The 2005 Land Rover Freelander has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 35,192 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 26 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the engine and engine cooling. Last updated July 5, 2026.
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.
Consequence
FAILURE TO PROVIDE THE PROPER SIGNAL WHEN BRAKING COULD LEAD TO A CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
Remedy
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…
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.
Consequence
THE OCCUPANT MAY OPEN THE DOOR INADVERTENTLY WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION AND FALL OUT INTO THE TRAFFIC, PERSONAL INJURIES COULD OCCUR.
Remedy
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.
AIR BAGS04V5100002004-01-284 affected
Defect
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.
Consequence
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.
Remedy
DEALERS HAVE REPLACED THE PASSENGER AIR BAG MODULES IN ALL THE AFFECTED VEHICLES.
Complaints by component
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
5
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
3
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
3
POWER TRAIN
3
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
3
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
2
ENGINE
2
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM
2
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
1
SERVICE BRAKES
1
Total complaints26
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“Hard shift 1st and 2nd gears and major power loss cannot exceed 35mph dudley while driving in the city it wouldn't excel”
“Hard shift 1st and 2nd gears and major power loss cannot exceed 35mph dudley while driving in the city it wouldn't excel”
“We bought a vehicle from justin harris. The ad on craigslist list didnt mention anything abt the engine it only said it needed a battery & the key programmed. Come to find out the engine was completely seized. He has our money & the car. He refuses to return any calls or text messages.”
“I purchased my car in 2011 from a county auction. I've spent almost $8,000 on engine and electrical issues since I've bought it. Had a new timing belt, spark plugs and ignition coils installed on 02/02/2015, but now my car stalls and I have great difficulty picking up speed, even when driving on…”
“I purchased my car in 2011 from a county auction. I've spent almost $8,000 on engine and electrical issues since I've bought it. Had a new timing belt, spark plugs and ignition coils installed on 02/02/2015, but now my car stalls and I have great difficulty picking up speed, even when driving on…”
“My brake lights don't come on took my car to the landrover dealer and they told me they where not going to check my car I explained that their was a recall on brake lights and tom was very nasty telling it was not for my car but. I have read the recall and I tried to get him too look it up and he…”
“My brake lights don't come on took my car to the landrover dealer and they told me they where not going to check my car I explained that their was a recall on brake lights and tom was very nasty telling it was not for my car but. I have read the recall and I tried to get him too look it up and he…”
“Was driving down the road during hurricane sandy and the car shifts (or lags) into extremely low gear, maybe 5-10 mph. The service engine, service engine soon, and other lights on dash came on and vehicle was lurching. Once I able move to the side of the road, I am able to turn the vehicle off,…”
Defect investigations
InvestigationEA05016 Opened 2005-10-14 · closed 2007-02-22
BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH FAILURE
ON JUNE 16, 2005, THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) OPENED A PRELIMINARY EVALUATION (PE05-034) TO INVESTIGATE ALLEGED STOP LAMP (BRAKE) SWITCH FAILURES IN CERTAIN MODEL YEAR (MY) 2004 LAND ROVER DISCOVERY SERIES II VEHICLES.ON OCTOBER 14, 2005, THE INVESTIGATION WAS UPGRADED TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS AND THE…
InvestigationEA05016 Opened 2005-10-14 · closed 2007-02-22
BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH FAILURE
ON JUNE 16, 2005, THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) OPENED A PRELIMINARY EVALUATION (PE05-034) TO INVESTIGATE ALLEGED STOP LAMP (BRAKE) SWITCH FAILURES IN CERTAIN MODEL YEAR (MY) 2004 LAND ROVER DISCOVERY SERIES II VEHICLES.ON OCTOBER 14, 2005, THE INVESTIGATION WAS UPGRADED TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS AND THE…
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2005 Land Rover Freelander as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.