Total Complaints
4 filings
LAND ROVER DEFENDER · model year
2002 LAND ROVER DEFENDER
4 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2002LAND ROVERDEFENDER carries 4 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2002 DEFENDER is engine and engine cooling with 2 filings, followed by power train (1) and engine and engine cooling:cooling system (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 1 investigation file overlapping the 2002 DEFENDER, and 1 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
4
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 2 |
| POWER TRAIN | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20071102ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
I OWN A 2002 FREELANDER WHICH LEAKED COOLANT AND OVERHEATED BECAUSE OF A DEFECTIVE MANIFOLD GASKET. NOW I HAVE ENGINE PROBLEMS. *TR
Mileage: 38,000
20070925ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
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
Mileage: 65,000
20060617ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
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 TRANS
Mileage: 54,000
20060617POWER TRAIN
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 TRANS
Mileage: 54,000
Compare 2002LAND ROVERDEFENDER to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 1 Open
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2002 LAND ROVER DEFENDER have?▼
The 2002 LAND ROVER DEFENDER has 4 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2002 LAND ROVER DEFENDER?▼
The most-complained component for the 2002 LAND ROVER DEFENDER is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include POWER TRAIN and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM.
Is the 2002 LAND ROVER DEFENDER safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.