NHTSA vehicle safety data

2002 Land Rover Defender Recalls & Complaints

The 2002 Land Rover Defender has no NHTSA recall campaigns and 3 owner complaints on file as of November 3, 2026. Recall repairs are usually free at an authorized Land Rover dealer.

NHTSA recall and complaint data for the 2002 Land Rover Defender. Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.

2002 Land Rover Defender owner complaints

Owners have filed 3 complaints with NHTSA about the 2002 Land Rover Defender, describing incidents dated November 14, 2005 to August 18, 2007.

Most-cited components

Engine 3 complaints
Power Train 1 complaint

Newest complaints

ODI #10207706 · Filed November 2, 2007
I OWN A 2002 FREELANDER WHICH LEAKED COOLANT AND OVERHEATED BECAUSE OF A DEFECTIVE MANIFOLD GASKET. NOW I HAVE ENGINE PROBLEMS. *TR
ODI #10204116 · Filed September 25, 2007
THE ENGINE IN MY 2002 LAND ROVER FREELANDER OVERHEATED AT ABOUT 65K MILES AND MADE IT THE 10 MILES OR SO TO THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE CENTER ONLY BECAUSE I KEPT STOPPING, REMOVING THE COOLANT TANK CAP, AND REPLACING THE FLUID EVERY FEW MILES. THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE CENTER TOLD ME THAT THE ENGINE HAD TO…
ODI #10160064 · Filed June 17, 2006
IN NOV. 2005 MY 2002 FREELANDER RAN HOT. WHILE CHECKING UNDER HOOD I NOTICED THE WATER RESERVOIR BOTTLE WAS EMPTY. I NOTIFIED HILTON HEAD LAND ROVER AND CARRIED THE VEHICLE TO THE THEM. THEY CHANGED THE RESERVOIR BOTTLE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE NEXT MONTH THE VEHICLE RAN HOT AGAIN AND THE DEALER…

Read all 3 complaints

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for the 2002 Land Rover Defender as of November 3, 2026. New recalls can be issued at any time, so check the specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before buying.

try.vin has no NCAP crash-test rating on file for the 2002 Land Rover Defender. NHTSA rates some vehicles by body style — pickups by cab, vans by roof height — so check nhtsa.gov/ratings.

3 owner complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2002 Land Rover Defender.

Engine and Engine Cooling

ODI #10207706

Incident: January 8, 2007 · Filed: November 2, 2007

I OWN A 2002 FREELANDER WHICH LEAKED COOLANT AND OVERHEATED BECAUSE OF A DEFECTIVE MANIFOLD GASKET. NOW I HAVE ENGINE PROBLEMS. *TR

Engine and Engine Cooling

ODI #10204116

Incident: August 18, 2007 · Filed: September 25, 2007

THE ENGINE IN MY 2002 LAND ROVER FREELANDER OVERHEATED AT ABOUT 65K MILES AND MADE IT THE 10 MILES OR SO TO THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE CENTER ONLY BECAUSE I KEPT STOPPING, REMOVING THE COOLANT TANK CAP, AND REPLACING THE FLUID EVERY FEW MILES. THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE CENTER TOLD ME THAT THE ENGINE HAD TO BE REPLACED - AT MY EXPENSE, TO THE TUNE OF NEARLY $8K. MIND YOU, I PAID OVER $30K FOR THIS CAR ONLY 5 YEARS AGO AND HAVE KEPT IT WELL-SERVICED. TURNS OUT, THERE IS A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM WITH THIS PARTICULAR ENGINE (CHECK OUT THE EDMUNDS BLOG, TOWNHALL-TALK) IN THAT THE ENGINE IS RUINED IF IT OVERHEATS. I RECALLED HAVING HAD A MYSTERIOUS PROBLEM WITH THE ENGINE OVERHEATING - IN THE DEAD OF A CHICAGO WINTER, NO LESS - WITHIN A COUPLE OF YEARS AFTER PURCHASING IT. THE REPAIRS, WHICH I DID NOT UNDERSTAND, WERE MADE UNDER WARRANTY. APPARENTLY, THE REPAIRS WERE NOT ADEQUATE. IN ANY CASE, AFTER PESTERING LAND ROVER FOR A FEW WEEKS UNTIL I REACHED THE "CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGER" IN NEW JERSEY, AN INDIVIDUAL WHO IDENTIFIED HERSELF AS THE "EXECUTIVE LIAISON" CALLED WITH A "ONE-TIME, GOODWILL OFFER BETWEEN US" THAT SHE WOULD NOT REDUCE TO WRITING - TO REDUCE THE ENGINE REPLACEMENT COST TO $2,500 FOR ME SINCE LAND ROVER CORPORATION WOULD PAY THE OTHER HALF OF THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE CENTER'S COST OF $5K, TREATING THE ENGINE REPLACEMENT AS IF IT WAS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THAT'S REAL NICE EXCEPT THAT I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY ANYTHING FOR LAND ROVER'S USE OF AN ENGINE WITH A FAULTY DESIGN. FROM WHAT THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE CENTER HAS TOLD ME, THEY REPLACE THE RUINED ENGINE WITH A REMANUFACTURED ENGINE PRODUCED BY THE SAME MANUFACTURER THAT SOLD THEM THE ORIGINAL FAULTY ONE. SWELL. *JB

Engine and Engine Cooling; Power Train

ODI #10160064

Incident: November 14, 2005 · Filed: June 17, 2006

IN NOV. 2005 MY 2002 FREELANDER RAN HOT. WHILE CHECKING UNDER HOOD I NOTICED THE WATER RESERVOIR BOTTLE WAS EMPTY. I NOTIFIED HILTON HEAD LAND ROVER AND CARRIED THE VEHICLE TO THE THEM. THEY CHANGED THE RESERVOIR BOTTLE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE NEXT MONTH THE VEHICLE RAN HOT AGAIN AND THE DEALER REPLACED THE THERMOSTAT AND TWO WEEKS LATER IT RAN HOT AGAIN. ON THIS VISIT IN WHICH EVERY VISIT TO THE DEALERSHIP IN AN HOUR FROM MY HOME THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. ONE WEEK LATER THE ENGINE FROZE UP AND WOULD NOT START AND THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALER. THANKFULLY WE PURCHASED THE EXTENDED WARRANTY AND IT WAS COVERED. THE ENGINE HAD TO BE REPLACED AFTER FINDING WATER IN THE OIL. AT THE SAME TIME AS ALL THE ENGINE PROBLEMS WE WERE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE SUNROOF WHICH AFTER 4 TIMES OF ATTEMPTING TO REPAIR IT I THINK IT WAS REPAIRED. AFTER HAVING THE VEHICLE BACK FOR 2 WEEKS I NOTICED TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAKING IN THE DRIVEWAY. AT THE DEALER THEY NOTICED THE TRANSMISSION SEAL WAS RUPTURED PROBABLY DURING THE ENGINE REPLACEMENT. ONE WEEK AFTER THIS THE ENGINE BEGAN KNOCKING VERY HARD LIKE A ROD ABOUT TO SHOOT THROUGH THE HOOD. THIS WAS DIAGNOSED AS A CRACK IN THE PRESSURE PLATE WHICH I AM SURE IS PROBABLY FROM RUNNING WITHOUT TRANSMISSION FLUID. AFTER DEALING WITH THE WORST CAR I HAVE EVER OWNED I SOLD THE VEHICLE BACK TO HILTON HEAD LANDROVER WITH A 3500.00 LOSS. LANDROVER USA WAS NO HELP TO ME WITH THESE ISSUES AND OFFERED NO COMPENSATION TO MY LOSS. I WILL NEVER OWN ANOTHER LAND ROVER. *NM

Other Land Rover Defender model years

Check your 2002 Land Rover Defender VIN

Not every recall applies to every VIN in a given year. Enter the 17-character VIN from your Land Rover Defender at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether your specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

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