27 of the
391 complaints filed about the Land Rover Defender
are about the other systems —
7% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2022.
Red Error code popped up about battery. Then vehicle completely shut down. Was unable to put it in gear in order to move it to a safe place, therefore my vehicle blocked traffic. Fortunately this incident did not occur on the interstate where my vehicle could have been completely totaled or I could have been killed. I have less than 2500 miles on my vehicle, this should not have happened. It is currently in service waiting to be diagnosed.
NHTSA complaint #11758849 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My 2023 Land Rover Defender is subject to manufacturer recall D126 / NHTSA Recall 26V-248 concerning potential failure of the DC/DC converter due to an internal fault in the boost control microchip. The recall remains incomplete and Jaguar Land Rover has advised that a remedy is not yet available. I have contacted Jaguar Land Rover and my authorized Land Rover retailer, but there is currently no repair that I can have performed to remedy the safety defect. This has created a significant problem because I recently relocated from Canada to the United States and need to import my Canadian-market Defender. Jaguar Land Rover will not provide the manufacturer compliance documentation required for the normal U.S. importation process while this recall remains outstanding. However, I cannot have the recall completed because Jaguar Land Rover has not yet developed or made a remedy available. I am therefore effectively unable to remedy the safety recall through no action available to me as the vehicle owner, while the unresolved recall is simultaneously preventing me from importing the vehicle into the United States. I have asked Jaguar Land Rover for assistance and am currently discussing a potential manufacturer buyback because there is no available recall remedy. I am requesting that NHTSA review whether Jaguar Land Rover is providing an appropriate and timely remedy for Recall 26V-248 and advise what recourse is available to an owner whose vehicle cannot be remedied because the manufacturer has not yet made a repair available.
NHTSA complaint #11758371 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On XXX at approximately 8:10am I received this red warning on my vehicle: "OK to drive with caution. Hybrid system fault detected." I was driving my daughter to daycare at the time and didn't feel safe continuing to do that. My wife had to drive 25minutes to come and get us and safely continue our trip. No other issues with the vehicle prior to this incident. A month or two prior to that, I had received the recall notice regarding a failure of the DCDC converter and that an electrical fault warning could potentially happen. Well I got that warning and then my check engine light remained on. I immediately called [XXX] Jaguar Land Rover in [XXX] and got an appointment for the following Wednesday, August 5th. I was put in a loaner while they checked out the vehicle. On Wednesday, August 12th, I heard back from [XXX] regarding my vehicle and this was the message I got from the system: [Primary]: LCEL - CHECK ENGINE LIGHT DIAGNOSIS: CHECK ENGINE LIGHT DIAGNOSIS CHECK ENGINE LIGHT - DIAGNOSIS - CUSTOMER STATES ON SOLID, VEHICLE SEEMS JERKY Check Engine Light - Diagnosis-Land Rover: MHEV BATTERY will need replaced. ran multiple tests on topix thru the work flow. DTCs confirmed internal malfunction to MHEV BATTERY. it will also need programmed once installed. includes hour of diag My rep followed up and let me know that this was going to be outside of my extended warranty coverage. I followed up asking about the recall and the relation to this incident. He responded and said he still had very limited information in regards to that recall, so once parts and repair procedures are released, I could be entitled to reimbursement. I'm failing to understand how LandRover wouldn't cover this. It's directly related to the recall notice I got in April, and then what they described could happen, effectively happened to my vehicle. I did not feel safe driving it so I didn't drive it until it was time to drop it off. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11756648 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
WE WERE DREIVING ALONG AT 40 MILES PER HOUR THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON A EMERGECY WARING CAME ON 2 SECONDS LATER AND THE CAR COMPLETE STOP WENT DEAD. THE CAR WAS TOWED BACK TO THE DELAERSHIP AND SET THEIR BEING WORKED ON FOR 3 WEEKS, WE NEVER GOT A INDICAITO AS TO WHAT HAPPENED, GET CAR BACK 3 DAYS LATER CHECK ENGONE LIOGHT ON AGAIN. THIS TIME WE PULLED OVER ON THE ROAD AND CALLED ROADSIDE, CAR WAS PICK UP 10 DASY AGON NO COMMUNICATIONS FROM DEALER. THIS IS A SATEFY HAZARD THAT NEED TO BE REVIWED
NHTSA complaint #11755745 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The vehicle appears to have experienced a failure or malfunction involving the electrical power system, charging system, 12 volt battery system, vehicle communication modules, or related components. Based on the recent Land Rover recall I found online, I am concerned that the DC to DC converter or related charging system may be involved, because the reported recall issue involves loss of 12 volt charging and potential loss of drive power. The vehicle is currently with Jaguar Land Rover Houston Central and should be available for inspection upon request. The vehicle has not been returned to me, and the dealer has indicated that the vehicle was not communicating with their diagnostic computer and was not initially showing fault codes because the modules were not communicating. They have told me that my car is not part of the recall. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? My safety and the safety of others were put at risk because the SUV experienced a complete shutdown while I was driving on two separate occasions. The first event occurred Thursday afternoon at approximately 4:32 PM while I was driving on Highway 610. The vehicle suddenly lost power while in motion. I was able to glide off the highway and park on the side of the road, but this could have caused a crash or created a serious hazard because it occurred on a major roadway. The second event occurred Friday morning around 7:20 AM while I was driving on South Rice Avenue to take my daughter to school. The vehicle shut off again and left me stranded. Multiple people attempted to jump start the vehicle, including the tow truck driver, but the vehicle could not be restarted or shifted into neutral. The vehicle remained disabled and required towing. Because the shutdown happened while driving and the vehicle could not be restarted or moved normally afterward, this created a significant risk of co
NHTSA complaint #11736364 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
DC -DC power converter part # LR131043. My vehicle is unusable due to the failure of this part. I have not been able to use my vehicle for over a month and the part is still on indefinite back order.
NHTSA complaint #11719811 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On January 25, 2026, while driving my 2022 Land Rover Defender 110 in Colorado on Interstate 70, the vehicle suddenly and completely lost power with no warning. There were no dashboard alerts, warning lights, or messages prior to the failure. The vehicle abruptly became disabled while traveling at highway speed, creating an immediate and serious risk of a crash, severe injury, or death to myself and other motorists. I was extremely fortunate to be able to safely maneuver the vehicle out of traffic and exit the highway. Given traffic conditions on I-70, this failure could easily have resulted in a major accident. The vehicle was undrivable and had to be towed to Flatirons Land Rover in Colorado on January 25, 2026. On January 26, 2026, after I had to repeatedly follow up with the dealership, I was informed that the failure was caused by a defective component related to the battery/electrical system. Although the repair is covered under warranty, the required part is on backorder, and I was advised the vehicle will be out of service for approximately six weeks. The dealership stated they cannot provide a loaner vehicle, leaving me without transportation. They said the dcdc converter and I don not understand and they did not explain well A sudden loss of power without warning at highway speeds represents a serious safety defect that puts drivers and the public at risk. I am concerned this defect may affect other vehicles and could lead to serious injuries or fatalities if not addressed.
NHTSA complaint #11714786 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I had the car while driving loss of power then engine light came on. Dealer twice checked and stated no issue until they tested and found that the replacement of the Hybrid battery system was issue. I've found this same issue with Converter system showing up with others on the facebook 'The New Defender Owners' group. It seems to be a larger issue JLR is not telling people about that has been issue over a couple years.
NHTSA complaint #11709570 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On or about August 7 or 8, my wife was driving our vehicle when it suddenly stalled and stopped running. Prior to this incident, we received a warning that the battery was low and that the vehicle needed to be started immediately. On August 9, I replaced the battery. That same day, we contacted the dealership where we purchased the vehicle and reported the issue. We were advised not to drive the car and instead have it towed to the dealership for inspection. In researching the problem, I found information about recall N599, which involves vehicles of this model year suddenly stalling. However, when I entered my VIN, no active recalls were shown for my vehicle. Given the similarity of the issue we experienced to the recall description, I believe my vehicle should be included. The vehicle is currently in the dealership’s shop undergoing a computer system reset, but I strongly feel any necessary repairs related to this stalling issue should be covered under the recall. My primary concern is the safety of this vehicle for my family and all passengers, and I request that this matter be reviewed and addressed under recall coverage.
NHTSA complaint #11682718 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
We were driving at highway speeds on paved, dry road. The vehicle threw a electrical fault error. As I drove to a safe location to pull over, the vehicle switched into Neutral, every warning light on the dash lit up and my power steering failed. We barely coasted to a safe spot on the shoulder of the highway we were on in the mountains. The parking brake also would not work. The vehicle then completely died and we were stuck in an area with no cell phone service. The rear hatch also would not open
NHTSA complaint #11624215 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The main display screen will randomly not turn on upon startup of the vehicle. This prevents me from using the reverse camera, parking aids or any other functions or driving aids that are accessed through the screen. Turning off the vehicle and / or restarting the screen does not fix the issue...the screen will just randomly start working or stop working. This might happen 2 or 3 times per day and then may not happen for a month. In my 6 months of ownership it has happen more than 15 times. Others in the online forums are experiencing this problem and I feel this is a safety issue.
NHTSA complaint #11594884 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Windshield issue having to replace Windshield twice in 4 months if rock hit it spread . Wondering if their an issue with how the windshield are made overseas
NHTSA complaint #11589308 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The rear backup camera is foggy and it is not possible to see clearly while backing up. It is foggy in any weather condition, during the daylight, and at night. There are halos around lights at night in addition to the general fogginess.
NHTSA complaint #11570514 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My 2022 Land Rover Defender was equipped with a factory-spec winch (a WARN Xeon Platinum 10-S, with Land Rover-supplied surrounds, etc.) installed immediately upon delivery by a JLR dealership. The winch is setup for a wireless winch remote, which intermittently loses pairing to the actual winch control unit. Due to the design of the Land Rover mounts, however, the winch’s controls (necessary to reset and reconnect the remote) are entirely inaccessible. The truck has to be taken to a JLR dealer every time the winch remote disconnects, the bumper and winch surrounds must be removed, and the controls thereby accessed to reset the system. So, several days’ worth of work every time the remote happens to disconnect, which is not a workable design. I have had the unit examined and serviced four times by dealerships and none are able to address the issue as the issue is with the factory design itself. There are third-party solutions (from WARN) available to reroute the winch controls to an accessible location, which the dealership has recommended I undertake just to get the factory design to function sustainably. This will likely run me $3,000 out of pocket, just to address design issues with the original $6,000 factory accessory. I have already contacted JLR customer service, who offered me a $300 voucher for future dealership service. After many discussions about the insufficiency of this voucher, they suggested that I file a NHTSA complaint.
NHTSA complaint #11563512 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The cover over the ADAS sensors above the rear view mirror detached and fell into the driver area causing loss of control. This has happened before (without accident or loss of control) but I don't remember the date.
NHTSA complaint #11551142 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
2 windshields cracked within a 2 month period. Second windshield cracked about 45 days after installation with no evidence of any impact causing it. One morning I came out to my vehicle and there was a 6-8 inch crack starting at the bottom of the windshield. Have driven the same roads for 30 years and have never had issues with windshields and now 2 in a couple of months.
NHTSA complaint #11547487 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Windshield cracking for no reason Many occurrences in owners forum. Class action lawsuit filed. Manfature doing nothing. Windshields need to be redesigned .
NHTSA complaint #11544299 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
- The windshield began to crack without anything impacting the car (No rocks, pepples, or debris hit the windshield.) - A cracked windshield can lead to several safety issues. - Not yet - Not yet - No
NHTSA complaint #11542584 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.