Car Defect Radar
Get the report
Built from NHTSA complaints and recalls collected for this model, generated October 26, 2026. Totals reflect what has been collected, not every complaint ever filed.
Confirm 7 recalls before you buy.

Ask the seller for proof the repair was completed, or run the free VIN check. Recall repairs are done at no cost by a dealer.

Recalls

8 total · 7 to confirm

Safety issues the manufacturer must repair for free. A recall means confirm the fix was done, not walk away.

Electrical system recall

Confirm it was repairedRecall 26V599000 · Sep 2026

A loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy
Dealers will update the vehicle software, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk are expected to be mailed November 13, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available. Owners may contact Land Rover's customer service at 800-637-6837. Land Rover's number for this recall is E008. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 26V248.
Status
Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Airbags recall

Confirm it was repairedRecall 26V389000 · Jun 2026

An air bag that does not deploy as intended increases the risk of injury in a crash.

Remedy
Dealers will apply a protective lubricant gel to the driver’s air bag connector terminals, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed August 3, 2026. Owners may contact Land Rover's customer service at 800-637-6837. Land Rover's number for this recall is D120.
Status
Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Electrical system recall

Confirm it was repairedRecall 26V248000 · Apr 2026

A loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy
Dealers will update the central software, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed June 17, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available. Owners may contact Land Rover's customer service at 800-637-6837. Land Rover's numbers for this recall are D126 and H575.
Status
Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Safety recall

Confirm it was repairedRecall 24E102000 · Dec 2024

A detached raised air intake can fall off the vehicle and become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy
Dealers will inspect, and if necessary, remove and reinstall the RAI accessory, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed February 20, 2025. Owners may contact Land Rover customer service at 1-800-637-6837. Land Rover's number for this recall is N964.
Status
Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Engine recall

Confirm it was repairedRecall 23V044000 · Feb 2023

An oil leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.

Remedy
Dealers will inspect and replace the engine cam carrier and related components as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 29, 2023. Owners may contact Land Rover customer service at 1-800-637-6837. Land Rover's number for this recall is N763.
Status
Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Safety recall

Confirm it was repairedRecall 21V584000 · Jul 2021

Incorrect child restraint information may result in a child seat being improperly secured, which can increase the risk of injury in a crash.

Remedy
Land Rover will mail owners the correct information to insert into the owner's manual, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 23, 2021. Owners may contact Land Rover customer service at 1-800-637-6837. Land Rover's number for this recall is N601.
Status
Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Exterior lighting recall

Confirm it was repairedRecall 21V435000 · Jun 2021

Turn signals, brake lights, and tail lights that fail to illuminate can reduce visibility to other drivers and increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy
Dealers will replace the rear light assemblies, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 27, 2021. Owners can contact Land Rover customer service at 1-800-637-6837. Land Rover's number for this recall is N598.
Status
Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Transmission recall

Fixed over the airRecall 21V424000 · Jun 2021

An engine stall can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy
The Connected Diagnostic Services (CDS) and the Over-the-air (OTA) diagnostics functionality will be disabled, either by a dealer or through an OTA update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 28, 2021. Owners may contact Land Rover customer service at 1-800-637-6837. Land Rover's number for this recall is N599.
Status
Corrected automatically through an over-the-air software update.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Owner complaints by system

55 total

Unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA, grouped by the part of the car. Useful for spotting patterns. Open a group to read recent examples.

Engine & powertrain

Minor
7

Most reports here involve sudden stalling.

sudden stalling 3transmission slipping 1
A recent report: The contact owns a 2020 Land Rover Defender. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle was driving roughly. The contact stated…
Read full complaint

The contact owns a 2020 Land Rover Defender. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle was driving roughly. The contact stated that the vehicle hesitated while accelerating and the vehicle felt as if the brake pedal was being depressed. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic, and the contact was informed that the coolant hose attached to the radiator and the coolant pipes needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred approximately one month later. The front driver’s side headlight had failed and was replaced by the local dealer. The contact stated that one month later, the front passenger’s side headlight failed. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 40,000.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11755302 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Electrical & infotainment

Minor
25

Most reports here involve sudden stalling.

sudden stalling 5software faults 3
A recent report: The contact owns a 2020 Land Rover Defender. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The following day, the contact’s spouse started the…
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The contact owns a 2020 Land Rover Defender. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The following day, the contact’s spouse started the vehicle, and the message “High Voltage Shutdown Not Possible – Live System” was displayed. The contact stated that after an inspection, DTC: P0A7B was retrieved. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V248000 (Electrical System); however, the part was not yet available. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The approximate failure mileage was 48,000.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11763592 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Brakes

Worth reading
3

Most reports here involve loss of braking. Of these, 1 mention a crash, 1 mention an injury.

loss of braking 3
A recent report: The contact owns a 2020 Land Rover Defender. The contact stated that while driving at 25 mph, she lost control of the vehicle and crashed into two mailboxes but the vehicle kept driving down a curved…
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The contact owns a 2020 Land Rover Defender. The contact stated that while driving at 25 mph, she lost control of the vehicle and crashed into two mailboxes but the vehicle kept driving down a curved road onto the left lane. The brakes had failed to engage. The contact did not receive medical attention on the scene but later went to the hospital for injuries sustained. No police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a towing yard then towed to a body shop where it remained. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure occurred after receiving the vehicle back from the dealer. The vehicle was originally taken to the dealer for the emergency brakes, lane departure, emergency steering, traction control warning lights, and cracked windshield. However, the dealer could not replicate the failure and only the lane departure software was updated and the windshield was replaced but not calibrated. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 7,434.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11429431 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Steering, suspension & tires

Worth reading
6

Most reports here involve software faults.

software faults 3loss of steering 2electrical shorts 1
A recent report: Driving and the steering assistance warning goes off cuts off my cruise control and my lane keep assistance causing my car deceleration on highway promptly while going 70 mph.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11755796 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Structure & body

Minor
12

Most reports here involve other issues.

other issues 12
A recent report: We have had our vehicle for 3 years and had to replace our windshield twice from random cracks starting from the exterior windshield where it meets the body of the care. It has happened on its own…
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We have had our vehicle for 3 years and had to replace our windshield twice from random cracks starting from the exterior windshield where it meets the body of the care. It has happened on its own, twice, which impact from any object. The cost of the windshield, as installed is over $2000 each time, and it is repeated occurrence with owners.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11717917 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Other systems

Minor
2

Most reports here involve other issues.

other issues 2
A recent report: The dealership is not able to perform the recall in a timely manner.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11763083 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Is 55 complaints a lot? They were filed between 2020 and 2026, roughly 9 a year, which is about the same as the typical model in this dataset. We do not have sales figures for this model, so treat this as a rough volume, not a rate per car on the road. Popular, high-volume models naturally collect more complaints over time.

How does it compare with other years? The 2020 has 55 complaints on file, more than the 2021 (39). Of the 6 model years of the Land Rover Defender we cover, the 2023 has the most (81). Older model years have had longer to collect complaints.