Arcadia131
New Member
Hi my name is Tony I'm looking to buy a freelander 2 in the couple of months can anyone tell me roughly how much it would cost to replace the timing belt and water pump and an automatic gear box oil change thanks in advance
Yeah i was being polite unlike his defender review to the guy, was tempted to do a review of the freelander in the same vein but thought that would be a bit off to a newbie
brianp38dse
Well-Known Member
Hello and welcome
Nodge68
Well-Known Member
Welcome.
The FL2 is a nice vehicle, although be aware that it's considerably more expensive to run and maintain by comparison to a conventional car of similar dimensions.
The timing belt is effectively a 2hr job, if all the lifts and tools are available, or under a 3 hour job if it's done DIY on the floor. The parts aren't expensive, as it's a PSA engine, meaning a complete belt kit from Gates is under £100. It requires timing tools to lock the cam pulley and flywheel, but again these aren't expensive.
I've read loads of horror stories of owners being charged £600+ for a timing belt change, which is a complete ripoff.
Also definitely have all the fluids changed, gearbox, Haldex, rear diff and PTU. All these components are 'filled for life', the life being massively reduced due to lack of fresh fluids.
The FL2 has some common issues, some of which can be costly to fix.
Common issues are:
Rear diff being noisy, which can eventually seize (I know this from personal experience).
The Haldex pump can fail, mainly caused by a lack of maintenance, so the filters clog, causing the pump to burn out.
The PTU splines can strip, making it 2WD. This is a costly repair, and is just as common as rear diff failure.
The throttle butterfly drive gears can strip, requiring a new throttle body.
The turbo vane actuator can go sticky or fail altogether.
Boost pipes can split, as can the intercooler.
Injectors are known to fail too, possibly due to incorrect filter change practices.
Oil changes should be done sooner than LR say, this is especially important on the DPF equipped vehicles, as diesel contamination of the oil is common.
Brakes have a rough time, as the FL2 is a heavy beast, so brake pads last 20-30 K miles, the rears normally last less time than the front. Brake rotors need changing every other set of pads.
It's common for the hand brake to suffer lack of maintenance, so is often not working.
Wheel bearings can also fail, although this can likely be due to use off road.
The power steering pipes can rust through and leak, but there are pipe kits available to sort this issue.
Inside.
The window motors can pack up.
The door lock actuators can pack up.
The steering lock actuator can fail.
The key dock in pre-2013 models can fail.
I think that's if for common issues.
Although it seems an extensive list, on the whole the FL2 is a good vehicle, and is capable of doing really high mileage, as long as it's looked after properly.
Nodge68
Well-Known Member
^^^I’ll stick to the Defender^^^
You'll notice it didn't mention welding, so if welding is your preferred weekend activity, then a Defender is the perfect vehicle for you.
doriz
Well-Known Member
You only need to weld once a year thoughYou'll notice it didn't mention welding, so if welding is your preferred weekend activity, then a Defender is the perfect vehicle for you.
Nodge68
Well-Known Member
You only need to weld once a year though
No welding needed on the FL2, at least not at the moment. Mine is completely corrosion free, which is surprising for a 12 year old LR. I guess the fact that the FL2 is really a Volvo XC70
, means it doesn't rust.
Last edited:
Hippo
Lord Hippo
Hippo
Lord Hippo
Welcome to the forum
It's not a vovlo or a ford or a mazda or anything else. It's a landrover. Lr chose what went in it and fought to keep it 4 wheel drive, despite others wanting it 2wd only.
The Freelander 2 is a fantastic vehicle to own and drive. Power, comfort and a heater that works. Capable oft roader as well as a big cruiser on the motorway. Sadly production stopped in october 2014. Despite this FL2's are still sought after vehicles. Yes some have a few problems and need a bit of love to keep them on the road, but cars do need a bit of maintenance sometimes. Never before has there been a pocket range rover available without the daft running costs and weekly repairs, for more sensible money. The SD4 offers more power over the TD4. Later models have a revised interior. Many have easily gone past 200k miles and still running. Add to that it's stylish looks and practical layout of the interior... it's no wonder half a million were sold world wide.
A FL2 is more eggspensive to run and repair than a normal car. Peeps have been servicing/repairing them at home since they first came out 14 years ago. You can buy yer own diagnostics for help find fault codes and view live data. Reliability is good. Mine hasn't broken down in the last 64 months. They need propper maintenance and certain items watched for potential wear, just like any vehicle.
I always keep my car reviews impartial, despite what the drafty damp biscuit tin owners suggest. You won't find wheel barrow steering and handling in a FL2. You will find a go anywhere ability, from a vehicle you can trust.
It's not a vovlo or a ford or a mazda or anything else. It's a landrover. Lr chose what went in it and fought to keep it 4 wheel drive, despite others wanting it 2wd only.
The Freelander 2 is a fantastic vehicle to own and drive. Power, comfort and a heater that works. Capable oft roader as well as a big cruiser on the motorway. Sadly production stopped in october 2014. Despite this FL2's are still sought after vehicles. Yes some have a few problems and need a bit of love to keep them on the road, but cars do need a bit of maintenance sometimes. Never before has there been a pocket range rover available without the daft running costs and weekly repairs, for more sensible money. The SD4 offers more power over the TD4. Later models have a revised interior. Many have easily gone past 200k miles and still running. Add to that it's stylish looks and practical layout of the interior... it's no wonder half a million were sold world wide.
A FL2 is more eggspensive to run and repair than a normal car. Peeps have been servicing/repairing them at home since they first came out 14 years ago. You can buy yer own diagnostics for help find fault codes and view live data. Reliability is good. Mine hasn't broken down in the last 64 months. They need propper maintenance and certain items watched for potential wear, just like any vehicle.
I always keep my car reviews impartial, despite what the drafty damp biscuit tin owners suggest. You won't find wheel barrow steering and handling in a FL2. You will find a go anywhere ability, from a vehicle you can trust.
Nodge68
Well-Known Member
It shares the Ford EUCD platform, along with the Volvo XC70, V70 and Ford Galaxy.
It is an LR and was built at LR's Halewood assembly plant. However bodywork and interior fittings aside, the FL2 is a mixture of Ford and Volvo, with a PSA engine.
This isn't a bad thing, as both Volvo and Ford produce good quality components, and PSA diesel engines have always been good.
Hippo
Lord Hippo
It's the bestest landrover ever built. Which is why others try to copy it by using the same bits.It shares the Ford EUCD platform, along with the Volvo XC70, V70 and Ford Galaxy.
It is an LR and was built at LR's Halewood assembly plant. However bodywork and interior fittings aside, the FL2 is a mixture of Ford and Volvo, with a PSA engine.
This isn't a bad thing, as both Volvo and Ford produce good quality components, and PSA diesel engines have always been good.
Reading through the development history is quite interesting. Ford put forward the mazda platform which was available via group. Ford didn't think 4x4 was needed as there were other models with it available already in the range. Lr dev team pushed for eucd as it was also available through group and stronger. They pushed for 4x4 and the plan was allowed by ford who controlled the overall finances and company direction at the time. Lr knew the target market they wanted and were said to have put across a convincing plan. I think the FL2 was first to use eucd, of the cars that use it today. Makes sense using parts already available. Cut a bit out for the wider arches and its done.
When yer look back over the years lr used a lot of parts from outside. A lot of stuff they have their logo on it but its built by someone else. Making the whole lot themselves would be too big to control. Picking from what's available or modding them a bit saves loads on development costs and gets suppliers pitching to compete. A lot of the bits may say ford or whatever on them but its just branding via controlled outsource buying. Lucas and unipart branded their kit as land rover or rover for years. Car manufacturers like branded parts as it provides advertising and original part identity for warranty.
Decades ago car manufacturers worked towards designing specific cars and their parts. The new method is to design functions of a car instead. Like suspension and steering. When a new car is designed it takes the latest options available off the shelf. In the background function designers are working towards future parts. So theres a cycle of constant evolution of function design.
Nodge68
Well-Known Member
Pretty much everything I pulled off then doing recent work on mine is branded FoMoCo, even the rear diff.
I'm happy than the FL2 has a lot of shared parts, as this keeps replacement part cost down to below the new TATA owner price hikes.
