Brake Disc Rotor problems of the 2004 Land Rover Freelander

Brake rotors required replacing and brake pads were completely worn after only 14,500 miles of gentle driving. Dealer stated that rotors were a maintenance item and were not covered under warranty. Cost was over $500 and could have resulted in brake failure if repairs had not been made. Brake rotors do not wear out in less than 15,000 miles. I feel that this is a safety hazard.

My wife took her free lander into the landrover dealer for normal maintenance and oil change, and was told at the time that her brakes had to be replaced, including the rotors, pads, etc. The service manager at the dealership also advised her that this would happen every 24,000 miles and that's the way the Freelanders are. So basically, we are expected to spend over $400. 00 every year for a repair that shouldn't be necessary. She was also told at the time that the rotors were so thin that they were incapable of being resurfaced. Resurfacing is normal for almost all cars. Needless to say, this was not disclosed to us at the time of purchase, as we would have bought a more reliable vehicle had we known. If we had gone on past experiance, we would have not worried about the brakes until later down the road, as with most vehicles. This could have been disasterous. We found ourselves wondering what good "optimal performance on ice and snow" does when the substandard brakes don't last as long as on a Nissan or other similarly weighted vehicle. We wrote the manufacturer, but received no response. We were hoping another agency could at least warn possible future buyers.