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Land Rover Defender problems, repairs and warranty value

Review possible repair costs and submitted NHTSA records for the Land Rover Defender. Compare documented symptoms and manufacturer repair guidance, then choose your model year for its available records and repair estimates.

7model-year profiles
300submitted complaints
18unique vehicle recall campaigns
Gasoline and HybridEPA powertrain choices
Animated diagnostic illustration for the Land Rover Defender

Model records

What changes the warranty calculation

The Land Rover Defender records contain 300 submitted complaints across 7 matched model years. The median is 42 reports per matched year. NHTSA source snapshot: 2026-10-18.

The 2023 record contains 82 complaint reports, the highest raw count among matched years here; other years may tie. Vehicle sales and time on the road differ, so this comparison does not establish a failure rate.

Engine replacement or major internal repair has the highest arithmetic midpoint for parts in the applicable planning estimates, at $8,000 before labor. Confirm the configuration and remaining factory coverage before using this broad estimate to compare a service contract.

42 recall/model-year entries. A campaign can cover several years; the unique campaign count removes that repetition. Missing model-name matches remain unavailable.

Problem research and repair guidance

Land Rover Defender: symptoms, affected vehicles and documented fixes

Match the symptom and the exact vehicle scope before arranging work. The imported catalogue is an editorial index of source documents, not an independent safety authority. Recall text is checked against NHTSA; each record links to the evidence that supports its scope and remedy.

5documented issue files
5vehicle systems

5 recall files · 0 other manufacturer files. These are editorial file counts, not distinct campaign totals, failure rates or a complete recall history.

AIR BAGS

Official safety recall2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026Campaign 26V389000

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL: recall 26V389000

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

Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2020-2026 Land Rover Defender, 2021-2026 Discovery, and 2022-2026 Range Rover vehicles. The driver’s air bag clockspring connector may corrode, which can cause the air bag not to deploy as intended.

Condition in the official record

Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2020-2026 Land Rover Defender, 2021-2026 Discovery, and 2022-2026 Range Rover vehicles. The driver’s air bag clockspring connector may corrode, which can cause the air bag not to deploy as intended.

Which vehicles the source covers
  • NHTSA model names: DEFENDER. Model years: 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026.
  • NHTSA campaign 26V389000
  • The complete campaign lists 250,857 potentially affected units across all listed vehicles.
  • A make, model and year match does not establish VIN eligibility.

Safety recall eligibility is based on the VIN and campaign scope, not ordinary warranty mileage. Check the complete VIN even when the vehicle is outside its original warranty.

Component in the source: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

Published recall 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.

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

Official recall remedyManufacturer or authorized dealer · Confirm with the dealer

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.

Limit: Confirm VIN eligibility and current remedy instructions with the manufacturer.

Check the complete VINVIN lookup · Before arranging repairs

Check the 17-character VIN at NHTSA.gov/recalls and ask the manufacturer whether this campaign remains open for the vehicle.

Limit: The model-year list is not proof that an individual vehicle is affected.

Evidence for this issue
Open this problem file →

Source review: 2026-10-18

BACK OVER PREVENTION

Official safety recall2023, 2024Campaign 25V016000

BACK OVER PREVENTION:SOFTWARE: recall 25V016000

A rearview camera that does not display an image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.

Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2023 Discovery Sport, 2023-2024 Defender, and 2023 Range Rover Evoque vehicles. The touchscreen in the center console may go blank at vehicle startup, resulting in the rearview camera image not displaying as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."

Condition in the official record

Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2023 Discovery Sport, 2023-2024 Defender, and 2023 Range Rover Evoque vehicles. The touchscreen in the center console may go blank at vehicle startup, resulting in the rearview camera image not displaying as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."

Which vehicles the source covers
  • NHTSA model names: DEFENDER. Model years: 2023, 2024.
  • NHTSA campaign 25V016000
  • The complete campaign lists 28,370 potentially affected units across all listed vehicles.
  • A make, model and year match does not establish VIN eligibility.

Safety recall eligibility is based on the VIN and campaign scope, not ordinary warranty mileage. Check the complete VIN even when the vehicle is outside its original warranty.

Component in the source: BACK OVER PREVENTION:SOFTWARE

Published recall remedy

Dealers will update the touchscreen software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 3, 2025. Owners may contact Land Rover's customer service at 1-800-637-6837. Land Rover's number for this recall is N972.

Consequence in the NHTSA record: A rearview camera that does not display an image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.

Official recall remedyManufacturer or authorized dealer · Confirm with the dealer

Dealers will update the touchscreen software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 3, 2025. Owners may contact Land Rover's customer service at 1-800-637-6837. Land Rover's number for this recall is N972.

Limit: Confirm VIN eligibility and current remedy instructions with the manufacturer.

Check the complete VINVIN lookup · Before arranging repairs

Check the 17-character VIN at NHTSA.gov/recalls and ask the manufacturer whether this campaign remains open for the vehicle.

Limit: The model-year list is not proof that an individual vehicle is affected.

Evidence for this issue
Open this problem file →

Source review: 2026-10-18

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Official safety recall2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024Campaign 26V248000

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:DC/DC CONVERTER: recall 26V248000

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

Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Land Rover Range Rover Velar and Land Rover Discovery, 2020-2023 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque, 2019-2024 Land Rover Range Rover Sport, 2020-2024 Land Rover Range Rover, 2020 Land Rover Discovery Sport, 2020-2024 Land Rover Defender, 2021-2024 Jaguar F-Pace, and 2021-2022 Jaguar E-Pace mild-hybrid electric vehicles (MHEVs). Insufficient electrical load balancing during times of high demand can lead to a current overload condition and malfunction of the DCDC converter. A failure of the DC-DC converter will result in a loss of 12-Volt system charging and can lead to complete loss of drive power and exterior lighting.

Condition in the official record

Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Land Rover Range Rover Velar and Land Rover Discovery, 2020-2023 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque, 2019-2024 Land Rover Range Rover Sport, 2020-2024 Land Rover Range Rover, 2020 Land Rover Discovery Sport, 2020-2024 Land Rover Defender, 2021-2024 Jaguar F-Pace, and 2021-2022 Jaguar E-Pace mild-hybrid electric vehicles (MHEVs). Insufficient electrical load balancing during times of high demand can lead to a current overload condition and malfunction of the DCDC converter. A failure of the DC-DC converter will result in a loss of 12-Volt system charging and can lead to complete loss of drive power and exterior lighting.

Which vehicles the source covers
  • NHTSA model names: DEFENDER. Model years: 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024.
  • NHTSA campaign 26V248000
  • The complete campaign lists 170,169 potentially affected units across all listed vehicles.
  • A make, model and year match does not establish VIN eligibility.

Safety recall eligibility is based on the VIN and campaign scope, not ordinary warranty mileage. Check the complete VIN even when the vehicle is outside its original warranty.

Component in the source: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:DC/DC CONVERTER

Published recall 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.

Consequence in the NHTSA record: A loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.

Official recall remedyManufacturer or authorized dealer · Confirm with the dealer

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.

Limit: Confirm VIN eligibility and current remedy instructions with the manufacturer.

Check the complete VINVIN lookup · Before arranging repairs

Check the 17-character VIN at NHTSA.gov/recalls and ask the manufacturer whether this campaign remains open for the vehicle.

Limit: The model-year list is not proof that an individual vehicle is affected.

Evidence for this issue
Open this problem file →

Source review: 2026-10-18

POWER TRAIN

Official NHTSA safety recall2020, 2021Campaign 21V424000

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM): recall 21V424000

An engine stall can increase the risk of a crash.

Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Land Rover Defender vehicles equipped with 6-cylinder engines. The Powertrain Control Module (PCM) may unexpectedly switch off while the vehicle is in motion, resulting in an engine stall with no warning.

Condition in the official record

Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Land Rover Defender vehicles equipped with 6-cylinder engines. The Powertrain Control Module (PCM) may unexpectedly switch off while the vehicle is in motion, resulting in an engine stall with no warning.

Which vehicles the source covers
  • NHTSA model names: DEFENDER. Model years: 2020, 2021.
  • NHTSA campaign 21V424000
  • The complete campaign lists 163 potentially affected units across all listed vehicles.
  • A make, model and year match does not establish VIN eligibility.

Campaign 21V424000 is based on the recalled vehicle population and VIN, not a published mileage threshold. Mileage alone cannot confirm or exclude it.

Component in the source: POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)

Jurisdiction: United States

Published recall 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.

Consequence in the NHTSA record: An engine stall can increase the risk of a crash.

Official recall remedyManufacturer or authorized dealer · Confirm with the dealer

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.

Limit: Confirm VIN eligibility and current remedy instructions with the manufacturer.

Check the complete VINVIN lookup · Before arranging repairs

Check the 17-character VIN at NHTSA.gov/recalls and ask the manufacturer whether this campaign remains open for the vehicle.

Limit: The model-year list is not proof that an individual vehicle is affected.

Evidence for this issue
Open this problem file →

Source review: 2026-10-18

SEAT BELTS

Official safety recall2021Campaign 21V668000

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR: recall 21V668000

An unsecured child restraint system can increase the risk of injury during a crash.

Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2021 Range Rover, 2022 Range Rover Sport, 2020-2021 Range Rover Velar, Discovery Sport, 2020-2022 Discovery, and Defender vehicles. The seat belt automatic locking retractors may deactivate early, which can prevent the child restraint system from securing properly.

Condition in the official record

Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2021 Range Rover, 2022 Range Rover Sport, 2020-2021 Range Rover Velar, Discovery Sport, 2020-2022 Discovery, and Defender vehicles. The seat belt automatic locking retractors may deactivate early, which can prevent the child restraint system from securing properly.

Which vehicles the source covers
  • NHTSA model names: DEFENDER. Model years: 2021.
  • NHTSA campaign 21V668000
  • The complete campaign lists 32,687 potentially affected units across all listed vehicles.
  • A make, model and year match does not establish VIN eligibility.

Safety recall eligibility is based on the VIN and campaign scope, not ordinary warranty mileage. Check the complete VIN even when the vehicle is outside its original warranty.

Component in the source: SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR

Published recall remedy

Dealers will inspect and replace the seat belt assemblies as necessary, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed October 20, 2021. Owners may contact Land Rover customer service at 1-800-637-6837. Land Rover's number for this recall is N630.

Consequence in the NHTSA record: An unsecured child restraint system can increase the risk of injury during a crash.

Official recall remedyManufacturer or authorized dealer · Confirm with the dealer

Dealers will inspect and replace the seat belt assemblies as necessary, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed October 20, 2021. Owners may contact Land Rover customer service at 1-800-637-6837. Land Rover's number for this recall is N630.

Limit: Confirm VIN eligibility and current remedy instructions with the manufacturer.

Check the complete VINVIN lookup · Before arranging repairs

Check the 17-character VIN at NHTSA.gov/recalls and ask the manufacturer whether this campaign remains open for the vehicle.

Limit: The model-year list is not proof that an individual vehicle is affected.

Evidence for this issue
Open this problem file →

Source review: 2026-10-18

Confirm who pays before authorizing work

A recall remedy follows the campaign and VIN eligibility. A service bulletin provides diagnosis or repair instructions; it does not by itself promise payment. Manufacturer warranty extensions and support programs have their own conditions.

Compare recalls, bulletins and warranty extensions →

Keep a current problem separate from future coverage

These files do not supply a shop quote. Ask for a diagnosis and written estimate, then check recall remedies or existing coverage. A new vehicle service contract generally excludes pre-existing conditions.

Prepare a useful description for the mechanic →

Each file retains its original source review date. Historical remedy wording can change; check the current manufacturer notice and NHTSA VIN lookup for your vehicle. The separately dated NHTSA counts elsewhere on this page use a different dataset and scope.

Read the evidence for this vehicle

What can the data tell you about Land Rover Defender?

No model-specific individual-repair price keys are retained for Land Rover Defender in this library. Generic parts and labor estimates, public records and separate annual cost references may still be available.

Individual-repair price scopeGeneric inputs

Model-level range presence is a source-coverage check. It does not confirm that a repair fits every engine or model year.

EPA configuration match54 source rows

The mapped years for this model can include different equipment. Use the VIN and original specifications to identify the actual configuration.

Documented repair pathsCheck the source

Recall and communication counts describe records. They cannot establish a breakdown probability or current VIN status.

Price-key audit reviewed October 18, 2026; EPA source snapshot 2026-08-07. Individual-repair ranges and annual repair-budget references are different datasets.

Campaign-reference audit

One campaign can create many entries

1,200 selected recall files resolve to 780 distinct campaign IDs after compact references are normalized and checked against official NHTSA records. Files and campaigns are different counting units.

1200 selected recall files; normalized references checked against official NHTSA records

See the analysis, charts and method →

EPA configuration facts

Engines and drivetrains sold under this model name

FuelEconomy.gov lists 54 matched Land Rover Defender configurations across the model years shown here. Trim, engine and drive layout can change which repairs belong in a warranty comparison.

Vehicle classStandard SUV
Fuel choicesGasoline and Hybrid
Drive layoutsFour-wheel drive
Engine range2 to 5 L; 4 to 8 cylinders
EPA efficiency range16 to 20 mpg
Transmission typesAutomatic

These are ranges across EPA configurations, not the specification of every trim. The VIN and original window sticker settle the exact equipment. Source: FuelEconomy.gov vehicle data, dataset updated 2026-08-07.

Possible repair costs

Major repairs for this powertrain

These estimates use parts benchmarks and modeled independent-shop labor rates for 50-metro reference, so you can compare models using the same labor assumptions.

RepairEstimated range
Engine replacement or major internal repair$6,095 to $16,964
Transmission replacement$6,079 to $6,995
Transfer case replacement$2,189 to $8,192
Hybrid high voltage battery replacement$4,797 to $5,140
Turbocharger replacement$1,662 to $6,524
Supercharger assembly replacement$3,224 to $3,636
Compare a warranty quote with repair costsAll Land Rover models