What do I need to look for

Good morning,

I will shortly be looking for a new car as my wife will be looking for a new car soon and we have decided with the recent bad weather to purchase a 4 wheel drive vehicle. We need such a vehicle as the mother in law is suffering early stage Alzheimers, has poor mobility and lives in an area that is difficult to get to. To this end, we have decided to look at the Land Rover Freelander (up 53 plate) 1.8 petrol 3 door and have a few questions:

• I'm familiar with the HGF issues as I own an MG TF - what else should we be looking for?
• How much is the tax?
• What's the average MPG?

I'm sure that other questions will follow, so thanks in advance for the support?

Tony

1) only look at a diesel
2) check it has a VCU
3)check the VCU works.

:search: on here and you will find all you need to know and more/

I recently bought a 2005 TD4 Freelander 1 auto and up to now I am still delighted. I also owned a car with the K series engine (Rover 75) that suffered Head Gasket failure and would never consider buying any vehicle fitted with this engine, even after a modified gasket and head skim the gasket blew again after about 12,000 miles. Other problems to look out for include drive train problems, IRD failure, rear diff pinion bearings collapsing and seized VCU (which causes the damage to the IRD and Diff), rear cubby tool box soaking wet due to leaking rear door seal and sticking rear brakes when releasing the handbrake. There is loads more info from more experienced Freelander owners if you do a search but none of these posts put me off as I had already set my heart on a Freelander. As a mechanic, for more years than I care to remember, I consider that the vast majority of repairs can be carried out by an experienced DIYer without having to pay the exorbitant dealer labour rates.

I forgot.......

4) an understanding bank manager.
5) a cheap car hire company.

Tax - depends what year
Mileage - about 20MPG and about 6000MPHG

The Mad Hat Man said:

1) only look at a diesel
2) check it has a VCU
3)check the VCU works.

Click to expand...

1. Why diesel?
2. What's a VCU?
3. How do I check it?

nickcc said:

Other problems to look out for include drive train problems, IRD failure, rear diff pinion bearings collapsing and seized VCU (which causes the damage to the IRD and Diff), rear cubby tool box soaking wet due to leaking rear door seal and sticking rear brakes when releasing the handbrake.
.....
As a mechanic, for more years than I care to remember, I consider that the vast majority of repairs can be carried out by an experienced DIYer without having to pay the exorbitant dealer labour rates.

Click to expand...

Is there a guide to identifying and solving these problems? DIY does not worry me too much.

The Mad Hat Man said:

Tax - depends what year
Mileage - about 20MPG and about 6000MPHG

Click to expand...

Tax - up to 2003
Mileage - 6000MPHG (Miles Per Head Gasket?)

Thanks guys, but in all honesty "Are you trying to put me off"? I was thinking about a Suzuki Vitara but wanted a British Marque - should I go with one of those?

Go for your freelander and enjoy it.

If you've fixed the head gasket before on your MG you'll be grand doing it again on a 1.8K freeby. Just make sure you get one with the later oil rail and with the gasket recently done (to a good standard).

I forget what mileage i got from mine as standard (been modified a while now) and i can't remember what tax was in the UK (been out the UK for a while now).

This business over the 1.8P head gaskets can sometimes get overblown and people ignore a perfectly decent vehicle because it is a petrol and they are advised not to go near it.

My wife had an MGF (which uses the same engine of course) and the head gasket went at a very low mileage but as it was new it was dealt with under warranty. Not very long afterwards it went again so this time the head was skimmed and the latest gasket etc fitted (still under warranty). From that day on until she sold it 5-years later it never gave another problem. I believe that as long as the latest parts have been fitted and the work has been done correctly the problem is solved.
Of course one way to get a decent vehicle is to find yourself a really good condition 1.8P with head gasket problems, screw them on the price and then have the work done knowing your car will not have this problem again?

Litch said:

Of course one way to get a decent vehicle is to find yourself a really good condition 1.8P with head gasket problems, screw them on the price and then have the work done knowing your car will not have this problem again?

Click to expand...

not necessarily the end of it though, as it does re-occur in a number of instances

Hi
I have owned a 02 Freelander Td4 Auto for about a year now,I travel from the north down to south a couple of times a year the rest of the time it is around town,I have found it to be very comfortable on long jouneys it has done high milage now and the V.C.U seems to be ok the mpg is not bad as I get around 25 to 30 around town as I take it easy on the throttle and the brakes.
The only thing I have had to get done is the front diff mount and I changed the Crankcase breather for the Bmw mod
If it was me I would get a five door as you will find it easier getting into the back seats.

"not necessarily the end of it though, as it does re-occur in a number of instances"

Based on our personal experience I would suggest that normally happens when the job hasn't been carried out properly or using the latest parts?????? As I said earlier, it happened to my wife's MGF at a very low mileage (well under 10K miles) and after a simple head gasket replacement failed again just a few thousand miles later. With the head skimmed and the latest gasket etc used it was fine for another 5-years (can't remember the mileage but it was significant) at which time it was sold.

Litch said:

This business over the 1.8P head gaskets can sometimes get overblown and people ignore a perfectly decent vehicle because it is a petrol and they are advised not to go near it.

My wife had an MGF the head gasket went at a very low mileage but as it was new it was dealt with under warranty. Not very long afterwards it went again.
then have the work done knowing your car will not have this problem again?

Click to expand...

th
contradiction in terms surely?Happened twice but defo wont happen again?

goonarmy said:

th
contradiction in terms surely?Happened twice but defo wont happen again?

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Read it again.:doh:

From the factory failed in under 10K miles.
Just the head gasket replaced and it failed again just a few thousand miles later.
Head skimmed, latest parts used and ok for many tens of thousands of miles.
Not saying it won't happen again but when the job is done properly and the latest parts used it certainly improves the chances of long term reliabilty.

Litch said:

Read it again.:doh:

From the factory failed in under 10K miles.
Just the head gasket replaced and it failed again just a few thousand miles later.
Head skimmed, latest parts used and ok for many tens of thousands of miles.
Not saying it won't happen again but when the job is done properly and the latest parts used it certainly improves the chances of long term reliabilty.

Click to expand...

When the first gasket failed on my Rover 75 the new modified gasket was fitted by the Rover dealers engine repair specialists, with liner height checks and new head bolts fitted, so I was unable to blame either myself or the local cowboy garage for the subsequent failure.

In 2005 we bought a very clean 98 T reg XEi with 48,000 miles on the clock from a garage. I knew about HGF but noticed that it had had a brand new head at 25k. I had it for 3 years with good economy and no problems at all. Apart from servicing and needing the front disks it was superb. Towed a caravan with it as well. No VCU probs either. It's not all bad with these cars.

teejayuu said:

1. Why diesel? because as all the petrols are more trouble than they are worth
2. What's a VCU? Its a donut shaped item in the middle of the propshaft which is designed to connect drive from the front to the rear - its a common fail and can screw the complete drive train.
3. How do I check it? search on here - there a few methods.

Is there a guide to identifying and solving these problems? DIY does not worry me too much. yes - search on here.


Tax - up to 2003 Tax rates change for cars before/after 2001
Mileage - 6000MPHG (Miles Per Head Gasket?) yes

Thanks guys, but in all honesty "Are you trying to put me off"? I was thinking about a Suzuki Vitara but wanted a British Marque - should I go with one of those?

Click to expand...

No not trying to put you off, but the petrol freelanders are notorious for not only HGF, but sequential HGF - and not, as mentioned before by poor workmanship - it is a poor engineering design, compounded by having to work much harder in a Hippoo than an MGF (just think of the weight it has to pull).

Litch said:

Read it again.:doh:

From the factory failed in under 10K miles.
Just the head gasket replaced and it failed again just a few thousand miles later.
Head skimmed, latest parts used and ok for many tens of thousands of miles.
Not saying it won't happen again but when the job is done properly and the latest parts used it certainly improves the chances of long term reliabilty.

Click to expand...

nothing worng wiv my reading.Its happened twice and you think it wont happen again?