Used Land Rover Freelander 2 review and buying guide (2006 to 2015): which one to buy and what to check

Which used Land Rover Freelander 2 should you buy?

Pick a 2.2 diesel Freelander 2 built after 2008, because the cars that broke their exhaust camshaft beside the high pressure fuel pump drive were early builds, though most of those reports came from abroad rather than the UK. When it goes, the engine's finished: a 2007 automatic was quoted £9,000 for a replacement engine and a 2008 car £12,000. One account dates a revised camshaft to February 2008 and another only says the design changed after the 2007 to 2008 build year, so treat any 2008 car with care.

The rear axle decides the rest. Rear differential failures crop up again and again in owners' reports on cars from 2006 to 2011, at anything from 16,000 to 108,000 miles, and one 2010 car needed two new diffs by 72,000 miles. Some owners got part or all of the bill covered by Land Rover, others didn't, so a quiet back axle matters more than the mileage on the advert.

Newer cars aren't a clean slate. Owners of 2013 and 2014 cars have had EGR valve, turbo and intercooler hose trouble, and a 2013 recall covered 2012 and 2013 2.2 diesels for a fuel leak that could start a fire under the bonnet, so ask for proof that work was done. There are fewer reports on the last cars built up to 2015, but that isn't proof they're better, so check a late one just as hard.

Which Freelander 2 engines and gearboxes are the safe choices?

Almost every engine report concerns the 2.2 diesel, sold as the TD4 and SD4, and the one to choose is a car built after 2008, clear of the camshaft problem. It can cover huge distances: one owner's 2009 automatic passed 300,000 miles. Short trips don't suit it, though. The particulate filter has clogged on 2.2 diesels used for brief runs in very cold weather, and the owner of a 2013 car used mostly for short runs paid £1,700 for a new EGR valve at 30,000 miles.

The SD4 has an extra weak point. More than one SD4 has dropped into limp mode when the hose between the turbo and intercooler split, and the owner of a four year old, 40,000 mile SD4 automatic paid £350 to have it replaced. An independent dealer told another owner the SD4's turbo runs hotter, so the pipe expands and contracts more. Turbos have failed too, on a 2014 car at 20,000 miles and on an 18 month old car straight after its EGR valve.

The automatic has more failure reports against it than the manual: owners have had autos fail at 35,000, 59,000 and 70,000 miles, and a 2011 automatic kept shuddering from first to second in warm weather despite repeated dealer visits. Land Rover's service action on 2007 to 2010 automatics reconfigured the transmission and differential control module, so ask for proof it was done. The manual isn't spotless: a 2012 TD4 manual developed a judder in second at 60,000 miles that new front driveshafts and an engine mount didn't fully cure.

What should you check when viewing a used Freelander 2?

Listen hard to the rear axle on the test drive of a four-wheel-drive car (the front-drive eD4 has no Haldex coupling or rear diff): a whine from the back has meant a worn differential or pinion bearing, and it's the failure owners report most often. One 2009 owner paid £1,000 for a rebuild at 62,000 miles. Ask about any 'traction reduced' or transmission fault warning: on one 2010 car it was the Haldex coupling's pump, and its owner paid £800 at 38,000 miles.

Ask to see the invoice for the last Haldex oil and filter change; one owner's account puts that job at every 3 years or 36,000 miles. Turn the steering from lock to lock with the engine running and listen for noise from the pump, since owners of 2008 and 2013 cars have had racks and pumps fail after fragments of weld blocked the fluid filter. One owner of a 2008 car was quoted £1,089 for a new rack.

On the diesel, any hesitation, limp mode or warning light needs an explanation before you buy. A 2013 car's EGR clogged at 50,000 miles, and leaks from the rear crankshaft oil seal have been reported on 2011 and 2013 cars, with one owner quoted £1,190. Watch that the fuel gauge moves past a quarter, because the sender can stick there and leave you stranded.

Ask for proof of recall work: 2006 to 2008 cars were recalled because the sunroof could come off. Some early radios stayed on after the ignition was switched off and flattened the battery until a software update cured them, so check the clock shows in the radio display. Lock the car and make sure every window stays shut, as one 2011 owner found them all open on three mornings.

Paste the advert into the free check and it runs these against the listing, the MOT history and the DVLA record before you travel.

What does a used Land Rover Freelander 2 cost to run?