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What to check: Land Rover Freelander

BBy miles

Ranked across all years of the Land Rover Freelander, from its own MOT record and from what owners report. Tick it off at the car.

From this model's MOT record

The physical checks its own defect data says are worth your time, most telling first.

Underneath, with a torchRuns high on this modelGet down and look at the sills, the subframes and the rear suspension mounting points. Flaking scale and bubbling matter; light surface rust does not. On older cars this is the one check that finds the fault that scraps them.Recorded on 11.4% of tests at age 10-15 · class average 4.3%

Bushes and ball jointsDrive slowly over broken tarmac with the windows down and listen for clonks from either end. Back at the car, have someone rock the steering wheel while you rest a hand on each front wheel; play you can feel through the tyre is a worn joint.Recorded on 11.9% of tests at age 10-15 · class average 9.0%

Steering playRuns high on this modelWith the engine running and the car parked, waggle the wheel lightly about the straight-ahead. The wheels should respond almost at once. A dead zone before anything happens means wear in the rack or the track rod ends.Recorded on 3.6% of tests at age 10-15 · class average 1.3%

Headlamp lensesRuns high on this modelCheck for condensation inside the headlamps and for cloudy or yellowed lenses. Both attract MOT trouble, and moisture inside a sealed LED unit generally means a whole new lamp.Recorded on 2.8% of tests at age 10-15 · class average 1.1%

LeaksLook at the ground where the car usually stands, then glance under the engine after your test drive. Fresh drips of oil or coolant are the cheapest warning you will ever get about a car.Recorded on 4.2% of tests at age 10-15 · class average 4.8%

Rubber boots and gaitersRuns high on this modelOn full steering lock, look in behind each front wheel at the concertina rubber boots on the driveshafts and steering rack. Splits, or grease flung around the arch, mean dirt is getting into a joint that costs far more than the boot protecting it.Recorded on 2.6% of tests at age 10-15 · class average 0.9%

DampersLook for oil misting on the damper body behind each wheel, then push down hard on each corner of the car. It should settle in one bounce. A floaty or crashy ride on the test drive is the same fault felt from the driver's seat.Recorded on 3.8% of tests at age 10-15 · class average 2.7%

Worth doing on any used car

These judge the seller's upkeep rather than the model.

Tyres, all fourCheck the tread across the full width of each tyre, inner edge included, and look for cracking and mismatched brands. A set of decent tyres is £500 or more on most cars, which makes this the easiest money to take off a price. If the pressure warning light is on, budget for sensors too.Recorded on 26.4% of tests at age 10-15 · class average 20.9%

Pads and discsLook through the wheel spokes at the brake disc. A pronounced lip on its outer edge, or a rusty and scored face, means discs and pads are due all round, a few hundred pounds on most cars. A haggling point rather than a reason to walk away.Recorded on 15.6% of tests at age 10-15 · class average 11.4%

Windscreen and wipersScan the glass in daylight for chips, especially in the driver's line of sight where even a small one can fail the MOT. Run the washers and check the wipers clear without smearing.Recorded on 3.5% of tests at age 10-15 · class average 2.6%

Because of what owners report

Drawn from the owner reports rather than the MOT data. These are the model-specific ones.

Check the coolant level and look under the oil filler cap for a mayonnaise-like residue on any 1.8 petrol Freelander 1.Low coolant or a milky cap points to head gasket failure, a very common and expensive K-series fault.

On a test drive, do a few full-lock, tight turns and reverse manoeuvres and listen for clonking or grinding.That noise is the classic sign of a failing IRD unit or viscous coupling on Freelander 1.

Ask for the service history and check whether the rear differential (Haldex) oil has been changed roughly every 40,000 miles.No record of this separate service is a strong hint the coupling is due, or already failing.

On a diesel Freelander 2, take it on a proper A-road run and watch for a DPF or EGR warning light.A light that comes on or stays on after a decent run suggests a blocked DPF or dirty EGR valve, not a quick fix.

Push and pull on the front suspension links and check for play, and pull up the MOT history for repeated suspension advisories.Loose links or the same suspension advisory two or three years running matches this model's known weak spot.

Ask specifically whether the auxiliary heater recall has been carried out, and look for a stamp or invoice confirming it.No record of the recall being done means the fire-risk fault may still be present.

Check tyre wear and make sure all four tyres are a matched, correct size, especially on Freelander 1.Mismatched tyre sizes put extra strain on the IRD and viscous coupling and can bring on premature failure.

Full Land Rover Freelander reliability report