I used to have a P38 Range Rover and when I took ownership, it came complete with swollen wheel nuts, which were completely evil to remove, so I replaced them.

My FL2 HSE also suffers from this - in fact I've just replaced 10 of the damn things, so I can get a 21mm socket on them again. It was only £30 for 10 (non genuine but identical).

Now I think I know what happens. The steel corrodes under the stainless top "sleeve" and the nut changes from 21mm to 21.5 or thereabouts. Someone had struggled to get some of mine off and chewed the top of the hexagon, so it was time to replace them.

But, I've mentioned this to a few garage mechanics (even an JLR main dealer) and they say "Not heard of that one". Yet I've had it twice! Is this a Land Rover only thing? Life is an uphill struggle. Only the gradient varies.

It's VERY common on a Freelander 2. So much so, that I included it into this video of 5 top tips for your Freelander 2 which you can see here .

 https://www.youtube.com/@scottandalana4x4
https://www.facebook.com/ScottandAlana4x4

happened on my disco, got fed up with buying bigger sockets but it failed MOT so badly with body rot that was the least of it issues so got rid all together  Range Rover L322 (the current posh one)
Discovery 2 (just gone)
Discovery 1 (long gone)

It's happened to me. I bought a bag of 20 replica ones and have changed them as the old ones start to look bad. I've still got a few left. Not bad for 9 years of ownership.

I did the same, I have half a doz left but may need to swap 5 on one wheel next time Im working on that corner,

Changed all my nuts for aftermarket ones within the first 2 weeks of getting the car. Some of them were so bad that even a 22mm socket didnt fit...

Nothing more annoying than swollen nuts

All my Jag x types have had the same problem as well as my freelander. Either pull the covers off the nuts and use a 19mm socket, or buy a set of aftermarket.

All of the nuts on our fl2 had swollen up as well. Had to use 22mm socket to free them. Installed a non-original set and all have been good for the last 1,5 year.
After these last 1,5 year of ownership of a Land Rover, I think there is a reason they get such a terrible reputation. So many parts are sub-standard. I don't point to Land Rover specific parts, but in general. Volvo developed the 3,2 Liter engine with Ford money, and while it's good engine when it works, there are just a lot of places where it could have been better quality. Design and implementation.
Coolant hoses. I use all original ones from Land Rover, and after 1 year, one is already defect. The LR005564. I just installed a new metal tube that runs along the left side of the engine, along the cam chain housing, and it's original, installed 1 week ago, and it seeps. Brand new original Land Rover one.
The head light pods must have been made of some of the most fragile plastic on planet Earth. Everything breaks off of them.
PCV valve tears and if not changed in time, the engine will begin to use a lot of oil. Not ours though. It's perfect and I did replace the whole pcv with original parts as I do in general. Original parts. Because they last longer and are better made? Hmm...
Ground wires are ultra thin and doesn't last very well before they go green. Oh, that happens on all cars, you might say. Well, of course, but just to compare. Our Lotus Esprit now being 35 years old, so twice the age of our refined Land Rover, have exposed ground wires just under the seats, on the the central frame. No green stuff there. Just pure well made wires. Even after all these years. One may think it's only being used in the Summer, and in our case yes, but in the UK for example, they are often used all year round.
Steering wheel in leather goes bad quite early. Luckily I know how to redo that to a better standard myself.
Plastic pieces on the side of the seat bases splits open, even though it's just been repaired. Just cracks next to the repair.
Gear shifter spring. So thin it breaks easily.
Sound deadening matts in engine compartment splits after less than 1 year. Bought originally from JLR 1 year ago.
"leather" or more correctly: plastic boots on the gear stick and the parking brake cracks all over after some years. Now in leather. Real leather. By me.
Exposed wiring loom many places in the car. Front to rear. Really not very smart to say the least.
For example the parking system never works. Dead wires because of being exposed and rubs against something even in it's correct installation positions and then dies.
The filler cap on the Haldex middle diff. So they chose to position the bolt just a few millimeters off of using proper tools to undo. Not a big problem at all, just a mind fart.
The installation of the electric pump on the Haldex. What a braindead system. Who positions the drive axle shaft coupling so close to the pump, that you need to undo all sorts of things to change a weeping pump o-ring, and to clean the pump filter. And in their socalled widdom, Land Rover told us, the customers, that it doesn't need cleaning or servicing. Luckily we and Volvo knows better than Land Rover.
O-rings and gaskets. In general I've observed how the materials that Land Rover approved in the build, rots out faster than you can say Freelander 2.
And much more.
In general, many materials chosen by who over made the parts as a sub contractor, are just low quality and don't last very well. Underperforming system of the coolant pump for example. Then it seeps.
Gaskets and seals that is just not thought out very well. On engine as well as many other places.
Electric modules that simply stop working. Head light switch module, parking switch module, gps antenna module, parking system rear module, and God only knows how many other I've replaced in 1,5 year.
The head liner simply falls down on the driver and passengers. So had to take it out and scrape off the rotten foam. Then I redid all of it properly by myself. As in proper glue and proper bending all edges over the edges, so that it cannot loosen the same way. Never ever seen that in any other car.
Black trim on the side and rear glass loosen and looks terrible after a few years.
Sticking horn button. What? That was a funny one. Had to install a set of spacers to make it work again.
Steering wheel air bag goes all bent after a few years because it cannot stand being exposed to the Sun.
Paint on side air intake and the fake one just falls off, making the car look very tatty.
Protection loading trim on the rear bumper goes bent and cannot sit in place no more Just because someone decided to save 5 P during development and production, and it has to be replaced now.
The tail gate electric opening module goes heywire after some time, needing replacement.
Even the gasket for the 3'rd high positioned stop light falls apart and water creeps in.
Plastic bits all over the car works once, if at all, and need to be replaced on a regular basis. You know: all the little white plastic clips inside and outside. Even the "smart" plastic nuts holding a removable service access panel on the right side front wheel arch, to get to the crank gasket and the filled up threads on the engine block, that you need to use to service the cam chain, goes bad after 3 spin on/off. Too soft plastic, simply. Under performing from factory. Of course I use original ones.
Even the big plastic part of the front bumper that protrudes over the painted metal plate above the head lights breaks, because it was made too thin and possibly a sub-standard plastic type.
Ever heard the horn going off? Then it's time for the bonnet closed module to be replaced, as I did.
Wheel arch trim rubbers just swollows up from rusting out, so needs regular replacement.
That and hugely much more that I didn't mention, in total gives the Land Rover a very very bad name to say the least. There is only so much good rep a brand can get from installing aluminium trim all over and sponsoring bad guys cars in near every single movie made the last 25 years, but in real life, ownership of a Land Rover is pretty involved as there is always something that has to be repaired or serviced. Nothing of what happens to our Land Rover, ever happened to our Lotus or Corrado or Laverda. I mean nothing. Those cars never broke down. Of course I replaced all sorts of items along the way as in maintaining them, but the difference is that on those cars, nothing ever broke before that work. On the Land Rover, it screams money pit and constant service, all by itself. Amazing that someone can make such a good car in such a bad way. They really need their school money back.
In 1,5 year, I've spent more time and money repairing the Freelander 2, than I have ever done on our other cars and motorcycle in over 35 years. And since our Lotus is very British and is made in very small numbers on a very small factory by a very small number of people using a very small budget, and Mr. Clarkson told those infamous stupid words (idiot), it should have been prone to breaking way more and often than a big company like Ford/Volvo/Land Rover.
Same story with our Corrado. Made a by a few people in Osnabrück. Just goes and goes. The only thing that wore out, is the main light switch that blacks out the internal light adjustment. But then again, it lasted 34 years and VW did not raise the price 500% on a new one. They simply stopped making them, as no one needs them. Well, now I do, so I'll get one.
Same story with our Moto Laverda SFC1000. Hand made by the tiniest company in Italy. But no, it won't break down. Nothing happens. Just works as it should. And when you go anywhere in Europe and meets up with the last Laverda brother, he comes to you, saying "Hello, how are you"? That is dedication.

The point I am making here is, that these things happens to most cars, most brands, but honestly not on such a massive scale. And on such a regular basis. Land Rover chose to fabricate their great cars to a very sub-standard and it shows. Constantly. It did 40 years ago, it did 18 years ago and it still does today. Don't get me going about the present day Land Rover Discovery Sport and the equivalent Range Rover Evoque and their "funny" ingenium engines and other things such as for example the heat exchanger. 3800 gbp to change it, and it'll happen again. That is why I've now been offered no less than 3 cars, all 3 years old, all less than 20.000 kilometers, and for less than ½ price. 1,2 million dkr when new, now all between 500.000 and 600.000 dkr. There is a reason for that, and it's very obvious.
Oh, and there are no individual arm rests for the front seats in all those 3 cars, so it's a no go for my part.

The other thing is, that Land Rover re-organised their storage of parts during these last 3 to 4 years. and they are still working at that. British style: who not do something in 10 years, when it should take 1 year? The lack of efficiency is extreme. And they put up prices on most parts by 100 to 500 percent. It is what it is, we will still buy parts, but if Land Rover want us to maintain the cars and drive them and the rest of the World can see that Land Rover actually exists outside the cinemas, then maybe they should return the the old price for parts and actually deliver them. Example: I ordered coolant pump parts from Land Rover - 5 weeks. From Volvo: next day delivery. The exact same parts and subcontractor. It is nearly as if Land Rover are not proud of their own cars. To me that is very weird.
As an example of the opposite view, Lotus have been developing new improved parts for our Lotus Esprit ever since they stopped making them in 2004. Only 4 years ago, they released a complete programme of improved suspension bushings. I installed that and it's fine. When Castrol develops a new oil, Lotus tests it and make a clear for it for my car. Even in 2025. That is dedication.

But when it works, that Freelander 2, what a great car! I'll certainly keep ours.
What 's the alternative? A Toyota? Ha ha ha ha ha!!! No way.
Cheers,
Redfox.

Maybe swollen nuts is a northern European thing due to salt on the roads. Never heard of this issue down under.

We have had the car since new. It's done 4000 km on corrugated roads, we do let the tyres down.

The only things that needed fixing/replacing is the steering control arms & that was border line. Boot & bonnet gas struts. Brake pads a couple of times.

The glovebox damper kept popping out, but that is my fault for removing the glovebox so many times for acoustic insulation upgrades. A zip tie fixed that. Procrastination, mankind's greatest labour saving device!

Acoustic insulation ARB TPMS 3xARB air compressors After cooler Air tank On-board OCD pressure air/water cleaning Additional 50L fuel Carpet in doors ABE 2x1kg Waeco 28L modified fridge Battery 4x26ah Solar 120w Victron MPPT 100/20 DC-DC 18amps 175amp jumper plug Awning 6x255/60R18

A few things that everyone is forgetting.
Land Rover don’t make most of the car. They contract others to make them a part for a price, or pick a part that is made by a brand and have a bracket made to fit it. Then they assemble them and that makes them car manufacturers.
There isn’t a car mass producer who is in business to make cars. They only make cars to exchange for MORE MONEY THAN THEY COST TO BUILD. That gives them PROFIT, which is what they are in business to make.
JLR don’t really care if their cars fail once the warranty has run out. It just means that their dealers, who are also in the business of making money, will have more business. A part sealed for life will need replacing when it fails outside of warranty. Goody, more profit for JLR from supplying the replacement and more business for dealers workshops.
As for the difficulty of working on cars at home. Well that will be because cars are now designed and built as units which are inserted into the space in the shell with no regard to access once everything is together. You can’t get to that last nut/bolt/screw because it was never designed to be removed from a completed vehicle.

BossBob has got it exactly right, especially his last paragraph.

As for the difficulty of working on cars at home. Well that will be because cars are now designed and built as units which are inserted into the space in the shell with no regard to access once everything is together. You can’t get to that last nut/bolt/screw because it was never designed to be removed from a completed vehicle.

Any suggestions what that first item that they fit into the shell is, and so is impossible to get out? FL2 XS SD4 Auto 2010 2012-2017 (21k - 91k miles) (MY2011)
FL2 Metropolis SD4 Auto 2014 2017- (16k - 84k+ miles) (MY2015)
Metro in its 11th Year of (Extended) LR Warranty / Full LR Service History
(Expensive, but Trouble/Worry free - hopefully?)

What a “Mega-Rant” from Redfox……..!
I couldn’t access thé site yesterday…..on checking again this afternoon “New Posts” I saw the post & wondered if Redfox had overloaded the server……..too many Megabts…..!
Sounds like he has bought a real “nail” or “une épave de voiture” as they say here. Other than the tailgate catch problem I haven’t had any of his problems……. wheel nuts have been ok…..still original like most of the car……thé alloys have been replaced due th corrosion….UK winters, salt overused as Lightwater says.
I agree with Bossbob & IanMetro…….JLR are the same as the other manufacturers, they buy lots of parts from companies like Bosch who make parts for all the car companies….
All the car companies have similar problems…..just look at Stellantis….massive recalls for engine problems, defective airbags, steering wheels……electronics…..big deal in France…. FL2 SD4 HSE Lux Auto MY 2012— current
D2 TD5 HSE Man MY 1999 470kmls….gone 2014 ….lovely engine..chassis rotten
D1 300TDI Man MY 1996 56kmls….gone 1999…D2 much better
Wife’s FL1 1.8P MY 2001 32kmls …gone 2007…has Mini since.

No, I don't think I got a lemon. Actually I think it's a good one. But after 18 years, where the first 12 were spent in Greece, then it is time to renew a lot. I always replace parts before they break, unless they are already broken of course.
There are so many cars that got no attention during their life span. For example a lot of UK Lotus Esprits became so cheap to buy, that no one cared for them and hardly ever renewed the belt, changed coolant and so on. and they were even used as Winter drives. So they rot out. Not even an engine oil change, because so many of them were bought in the Spring time, and sold at the following late Summer. For example I have absolutely no rust on my FL2. And all bolts that I have touched except a very few, have been treated with anti-corrosion, anti-stay-solid paste.
But what I mentioned is a small list of what I've repaired on the car in 1½ year, plus all of the maintenance. I do get a little carried away. For example I have bought a complete set of original coolant hoses. For the whole car. I installed two of them today, and it's finally not leaking.
The brake vacuum pump for example, is a well known item for leaking oil from the two o-rings and the hose connector. Mine also did that. The coolant pump is well know for leaking. It's pressed flat against a seal that is pretty thin, though it does have a recess, so that it acts as a double barrier. But willy-nilly it leaks after some years.
There is a reason for a lot of people selling sticks to install to remove the head lights. Because the originals break very easy. They are brittle.
No oil drain plug on the center diff (Haldex)? oh my. And no serviceable items inside? Oh my, again. Well of course it is bound to self destruct, if never serviced properly. My diffs and gearbox have been serviced properly since new and works well. The pcv on mine did not whistle and I changed it none the less. Before bad things happen.
When I bought the i6 3,2Liter straight six Freelander 2, it had a LOT of errors, and after it's many years in Greece, it had been through two families locally here in my country, who did not care for it. Not doing little things that turned out to be bigger. Or just multiply in time. And I loathe bodge repairs.
So I started making a very long list of jobs and parts. When I took the tailgate apart to clean it in detail, one of the screw fixtures of the "Land Rover" tail gate handle cover was broken. So I bought a new one. Of course. It should work properly. I took the towing hook off, complete with the big bar and parts, and bought a new set, and had that blasted and metallised and powder coated so it will last. Last Summer I cleaned the brakes, and I decided to renew it all over with quality parts. Who wants old tatty brakes, despite that they work? not me anyway. I can guarantee that it brakes well now. Then I foe example found an original Land Rover freezer for the FL2 rear seat. Had to have that for long trips. Then I found an original Land Rover seat covers for protection against mud and dirt. Had to have that too. And so on. So far, I have spent over 10.000 gbp in 1½ year and it is going to be right. All right
It may sound like a lot, but in my country, we pay 3 times the price that you guys pay, for cars. New. And 180% more than you for used cars. That's the way it is, and unfortunately no politician will ever want to redo that unfair system.
Nah, it's not a rant. Because I wouldn't trade it for another 4x4. Well, maybe a 5 Liter Discovery petrol? That is only until I read what they want in annual road tax. I now pay 1300 gbp in road tax alone. Every year. A 5 Liter or there about V8 petrol Discovery or Range Rover, is double that amount. There are only 3 Freelander 2 i6 3,2Liter straight six'es in my country, so they are rare as hens teeth, but fortunately the local Land Rover dealership, are very fair with discount on parts, and they do in fact like that I actually maintain the car, part by part, because normally no one gives a toss.
A rant would be a list of the words I used today, as I tried to reach down or up for one of the coolant hoses I changed.
The above post was just a description of some of what I've seen so far on my car.
I actually like my small Land Rover. And it's light at only just over 1700 kilo. That is light for a 4x4 and most are much heavier. I prefer the lighter car when going over stones and crossing a downstream.
The above mentioned amount of money I've spent on parts so far, also includes some upgrades, for example I bought two HSE chairs and only used the steed frame in the back rests to install on to my own seats, so I could install two original arm rests Then I saw a nice little HSE insert with a little door that can close, for the center console. had to have that. New original Land Rover Freelander 2 warning triangle, first aid kit luggage nets etc. The rest of those seats went in the bin, as no one wanted the parts for free. Land Rover have a terrible rep in my country, deserved or not.
But then also other parts, for example 10 Range Rover wheels, exactly the same, as I wanted wider wheels and slightly bigger, to carry 255/60-18 tires. and a similar set carrying 255/60-18 all terrain tires. And of course there have to be a full extra wheel, similar and ready to use. One for each set, hence 10 wheels. And then the HSE steering wheel, and then a full set of new original black edition gloss black interrior door handles and facia trim, and then...
Why petrol car? Because I absolutely puke on diesel cars and likewise on ev's. I only run 100 octane petrol in all my cars and motorcycles and I like it that way. And diesel are now forbidden in many cities in my country. And no way a newer ec norm diesel car will be allowed. It won't. We are past that date.
When I do something, I try to do it properly. Like for example engine oil. I use what I think it the best oil for the situation, being that engine, gearbox, diff or what ever. And when I got the car, I changed the oil and original filter the next day. I ran it 300 kilometers and then changed that and the original filter again. And then once more after 1000 kilimeters. And then I do it every 5000 kilometers. On all my cars, and the mc is every 2500 kilometers, as there is no oil filter on it
I flushed the Aishin auto gearbox 5 times with the proper gear box oil, and then change it every two years. likewise on the diffs etc.
I change the brake fluid every year, because I know what fading down a track or down a mountain means.
Next is a lot more hoses, and then the suspension/arms/bushings.
4 cats? Auch!
The truth is, that Toyota and others break down just as much. That is just modern greed, rather than taking pride in making something. I do get a bit carried away on matters. For example I hand polished the crank in my former proper modified Golf 2 to mirror finish and balanced the rods and pistons to 1/5000 part of a gram, and also had the engine block boiled and shot peened and blasted to make it stronger. It happily ran 8200 rpm all the 13 years I had it, track or motorway. Didn't matter.
So no rant on JLR, just having fun with our little Freelander 2.
To the other comment: Sure, parts are made by cub contractors to a price, not a quality. But there seems to be a pretty huge collection of not so great quality manufactures connected to JLR.
ps: I bicycle daily, so cars are just for fun. FL2 is for nature trips and to get closer to my preferred climbing routes.
Cheers,
Redfox.

OxonPete wrote:

Sounds like he has bought a real “nail” or “une épave de voiture” as they say here.