Freelander Trans Issues: Selector Lever or Something More?

Hey there! I have some experience working on Land Rovers and had a similar issue with my 2013 Discovery TD4. Been maintaining my own cars for about 5 years now, so I'd say I have decent knowledge. Had almost identical symptoms, rough shifts and CEL. Turned out the cable connection on my selector lever was damaged. Took it to my regular mechanic, who I trust completely. The repair involved replacing the cable assembly and recalibrating the transmission control. Cost me around 365 for parts and labor, but it fixed the issue completely. Before I can give more specific advice, could you share if you've noticed any other symptoms? Like, does it happen more when the engine's cold or warm? Also, which transmission do you have (auto/manual)?

Thanks for sharing your experience! Mine's an automatic with 103583 KM on the clock. Last service was due in January and all was good then. The rough shifting mostly happens when the engine's warm, especially when switching between reverse and drive. No other weird symptoms besides the check engine light. Good to know yours was just the cable connection, gives me hope it's not the whole transmission that needs replacing! Might try your mechanic's approach first before diving into anything more expensive.

Hey again! Yeah, those symptoms you're describing sound even more similar to what I experienced with my Discovery. Since you mentioned it happens mainly when warm and during R to D shifts, it really reinforces my initial thought about the selector cable being the culprit. Just wanted to add, after my repair, I remembered something that might help you. Before the cable completely went bad on mine, I noticed that sometimes the gear position indicator on the dash wouldn't match what gear I actually had selected. Like, it would show Park when I was clearly in Drive. Did you notice anything like that? I've kept my Discovery for another 50000 KM after that repair with zero transmission issues, so fixing the cable was definitely the right call. One tip though, when my mechanic did the work, he suggested checking the cable bushings too. They were a bit worn and replacing them only added about 40 extra to the bill, but helped make everything feel nice and tight again. I'd say go ahead and get it checked out soon though, don't want to risk any more damage to the transmission. Worth mentioning that continuing to drive with this issue could potentially cause more expensive problems down the line. Keep me posted on what you find out!

Thanks so much for the additional info! Now that you mention it, I have noticed the gear indicator acting weird occasionally, it flashed between P and D a couple times last week but I didn't think much of it at the time. That really helps confirm what might be going on. Smart tip about the bushings too, definitely worth the extra cost to do everything properly while they're in there. I'll get it booked in this week and make sure to mention both the cable and bushings to the mechanic. Really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience, especially knowing your Discovery has run perfectly since the fix. Will let you know how it turns out once I get it sorted. Fingers crossed it's as straightforward as yours was!