Freelander Won't Start, Dead Ignition Switch Issue?

Hey there! I have some experience working on cars (some basic repairs and maintenance). I dealt with a similar issue on my 2012 Discovery diesel, they're pretty similar to your Freelander since they're both Land Rover vehicles. When my car wouldn't start at all, I initially thought it was the starter too, but it turned out to be a faulty wiring harness. Had to get it towed to my regular mechanic who found several corroded wires in the main harness. The repair cost me around 95€ including labor. To help you better, are you getting any warning lights on the dash? Does the key fob work for locking/unlocking? Can you hear any clicking sound when trying to start? The solution might be different for your specific case, but those details would help narrow it down.

Thanks! Had my latest service just 2 weeks ago at 102101 KM, so this is quite frustrating. No warning lights at all, the key fob works perfectly for locking/unlocking, but there's complete silence when I turn the key, no clicking or anything. Just dead quiet. Your wiring harness story is interesting, will definitely have that checked out. I've had some electrical gremlins in the past, so it wouldn't surprise me if that's the culprit. Thanks for taking the time to respond, really appreciate the detailed input. I'll get it towed to have it properly diagnosed.

Hey again! Glad to help further. You know, that's really interesting about the complete silence, exactly how mine acted before it completely gave up. Since we've got similar Land Rovers (my 2012 Discovery and your 2014 Freelander), this is ringing some serious bells. The fact that your key fob is working perfectly actually makes me even more convinced it could be the wiring harness like what I experienced. In my case, the corrosion was mostly around the steering column area, which explains why the key fob worked but the ignition was dead silent. Quick tip from my experience, when my mechanic opened it up, they found the corrosion had spread more than initially visible, so they ended up replacing a larger section of the harness than planned. If I'd caught it earlier, it might've been a smaller job. Definitely get it checked soon! Also, while they're at it, have them check the battery connections too. Even though my main issue was the harness, they found my battery terminals had some minor corrosion as well. Cleaned those up while they were at it. Keep us posted on what you find out! Always curious to hear if others run into the same gremlins I did with these cars.

Thanks so much for the detailed follow-up! Really appreciate you sharing those extra bits about your Discovery experience, especially about the corrosion spreading more than expected. I've already called for a tow truck and mentioned the potential wiring harness issue to them. Will definitely have them check both the steering column area and those battery terminals you mentioned. It's actually quite reassuring to hear someone else had almost the exact same symptoms. These electrical issues can be so tricky to diagnose, but having your experience as a reference point really helps. I was getting worried it might be something much worse (and more expensive!). Will definitely update the thread once I know what's what. Thanks again for taking the time to share your experience, it's made me feel a lot better about the whole situation. These Land Rovers sure keep us on our toes, don't they?