does anyone know a any faults of the old 1999 20l diesel freelanders ?,which of the older cars where the best.

I would have thought if a 1999 FL was still running itd be safe to say it was either bullet proof or would have had all major faults and had them fixed.

I know nothing about this of course but those are my thoughts. Learned to drive in 2011.
Bought a Micra - great little car
"Upgraded" to Kia Sportage - hated it
Proper upgrade to FL2 TD4 GS 60 reg Facelift - tailgate paint issues, fuel gauge rewire, transfer box failure at 36k miles, clutch at 60k
Reconditioned diff at 70k ish
Sold at 84k and now on a DS. Terribly unreliable.
Sold DS for a 2021 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. Fingers crossed....
Sold Outlander for a 2014 SD4 SE Tech because I’m mental

Did they look like this?

Click image to enlarge

I had a couple of freelancer 1's and off roadbed with friends with them too...
Tbh the diesel was relatively bullet proof, main issues now, apart from general ageing, will be driveline related (ird) , viscous coupling, rear diff etc. some of the internals were a little fragile too.

Saying that, I'd still have my 04 if it wasn't for the need to have a young car from a company perspective!

S. 2000 Xei 1.8 gone
2004 HSE Td4 Auto, MT's, sump guard, sliderz - gone
2014 GS Man - AT's, Mantec Sump guard and tank guard, split charger in boot, towbar, work in progress...

I have had 3 FL1s.
The first was X reg petrol manual. I had the usual head gasket problem and the rear tyre wear problem resulting in noisy and "castellated" tread blocks typical of the pre BMW vehicles. Only had it for a few months (company car).

Second was a 52 reg manual TD4 . Better car all round with tyre issues sorted and superior engine. No problems in 80k miles. BMW made a lot of changes to the vehicle which were not obvious externally.

Third one was an 04 reg auto, again no problems at all in over 80k miles. Eventually part ex'd it for an FL2 which was where my problems started.

If I was buying again I would only go for a BMW era TD4 FL1 3 x FL1 2 manual + 1 auto
5 x FL2 4 manual + 1 auto
Now Discovery Sport P250 MHEV SE

Don't get the pre BMW, it was announced in 1997, well into BMW days. my PC is slightly to the right of Genghis
2012 HSE SD4 In Orkney Grey now gone, best car ever.

I think that the BMW ones we are talking about are called TD4. 3 x FL1 2 manual + 1 auto
5 x FL2 4 manual + 1 auto
Now Discovery Sport P250 MHEV SE

I had a 1999 FL1 with the L-series engine for a couple of years and was very happy with it. It was supposed to be a fairly bulletproof engine, especially as compared to the TD4, but mine came to grief when the cambelt tensioner failed at about 130,000 miles. Strangely, this was a few weeks after a local LR indy garage changed the belts and gave the tensioner and idler bearings a clean bill of health. (I later realised that they hadn't even looked at the belts, let alone changed them). Luckily the cambelt didn't come completely off its sprockets and no damage was done to the engine.

The engine is not very powerful, and a bit tractor-like, but it does get you there.

My Bro-in-Law had a 3-door Sport TD4 manual. It had around 70,000 on the clock when he bought it in 2009 and he only got rid of it last year with over 160,000 miles on the clock without any major problems. It was very nice to drive.

great info lads , I have seen a lot of the 1.8s with around 46tho on the clock ,a few diesels 2.0 with around 60 70 tho ,all for about £1600 .
the daughter is looking for one ,seems to be a good buy .

just wanted to know what faults to look for ,as you know if things go wrong my life wont be worth living

go for a TD4, the 1.8 petrol are famous for blowing head gaskets. 3 x FL1 2 manual + 1 auto
5 x FL2 4 manual + 1 auto
Now Discovery Sport P250 MHEV SE

do all the 1.8 suffer with the head gasket ,or did they sort it out later on

What to watch out for


Avoid early 1.8s

Based on much modified old Rover 200 floorpan. Nissan's X-Trail 2.2DI Sport 6-speed is better in every respect.

TD4s initially hard to get hold of due to supply problems with BMW engines. Initial promise of high quality build not met.

Only three stars in 2003 NCAP crash test ratings.

Became increasingly expensive with Freelander 50th 5-door diesel listed at £24,995.

Original Rover engined DI model failed miserably in police use. More ponderous than Honda CRV, Toyota RAV-4 and X-Trail and more expensive than CRV. Not as economical as expected, but Rover diesel can average 35 mpg at a 70 mph cruise.

Several recalls. Many owners taking a hit, getting out and getting into fault-free Honda CRVs, RAV-4s and X-Trails.

In June 2001 Land Rover was rated by Motor Warranty Direct as Britain's 2nd worst out of 22 marques for warranty claim.

2nd bottom of 100 models for reliability in Auto Express 2002 survey.

7th from Bottom in 144 car 2002 JD Power / What Car? Customer Satisfaction Survey of V and W reg cars.

LandRover had joint highest average cost in warranty claims for cars up to 10 years old in 2002 Warranty Direct index.

Joint third bottom in 2002 Which reliability survey of cars up to 2 years old; 106 cars surveyed.

S and T platers 16th from bottom in 2001 Top Gear / J.D. Power Customer Satisfaction Survey.

Land Rovers had third highest warranty repair costs in 2003 Warranty Direct Reliability index (index 167.53 v/s lowest 31.93). 1998-2002 petrol rated poor for breakdowns and problems, average for faults; 1998-2000 diesel rated average for breakdowns and faults, poor for problems; 2001-2003 petrol rated average for breakdowns and problems, poor for faults in 2003 Which survey.

8th from bottom out of 137 models in 2003 Top Gear survey.

Freelander 9th bottom model in 2004 JD Power Customer Satisfaction Survey.

Only 89% of cars up to 2 years old breakdown-free over previous 12 months in 2004 Which? survey, yet gasket problem was supposed to have been fixed from 2001 production.

Land Rover 4th bottom of Reliability Index for 2004 combining average cost of repair of £367.03 with highest 46.23 failures per 100 Warranty Direct policies.

Land Rover 3rd least reliable of 31 makes of car in 2002 'Which?' reliability survey cars 2000 - 2002; least reliable of 32 makes built 1997 - 1999.

Freelander 5th least reliable car in 2005 Warranty Direct Reliability Survey with 55 repair claims per 100 cars.

2000-2006 Freelander 7th equal least reliable car in 2007 Warranty Direct Reliability Survey with 48 faults per 100 cars.

Lots of niggly problems.

Main failure on 1.8s is the engine through inlet manifold O ring gasket failure leading to loss of coolant and head gasket failure. By 1994 second failures of previously repaired 1.8s on 1997 - 2000 Freelanders due to bore liners dropping and a shortage of used replacement engines was putting a lot of them off the road.

New campaign website www.freelanderheadgasket.co.uk

Also failures of hill descent control, driveshafts and gearboxes, transfer cases and blocked ventilation slots.

Low profile tyres fitted to 'Millennium' model Freelanders are't up to suburban kerb mounting, which is the main off road activity of these vehicles.

1.8 K Series head gasket failures website link www.shame.4mg.com By July 2003 several reports of head gasket failure of the KV6.

One report of failure of rear axle at 47k miles; another at 76k miles: apparently by no means unique.

Several reports of Steptronic gearbox problems on the KV6. No brake pad wear warning system, so pads must be physically inspected. Loss of power of TS4 may be due to failure of mass airflow sensor which costs £250 to replace.

Water level sensor kit available for the MGF and TF for £89.99 from MG Specialists such as Brown and Gammons (01462 490049) www.ukmgparts.com may also fit Freelander.

Reports of failures of Jatco 'Steptronic' autoboxes after 45k miles and 3 years. Explanation of Freelander drivetrain problems and also an excellent service reconditioning Freelander JATCO automatic transmissions at www.ashcroft-transmissions.co.uk

Following MG Rover's demise, may be problems over the supply of K series 1.8 and 2.5V6 petrol engines.

In a Freelander the transmission incorporates an Intermediate Reduction Drive unit which provides the 4WD capability. The lubricant in this gets very hot and so is passed through a heat exchanger connected to the engine cooling system. This is fed by comparatively small bore coolant piping and is located lower and further back than the rest of the cooling system. If the engine coolant is drained for any reason (and of course the service advice for the all aluminium K series engines recommends draining and flushing the cooling system at least every 24,000 miles I believe) air locks can develop in this heat exchanger. This causes the engine (and the transmission) to overheat causing head gasket failure and probably other damage. The heat exchanger has separate bleed points to prevent air locks but these are apparently fiddly to get at (and not obvious from an under bonnet inspection) and thus this service item often does not get done.

Reports of injector failures on TD4s not shared with Rover 75 CDT with the same engine, not BMW 3 Series with this engine. May be down to using low detergent diesel.

If buying, look for signs of severe usage. Tow hooks (what's it been towing? Neither the 1.8 nor the original diesel is really powerful enough). Underside damage. Drivetrain leaks. Make sure everything works, especially the 'hill descent control', if fitted. Main problem area is drivetrain: gearbox, transfer box and rear diff. Reports of accelerator of 1.8 petrol models sticking and leading to accidents. Quite common for 1.8 to lose its coolant through inlet manifold gasket failure and small coolant capacity of engine leads to severe overheating. Reports of gearbox failures. Check clutch operation carefully as off road driving can lead them to fail in as little as 20,000 miles due to lack of a low range first gear.

Severe shortage of spare parts for accident repairs in late 2002 to early 2003 led to many Freelanders off the road for months. AVOID EARLY 1.8s. Care needed not to overfill TD4 with engine lube oil (see how to read dipstick below). On TD4s over 100,000 miles injectors of the BMW engines are are prone to seizing into heads.

JATCO advises owners not to carry out AUTOMATIC transmission fluid changes hemselves because it's difficult to ensure the correct amount is added (the gearbox needs to be run to a specific temperature - This requires diagnostic equipment) and probably they will use the wrong oil, e.g. Land Rover Discovery ATF is different from a Land Rover Freelander, and Jaguar X-Type (Jatco) uses different ATF to a Land Rover Freelander (Jatco).

HOW TO READ THE DIPSTICK OF A TD4: 1. A false LOW reading seems to be obtained whenever the dipstick is left in place after running the car and returning home. Even reading the dipstick the morning after with the engine now completely cold, the first time the stick is extracted will give a false LOW. 2. On wiping and re-inserting immediately afterwards , a correct FULL reading will be obtained. 3. Also, If the dipstick is taken out and left on top of the engine whilst in the garage, then on reinserting a correct FULL reading will be obtained. Similarly ANY reading taken after first removing the dipstick and re-wiping will be CORRECT.

An engineered solution to the coolant leak/head gasket problem is offered by Sterling Automotive. This involves a modified MLS (multi-layer shim) gasket, the more substantial lower oil rail (as fitted to Land Rover Freelanders) and a retro fit low coolant level warning system, with a 5 year guarantee which can be valid for up to 75,000 miles if this is reached before 5 years. In addition to this guarantee Sterling Automotive offers fixed price servicing as per the MG Rover recommendations throughout the period of cover as a reward for complying with the conditions of the guarantee and also a free 6 monthly oil and filter change between the annual services. Sterling Automotive is currently only able to offer this on MGF/TF, Rover 25/Streetwise/MG ZR, Rover Commerce/MG Express Vans and the Rover 45/MG ZS range where fitted with the four cylinder K series engine due to the fact it is only able to provide a retro fit low coolant level system for these models but is actively seeking a way of adding the Rover 75/MG ZT 1.8 and 1.8 Turbo models to the offer as soon as possible.

Faults with a 2.5 V6 ES auto purchased used between 2003 and 2008. 2005 - Sun roof failed to close. Dealer reported this was a common fault, removed operating unit. 2006 - Audio speaker ceased operation. April 2007 - Intake manifold cracked. August 2007 - Catalytic converter shattered. August 2007 - Automatic transmission failed. September 2007 - Viscous coupling failed. Dealer reported this was a common fault, coupling disconnected.

One report of fire in wiring starting beneath the centre console, knocking out central locking and window electrics, trapping occupants unless a window was open or they they could break a window. Good idea to carry a glass hammer.

One reader strongly advises against the purchase of one of the later model TD4s from 05 on. It is his view that Land Rover had to alter what was a very good BMW TD4 engine to comply with EU4 emission regulations, and in my case this resulted in problems with the EGR system, oil leaks and blown Turbo seals.

19-1-2012: On TD4, damped 'dual mass' auxiliary belt crankshaft pulley can eventually fail.

3-12-2012: Seems that official replacement clutch cylinders for TD4s do not last very long, and cost £200 + fitting.

2-9-2014: Report of long term running of 2006 Freelander TD4 from new to 88,000 miles. Needed new battery, new intercooler hose, new alternator. Also new rusting sunroof frame. Things wear out. One key issue, the the fuel rail pressure sensor gave problems. Sudden cutting out and it also gave a strange tinny rattle. Had to replace the associated wiring loom as well. Stallin a common complaint but its easily fixed. There is a sensor under the break pedal that can give trouble as well.

Recalls


TSBs (Technical Service Bulletins) over some part-time four-wheel-drive clutch systems failing due to fluid leaks and replaced 'in service' by Land Rover dealers.

Official November 1998 recall (build dates June '97-June '9 to check welding on joints of rear suspension arms.

1999: official note to owners to reduce tyre pressures from 2.1 bar to 1.8 bar when not fully loaded, to increase tyre life. 22/10/2001: 68,838 Freelanders from 1/10/1997 launch to 28/2/2001 recalled to check and replace parking brake ratchet if necessary.

Further 12,286 built 1/8/2000 to 30/11/2000 recalled because wiring harness can chafe against fuse box putting out headlights, engine management, cooling fans, fuel pump, ignition circuit, a/c, abs and hdc.

Further 4,391 3-door Freelanders built 1/8/2000 to 31/2/2002 recalled to check latches of folding front seats and replace as necessary.

March 2002: Apparent recal of TD4 Steptronic automatics to correct fuel lifter pump/fuel pump relay fault. 5-11-2002 22,343 Freelanders from VIN 1A 576764 to 2A 397466 because pin 5 of diagnostic socket not fitted with ground. Pin to be fitted to position 5 and wired to earth.

Late 2004: apparent recall of Freelanders fitted with a faulty batch of Pirelli Scorpion tyres.

TSB issued 2006 to clean or replace the EGR valve of TD4s every 12,000 mils instead of every 48,000 miles because if it gums up oil will be forced under pressure out of the dipstick hole and engine could run oil dry leading to severe damage.

wish I never ask

But all the surveys include a load of mass produced 2wd cars, it probably comes out quite well against 4wd drive vehicles of its era, but it's never measured that way  my PC is slightly to the right of Genghis
2012 HSE SD4 In Orkney Grey now gone, best car ever.

tolley wrote:

do all the 1.8 suffer with the head gasket ,or did they sort it out later on