Land Rover Freelander's Transmission Trauma: Help Needed

Hey there! I experienced similar issues with my 2012 Land Rover Discovery 4 diesel. The symptoms you're describing are exactly what I faced, the jerky shifts and whining noise were really concerning. Got it checked at my garage last month, and it turned out to be a defective torque converter. The lockup clutch inside was worn out, causing those grinding sounds during shifts. The mechanic showed me the damaged parts after removing the transmission, there was significant wear on the clutch plates. For my Discovery, they had to remove the transmission to replace the torque converter assembly. It was quite a serious job that took about three days to complete. This isn't something you want to postpone as it can lead to complete transmission failure if left unchecked. My suggestion would be to get it properly diagnosed at a transmission specialist. The symptoms you're describing are pretty typical of torque converter issues in these models. Hope this helps with your decision.

Thanks for sharing your experience! That's really useful info about the torque converter. I've been worried about taking it to another garage after my last experience, but hearing about your successful repair gives me more confidence. Would you mind telling me roughly how much you ended up paying for the whole job? Also, has everything been running smoothly since the repair, or have you noticed any other issues pop up?

Hey again! Great to hear back from you! Yes, absolutely, I can give you the full update. After getting it fixed, I'm happy to report that my Discovery has been running like a dream! The transmission shifts are buttery smooth now, and all those annoying noises have completely disappeared. The total bill came to 2120.00 € for the whole job, that included replacing the defective automatic transmission converter and fixing the lockup clutch malfunction. I know it wasn't cheap, but considering the complexity of the work and the fact they had to remove the entire transmission, it was worth every penny. It's been several months since the repair, and I haven't had a single issue pop up. The car feels like new again, no more jerky gear changes or whining sounds. If anything, it's made me realize I should've gotten it checked sooner! Just make sure you find a good transmission specialist who knows Land Rovers well. These transmissions are pretty complex, but once they're properly fixed, they're really reliable. Let me know if you need any other info, happy to help!

Thanks so much for all the details! After hearing about your positive experience, I went ahead and took my Freelander to a specialist transmission shop today. You won't believe it, they found exactly the same issue with the torque converter! The mechanic was really thorough and showed me all the worn parts. They quoted me slightly less than what you paid, and I decided to go ahead with the repair. They're working on it now and should have it ready in a couple of days. It's such a relief to finally know what's wrong and have it being fixed properly. Can't wait to get my car back and experience those smooth gear changes again! Thanks again for helping me make this decision, it really gave me the confidence to get it sorted properly this time instead of putting it off any longer. I'll update the group once I get it back and let everyone know how it runs. Really appreciate all the helpful advice!