The Land Rover Freelander has 6 NHTSA recall campaigns on record covering 2002–2005. On average a defect was admitted 1.92 years after the car was built, the slowest took 5 years. The most recalled system is Latches/locks/linkages (2 campaigns). Owners also filed 343 complaints on this model — see what breaks.
What was recalled on the Land Rover Freelander
Grouped by system. Open any row for the campaigns themselves — what failed, what it risks and how the dealer fixes it, straight from the NHTSA filing.
Latches/locks/linkages 2 Read
What's wrong. On certain five door sport utility vehicles, it is possible to operate the interior door handle to open the door when the child safety lever is in the "on" position
Risk. The occupant may open the door inadvertently while the vehicle is in motion and fall out into the traffic, personal injuries could occur
Fix. Dealers will inspect and replace the latch assembly. The recall began on september 8, 2005. Owners should contact land rover at 1-800-637-6837
What's wrong. On certain five door sport utility vehicles, it is possible to operate the interior door handle to open the door when the child safety lever is in the "on" position
Risk. The occupant may open the door inadvertently while the vehicle is in motion and fall out into the traffic, personal injuries could occur
Fix. Dealers will inspect and replace the latch assembly. The recall began on september 8, 2005. Owners should contact land rover at 1-800-637-6837
What's wrong. On certain five door sport utility vehicles, it is possible to operate the interior door handle to open the door when the child safety lever is in the "on" position
Risk. The occupant may open the door inadvertently while the vehicle is in motion and fall out into the traffic, personal injuries could occur
Fix. Dealers will inspect and replace the latch assembly. The recall began on september 8, 2005. Owners should contact land rover at 1-800-637-6837
Structure 2 Read
What's wrong. Certain sport utility vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 201, "occupant protection in interior impact." during testing, the free motion head form registered a measurement marginally above the permitted 1000 head impact criteria. At the left and right hand a-pillar trim area
Risk. In the event of a vehicle crash, personal injury to occupants may occur
Fix. Dealers will replace the a-pillar trim with a revised component that enables the vehicle to fully meet the requirements of fmvss 201. The recall began on december 6, 2005. Owners should contact land rover at 1-800-637-6837
What's wrong. On certain sport utility vehicles, an incorrect weld nut was installed. Lack of this bolt could eventually cause the subframe to crack or become deformed
Risk. A cracked or deformed subframe could potentially lead to instability of the vehicle, which could result in a crash
Fix. Dealers will inspect the vehicle to see if the subframe fixing is correctly fitted and clamped up. If necessary, the subframe will be replaced with a new one that has correct weld nuts. The manufacturer has not yet provided an owner notification schedule. Owners should contact land rover at 1-800-637-6837
What's wrong. Certain sport utility vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 201, "occupant protection in interior impact." during testing, the free motion head form registered a measurement marginally above the permitted 1000 head impact criteria. At the left and right hand a-pillar trim area
Risk. In the event of a vehicle crash, personal injury to occupants may occur
Fix. Dealers will replace the a-pillar trim with a revised component that enables the vehicle to fully meet the requirements of fmvss 201. The recall began on december 6, 2005. Owners should contact land rover at 1-800-637-6837
Exterior Lighting 1 Read
What's wrong. On certain sport utility vehicles, the brake lights may remain illuminated even when the brake pedal is not depressed. Hill descent control (hdc), traction control (tc) and cruise control warning lights may also be illuminated
Risk. Failure to provide the proper signal when braking could lead to a crash without warning
Fix. Dealers will inspect the brake lamp operation and where required, adjust and/or replace the brake light switches with new switches of the same design until a newly designed brake lamp switch is available in may 2007. Owners will then be re-notified to bring their vehicles in for the new brake light switch. An interim…
What's wrong. On certain sport utility vehicles, the brake lights may remain illuminated even when the brake pedal is not depressed. Hill descent control (hdc), traction control (tc) and cruise control warning lights may also be illuminated
Risk. Failure to provide the proper signal when braking could lead to a crash without warning
Fix. Dealers will inspect the brake lamp operation and where required, adjust and/or replace the brake light switches with new switches of the same design until a newly designed brake lamp switch is available in may 2007. Owners will then be re-notified to bring their vehicles in for the new brake light switch. An interim…
What's wrong. On certain sport utility vehicles, the brake lights may remain illuminated even when the brake pedal is not depressed. Hill descent control (hdc), traction control (tc) and cruise control warning lights may also be illuminated
Risk. Failure to provide the proper signal when braking could lead to a crash without warning
Fix. Dealers will inspect the brake lamp operation and where required, adjust and/or replace the brake light switches with new switches of the same design until a newly designed brake lamp switch is available in may 2007. Owners will then be re-notified to bring their vehicles in for the new brake light switch. An interim…
Air Bags 1 Read
What's wrong. Certain sport utility vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 208, 'occupant crash protection.' the deflector panel contained in the passenger side air bag module may not have been built to specification
Risk. Damage to the air bag may occur that could allow the release of a fragment of the deflector panel into the passenger compartment, injuring the seat occupant
Fix. Dealers have replaced the passenger air bag modules in all the affected vehicles
How long a defect stays unadmitted
Campaign numbers encode the year of the announcement, so each recall on this model can be dated against the car it applies to.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Average gap before admission | 1.92 years |
| Slowest campaign | 5 years |
| Admitted 5+ years later | 7.7% |
| Campaigns on record | 6 |
Which Freelander years were recalled most
Campaigns per model year. A year with more campaigns is not automatically worse — it may simply have sold in far greater numbers.
| Model year | Campaigns | Most recalled system |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Air Bags | |
| 2004 | Structure | |
| 2003 | Latches/locks/linkages | |
| 2002 | Structure |
Check your own car
A campaign applies to a range of production, not to every car of the model. The only way to know whether yours is affected — and whether the repair was already done — is by VIN.
| Step | What you get |
|---|---|
| Enter the VIN above | Open campaigns for that exact vehicle, straight from NHTSA |
| Check the repair status | Whether the free fix has already been carried out on this car |
| Book at any franchised dealer | Recall work is free regardless of age, mileage or owner |
A campaign covers a production range. Yours is one car.
- Check whether this exact VIN is affected — and whether the fix was done
- Alerts if a new campaign lands on a car in your garage
- Full research report as a PDF you can hand to a mechanic
- Decode a whole list of VINs at once
- No ads, on every page
- No ads, no tracking — and much more
Frequently asked questions
How many recalls does the Land Rover Freelander have?
6 NHTSA campaigns on record, covering 2002–2005. Not every campaign applies to every car — coverage is by production range, so check your VIN.
Is recall work free?
Yes. Safety recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer regardless of the car's age, mileage or how many owners it has had. That is a federal requirement, not a courtesy.
How do I know if my Freelander still has an open recall?
Enter its VIN above. We show campaigns that apply to that exact vehicle and whether the repair has already been recorded as done.
Why did a defect take years to be recalled?
On this model the average gap between the car being built and the defect being admitted is 1.92 years, and the slowest campaign came 5 years later. Defects usually surface as they accumulate in the field: complaints pile up, an investigation opens, and only then is a campaign issued.