. Yes look additional for switch in interior photos, if has the switch it will have the heated screen. FBH doesn't use hardly any fuel and tbh in recent winter temps would be a godsend. Later models had PTC heater instead and should be just as good.

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Thanks Chaser. Good news about the FBH, won't worry too much about that then. It would appear alot of people forget to mention the fact they have a heated front screen in their vehicles. Big selling point imo and not one you should forget to mention.

One thing I forgot to ask, once you have fitted the revised breather, is this something you need to do at regular intervals? Just fitted one to my mums 52 plate Freelander.

The revised breather is a centrifuge effect and prevents clogging as the mesh ones tend to suffer from.

I have the HSE with leather heated seats (bottom buttons either side of centre console), heated front screen (top left button of centre console) front fogs (far left of dash buttons) Aircon (top right of centre console) and parking sensors (inhibit button on lower dash right of steering wheel) I thought they were standard....

Remember though that the wiring loom will have the connections, you just need teh equipment fitted

minimadgriff said:

Thanks Chaser. Good news about the FBH, won't worry too much about that then. It would appear alot of people forget to mention the fact they have a heated front screen in their vehicles. Big selling point imo and not one you should forget to mention.

One thing I forgot to ask, once you have fitted the revised breather, is this something you need to do at regular intervals? Just fitted one to my mums 52 plate Freelander.

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The new style breather/separator should, in theory, be fit and forget but I would check the limiting valve itself every now and then, say every other service, so would have a look at the separator at the same time.