reb78 Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 Bought a freelander - all seemed in good condition and everything appeared to work when i went to view it (including a dry cubby box in the boot). Its a 2003 facelift HSE TD4. Picked it up Friday evening. Stopped off in a car park near the trader and went through everything again. 1. Electric sunroof not working 2. Sticky door handle on the rear door - as if a spring is missing from the mechanism. 3. Electric wing mirrors do not open out and retract properly - the passenger side one doesnt work at all Phoned the trader - 'oh, i've just shut up (it was 6.20pm) and left for the day' .... 'can you bring it back sometime and i'll see what i can do?' I wont be able to get it back there for a week (it is 28miles away). Then i went away for the weekend and have since found: 4. Sat Nav does not detect satellites and is therefore useless 5. Cubby in boot now has condensation in it indicating that the door seal does actually leak. I've spent the whole weekend feeling like a mug for buying it and have had a sick feeling in my stomach about it - i should have spotted all of this and walked away and i think i am an idiot! I've emailed all of these faults to the trader so it is in writing that it was not sold as described (sat nav, electric sunroof and electric mirrors were stated in the advert) and has not happened since. I'll ring him tomorow to discuss it, but worse case i've bought a load of rubbish and wasted my money! It does drive ok mind! I've posted this here rather than in the freelander section because, as well as advice on the problems, i'd be keen to hear how you'd deal with the trader and what rights i actually have. I'm fed up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonost24 Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 Did the trader appear reasonable when you were dealing with him? See what his response is going to be. If it drives ok, and you still like the vehicle, get him to repair the points raised, if not, get a refund. I would think as a trader, he wouldn't trade "sold as seen" like a private sale. I'm not an expert, but I'm sure you'd have rights. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonr Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 That's a feeling I know well - we've all been there! I wouldn't feel too downhearted about it though. None of the things listed sound too bad compared to things that could be wrong with a Freelander so I wouldn't write it off just yet. The SatNav may not be broken. It may have been left for an extended period with the battery disconnected / flat. If so, it will have lost it's Almanac of which satellites should be where at what time. Some GPS's take a long time to download a new one. The best bet is to power it up with the vehicle stationary for a couple of hours, engine off in an area with open sky - then re-test. Once it's got it, it probably won't loose it again unless you leave the battery flat for a while. Door seals are easy and not too expensive. You should be able to see if it's squashed or damaged. The rear door latch is just an electrical switch - so doesn't need much of a return spring. If the door opens - I wouldn't worry too much. Mine feels a bit slack too. Make a list of everything you can find wrong. When you talk to the dealer - be civil. If you go in looking for a fight, you're more likely to get one! Even if he was deliberately negligent in selling you a vehicle with these faults - focus on what you want done about it, not why it has happened or what has gone before. Although there have been a few horror stories posted on here, most purchases where the buyer has problems with the vehicle are resolved without a hitch and most traders are actually pretty decent (so long as you don't pick a fight with them or try to make them look a fool). Si Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redneck Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 After working on neighbours Freelander recently, I would return it or burn it. Apparently tidy looking car never used off road and driven like a baby, purchased with 68,000miles, has so far had complete new exhaust, new front discs, new calipers and caliper mounts, new brake hoses, head gasket replaced, front wheel bearings, new front TRE's, and the list goes on. Mileage now reads 74,000. Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonr Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 head gasket replaced I'll bet this was a Mk1 freelander with a K series engine? Not a post facelift? The two are completely different vehicles. Many people reckon that post facelift TD4's are the best vehicle Land Rover ever made from a reliability & design point of view! I'd only buy the former if you were planning to build an electric car for example. I'd have no hesitation buying the latter though. Si Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TSD Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 4. Sat Nav does not detect satellites and is therefore useless I could be wrong, but I *think* there was a service bulletin for Freelander at some point, addressing poor or no satellite reception. Something to do with the antenna connection at the roofline - which might tie up with water getting in and stuffing the sunroof electrics as well? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reb78 Posted March 27, 2011 Author Share Posted March 27, 2011 Thanks guys. I just needed to vent a little because i feel like a bit of an idiot. I dont like spending money, so when big purchases are not what they seem, it gets to me and things like this weigh on my mind until they are sorted out. I should have been more careful when i checked it i suppose. I'll ring the chap tomorrow - he did seem apologetic that the sunroof didnt work and has already agreed to look at that when i spoke to him shortly after buying it. The rest of the problems have put a dampner on what should be an exciting thing (getting a new car). Redneck, the reason for the freelander (px'd my BMW for it) was to get another car i could work on myself (without computers to recode everything and special tools required for every job) - all you describe i can do, so i'm not expecting it to be problem free forever, but i do want it working in its entirety at the point of purchase! Edit - For the Sat Nav, the car has done 400 miles this weekend, so i was hoping that it would have located the satellites at some point over that period. I suspect the GPS sensor/wiring is faulty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reb78 Posted March 28, 2011 Author Share Posted March 28, 2011 Good news (i think). The seller rang me this morning before i had a chance to contact him (he had picked up my emails from the weekend). He says he will have it back to fix, so thats something i guess! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 The rear door handle is an easy fix, you can unscrew the opening handle part, replace the little springs with new ones (I had a party pack of assorted springs from Screwfix or somewhere, so just used the closest two) and refit. Failing that, the whole unit is ~50 quid from eBay. The rear cubby will always be damp, they all do that, drill a hole or three in the floor and don't worry about it Sat nav - sounds like what they said, a dicky antenna connection. Frankly if this is the worst that's wrong with the car you aren't doing too badly - I'd be more worried about the more common big faults like VCU, IRD, state of the turbo, PCV filter, fuel pump... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonost24 Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 Good news (i think). The seller rang me this morning before i had a chance to contact him (he had picked up my emails from the weekend). He says he will have it back to fix, so thats something i guess! Good news...keep us posted...if you don't get satisfaction..name & shame Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mo Murphy Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 It's all pretty minor stuff reb, like Fridge said at least it's not big bits ! Mo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g&t Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 Reasonable negotiation is usually more productive than argument, especially when it comes to minor faults, but at the end of the day the dealer will be only too well aware of the law : pretty well any faults within six months of purchase are deemed to have been present at the time of sale & therefore his responsibility. Check your paperwork first & make sure that he hasn't sold you the car on a 'trade' basis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reb78 Posted March 29, 2011 Author Share Posted March 29, 2011 Thanks guys. It hasnt come to arguing yet and to be honest, he has said he would fix the bits i've flagged up (i havent had an apology for the hassle yet though which would go a long way!). The repairs are still to be done though, so i dont want to speak too soon - the car goes back tomorrow, so i'm going to give it another going over tonight to see if there is anything else to raise! G&T - i didnt know that about the 6 months - i thought it was only three. I'll double check the paperwork as you say Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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